WAIT! Don't link away... these muffins are very yummy!
I know, hemp may sound strange, unappealing, and well... hippity-dippity! But, I have been pleasantly surprised to find that when combined with the right ingredients in the right proportions, hemp foods can be integrated into our foods in simple - and tasty - ways!
So, this is the first of several posts to come featuring hemp foods. These Apple-Hemp Muffins from Vive le Vegan! , are moist (from the hemp seeds and applesauce) and lightly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. I used barley flour in place of wheat flour for the recipe, as I now make most of my baked goods wheat-free.
The hemp seed nuts I use are from Manitoba Harvest, and are pictured sprinkled around the muffins. If you have my Vive le Vegan! cookbook, you can also find more information in the Hemp Foods section (p.170).
Now I'm wondering... do many of you eat hemp foods, and would you like to see more recipes using hemp seeds, hemp nut butter, and/or hemp oil?
17 comments:
I've never eaten hemp before, I haven't tried any of the recipes in Vive with hemp yet. But I definitely plan on it! Those muffins look really good. Maybe I'll make some tonight if I finish my lab at school quickly!
I'm interested to see what foods you'll be featuring with hemp. It'll intrigue me to try some!
Why wheat-free, Dreena?
I haven't tried hemp yet, mostly because it hasn't been available in my area. The health food store is just starting to stock some hemp protein powder, maybe they'll get more hemp stuff in.
Hi Melissa... sounds like I've at least got you interested in hemp! It has a sunflower-seed type taste, and so I have found that it requires the right balance with other ingredients to work with foods and not be overpowering. Hopefully you'll like one or two of the hemp recipes I feature here!
Hi Jennifer! I try to limit wheat in my own baking and cooking just because it is a prominent ingredient in most other bread/cereal foods most of us buy - breads, cereals, tortillas, crackers, vegan cookies, etc. Even the mock meats usually have wheat in them, even if they are mostly a soy-based product. My 4-year old and husband both have some mild sensitivity to wheat.
I don't know what's going on with our food supply - was wheat sensitivity an issue 20 years ago? I don't think so, or maybe we just didn't know about it, but I suspect it's a result of how much or foods are tampered with and subject to pesticides, etc.
Anyhow, I now do most of my baking with other flours, and I buy spelt, rice, kamut pastas and wheat-free breads when I can. It's good for variety anyhow!
I have to say that I've never seen any hemp food products at all here in the UK...
Are there any substitutes that could be made for the hemp so that I can try the recipes that use them? You probably actually say something about it in the book so I will have a look later when I do my monthly menu!
These look great!
I've never eated hemp either but have heard a lot about it.
My blog was down for 2 days - but it's back! Let me know what you think about the Creamy Sweet Pepper Soup I posted.
Does anyone know if Whole Foods carries hemp products? I bought Vive le Vegan, and have really been wanting to try out some of the hemp recipes. Although, there is a WF in my neighborhood, I don't normally shop there.
"I don't know what's going on with our food supply - was wheat sensitivity an issue 20 years ago? I don't think so, or maybe we just didn't know about it, but I suspect it's a result of how much or foods are tampered with and subject to pesticides, etc."
I've been wondering the same thing! I don't remember hearing about wheat sensitivity at all until just a couple years ago.
I tend to get sick to my stomach if I eat whole wheat, which I always feel guilty about because it's supposed to be so good for you! Now I usually use spelt or barley flour instead. Oddly enough, a friend of mine grinds organic wheat berries into fresh flour for her baking, and it's never made me sick.
Hi Anna!
If you can't find hemp, you can simply add a little extra flour or ground oats (about 1/3 cup extra flour to replace the 1/2 cup hemp). Or, if you want to add some seeds or nuts, use maybe 1/4 cup of chopped nuts or seeds, and an extra 2-3 TB of flour. Good luck looking for some hemp seeds!!
Hi Harmonia! That soup looked good, how did it taste? Did you come up with it yourself. You mention you aren't much of a cook, but you certainly do a lot of cooking! :)
To anonymous - I don't know if Whole Foods carries hemp, but I would assume that they do... they're a pretty large retailer/grocer, aren't they? You could always ask them to bring it in if they don't have it - you could bring them the info from Manitoba Harvest's website so they know what to get/who to contact. Good luck!
Hi again Jennifer! That's interesting about your friend's fresh ground flour... makes me wonder if it's a particular strain of wheat that's mass produced that triggers sensitivity in people. Wow, I give her credit for grinding her own flour - I might not sleep if I got into that cooking habit! :)
These look great, I love hemp. If you're eer in New York there's a pizza place called Viva Pizza on 2nd ave and they make vegan hemp pizzas. Yummy and crunchy!
I've been making these regularly since the book came out - they rock!
And hemp is awesome. I sprinkle hemp seeds on toast or pitas, and put hemp seed oil in smoothies. Hemp is crazy good for you.
Hi Isa! Wow, I never heard of hemp on pizza, or would have thought of it really! I am now envious of funky little pizza places. :( We have so few options for vegan dining in my city - we are an hour outside of Vancouver where all the little spots are. I really enjoyed your segment on Erik's Diner a couple of weeks ago, by the way... interesting and funny!
Hi crazyvegan... and thanks! Only crazy good food for crazyvegans, after all!
Hi- I made these muffins for breakfast this morning and WOW they are yummy! I ran out of vanilla extract so i substituted with a little coconut extract and used vanilla soymilk instead. I could have waited until I was more prepared but I didn't want to! Anyhow- they were still great and so moist! My super picky son ate 5 mini's for breakfast and a large one after lunch. Can't wait to do it by the recipe next time-
This is something for me!
I looove apples and i SURE like hemp! ;D
I made some changes when i made them and they turned out to be the best munchies ever. Thanks! :)
Anna, most health food shops in the UK sell hemp seeds. Good luck :)
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