Monday 2 December 2013

"SOFT TURRÓN" MILKSHAKE (ALMOND BUTTER MILKSHAKE) / XTMAS SWEET | ALTERNATIVE VEGAN RECIPE INCLUDED | DECEMBER MENU


WIKI NOTE: Turrón is a typical Christmas sweet in Spain and Italy. It is made with almonds and honey. It is similar to nougat.

"SOFT TURRÓN" MILKSHAKE 

YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe
300g soft turrón (turrón de Jijona) or almond butter
350ml of milk /*almond milk
2 tablespoons of honey /*agave nectar, to taste (optional)
Cinnamon powder, to sprinkle (optional) 
NOTE: The soft turrón (turrón de Jijona) is made with ground almonds. Almond butter instead of soft turron works well for this recipe, just add some honey.

LET´S COOK!
1. Chop the soft turrón into small pieces. Put half of it into the measuring cup of the blender. 
2. Add half milk. Mix everything with the blender until foaming.
3. Mix everything well with the blender, at the same time add the remaining milk and pieces of soft turrón, until foaming. Rectify the taste by adding caster sugar or honey.
4. Serve it in a glass with straw. Sprinkle cinnamon on the top of the glass.
NOTE: Put the glasses in the freezer for a while, the soft turrón milkshake has to be cold.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  • RELATED POSTS

    POLVORONES ("SPANISH CRUMBLE CAKES") / XMAS SWEET | ALTERNATIVE VEGAN RECIPE INCLUDED | DECEMBER MENU


    WIKI NOTE: Polvorón is a very crumbly shortbread biscuit. It´s a typical Christmas sweet in Spain. 

    POLVORONES ("SPANISH CRUMBLE CAKES")


    YOU WILL NEED:  (for 2 baking trays approx.) *vegan recipe
    400g wheat flour (plain or all-purpose) 
    200g lard /*vegan margarine
    150g icing sugar /*icing panela sugar or unrefined cane sugar, to sprinkle
    Cinnamon powder, to sprinkle (optional)

    LET´S COOK!
    1. Preheat the oven to 180 º C for around 15 minutes. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
    2. Add the white flour to a big saucepan over medium heat. Mix it slowly with a wooden spoon, until brown. 
    3. Put toasted flour in a big bowl and leave to cool. 
    4. Put lard in a small saucepan. Warm gently, stirring until all melted. Set aside and leave to cool. 
    5. Pour cold melted lard into the big bowl. Mix it well with a wooden spoon.
    6. Add icing sugar. Mix it and knead for 10 minutes.
    7. Let mixture dough rest for 30 min. 
    8. Using hands, divide and roll the mixture dough into small balls (same size approx.)
    9. Carefully place onto the baking tray and flatten each ball a bit.
    NOTE: balls will flatten out more during baking.
    10. Bake crumble cakes for 30 minutes oven at low temperature (approx. 150 º C).
    11. Set aside and leave to cool. Sprinkle icing sugar over crumble cakes.
    NOTE: Mix some icing sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon powder in a cup. Sprinkle mixture over crumble cakes (optional). 
    12. Serve and place it on the Xmas plate.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    • RELATED POSTS




      FISH PÂTÉ | ALTERNATIVE VEGAN RECIPE INCLUDED: HUMMUS | DECEMBER MENU


      WIKI NOTEPreservation of marine products is of great importance to the coastal poor. Preserved fish products ensure adequate protein during low fishing periods. Subsistence fishers use their abundant catch of small fish to make fermented fish paste and smoked fish with the assistance of family members.

      FISH PÂTÉ 

      YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe replace fish pâté for hummus
      1 slice of hake (whiting family)
      1 slice of salmon
      4 crab sticks
      3 eggs
      10 tablespoons of tomato sauce, either store-bought or homemade.
      200ml double cream 
      Grated nutmeg, to taste
      Ground black pepper, to taste
      Salt, to taste

      LET´S COOK!
      1. Preheat the oven to 180 º C. Grease a baking pan with olive oil.
      2. Place the slice of salmon hake fish and bay leaves in a saucepan, and cover with salted water.
      3. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer over low heat for 5- 10 minutes, until the fish is cooked.
      4. Drain in a colander. Place it on a plate. Remove skin and any bones. Allow the fish pieces to cool.
      5. Put the eggs, crab sticks, fish pieces, tomato sauce, and double cream on the base of the blender. Mix everything with the blender, until obtain the desired texture (pâté) Season with ground black pepper, grated nutmeg, and salt, to taste.
      6. Pour the mix into the baking pan. Place the baking pan in the oven baking tray. Fill the oven baking tray with water.
      7. Bake it for around 1 hour. Check it until browned.
      NOTE: Open the oven and prick the fish pâté in the middle with a needle knit. You can check it many times until the needle knit is clean. It means that the pâté is well done.
      8. Remove the baking pan. Let cool the fish pâté for a while.
      9. Cover the bowl with cling film and put it in the fridge for a while. The fish pâté has to be cold to serve. It is yummy, yummy with tomato salad.
      NOTE: You can also spread the fish pâté on toasts.
      • LET'S MAKE THE RUDOLPH RED-NOSED REINDEER FACE!
      Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer face: fish pâté (face), cherry tomato (nose), lettuce leaves cut into julienne (hair and horn) teaspoon of mayonnaise, and raisins (eyes).

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      • RELATED POSTS

      WINTER SOUP: POTATO, ONION, GARLIC AND OLIVE OIL | VEGAN RECIPE | DECEMBER MENU


      WIKI NOTE: The word soup comes from French soupe ("soup", "broth"), which comes through Vulgar Latin suppa ("bread soaked in broth") from a Germanic source, from which also comes the word "sop", a piece of bread used to soak up soup or a thick stew.

      WINTER SOUP 

      YOU WILL NEED: 
      2 medium potatoes
      1 or 2 cloves garlic, to taste
      A half onion
      1 leek (white part)
      A generous splash (about 50g) of extra virgin olive oil or olive oil, to taste
      A bunch of parsley
      Salt, to taste
      Black pepper, to taste
      Water (to boil)

      LET´S COOK!
      1. Wash the vegetables well. Peel potatoes, leek, onion and garlic. Cut the potatoes into big pieces. Chop the onion, leek and garlic.
      2. Heat the olive oil in the pot. Saute the onion, leek, and garlic until transparent.
      3. Add the big pieces of potatoes. Stir for several minutes with the rest of the ingredients.
      4. Cover with water (the water has to exceed a couple of fingers the ingredients) and cook the vegetables for approx. 20 minutes. When the veggies are tender, turn off the kitchen and remove the pot from heat.
      5. Mix everything with the blender until it is the consistency of a soup. Add black pepper and salt, to taste.
      NOTE: If the texture of the soup is too liquid, add a few tablespoons of cornstarch (corn flour refined).
      6. Serve the soup warm. Chop a bunch of parsley and sprinkle it on the top of the soup plate. Add some crunchy popcorn because it makes the soup more yummy, yummy!

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      • RELATED POSTS

      Saturday 2 November 2013

      CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE | ALTERNATIVE VEGAN RECIPE INCLUDED | NOVEMBER MENU


      WIKI NOTE: When the term "milkshake" was first used in print in 1885, milkshakes were an alcoholic whiskey drink that has been described as a "sturdy, healthful eggnog type of drink, with eggs, whiskey, etc., served as a tonic as well as a treat". However, by 1900, the term referred to "wholesome drinks made with chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla syrups."

      CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE 

      YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe
      A cup of milk /*soy drink
      A scoop of chocolate ice cream /*vegan chocolate ice cream
      1 teaspoon of cocoa powder /* vegan-friendly cocoa powder
      1 tablespoon of honey /*agave nectar, maple syrup, or molasses (optional)
      Whipped cream /*coconut whipped cream (optional)
      NOTE: The recipe is for one glass. Double the amount if you want more than one glass.

      LET´S COOK!
      1. Put a scoop of chocolate ice cream, cocoa powder, and milk into the measuring cup of the blender.
      2. Mix everything well with the blender, until foaming. Sweeten by adding honey.
      3. Serve it in a glass with a straw.

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      • RELATED POSTS

      PANCAKE CAKE WITH BANANA CHOCOLATE FILLING | ALTERNATIVE VEGAN RECIPE INCLUDED | NOVEMBER MENU


      WIKI NOTE: The Ancient Greeks made pancakes called τηγανίτης (tēganitēs), deriving from τάγηνον (tagēnon), "frying pan". The earliest attested references to tagenias are in the works of the 5th-century BC poets Cratinus and Magnes. Tagenites were made with wheat flour, olive oil, honey, and curdled milk, and were served for breakfast. The Middle English word pancake appears in English in the 15th century. 

      PANCAKE CAKE

      YOU WILL NEED:
      • PANCAKE *vegan recipe 
      1/2 cup milk /*soy milk
      1/2 cup wheat flour (plain or all-purpose) 
      1 teaspoon baking powder
      1 tablespoon panela sugar or unrefined cane sugar
      1 whole egg /*2 tablespoons vegetable oil
      A pinch of salt
      A pinch of ground cinnamon (optional) 
      50g unsalted butter, cubed /*vegan butter
      • FILLING *vegan recipe
      Chocolate spread /*vegan chocolate hazelnut spread
      1 or 2 bananas
      Whipped cream (optional) /*coconut whipped cream
      NOTE: The recipe is for 4 units (small-size pancake)

      LET´S COOK!
      1. Place the flour, milk, egg or vegetable oil, baking powder, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Whisk to a smooth batter.
      2. Add a small cube of butter to a small nonstick pan over medium heat. Wipe it with kitchen paper.
      3. Add a ladleful of batter, tilting the pan to spread when the pan is hot. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until lightly golden. Set aside.
      4. Repeat until use all the batter (4 or 6 units). Stack the pancakes on a plate.
      5. To build your cake, spread some chocolate spread over the pancake and evenly spread the slices of banana on the pancake surface. Top with another pancake. Keep doing this, until use all the pancakes.
      6. Decorate the top of the pancake cake with whipped cream. The smiling face is the best yummy, yummy decoration.

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      • RELATED POSTS

      LENTIL BURGER | VEGAN RECIPE | NOVEMBER MENU


      WIKI NOTE: The lentil (Lens culinaris or Lens esculenta) is an edible legume. It is a bushy annual plant known for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about 40 cm (16 in) tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each. Lentil colors range from yellow to red-orange to green, brown, and black. Lentils also vary in size and are sold in many forms, with or without the skins, whole or split.
      Lentils have been part of the human diet since aceramic (before pottery) Neolithic times, being one of the first crops domesticated in the Near East. Archeological evidence shows they were eaten 9,500 to 13,000 years ago.

      LENTIL BURGER 

      YOU WILL NEED:*vegan recipe
      150g cooked green lentils
      NOTE: A can of green lentils in water (265g drained weight) works well.
      2 whole eggs
      Half chopped aubergine
      Half chopped red onion
      1 grated carrot
      A couple of garlic cloves
      Extra virgin olive oil or olive oil, to taste
      Bread crumbs
      Wheat flour (plain or all-purpose)
      Ground cumin, to taste
      Black pepper, to taste
      Salt, to taste
      Sesame seeds (optional)
      Cheese slices /*vegan cheese slices (optional)

      LET´S COOK!
      1. Put the dried lentils into a pot and add 3-4 cups of water. Boil it vigorously at high heat for 10 minutes, then turn it down to minimum heat and boil it for another 20 minutes. Drain the lentils and let them cool.
      NOTE: You can soak the lentils soaked for about 12 hours in cold water. It will be faster to boil them later.
      2. Once they are cooled, put them on the base of the blender, and add a handful of bread crumbs.
      3. Mix everything with the blender, until obtain the desired texture (creamy). Put the mix into a big bowl.
      4. Wash the vegetables well. Chop the red onion, aubergine, and garlic.
      5. Put into a frying pan on a medium heat, add a little bit of olive oil. Saute the onion and garlic until transparent.
      6. Add the aubergine. Stir for several minutes with the rest of the ingredients.
      7. Add the ingredients to the big bowl. Mix it with a wooden spoon.
      8. Grate the carrot. Beat an egg and add it into the bowl. Add salt / black pepper / ground cumin, to taste. Mix everything well. Add bread crumbs as necessary until the mix is not sticky.
      9. Divide the mix into small balls. Flatten each ball to get a burger shape.
      10. Beat an egg in a bowl. Put the flour on a plate. Put the breadcrumbs on a different plate. First, batter the burger into the flour. Second, dip it into the beaten egg. Third, batter it into the breadcrumbs with sesame seeds. It is a triple action.
      NOTE: If you make lots of burgers, you can freeze them. It is always a good moment for homemade lentil burgers.
      11. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan. Fry the burgers, one by one, until golden brown on each side. Remove them from the pan and drain with kitchen towels.
      12. Serve the burgers on burger buns with lettuce leaves, sliced tomato, sliced cheese, ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. The best way to eat a burger is with chips.
      NOTE: HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE / +VEGAN RECIPE: EGG-FREE MAYONNAISE

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      • RELATED POSTS

      QUESADILLAS | ALTERNATIVE VEGAN RECIPE INCLUDED | NOVEMBER MENU


      WIKI NOTE: The origin of the quesadilla was colonial Mexico. The quesadilla as a food has changed and evolved over many years as people experimented with different variations of it. Sometimes, cheese and ham are sandwiched between two flour tortillas, then cut into wedges to serve what is commonly known as sincronizada (Spanish for "synchronized") in Mexico.

      QUESADILLAS 

      YOU WILL NEED:*vegan recipe
      Large flour tortillas
      Several generous handfuls of grated cheese (queso Oaxaca) /*vegan grated cheese
      NOTE: If you don´t find Mexican cheese, you can use any kind of grated cheese.
      Sliced ​​cooked ham /*handful of drained red beans
      Black olives, sliced (optional)
      Fresh tomatoes, diced (optional)
      Ground black pepper, to taste
      Salt, to taste

      LET´S COOK! 
      1. Preheat the oven to 180 º C. Place the tortilla on a tin foil sheet.
      2. Place it in the oven and cook for 7-10 minutes, until the tortilla begins to visibly brown.
      3. Remove from the oven, top with sliced ​​cooked ham, and sprinkle cheese over the tortilla. Add salt and black pepper, to taste.
      4. Top with another tortilla. Return to oven for an additional 2 minutes.
      5. Cut the tortilla into triangle pieces. Serve immediately.

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      • RELATED POSTS

      Wednesday 2 October 2013

      FOREST FRUITS MILKSHAKE | ALTERNATIVE VEGAN RECIPE INCLUDED | OCTOBER MENU


      WIKI NOTE: The blueberries are native to North America, commercially cultivated highbush blueberries were not introduced into Europe until the 1930s. The blueberries are perennial flowering plants with indigo-colored berries from the section Cyanococcus within the genus Vaccinium.  The genus Vaccinium has a mostly circumpolar distribution with species in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The genus also includes cranberries, bilberries, and grouseberries.

      FOREST FRUITS MILKSHAKE 

      YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe
      A handful of blueberries
      A cup of milk /*soy milk
      1 forest berry yogurt (125g - small size) /*soy forest berry yogurt
      A scoop of vanilla ice cream /*vegan vanilla ice cream
      2 teaspoons of honey /*agave nectar, to taste
      NOTE: The recipe is for one glass. Double the amount if you want more than one glass.

      LET´S COOK!
      1. Wash the blueberries. Put it into the measuring cup of the blender.
      2. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, milk, honey and yogurt. Mix everything with the blender until foaming. Sweeten the taste by adding honey.
      3. Serve it in a glass with a straw. Put some blueberries on the top of the glass. 
      NOTE: Put the glasses in the freezer for a while, so the forest milkshake will be cold.

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      • RELATED POSTS