Vegan Nigerian in California

This post is long overdue as it's been just over 3 months since this trip took place. Better late than never I suppose. 

Apart from the weather, the food was the best part of the whole thing and while I was in the Golden State, I had the chance to try a plethora of vegan establishments. Simply put, California is a haven for vegans. You can't turn a corner without being overwhelmed by the amount of choice and innovation with regard to vegan food. Impressive. From vegan big macs, to artisan 'cheese', to sprawling grocery stores that stock every delicious veggie product you can think of...

I hope you enjoy these pictures as I run through some of the top spots I visited (in no particular order). If you've been before or if you actually live in Cali, I'd love to hear about your foodie experience.

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Veggie Grill - answer to McDonald's, Burger King and every other fast food joint. This was probably my favourite place of the lot. Sweet potato fries, 'chicken' burger and mac n' cheeze...um, yes please.

Doomie's Home Cookin' - home to the epic vegan big mac (on the secret menu). And that taco salad...

M Cafe - not fully vegan but with lots of vegan options. Salads, drinks and fancy desserts. I had a breakfast burrito and a fresh ginger/lemon juice.

 Juice bars on every corner... Every. Corner. Like this one here: Glow Bio. Also, a ton places to get my favourite indulgence: coconut water.

Crossroads - a fancy spot teeming with celebrities. It was too dark to take proper photos of the food in there. They take 'intimate dining' to a whole new level.

Cafe Gratitude - I'd love to sit in there all day and drink their milkshakes. They are that good.

Babycakes Bakery - doughnuts, cakes, desserts, pastries... Didn't try any, but they looked tasty enough.

Erewhon - health food store. Great for discovering cool brands and staring open-mouthed at the uber organised fruit and veg displays. Met a lovely photographer who passed on some awesome tips; Check out his Instagram page: @trohawk

Vegan Croissants (from Doomie's offshoot bakery, if I remember correctly)- they exist and they are delicious. These savoury ones were filled with sweet potato, vegan 'cheese', pesto, 'ham', 'turkey' etc.

Seed - simple food, simple flavours.

 Vromage - vegan cheese extraordinaire.

Gracias Madres - a Mexican veggie joint with generous portions packed with tons of flavour. Whatever that potato and 'cheese' sauce dish was... I still have dreams about it.

 Flore - for vegan brunch. Pancakes. Breakfast burritos. Smoothies. What else?

Locali - Reuben sandwich with mock sliced meat and sauerkraut.

Viva La Vegan - small, fully vegan grocery store; "For Animals, Earth & Health"

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. 

CHICKPEA AND PLANTAIN CURRY (WITH LEMON & THYME RICE)

For this curry recipe, I used a Caribbean spice mix that I happened to have at home. 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

(Serves 4)

- 2 ripe but firm plantains (diced)

- 2 tbsp corn flour

- 1-2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil

- 1 red onion (chopped)

- 1 yellow bell pepper (chopped)

- 3 tbsp spice mix (equal parts: onion powder, dried coriander, ground ginger, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, cinnamon, nutmeg and dried garlic) - FEEL FREE TO USE A SPICE MIX OF YOUR CHOICE

- 2 tins coconut milk

- 1-2 scotch bonnet peppers (halved)

- 2 cups cooked chickpeas or beans (tinned is fine)

- 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 corn flour.

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the chopped red onion, yellow bell pepper and coated plantain, along with the spice mix. 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 or beans. Season with salt.

Allow to simmer for 8-10 minutes. The corn 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. 

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: