Drinks

Sugar Free Ginger Syrup

Ginger root has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. It also appears to help with digestion, nausea and upset stomach. Ginger is also very versatile, and can be used to make tea, smoothies, to spice up your stir-fries and soups, and to make delicious desserts. The recipe below is for a sweet syrup, so if you're using this concentrated ginger liquid for savory dishes, then just omit the sugar.

The reason this is on the drinks page is because I really enjoy homemade ginger ale made by adding this ginger syrup to carbonated water. Note that if you love ginger, you'll find it needs very little sweetening. I use a soda maker to carbonate, which avoids any added preservatives, and saves money as well as saving the landfill! But even without fizz, its great to add a splash to your water bottle!

It's easiest to make this in batches larger than 1 cup, but I made the amounts below easy to multiply! The images show about 4 cups of sliced ginger.

• 1 cup thinly sliced ginger
• 1 cup water, or just enough to cover the ginger while cooking
• 1/8 tsp (1 "scoop") of concentrated 8:1 Monk fruit powder (optional, to taste)

1. Wash and lightly scrub the ginger with a sponge or brush. No need to peel.
2. Cut the ginger into thin slices.
3. Combine the ginger, water and sweetener in a small saucepan.
4. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Cool, then pour through a fine strainer into a jar. Store in fridge.

Coquito

Coquito is a creamy coconut and rum cocktail from Puerto Rico served during the holidays, and includes spices such as nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. It is often referred to as “Puerto Rican eggnog”. Unlike eggnog, the traditional Puerto Rican coquito (which means “little coconut” in Spanish) does not include eggs, though Mexican styled coquito does ('Ponche de Coquito'), Cuba uses coconut ice cream, and the Caribbean uses fresh coconut juice.

Coquito is naturally vegan as it is made from coconut cream. The recipe below is a simple and low sugar version, which is very creamy and yummy even without the rum 😉. I was pleasantly surprised when I found it was still just as creamy on subsequent days! And I apologize if I offend any Puerto Rican who happens to read this.

• 3 cups dairy-free milk (I use cashew milk since it is creamy)
• 1 14-oz can full-fat coconut cream (this is mandatory!)
• 4-6 TBSP maple syrup
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
• Optionally add other spices such as ginger or cloves

1. Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender. Blend on high until creamy, 1-2 minutes.
2. Taste and adjust flavors as needed.
3. Serve chilled with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Optionally add a little rum, though it's great as is!
4. Store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.