Rating: NNNNN
Although to some it’s synonymous with marijuana, hemp is a source of edible seeds, flour and oil as well as the stuff that gives you the munchies. Available at most health food stores, hemp seeds contain high-quality protein. Nutty-tasting hemp oil contains essential omega-3 fatty acids that help reduce clotting of the blood and improve cholesterol levels. These fats are also a natural anti-inflammatory.
Neither the seeds nor the oil has any psychoactive properties, but here’s a summery recipe for Coriander Shrimp Salad that will definitely get your taste buds high.
Peel and devein 1 pound of medium shrimp. Cut each in half lengthwise. Combine 1 inch of grated ginger, 3 chopped Thai chilies, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 tablespoons nam pla fish sauce and 1 finely diced red pepper. Mix, pour over the shrimp and marinate 30 minutes. Peel and seed 2 green papayas and julienne them. Heat 3 tablespoons of peanut oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat for a minute. Add the shrimp (minus the marinade) and stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque. Remove from heat, and mix shrimp with 2 tablespoons of hemp oil, 2 slivered scallions and a half-bunch of ripped coriander leaves. Serve the papaya and the shrimp mixture over cold rice vermicelli. Garnish with a quarter-cup of crushed roasted peanuts or hemp seeds.
