CHOCOLATE TURRÓN / XMAS SWEET | ALTERNATIVE VEGAN RECIPE INCLUDED

WIKI NOTE: Turrón (Spanish), or torrone (Italian), is a southern European nougat confection and is usually shaped into either a rectangular tablet or a round cake. It is frequently consumed as a traditional Christmas dessert in Spain and Italy as well as Latin America. 

Turrón itself can take on a variety of consistencies and appearances, however, they traditionally consisted of the same ingredients; the final product may be either hard and crunchy, or soft and chewy. 

Thirty years ago almost all turrón recipes followed the same specifications, but since the diversification of products, there are currently dozens of varieties: chocolate with puffed rice or whole almonds; all kinds of chocolate pralines, with or without liquor, candied fruits or whole nuts; fruit pralines; and even sugarless variations (sweetened with fructose or artificial sweeteners).

PUFFED RICE CHOCOLATE TURRÓN

YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe

250 g of dark chocolate chunks /*vegan chocolate
50 g of lard / *vegan margarine
50g of crispy puffed rice (Rice Krispies by Kellogg's)
25g of flaked almonds or chopped hazelnuts (optional)
--
1 aluminum container,  small-size rectangular 
Cling film

LET´S COOK!
1. Put the chocolate chunks in a saucepan. Warm gently, stirring until it's all melted. Add lard and stir for a while.

2. Pour the content into the bowl and mix with crispy puffed rice (Rice Krispies) all together.

3. Cover the aluminum container with cling film.

4. Pour the mixture into the aluminum container. Cover it with cling film, press and put weight on the top (a package of caster sugar or a pocket dictionary or whatever works well). Leave it like that until is hard (approx. 4 hours).
5. Keep it in the fridge. Cut it into thick pieces to serve.

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

• RELATED POSTS

• Ideas to celebrate Xmas + 4 recipes / +vegan version

• Chocolate salami / +vegan version

• Crunchy choco meteorites / +vegan version

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

• DECEMBER MENU

ROSCOS DE VINO (SWEET WINE DOUGHNUTS) / XMAS SWEET | VEGAN RECIPE

WIKI NOTE: Sesame seed is one of the oldest oilseed crops known, domesticated well over 3000 years ago. Sesame has many species, most being wild and native to sub-Saharan Africa. Sesame indicum, the cultivated type, originated in India. Sesame is highly tolerant to drought-like conditions and grows where other crops may fail.

ROSCOS DE VINO (SWEET WINE DOUGHNUTS)

YOU WILL NEED:

500 g wheat flour (plain or all-purpose) 

125 g caster sugar /*panela sugar or unrefined cane sugar

20 g toasted sesame seeds

200 ml  olive oil or vegetable oil, to taste

125 ml  sweet dessert wine (Malaga sweet wine)

15 ml herb brandy

1/2 lemon grated

Icing sugar

LET´S COOK!

1. Preheat the oven to 200 º C for around 15 minutes. Line a baking tray with grease-proof paper.

2. Put the plain flour in a big saucepan over medium heat. Mix it slowly with a wooden spoon, until brown. Set aside.

3. Put the caster sugar, toasted sesame seeds, olive oil, sweet dessert wine, herb brandy, and lemon grated in a big bowl. Mix it well with a wooden spoon.

4. Pour the flour into the big bowl. Mix everything well until the mixture comes together as a dough.

5. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 1 cm.

6. Using doughnut cutters or biscuit cutters - circle shape, cut "roscos" out of the dough and carefully place onto the baking tray.

7. Bake the roscos until pale golden brown (for 20 or 30 minutes - oven to 150ºC). Set aside to harden for 5 minutes, then warm on a wire rack.

8. Sprinkle over icing sugar. Place it on the Xmas plate.

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

• RELATED POSTS

• Ideas to celebrate Xmas + 4 recipes / +vegan version

• Ring doughnuts "rosquillas" + vegan version

• Chocolate red wine vegan cake 

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

• DECEMBER MENU

PUBLICATION: HALLOWEEN FOR LITTLE FOODIES | ARTICLE WHN - ISSUE 86

• Article published in What´s Happening Magazine / Issue 86.

Kids can be very picky when it comes to food, especially when it's good for them. However we have found a solution in blog form. Cosericantar blog makes it a piece of cake when getting your little ones involved in cooking. The blog is based on two main ideas: cooking and playing. A full menu of creative and healthy recipes has been prepared for each month of the year. Elena from Cosericantar blog has created some spooky treats especially WHM for you to try at home. 
Recipes and photography by Elena JR from Cosericantar blog. 

***What´s Happening Magazine (WHN): Brighton-based Fashion and Lifestyle Magazine.

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

• RELATED POSTS

•  HALLOWEEN MENU

• Bloody fingers: carrot almond Ketchup sauce / vegan

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

• OCTOBER MENU

SPOOKY DRINKS | 2 ALTERNATIVE VEGAN RECIPES INCLUDED | HALLOWEEN MENU

MONSTER - SPINACH SMOOTHIE 

YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe
A handful of spinach
1 or 2 bananas
1 natural yogurt or soy yogurt (125g - small size)
A scoop of vanilla flavor ice cream /*vegan ice cream
2 tablespoons of honey  /*agave nectar, to taste
NOTE: The recipe is for one glass. If you want more than one glass, multiply the ingredients accordingly.

LET´S COOK!
1. Wash the spinach chop the bananas and add to the blender.
2. Add the ice cream, honey and yogurt. Mix everything with the blender until foaming. Taste the smoothie and add more honey to sweeten if you wish.
3. Serve in a glass with straw. Put some white chocolate (for eyes) on the top of the glass.
NOTE: Put the glasses in the freezer for a while, the monster smoothie should be cold.

• VAMPIRE - BEETROOT SMOOTHIE 

YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe
A handful of mixed berries (blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry)
A small cooked beetroot
1 forest berry yogurt  /*forest berry soy yogurt (125g - small size)
A scoop of vanilla flavor ice cream /*vegan ice cream
2 tablespoons of honey  /*agave nectar, to taste
NOTE: The recipe is for one glass. If you want more than one glass, multiply the ingredients accordingly

LET´S COOK!
1. Wash the berries, cut the beetroot, and add to the blender.
2. Add the ice cream, honey and yogurt. Mix everything with the blender until foaming. Taste the smoothie and add more honey to sweeten if you wish.
3. Serve in a glass with straw. Put some white chocolate (for eyes) on the top of the glass.
NOTE: Put the glasses in the freezer for a while, the vampire smoothie should be cold.

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

• HALLOWEEN MENU

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

• RELATED POSTS

• Publication / WHM: Halloween for little foodies (spooky treats)

• Spinach soup / vegan friendly

• Hummus 3 ways: classic, carrot, beetroot / vegan

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

• OCTOBER MENU

• NOVEMBER MENU

TRICK OR FRUIT | 2 VEGAN RECIPES | HALLOWEEN MENU

WIKI NOTE: Trick-or-treating is a Halloween ritual custom for children and adults in many countries. Children in costumes travel from house to house, asking for treats with the phrase "Trick or treat". The "treat" is usually some form of candy, although in some cultures money is used instead. The "trick" refers to a threat, usually idle, to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. Trick-or-treating usually occurs on the evening of October 31. Some homeowners signal that they are willing to hand out treats by putting up Halloween decorations outside their doors; others simply leave treats available on their porches for the children to take freely. Houses may also leave their porch light on as a universal indicator that they have candy.

Traditions similar to the modern custom of trick-or-treating extend all the way back to classical antiquity, although it is extremely unlikely that any of them are directly related to the modern custom. The ancient Greek writer Athenaeus of Naucratis records in his book The Deipnosophists that, in ancient times, the Greek island of Rhodes had a custom in which children would go from door to door dressed as swallows, singing a song, which demanded the owners of the house to give them food and threatened to cause mischief if the owners of the house refused. This tradition was claimed to have been started by the Rhodian lawgiver Cleobulus.

• BANANA GHOSTS | VEGAN RECIPE

YOU WILL NEED:
Bananas
Raisins

LET´S COOK!
1. Peel the bananas and cut them in half.
2. Make the ghost face with the raisins.
3. Place the banana ghosts on a plate. Such a scary gang of ghosts! Boo!!!

• PUMPKIN MANDARINS | VEGAN RECIPE

YOU WILL NEED:
Mandarins
Kiwis

LET´S COOK!
1. Peel the mandarins and the kiwis.
2. Cut the kiwis into small triangular pieces.
3. Put one kiwi piece in the center of each mandarin. It looks like pumpkin stalks.
4. Place the pumpkins on a plate. It is so easy to plant a terrifying field of pumpkins.

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

• HALLOWEEN MENU

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

• RELATED POSTS

• Publication / WHM: Halloween for little foodies (spooky treats)

• Banana milkshake / vegan friendly

• Mandarin lemonade / vegan

• Kiwi melon slushie / vegan

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

• OCTOBER MENU

• NOVEMBER MENU

4 SCARY TAPAS | ALTERNATIVE VEGAN RECIPES INCLUDED | HALLOWEEN MENU

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

1. PUMPKIN VOMIT | VEGAN RECIPE

YOU WILL NEED:
1 little pumpkin

For the guacamole:
1 large ripe tomato
3 very ripe avocados
Juice of 1 large lime
handful of coriander, leaves and stalks chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 chilli, red or green, deseeded and finely chopped
Tortilla chips, to serve

LET´S COOK!

Guacamole:

1. Remove the skin from the tomato and chop. Halve and stone the avocados and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh into a bowl with the tomato.
2. Tip all the other ingredients into the bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Use a fork to combine all of the ingredients.
3. Scatter with coriander. Cover with cling film and chill until needed.

Pumpkin face: 

1. Make a hole in the top of the pumpkin. Cut a six-sided lid, rather than a circle.
2. Use a wooden spoon, to clean out the seeds and stringy bits.
3. Draw the face on the pumpkin. Following the line cut the shapes out with a serrated knife. Use a gentle sawing action to avoid breaking bits off the pumpkin.

LET'S MAKE THE PUMPKIN VOMIT!
1. Put the pumpkin on a plate. 

2. Spread the guacamole from the mouth of the pumpkin around the plate. 

3. Serve with a big bowl with tortilla chips to dip into the guacamole.

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

2. SPIDER EGGS | ALTERNATIVE VEGAN RECIPE INCLUDED

YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe
3 or 4 eggs /*silken tofu (yolks substitute) mini bread chips snacks (white)
A tin of pitted black olives
2 tablespoons of chopped spring onions
4 tablespoons of mayonnaise/*vegan mayonnaise
NOTE: homemade mayonnaise + vegan mayonnaise recipe
1 small can of tuna chunks /*soya chunks (optional)
2 tablespoons of sweet corn (optional)
Sprig of parsley (optional)
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

LET´S COOK!
1. Put the eggs into a small pot. Cover with water and cook for approx. 4-5 minutes. Peel the eggs. Chop in half and remove the yolks.
2. Put the chopped spring onions, chopped yolks, tuna chunks and sweet corn in a big bowl. Mix everything together with a wooden spoon.
3. Add several tablespoons of mayonnaise, until you achieve a creamy texture. Mix everything with a wooden spoon. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

LET'S MAKE THE SPIDER EGGS!
1. Fill the holes left by the yolk with the mixture. Chop some black olives in half (to make the spider body) and others into thin slices (to make the legs).
2. Decorate the top of the mix with half a black olive in the centre and put 4 legs on each side. It looks like a scary spider!!!

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

3. SAUSAGE MUMMIES | ALTERNATIVE VEGAN RECIPE INCLUDED

YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe
One package of hotdog sausages /*vegan sausages
1 sheet of shortcrust pastry /*shortcrust vegan pastry
NOTE: The shortcrust pastry can be either store-bought or homemade: Shortcrust pastry recipe

LET´S COOK!
1. Preheat the oven to 180 º C. Cover the baking tray with baking parchment.
2. Cut the sheet of pastry lengthwise into thin pieces. Roll the strips of pastry around the sausage. Leave an area without pastry (for the face). Add some pastry on the top of the mummy´s head.
3. Put the mummies on the baking tray. Bake them for around 25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden.
4. Remove the baking tray. Serve in a small bowl with tomato sauce, ketchup, or barbecue sauce (or whatever you prefer).
5. Place the mummies around the bowl. Make eyes with mayonnaise or mustard.

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

4. CHEESY WITCHES' BROOMS |  ALTERNATIVE VEGAN RECIPE INCLUDED

     

YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe
Box of Italian breadsticks
Cheese slices /*vegan cheese slices
Chives
Strawberry jam (or whatever flavour you prefer)

LET´S COOK!
1. Roll a cheese slice on the end of a breadstick. Tie it with a chive. Cut the cheese into ribbons with scissors. Repeat the same method with each breadstick.
2. Place the witches´ brooms around the plate. Serve in a little bowl with jam to dip.

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

• HALLOWEEN MENU

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

RELATED POSTS

• Publication / WHM: Halloween for little foodies (spooky treats)

• Scary tapas: errifying field of skulls and pumpkins: zucchini carrot / vegan

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

• OCTOBER MENU

• NOVEMBER MENU

HALLOWEEN MENU

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

STARTER: SCARY TAPAS + 4 RECIPES

1. PUMPKIN VOMIT / VEGAN



YOU WILL NEED:
1 little pumpkin

For the guacamole:
1 large ripe tomato
3 very ripe avocados
Juice of 1 large lime
handful of coriander, leaves, and stalks chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 chili, red or green, deseeded and finely chopped
Tortilla chips, to serve

LET´S COOK!

Guacamole:

1. Remove the skin from the tomato and chop. Halve and stone the avocados and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh into a bowl with the tomato.
2. Tip all the other ingredients into the bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Use a fork to combine all of the ingredients.
3. Scatter with coriander. Cover with cling film and chill until needed.

Pumpkin face: 

1. Make a hole in the top of the pumpkin. Cut a six-sided lid, rather than a circle.
2. Use a wooden spoon, to clean out the seeds and stringy bits.
3. Draw the face on the pumpkin. Following the line cut the shapes out with a serrated knife. Use a gentle sawing action to avoid breaking bits off the pumpkin.

LET'S MAKE THE PUMPKIN VOMIT!
1. Put the pumpkin on a plate. 

2. Spread the guacamole from the mouth of the pumpkin around the plate. 

3. Serve with a big bowl with tortilla chips to dip into the guacamole.

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

2. SPIDER EGGS / VEGAN FRIENDLY

YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe
3 or 4 eggs /*silken tofu (yolks substitute) mini bread chips snacks (white)
A tin of pitted black olives
2 tablespoons of chopped spring onions
4 tablespoons of mayonnaise/*vegan mayonnaise
NOTE: homemade mayonnaise + vegan mayonnaise recipe
1 small can of tuna chunks /*soya chunks (optional)
2 tablespoons of sweet corn (optional)
Sprig of parsley (optional)
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

LET´S COOK!
1. Put the eggs into a small pot. Cover with water and cook for approx. 4-5 minutes. Peel the eggs. Chop in half and remove the yolks.
2. Put the chopped spring onions, chopped yolks, tuna chunks, and sweet corn in a big bowl. Mix everything together with a wooden spoon.
3. Add several tablespoons of mayonnaise, until you achieve a creamy texture. Mix everything with a wooden spoon. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

LET'S MAKE THE SPIDER EGGS!
1. Fill the holes left by the yolk with the mixture. Chop some black olives in half (to make the spider body) and others into thin slices (to make the legs).
2. Decorate the top of the mix with half a black olive in the center and put 4 legs on each side. It looks like a scary spider!!!

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

3. SAUSAGE MUMMIES / VEGAN FRIENDLY

YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe
One package of hotdog sausages /*vegan sausages
1 sheet of shortcrust pastry /*shortcrust vegan pastry
NOTE: The shortcrust pastry can be either store-bought or homemade: Shortcrust pastry recipe

LET´S COOK!
1. Preheat the oven to 180 º C. Cover the baking tray with baking parchment.
2. Cut the sheet of pastry lengthwise into thin pieces. Roll the strips of pastry around the sausage. Leave an area without pastry (for the face). Add some pastry on the top of the mummy´s head.
3. Put the mummies on the baking tray. Bake them for around 25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden.
4. Remove the baking tray. Serve in a small bowl with tomato sauce, ketchup, or barbecue sauce (or whatever you prefer).
5. Place the mummies around the bowl. Make eyes with mayonnaise or mustard.

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

4. CHEESY WITCHES' BROOMS / VEGAN FRIENDLY

YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe
Box of Italian breadsticks
Cheese slices /*vegan cheese slices
Chives
Strawberry jam (or whatever flavor you prefer)

LET´S COOK!
1. Roll a cheese slice on the end of a breadstick. Tie it with a chive. Cut the cheese into ribbons with scissors. Repeat the same method with each breadstick.
2. Place the witches´ brooms around the plate. Serve in a little bowl with jam to dip.

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

DESSERT:  TRICK OR FRUIT + 2 RECIPES / VEGAN

BANANA GHOSTS 

YOU WILL NEED:
Bananas
Raisins

LET´S COOK!
1. Peel the bananas and cut them in half.
2. Make the ghost face with the raisins.
3. Place the banana ghosts on a plate. Such a scary gang of ghosts! Boo!!!

• PUMPKIN MANDARINS 

YOU WILL NEED:
Mandarins
Kiwis

LET´S COOK!
1. Peel the mandarins and the kiwis.
2. Cut the kiwis into small triangular pieces.
3. Put one kiwi piece in the center of each mandarin. It looks like pumpkin stalks.
4. Place the pumpkins on a plate. It is so easy to plant a terrifying field of pumpkins.

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

DRINKS: SPOOKY DRINKS + 2 RECIPES / VEGAN FRIENDLY

MONSTER - SPINACH SMOOTHIE 

YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe
A handful of spinach
1 or 2 bananas
1 natural yogurt or soy yogurt (125g - small size)
A scoop of vanilla flavor ice cream /*vegan ice cream
2 tablespoons of honey  /*agave nectar, to taste
NOTE: The recipe is for one glass. If you want more than one glass, multiply the ingredients accordingly.

LET´S COOK!
1. Wash the spinach chop the bananas and add to the blender.
2. Add the ice cream, honey and yogurt. Mix everything with the blender until foaming. Taste the smoothie and add more honey to sweeten if you wish.
3. Serve in a glass with straw. Put some white chocolate (for eyes) on the top of the glass.
NOTE: Put the glasses in the freezer for a while, the monster smoothie should be cold.

• VAMPIRE - BEETROOT SMOOTHIE 

YOU WILL NEED: *vegan recipe
A handful of mixed berries (blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry)
A small cooked beetroot
1 forest berry yogurt  /*forest berry soy yogurt (125g - small size)
A scoop of vanilla flavor ice cream /*vegan ice cream
2 tablespoons of honey  /*agave nectar, to taste
NOTE: The recipe is for one glass. If you want more than one glass, multiply the ingredients accordingly

LET´S COOK!
1. Wash the berries, cut the beetroot, and add to the blender.
2. Add the ice cream, honey and yogurt. Mix everything with the blender until foaming. Taste the smoothie and add more honey to sweeten if you wish.
3. Serve in a glass with straw. Put some white chocolate (for eyes) on the top of the glass.
NOTE: Put the glasses in the freezer for a while, the vampire smoothie should be cold.

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

• RELATED POSTS

• Publication / WHM: Halloween for little foodies (spooky treats + recipes)

 

• Scary tapa: terrifying field of zucchini skulls and carrot pumpkins / vegan

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

• OCTOBER MENU

• NOVEMBER MENU