Hello,
I'm currently in the flowering stage of my first grow (3x northern lights auto in DWC) and have only tried a handful of edibles recipes before from vaped bud (ABV) or finely ground bud in oil. I am usually not super into edibles but hope to do something with the trim and shake if this grow is successful.
There are tons of recipes online for food and drink, but was wondering if anyone on the forum is also vegan (like me)/vegetarian or just interested in plant-based foods and had any ideas to share. PLEASE DO NOT POST A GROCERY LIST OF PLANT-BASED OPTIONS, WE ALL KNOW WHERE OLIVE OIL COMES FROM. I am a professional cook coming out of grad school and am looking to expand my recipe stock and approach some of the perennial issues in vegan cooking specifically (i.e.- substitution in established animal-based recipes, emulsion, shelf-life of baked goods, etc.) but would like to hear more from others who are also interested in the challenges and innovative solutions found in the vegan/stoner intersection of cooking.
Here are what I see as the basics of vegan edibles-
Alcohol/Glycerin Tinctures: From the perspective of culinary technique, the green dragon and vanilla extract are basically the same thing. Cold infusions that can be used as an ingredient rather than a dish. Simple and effective but not really a recipe in itself.
If anyone has tried a creative infusion, please post your opinions about it! I have made green/gold dragons before but am wondering whether infusing a flavor with the bud is superior in any way to mixing an non-flavored tincture with another drink (I don't know if it's the herbs in the drink or what, but green dragons seem to ruin the taste of any drink for me EXCEPT vermouth, which I think may be the only weed cocktail that is actually worthwhile based solely on flavor. )
Fat-Based Edibles: I have used coconut oil, grapeseed oil, and even Earth Balance buttery spread to make infused oils, which are then used as an ingredient. I have never tried the traditional cannabutter (I was vegan when I started smoking), but can see no real advantage to butter over any oils. I have read posts online that claim that the saturated fat of butter is a more efficient cannabis solvent than other oils, but palm and coconut oil are also saturated fats, giving vegans an option. There seems to be a lot of nitpicking regarding these things and I'll defer to real scientists, whenever they have something to say about the relative solubility of infusing ingredients in various types of oil, not weed fora.
The only other possible advantage I can see in butter is that the water content and resulting change of state (steaming) in cooking may help regulate the temperature of the butter, helping to avoid burning or overcooking. However, any oil and water emulsion would have the same effect, and this risk of overcooking is mitigated by means of the most common sense solutions like frequent stirring and simply keeping an eye on the pan. Slightly more technical (but cooking 101 to many with cooking experience) is a simple double boiler/bain marie. I typically have made my oils/butters* in small batches, so the amount I was using was actually small enough that I used my digital thermometer to stir the oil, allowing even less time with the lid off, further aiding to maintain a constant temp.
Cannabutter seems to be the mainstay to many who cook edibles, but that is not to say that it is the best option (IMHO, realize that a vegan screed on the forum is, by nature, going to be a bit political and opinionated). Cannabutter's dominance on the edibles scene is parallel to the use of butter and other conventional ingredients in mainstream cooking. That is to say, its prevalence is primarily due to culture and the repetition of similar recipes in many locations and times, rather than from flavor or ease or efficiency of production.
Problems Related to Plant-Based Infused Dishes, As I See Them
- Emulsion and Butters*: This is a really big issue in all of vegan cooking and, by extension, edibles. With regard to baked goods, I would love the opinions of others. I am not much of a baker in general, preferring savory foods over sweet. However, I am planning another vegan cannabutter* recipe and would love to hear critique.
When using any pre-made vegan butter analogue in infusions, or milk butter for that matter, there is the issue of water being lost during the cooking process and affecting the oil to water to ratio in the butter, affecting the infusion's ability to be used interchangeably with butter in any standard recipe. However, in my next batch of butter, I hope to avoid this by emulsifying an infused oil and water using liquid soy lecithin, like the method described in Miyoko Schinner's "The Homemade Vegan Pantry". Even animal based recipes my benefit from this recipe, as an emulsion of ghee and water would likewise guarantee the appropriate water-fat ratio that would be difficult to maintain while heating butter.
With regard to soy lecithin: I do not find it necessary in many food recipes, other than as described in the butter recipe, but have found it useful in drinks. What I did was added a bit in a blender with nutmilk, coffee, flavor ingredients. What I got was an emulsified vegan cafe au lait that maintained its emulsion all day, allowing me to sip it periodically in public without fear of the oil separating, thereby giving me inaccurate dosage.
Savory Dishes: I would love to hear of anyone's ideas for plant-based infused main courses. It becomes tedious to see so many sweets recipes without any real food attached, but I also don't see much potential in many of the vegan protein mainstays like beans, etc. What I am particularly interested in but have not tried, is vegan cannabutter as a finishing oil in sauteeed or stir fried dishes. If added late enough, there would be little risk of vaporizing active ingredients, and the cannabutter* itself could be used to make herb infused butters, used to finish a sauce. I think this may go well with mushroom dishes, or maybe anything that would go well with savory herbs like bay, thyme, etc.
PLEASE ADVISE!!!: For more advanced weed vegans and cooks, I would be pleased to hear any advice on the following topics:
Low smoke point oils: Would a double boiler be adequate to infuse any of the more delicate oils commonly available, like exta virgin olive and toasted sesame? It seems that low smoke point oil infusion would not be a big issue, as the active ingredients we wish to infuse must also be kept at a relatively low heat. However, the possibility of both burnt bud and smokey oil seems menacing to me.
Aquafaba: I have only just learned of this and have never attempted it, for those of you who haven't heard of it either. it is a fairly new technique https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquafaba .
Infused Baked Goods: One of the major problems of vegan baking is the seemingly diminished shelf life of many goods made from both oil and water (pretty much anything that isn't bread or pasta). I have seen a lot of solutions for this, avocado, applesauce, etc., but wonder how these have fared in real life, since the infused eats are so much more expensive than normal food, and it is not convenient to have to make them fresh every day.
TLDR: Looking for vegan recipes from people who know how to do more than open a can of soup.
I'm currently in the flowering stage of my first grow (3x northern lights auto in DWC) and have only tried a handful of edibles recipes before from vaped bud (ABV) or finely ground bud in oil. I am usually not super into edibles but hope to do something with the trim and shake if this grow is successful.
There are tons of recipes online for food and drink, but was wondering if anyone on the forum is also vegan (like me)/vegetarian or just interested in plant-based foods and had any ideas to share. PLEASE DO NOT POST A GROCERY LIST OF PLANT-BASED OPTIONS, WE ALL KNOW WHERE OLIVE OIL COMES FROM. I am a professional cook coming out of grad school and am looking to expand my recipe stock and approach some of the perennial issues in vegan cooking specifically (i.e.- substitution in established animal-based recipes, emulsion, shelf-life of baked goods, etc.) but would like to hear more from others who are also interested in the challenges and innovative solutions found in the vegan/stoner intersection of cooking.
Here are what I see as the basics of vegan edibles-
Alcohol/Glycerin Tinctures: From the perspective of culinary technique, the green dragon and vanilla extract are basically the same thing. Cold infusions that can be used as an ingredient rather than a dish. Simple and effective but not really a recipe in itself.
If anyone has tried a creative infusion, please post your opinions about it! I have made green/gold dragons before but am wondering whether infusing a flavor with the bud is superior in any way to mixing an non-flavored tincture with another drink (I don't know if it's the herbs in the drink or what, but green dragons seem to ruin the taste of any drink for me EXCEPT vermouth, which I think may be the only weed cocktail that is actually worthwhile based solely on flavor. )
Fat-Based Edibles: I have used coconut oil, grapeseed oil, and even Earth Balance buttery spread to make infused oils, which are then used as an ingredient. I have never tried the traditional cannabutter (I was vegan when I started smoking), but can see no real advantage to butter over any oils. I have read posts online that claim that the saturated fat of butter is a more efficient cannabis solvent than other oils, but palm and coconut oil are also saturated fats, giving vegans an option. There seems to be a lot of nitpicking regarding these things and I'll defer to real scientists, whenever they have something to say about the relative solubility of infusing ingredients in various types of oil, not weed fora.
The only other possible advantage I can see in butter is that the water content and resulting change of state (steaming) in cooking may help regulate the temperature of the butter, helping to avoid burning or overcooking. However, any oil and water emulsion would have the same effect, and this risk of overcooking is mitigated by means of the most common sense solutions like frequent stirring and simply keeping an eye on the pan. Slightly more technical (but cooking 101 to many with cooking experience) is a simple double boiler/bain marie. I typically have made my oils/butters* in small batches, so the amount I was using was actually small enough that I used my digital thermometer to stir the oil, allowing even less time with the lid off, further aiding to maintain a constant temp.
Cannabutter seems to be the mainstay to many who cook edibles, but that is not to say that it is the best option (IMHO, realize that a vegan screed on the forum is, by nature, going to be a bit political and opinionated). Cannabutter's dominance on the edibles scene is parallel to the use of butter and other conventional ingredients in mainstream cooking. That is to say, its prevalence is primarily due to culture and the repetition of similar recipes in many locations and times, rather than from flavor or ease or efficiency of production.
Problems Related to Plant-Based Infused Dishes, As I See Them
- Emulsion and Butters*: This is a really big issue in all of vegan cooking and, by extension, edibles. With regard to baked goods, I would love the opinions of others. I am not much of a baker in general, preferring savory foods over sweet. However, I am planning another vegan cannabutter* recipe and would love to hear critique.
When using any pre-made vegan butter analogue in infusions, or milk butter for that matter, there is the issue of water being lost during the cooking process and affecting the oil to water to ratio in the butter, affecting the infusion's ability to be used interchangeably with butter in any standard recipe. However, in my next batch of butter, I hope to avoid this by emulsifying an infused oil and water using liquid soy lecithin, like the method described in Miyoko Schinner's "The Homemade Vegan Pantry". Even animal based recipes my benefit from this recipe, as an emulsion of ghee and water would likewise guarantee the appropriate water-fat ratio that would be difficult to maintain while heating butter.
With regard to soy lecithin: I do not find it necessary in many food recipes, other than as described in the butter recipe, but have found it useful in drinks. What I did was added a bit in a blender with nutmilk, coffee, flavor ingredients. What I got was an emulsified vegan cafe au lait that maintained its emulsion all day, allowing me to sip it periodically in public without fear of the oil separating, thereby giving me inaccurate dosage.
Savory Dishes: I would love to hear of anyone's ideas for plant-based infused main courses. It becomes tedious to see so many sweets recipes without any real food attached, but I also don't see much potential in many of the vegan protein mainstays like beans, etc. What I am particularly interested in but have not tried, is vegan cannabutter as a finishing oil in sauteeed or stir fried dishes. If added late enough, there would be little risk of vaporizing active ingredients, and the cannabutter* itself could be used to make herb infused butters, used to finish a sauce. I think this may go well with mushroom dishes, or maybe anything that would go well with savory herbs like bay, thyme, etc.
PLEASE ADVISE!!!: For more advanced weed vegans and cooks, I would be pleased to hear any advice on the following topics:
Low smoke point oils: Would a double boiler be adequate to infuse any of the more delicate oils commonly available, like exta virgin olive and toasted sesame? It seems that low smoke point oil infusion would not be a big issue, as the active ingredients we wish to infuse must also be kept at a relatively low heat. However, the possibility of both burnt bud and smokey oil seems menacing to me.
Aquafaba: I have only just learned of this and have never attempted it, for those of you who haven't heard of it either. it is a fairly new technique https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquafaba .
Infused Baked Goods: One of the major problems of vegan baking is the seemingly diminished shelf life of many goods made from both oil and water (pretty much anything that isn't bread or pasta). I have seen a lot of solutions for this, avocado, applesauce, etc., but wonder how these have fared in real life, since the infused eats are so much more expensive than normal food, and it is not convenient to have to make them fresh every day.
TLDR: Looking for vegan recipes from people who know how to do more than open a can of soup.
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