hemp oh la granola

I am back on the granola train these days… and was getting a little fed up with breaking the bank on granola purchases when I knew making it was super easy! Also I just stocked up on some good organic bulk grains and thought it was about time I busted open some brown bags and got granola toasting. So glad I did.

I like the rich nutty-ness of brown rice syrup and use it often in my baking, so that is what I used in this recipe but you could use honey or maple syrup or agave instead or any combination of them. I opted to make this gluten free but the grains are also totally interchangeable so you could throw in spelt or rye flakes, or what ever your heart desires. I loaded this granola with my 3 favorite super seeds; hemp, chia and flax but again you could use any nuts or seeds you like. Dried fruit would be nice too, but I kept this batch friendly to my picky fruit hating daughter! Have fun with this recipe just keep the ratios the same and you’ll be all right! The process couldn’t be easier…

In a large bowl combine:

4 cups whole rolled oats

1 cup hemp seeds

1 cup chia seeds

1 cup flax seeds

1 cup coconut

2 cups quinoa flakes

2 cups millet

1 cup chopped almonds

In a saucepan over medium high heat to a rolling boil:

1 cup brown rice syrup

1/2 cup hemp oil

1/2 cup grape seed oil

1/2 cup organic cane sugar

a pinch sea salt

2 tsbp cinnamon

2 tbsp vanilla (try this easy homemade version)

 

Stir often and after about 5 minutes of boiling remove from heat and pour over dry ingredients.

Stir in until well coated then pour granola onto two parchment lined baking sheets and bake at 300 for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and store in large air tight jars! Enjoy.

spanak-o-hemp-ita

What do you get when you combine spinich, kale, feta, hemp seeds and dill all bundled up in fillo pastry… crunchy hempy pillows of goodness, that’s what.

I played with using hemp oil brushed between layers of fillo rather than the butter I always lean on, and the results were great! The fillo was toasted perfectly and the mild nutty flavour the oil imparted was amped up by the hemp seeds in the cheesy green filling.

hemp granola bar perfection

I am glad after all these attempts I hadn’t give up on making granola bars, otherwise I never would have made it to this place of granola perfection. I have had many a pan of granola bar turn into brittle crumbly tooth chipping cereal, or worse… softy chewy falling wads of oats. I have had them all, and from a baker who doesn’t especially enjoy graonla bars… I was all set to put my attempts aside forever, except that my family loves them and is always buying boxes of $7 over-packaged organic granola bars box at the store… which I wince at time and time again.

This recipe was inspired from the whitewater resort recipe book, only I put my standard SOLE spin on it.. whole grains, vegan, no GMO, less sugar, you know the drill.

So if your anything like me and your shoulders hackle at the thought of another failed attempt.. then you have my word this recipe will bring you to the delicious state of granola bar perfection.

warm your oven to 350

While its warming toast the following items in it for 10-15 minutes (depending on what temp you put them in at)

1 cup coconut

1 cup hemp seeds

1 cup mixed seeds (sunflower, millet, sesame, flax, and chia)

meanwhile in a large bowl combine

1 cup oil (I used 1/4 hemp oil, 3/4 grape seed oil)

1.5 cups almond butter

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup organic rice syrup

1 cup cane sugar or brown sugar

blend well then add:

6 cups oats (I used half quick oats and half rolled)

1 cup dried fruit

1 cup chocolate chunks

all the toasted seeds and nuts

 

Once eveything is combined well press mixture into a silpat sheet lined 18×12 baking tray and cook for 25 minutes. It should be just golden when it;s ready to come out of the oven, allow to cool for about 5 minutes before cutting bars (in the pan still) then allow them to cool entirely.

 

 

 

omega kale salad

A while back we were at our friends for a BBQ and they made the most amazing raw kale salad, and I have found myself thinking about it almost everyday since that night.. and although I have eaten kale almost everyday since then, it took me more than a week to recreate their wonderful salad. It is so simple I wish I had thought this combination up sooner.

So my advice is: do not put off trying this salad, go out to your garden.. or your local produce stop and gather a bundle of curly kale (purple is prettiest) and get to it! You won’t regret it.

Start with 10-12 large leafs of kale

along with 1/2 a bundle (large handful) of fresh curly parsley

slice your greens up ribbon thin / super fine, always removing the thickest part of the stock

then in a large bowl dress the kale and parsley with

3 tbsp hemp oil

3 tbsp lemon juice

sea salt (garlic chilli sea salt if you have it)

now massage the oil and citrus into the greens, garnish with a handful of hemp seeds and allow the flavours to soak up for a few hours at least.

the best part is licking your hands clean after the kale massage (just don’t let your guests see you do this!)

that’s it, that’s all… ENJOY!

hemp pesto + mint meatballs

My most favourite girlfriend from the city spent a few nights with us here on the home-front for the Canada Day long weekend and we made and enjoyed a really lovely meal together last night… hemp seed basil pesto on corn spaghetti with a bed of maple caramelized onions and tasty little hemp and mint meatballs, made with our ‘oh so local down the lane neighbours, lovely organic beef. Dinner was smashing and even her insanely picky carnivore fellow enjoyed the dish. (Even though I am sure he was wondering where I hide the tofu?)

This whole meal started with a bright bursting-ly summer fresh bag of basil from my local organic greenhouse gal and the lingering taste of Lebanese fatayia (little pillows of toasted white bread dough lovingly wrapped around mint and tomato infused beef) which she made and brought with her, which we enjoyed late at night with good wine.

hemp pesto

In a processors blend:

1 large onion

5 toes of garlic

remove half of the mix and keep it in a big mixing bowl to use for the meatballs

Now add 3 huge handfuls of fresh basil

the juice of 1 + 1/2 lemons

1 cup of hemp hearts

S+P

and a good heavy glug of hemp oil

a pinch of chili pepper flakes

and finish with a drizzle of a nice olive oil

puree until smooth and silky

this batch yields about 500ml of pesto and we used 1/2 of the jar to season 4 dishes of pasta.

mint hemp meatballs

In the large bowl set aside with onion and garlic mince (from the pesto) add:

1 lb organic ground beef

1 egg

1/2 cup hemp seeds

S+P

about 2 tbsp each; fresh basil, mint and flat leaf parsley,

and about 1 tbsp each; chilli powder and lemon rind

mix by hand and roll into desired size meatballs

set balls onto parchment pan and bake at 375 for about 35 minutes

While the meatballs are baking you can slowly caramelize 2 onions in butter and maple syrup, and cook your noodles of choice.

toss the pasta along with a little reserved pasta water with the pesto, and top with the meatballs (which were fresh and bright with the divine addition of the mint) and onions.

you are certain to enjoy this.

mega omega rice bowl

It truly doesn’t get much easier or tastier than this super brain food quick dish. A gluten free and dairy free rice bowl with fresh lake fish, hemp seeds and hemp oil makes for a omega packed snack, that would travel well for lunch or make a lovely dinner served with a big green salad.

You’ll Need

1.5 cups of left over honey lime lake fish (but you could use any cooked fish)

2 cups cooked brown basmati rice

1/2 cup frozen garden peas

1 green onion, thinly sliced

S+P, rice wine vinegar, braggs, nutritional yeast, hemp oil, & hemp seeds.

In a hot skillet add a splash of oil and start warming cooked rice, along with the frozen peas over medium heat. When the rice is warm add left over fish and about 1/4 cup of warm water and a good splash each of Braggs and rice  vinegar. Stir everything up and season with S+P. Cover pan with lid and remove from heat. Let sit for 2 minutes then dish and finish with finely sliced onion, a sprinkle of both hemp seeds and nutritional yeast , and a hearty drizzle of hemp oil.

Thanks it. dig in and enjoy.

cha cha cha chia!

 

Amazing Vegan Gluten Free Super Power Squares!

Packed full of energy and essential fatty acids these are not only the most requested recipe I have, they are a personal favourite! I have made a raw variation of this snack too, which I am happy to share if anyone requests it.

YOU’LL NEED

1 1/2 cups crispy brown rice cereal

1/2 cup raw sliced almonds

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup hemp seeds

2 tablespoons whole chia seeds

1/4 cup flax seed

1 cup dried Medjool dates (about 6 ounces), pitted

1/4 cup natural smooth unsalted almond butter

1/4 cup brown rice syrup

1/2 teaspoonsea salt

1/2 teaspoon real vanilla

1 Tbsp pure cocoa powder

Toast cereal and nuts and seeds in oven for about 15 minutes (until aromatic and lightly browned) and then allow to cool for a few minutes before  pulsing the  mixture in a food processor  about 5 (1-second) pulses. Transfer to a medium bowl; set aside.

Place dates in the food processor and process until finely chopped and a ball forms, about 15 seconds; set aside.

Place almond butter, rice syrup, salt, and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until mixture is combined and runs like slow-moving lava, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, immediately add dates and cocoa powder, and, using a wooden spoon, stir, smashing down on the dates, until well combined and no streaks of cocoa remain. Pour / spoon hot syrup over cereal mixture and stir, pressing as you do, until evenly combined. (This takes some muscle and time, about 5 minutes.) Transfer to the prepared baking pan and, using your hands, spread and firmly press the mixture into the pan. Let cool completely.

Remove the date-seed slab from the pan. Cut it in desired size bars and keep in an air tight container or you can freeze them.

* I have a sweet little vintage flower  biscuit cast iron pan I often use to form these, in which case I call them chia flower power!