Ginger Ale Recipe

A no-fuss, 3-ingredient ginger ale recipe. What more could you ask for?

If you're as obsessed with ginger as I am then this drink will definitely hit the spot.

Serve chilled and top your glass up with ice for a cool but fiery summer drink.

Ingredients

- 1 cup grated fresh ginger
- 2.5 cups plain water

- 1 cup coconut sugar/maple syrup

- sparkling water

Grate approx. 1 cup of fresh ginger.

Fill a saucepan with 2.5 cups of plain water and add the grated ginger. Allow to simmer on low heat, partially covered, for 30 mins. Strain and return the liquid to the saucepan (save the ginger bits and add to cookies or other bakes).

Add the coconut sugar or maple syrup to the ginger liquid and bring to a boil on high heat until the syrup starts to thicken. Should take 5-10 minutes. Allow to cool. Syrup can be stored in a jar or airtight container, chilled, for 1 week.

To assemble your drink, mix some syrup with sparkling water, adjusting quantities to taste. Serve chilled with ice.

MALTED PLANTAIN PANCAKES

I'm kinda sorta slowly working on a personal project that involves plantains and so if my blog seems saturated with plantain recipes as of late, that explains why. But who's complaining, right? I hope you enjoyed my last plantain curry post and that you'll be just as excited about this epic sweet treat...

To make this recipe gluten free, simply use gluten-free self raising flour or coconut flour. You can find either one - as well as barley malt extract - on Amazon via the links below:

          

Ingredients

- 1 ripe plantain

- 1 and 1/4 cups self-raising flour 

- 3 tbsp brown sugar

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1 cup soya milk

- 2 tbsp barley malt extract (plus extra for garnishing)
- lemon juice

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until you have a smooth batter.

Fry the pancakes in a lightly greased frying pan on low heat. Wait for holes to appear on the top and for the underside to turn brown before flipping over. This bit requires patience (but it is soo worth it!) Flip it over too quickly and the pancake may not hold its nice round shape.

I topped mine with a mix of barley malt extract and lemon juice. 

PLANTAIN CURRY WITH LEMON & THYME RICE

For this curry recipe, I used a Caribbean spice paste. With the sweet undertones of cinnamon and nutmeg in the mix, I thought it would be perfect paired with sweet plantain. To contrast all the sweetness though, I added some scotch bonnet peppers to give it some heat. The lemon and thyme rice has that kick of tanginess. Put it all together and you've got a mind-numbingly exciting taste explosion. All I can say is that this curry has become an instant favourite.

Want more delicious plantain recipes? Grab my Plantain Cookbook here :)

Ingredients

- 1 ripe plantain (diced)

- 2 tbsp coconut flour (or corn flour)

- 1-2 tbsp sunflower oil

- 1/2 red onion (chopped)

- 1 yellow bell pepper (chopped)

- 3 tbsp spice paste (equal parts: onion powder, dried coriander, ground ginger, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, cinnamon, nutmeg and dried garlic)

- 1 tin coconut milk

- 1-2 scotch bonnet peppers (halved)

- 1 cup cooked chickpeas or beans

- salt to taste

- spring onions (chopped; to garnish)

- coconut chips (optional)

For the lemon & thyme rice:

- golden basmati rice

- pinch of turmeric

- juice and zest of 2 lemons

- 1 tsp dried or fresh thyme

Start by coating the diced plantain in coconut flour or corn flour.

Heat the sunflower oil in a large pan and add the chopped red onion, yellow bell pepper and coated plantain, along with the Caribbean spice paste. Stir continuously for a minute or so to cook off the spices and brown the plantain a little.

Add the tin of coconut milk and when it comes to a boil, add the scotch bonnet pepper and chickpeas/beans. Season with salt.

Allow to simmer for 8-10 minutes. The coconut flour should help thicken the curry slightly. 

Finish with a generous handful of chopped spring onions. For some extra crunch, you can also add a handful of coconut chips. I used Nudie Snacks coconut chips.

To make the lemon & thyme rice, cook rice as normal and add the turmeric, lemon juice/zest and thyme.

NICE CREAM | Vegan, Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipes

Summer is just around the corner and once again, I will be cooling off with a ton of guilt-free 'nice cream' a.k.a. vegan ice cream that's actually good for you. What better way to recognise #TBT (Throwback Thursday) than by throwing back to the 'nice cream'  recipe book I compiled almost a year ago. Check it out and cheers to a happy, healthy summer!

The recipe book features these chilled desserts and more: