How To Make Cannabis Edibles That Won’t Ruin Your Diet

If you made any New Year’s resolutions this year, odds are at least one involved improving your health through diet and exercise. According to Nielsen, last year 69% of resolutions involved either “staying fit and healthy” (37%) or “losing weight” (32%) and 43% of Americans said they planned to lose weight by making healthier eating choice.

When you think of edibles (cannabis-infused foods,) your mind probably goes straight to the old standbys: cookies and brownies. Right? But while the CBDs you get from edibles are good for your body, all that sugar and empty calories are not. So, what to do when you’re trying to stick to a healthy diet but you’d rather eat your green medicine than smoke it? Get creative: go savory!

Remember, cannabis is an herb, use it like one!

For instance, try rubbing dried cannabis on piece of fatty fish (omega-3 fatty acids!) like in this “Baked” Salmon recipe. You might even love the flavor more than rosemary & thyme! And, not only does this recipe not have any added sugar, it also has no added fat; the natural fat in the fish is all you need to infuse the dish with cannabis AND it provides you with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Bonus!

Temp: 325°

Baking time: 25-30 minutes

Tools:

• baking pan (preferably glass)
• aluminum foil

Ingredients:

• (2) 6oz Salmon Fillets (the fattier the better)
• Dried Cannabis (to preference)
• optional: Rock Salt (Kosher Salt or Himalayan Sea Salt) to taste

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 325°.
• Pat salmon dry.
• Place skin-side down in baking pan
• Take a large pinch (approx. 1-2Tbsp) of dried cannabis and rub it between your palms, then sprinkle it on the salmon as you would any other herb. (Potency is difficult to gauge in this recipe so, start small and adjust accordingly each time you make the dish.)
• Sprinkle a bit of rock salt on top of each fillet. (Skip this step if you’re on a low-sodium diet.)
• Cover baking pan with aluminum foil
• Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes at 325°, until desired doneness is achieved. If the fish flakes easily with a fork, it’s done.

A delicious (and nutritious!) accompaniment to salmon is asparagus, which can be prepared while your salmon is baking. If you choose to sauté it, this is another opportunity to add cannabis to your meal.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 Tbsp butter or olive oil (or a combination of both)
• Dried Cannabis (to preference)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus

Tools:

• sauté pan (or frying pan) with lid
• wooden spoon or spatula
• tongs

Directions:

• Trim the ends off of the asparagus
• Place the butter/oil, chopped garlic, and cannabis in the pan. (Like with the salmon, place about 1-2Tbsp of cannabis between your palms and rub them together to break up the herb before sprinkling it into the pan.)
• Slowly reduce the butter mixture over low heat on the stovetop.
• Once fully melted, turn up the heat to medium so the butter simmers.
• Add asparagus to the pan and move it around with tongs until each spear is basted in the butter mixture.
• Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is tender.

Of course, is any healthy meal complete without a salad? The fresh leafy greens are packed with fiber that helps you digest your meal. And, if you add in the darker greens like spinach or kale, you’re also getting vitamins A, C, E and K. However, similar to adding sugar to cannabis, putting the wrong dressing on a salad can defeat your healthy intentions. If you start with cannabis-infused olive oil, it’s easy to make your own cannabis-infused vinaigrette. Try it with the recipe below, adapted from the Classic Vinaigrette Recipe on myrecipes.com.

Yield: 12 oz

(Serving size is approximately 1 1/2 Tbsp so this recipe yields about 16 servings.)

Ingredients:

• 3 oz red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp pepper
• 6 oz cannabis-infused olive oil

Directions:

• Combine first 5 ingredients until well mixed.
• Gradually add the olive oil, stirring until completely mixed.
• Drizzle a bit on your favorite salad.
• Store the rest in a glass bottle and refrigerate for future use.

Now that we’ve got your mouth watering and your wheels turning, think about how you can convert some of your favorite savory recipes into medicated delicacies. It’s always good to have some cannabis-infused oil or cannabutter on hand for last-minute inspiration so, if you haven’t yet, check out our recipes for Aunt Sandy’s Famous 10x Cannabutter and her Cannabis Oil. Here’s to your health!