Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts

(scroll down for CHOCOLATE GOODNESS!)

As hemp hearts continue to become more mainstream, entering grocery stores and kitchens with increasing frequency, many people are realizing their numerous health benefits.  Hemp hearts from Manitoba Harvest are the only ones I use.  Over the last few years, I've occasionally received emails asking how  hemp hearts can be used for more than just sprinkling on salads or adding to smoothies. 

As many of you know, I've come to a point in my own life when I'm now choosing vegetarianism and generally incorporate a larger portion of raw food than cooked food in my daily diet.  I am also mindful of glycemic load, gluten, and the relationship between alkaline/acid and disease.  I still often refer to http://www.nutritiondata.com for information regarding a more comprehensive list of food items.

Hemp hearts fit perfectly into all of those decisions, and they're so easy to work with in the kitchen.

I often have "first breakfast" when I wake up, then "second breakfast" later in the morning.  Here is today's second breakfast:  a few sips of organic lemon juice (followed by water to rinse the lemon from my teeth); cottage cheese mixed with chia seeds, hemp hearts, freshly-ground flax seeds, and a hint of powdered cayenne pepper;  half of a cucumber; dandelion tea with turmeric and cinnamon.  I often drink lemon juice shortly after waking in the morning, and then usually 2 or 3 more times throughout the day, always followed by water.  I also aim to have at least 30g of protein before noon each day - an easy task when hemp hearts provide approximately 10g of protein in just 3Tablespoons.

 

I'm often trying to think of simple ways to eat more hemp hearts because they're such a nutritional powerhouse.  My body doesn't want sweets the way it used to, but occasionally it's nice to have a few little treats around for a quick nutritional boost throughout the day.  And they're so easy to make!  You can experiment with the amounts of each ingredient. 

Here are two simple combinations I made today:

Ingredients:  dates, hemp hearts, chia seeds

Briefly "Pulse" then "Mix" 

I knew when it's finished because the mixture clumped together.

Separate into thirds, roll each into a ball.

And here they are!

QUICK AND EASY CHOCOLATE GOODNESS

The next "recipe" is for chocolate bites.  I used to make chocolates by melting fair-trade, unsweetened bakers' chocolate with honey and letting it cool then rolling it into balls.  However, with my ongoing desire to eat raw items when possible, I experimented with coconut oil, cocoa powder, and honey.  If you find the coconut oil taste to be too strong, you can add more cocoa powder. 

All Measurements are Approximate and You Can Experiment!

1Tablespoon of Coconut Oil, 1Tablespoon of Honey, 1.5-2Tablespoons of Cocoa Powder, 2Tablespoons of Hemp Hearts, 1 Tablespoon of Chia Seeds,

2teaspoons of Pumpkin Pie Spice (Or Try Cinnamon),

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Into the Food Processor!

Briefly "Pulse" then "Mix" until a Ball Forms

Separate into Thirds and Roll into Balls

And Here They Are!

Chocolatey, Simple, Healthy Goodness!

 Here are some of the products I used today:

Nutiva Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

NOW Chia Seeds

Splendor Garden Organic Spices from Watson, SK

Simply Organic Cayenne Pepper

 Enjoy!

 

 P.S.  See that painting in the background?  Raye Anderson is the artist.  She is one of my all-time favourites, not only because storytelling takes you wherever she leads but also because her watercolours remind me of my childhood storybooks.

 acbrandtproductions

Juicing has become one of my favourite ways to get benefits from raw food into my body. 

But what about all that fibre left inside the juicer?  Fruit fibre has a myriad of uses, but that's a post for another day.  Usually I put vegetable fibre directly into a pot of stew or soup, or store it in the freezer. 

One day I decided to experiment and made

VEGETABLE CAKES

Tasty and so quick to make!

First, I made the juice:

Raw Carrot Juice

Raw Cabbage Juice

Raw Cucumber Juice

Total:  1/2 of a Cucumber, 2 Carrots, 1/4 of a Cabbage

Place Something Under Spout to Catch Drips.

TURN OFF AND UNPLUG YOUR JUICER.

Carefully Open Juicer.

Vegetable Pulp Inside the Juicer

Vegetable Pulp Inside the Top of the Juicer

The Pulp Already Easily Clumps Together

Scrape Pulp from Juicer into a Bowl.

Add 1 Egg.

Add Spice/Seasoning (I added Turmeric and Sea Salt).

Mix Together.

Roll into Small Balls and Flatten.

I cooked these in a cast iron pan with coconut oil.

Easy and Delicious!

What To Do With Chia Seed

 I've had some emails lately from folks who are hesitant to use chia because they either don't know what to do with it or struggle with the taste/texture of having it with just water and aren't sure what else to do with it. This afternoon I was about to put together one of my favourite chia combinations and decided I'd share it with you :-)

Here's my chia seed in a bowl. When I make something with chia, I usually use about 3 Tablespoons.

Then I add water, usually about a cup.

 It only takes a minute or so before it starts to gel.

  After a few minutes its consistency is similar to oatmeal, though the texture is very different. It can also be left to soak overnight.

 For one of my all-time favourite chia dishes, I add in hemp hearts and milled flaxseed.

Then I add in tomato juice, and tadaa! (Sometimes I soak the chia seeds in the tomato juice instead of water, but I often do the water for the added hydration.) Mmmm, healthy tomatoey goodness that hits the spot and packs a great nutritional whallop: calcium, protein, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, fibre, omegas, hydration, amino acids, phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, etc., etc., etc. No cooking, takes moments to prepare. Pretty cool, huh? 

Enjoy!

 

Chia is also great for smoothies, in a variety of dishes either dry or soaked, and in drinks such as Chia Fresca. The seeds are small so they're easily swallowed and offer so many nutritional benefits that I won't go into here but are easily found online. All the best!