Cooking with Cannabis | Tips, Recipes, Books, Products

It is well know that Cannabis has been used in cooking since the beginning of mankind. Wikipedia indicates that:

The history of cannabis and its usage by humans dates back to at least the third millennium BC in written history, and possibly further back by archaeological evidence. For millennia, the plant has been valued for its use for fiber and rope, as food and medicine, and for its psychoactive properties for religious and recreational use.

Indians have, still in this day, a very popular milk based beverage called Cannabis Lassi or Bhang Lassi. But there are many ways that you can add this amazingly versatile plant to your cooking and all offer different benefits. The main distinction to be made is psychoactive vs non psychoactive. You can choose to infuse your cooking with cannabinoids like CBD or THC with the CBD being non-psychoactive whereas THC is psychoactive. We will explain the distinction in-depth later on but for now let’s go through the basics.

Hemp protein

In its purest form the cannabis plant can offer us an extremely beneficial and nutritiously rich protein. Made by grinding pressed hemp seeds into a fine powder hemp contains all 10 essential amino acids, making it an excellent plant-based protein source. Hemp is a member of the Cannabis sativa genus that does not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) the psychoactive element of the plant. THC concentration is only prevalent in marijuana – another member of the Cannabis Sativa genus and a cousin of Hemp.

Hemp protein powder is a good source of fibre, containing 8 gr /serving much more than most other plant-based highly processed protein powders like pea, soy or rice. Here are a few creative ways that you can top up your hemp protein intake:

• Add in smoothie
• Add in pancakes
• Add in bread
• Add in waffles
• Add in pudding
• Add in veggie burger
• Add in cookies

Tip: look for cold-pressed hemp protein for the highest quality.

Does Hemp protein contain CBD?

The answer in no. CBD is derived from the leaves and flowers of the hemp plant. Hemp protein is produced from the seeds, where there is no CBD. Purchasing hemp seeds or hemp seed oil will not get you any benefits of CBD. To get all the benefits from CBD you will need a product that clearly declares the potency with wordings like pure hemp oil, full spectrum oil, CBD oil.

Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds are very versatile, have all the nutritious properties of the hemp protein and have a myriad of ways that can be incorporated into your daily cooking. Here are a few:

• Add them in soups
• Add them to smoothies
• Sprinkle on salads
• Mix into pasta
• Add in porridge
• Add in nuggets
• Add in energy bars

Here is a super quick and incredibly delicious recipe to enjoy your protein rich Hemp hearts.

Protein rich vegetarian Hemp seed Tabbouleh

Ingredients

• 1 cup Hemp seeds
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 1/2 cups ripe tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cucumber, chopped into small bits
• 1 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 Tablespoons olive olive
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ground pepper

Instructions

Simply mix all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Add more seasoning to suit your taste. Serve immediately or chill in the fridge if you need it more refreshing.

Do hemp seeds contain CBD?

The answer is no. CBD is derived from the leaves and flowers of the hemp plant. Hemp seeds do not contain CBD. Purchasing hemp seeds or hemp seed oil will not get you any benefits of CBD. To get all the benefits from CBD you will need a product that clearly declares the potency with wordings like pure hemp oil, full spectrum oil, CBD oil.

Hemp oil

Hemp seed oil is growing in popularity amongst other similar products like olive oil or even coconut oil and is recognised for it’s high levels of omegas. With a 3:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, which is considered in the optimal range, hemp oil is one of the best dietary supplements. It has also numerous beauty applications with products like hemp creams and hemp shampoos surging in popularity for their healing properties.

How to cook with Hemp oil

Hemp seed oil is perfect for drizzling rice or salads like the delicious tabooleh that we made above, use as blended sauce such as hemp pesto or add it to your favourite smoothie. Due to it’s nutty and strong flavour it will add character to your recipes but you need to be cautious when using it for sweets as it can overpower them. It also has a low smoke point, which means it starts to burn at a low temperature, making it a bad choice for frying.

Hemp oil salad dressing with garlic

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup hemp oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients into a bowl.
• Leave for an hour for the essences to activate.
• Shake and drizzle onto a salad.

Is Hemp oil the same as CBD oil?

The answer is no. They are distinct products and they come from different parts of the plant. Hemp oil is derived from the hemp seeds which do not have CBD elements. The misconception comes from the recent CBD craze where CBD companies used the term Hemp oil to market their CBD products due to regulatory and marketing restrictions around Cannabis products.

Tip: Look for terms like CBD, cannabinoids, hemp extract, full spectrum hemp oil in other areas on their label. This means that the product contains CBD.

Cooking with CBD

Adding CBD isolates into your recipes is a great way of getting all the benefits from Cannabidiol. Many people have started using it for symptoms such as pain relief, anxiety, mood lift, and the ability to cope with stress. Here is a delicious and quick little recipe that was offered from CBD Cakes UK

Ingredients

• 660 g carrots
• 200 g seed oil
• 375 g brown sugar
• 5 eggs
• 375 g all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon(s) baking powder
• 1 level tablespoon(s) baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon(s) nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon(s) cloves
• 1 tablespoon(s) cinnamon
• 2 tablespoon(s) CBD isolate

For the cream cheese frosting

• 125 g butter, at room temperature
• 250 g icing sugar
• 2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 500 g cream cheese, chilled

Method

For the carrot cake

Preheat stove to 180* C (360* F) Fan.

Line a bowl with a perfect kitchen towel.

Mesh the carrots into the bowl, utilizing the huge sharp edges.

Enclose them by the towel and wring altogether to eliminate however much of the dampness from the carrots.

Move to a bowl and add the eggs, earthy colored sugar. seed oil, CBD isolate. Whisk.

In a different bowl, add the entirety of the dry fixings; the flour, preparing pop, heating powder, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. Blend in with a spoon.

Add the dry blend to the bowl with the ground carrots and blend in with a spatula until totally consolidated.

Oil three 20 cm preparing dish with butter and residue with flour.

Separate the cake in 3 layers.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

When prepared, remove from stove and cool for 60 minutes.

For the cream cheddar icing

Mix the butter, icing sugar and vanilla concentrate in a blender for 3-4 minutes until light and airy.

Add the cream cheddar and beat for 2-3 minutes until totally consolidated.

To put together

Use a blade to cut off the top portion of the cakes to make their surface level and even.

Place one of the layers on a serving platter and spread 1/3 of the icing over it.

Add a couple of bits of the top piece of the cakes you cut off with the aim that when the second layer of cake is put over them they won’t permit the icing to spread.

Cover with the second layer of cake and spread another 1/3 of the icing and add some more bits of cake over it.

Cover with the third layer of cake and spread the leftover 1/3 of the icing over it.

Top with split almonds or honey for a delicious result.

Enjoy your CBD cake.?