Get a nutritional hit with hemp

Cousin of cannabis won’t get you high, but it’s an easy way to boost food’s healthiness

BY PATRICIA CHUEY

Source: theprovince.com

Get all the goodness of hemp in a juicy veggie burger.

No longer used just for clothing and rope, hemp has steadily been entering supermarkets as consumers look for healthier food products.

Since 1998, industrial hemp for food use has been grown on the Canadian prairies. Hemp hearts, hemp protein powder and hemp oil come from the hemp seeds found at the top of the plant. Plants are not genetically modified.

Although both hemp and marijuana come from the cannabis plant, the two products are best thought of as very distant cousins. Food hemp contains virtually zero THC (0.001 per cent), the substance responsible for the marijuana “high,” and has no psychoactive properties.

It is a rich source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids (also found in salmon, other fatty fish, nuts and seeds), vitamin E and magnesium, and is a source of iron and other minerals.

Hemp seeds or hearts are oatmeal coloured and between sesame seeds and sunflower seeds in size. They smell slightly sweet and earthy, similar in scent and taste to fresh sunflower seeds or pine nuts, and are naturally gluten free.

A three tablespoon serving provides 170 calories, 13 grams of good fats and 10 grams of protein (that’s about half the protein of a meat serving). They are fairly pricey, but a little goes a long way in enhancing the nutritional value of a meal or snack.

You can sprinkle them on hot or cold cereal, cooked vegetables, salads and yogurt; add to smoothies, pancake or muffin batters; or try recipes like the ones presented here, inspired by ideas at manitobaharvest.com.

Hemp Veggie Burgers

Makes 10

1 pkg. soft tofu, about 10 ounces

2 Tbsp sodium-reduced soy sauce

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

¼ cup sunflower seeds

2½ cups cooked quinoa or rice

2 eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup green onion

1 cup hemp hearts

½ tsp. coriander

½ tsp. curry powder

vegetable oil, for cooking

In food processor or blender, purée tofu with soy sauce, nutritional yeast and sunflower seeds until it looks like a thick sauce.

Stir in quinoa, eggs, onion, hemp hearts, coriander and curry powder.

To minimize sticking, keep hands slightly damp and shape mixture into 10 burger patties, about 1/3 cup each.

Heat about 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in frying pan. Without overcrowding the pan, pan-fry the patties for about 4 minutes per side until golden.

Serve on whole-grain buns with all the fixings or open-faced on a bed of mixed greens and vegetables.

Per serving (1 patty): 167 calories, 12 g carbohydrate, 4.5 g fibre, 122 mg sodium, 10 g fat, 14 g protein

Hemp Coconut Balls

Makes 30

Consider two of these tasty nuggets to be a homemade energy bar.

1½ cups medium unsweetened coconut, toasted

1 cup almond or peanut butter

1 cup hemp hearts

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ cup raisins (optional)

¼ cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 165 C (325 F). Spread the coconut on a baking pan and toast for 5-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

While coconut toasts, mix all other ingredients together in a large bowl.

Add the coconut and mix well.

To minimize sticking, with slightly damp hands, roll into 30 balls, about 1 tablespoon each. Place on pan and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Store in sealed container in fridge, or freeze.

Per serving (2): 222 calories, 16 g carbohydrate, 4 g fibre, 0 mg sodium, 20 g fat, 9 g protein

Super Crispy Rosemary Crackers

Makes 60 crackers

These gluten free crackers can be customized by adding different dried herbs, pepper or finely grated cheese.

½ cup flax seeds (whole or ground)

1/3 cup sesame seeds, toasted

2 cups cooked brown rice

2 cups cooked quinoa

1/3 cup hemp seeds

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried rosemary

3 Tbsp coconut, olive or hemp oil

Soak flax seeds in ½ cup water for 30 minutes. Stir. Makes a thick paste.

Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F). Toast sesame seeds in oven for about 5 minutes. Remove seeds, but keep oven on.

Using electric mixer or food processor, blend rice, quinoa, flax, salt, rosemary and oil until mixture is the texture of cookie dough. It will be sticky.

Mix in sesame and hemp seeds. Divide dough into 2 portions.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place one portion of the dough on the sheet. With a second sheet of parchment paper on top, carefully roll the dough out as thinly as possible. Score or cut into cracker shapes in the size of your choice. Repeat with second portion of dough on another pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes at until golden brown. Fully cool and break along the score lines. If not crispy enough after cooling, bake for an additional 30 minutes at 120 C (250 F). Allow to cool before breaking crackers apart.

Per serving (4 crackers): 144 calories, 13 g carbohydrate, 3.5 g fibre, 84 mg sodium, 7 g fat, 4 g protein