CBD spaghetti? Consider Us intrigued! The non-psychoactive cannabis compound has been lauded for its ability to relieve stress and anxiety, and according to chef and author Liana Werner-Gray, who cooks with the substance, it can also act as a natural pain reliever to provide some comfort to those with achy joints, arthritis and cancer.
The latter is a subject especially close to Werner-Gray’s heart. Both of her grandfathers died of the disease, her mother is a breast cancer survivor and she had a 3.7-centimeter tumor in her throat a decade ago. She and her mother were able to change their diets and that gastronomic shift, coupled with traditional treatments, is why Werner-Gray tells Us Weekly the duo is “healthy and cancer-free to this day.”
Her experience with cancer is part of what inspired Werner-Gray to write Cancer Free With Food, a new book that details how people with the disease can help fight it with what they eat. “For this book, I wanted to spend time doing the research into what foods have been used in scientific studies to show which are most effective in killing cancer cells and reducing tumors,” Werner-Gray tells Us. “I was fascinated by what I found and listed the foods in Cancer-Free with Food, along with recipes using those particular foods, like cauliflower, cacao powder, CBD, garlic and broccoli sprouts.”
Though CBD is from the hemp plant, Werner-Gray assures Us the substance has no or extremely low THC, meaning it won’t have any psychoactive effects. That’s why the author of The Earth Diet likes to use it when she’s preparing meals. “When we infuse CBD into our cooking, we get up to four times the effects. It’s four times stronger, which means four times the potency!” she explains. “The secret to using CBD in your cooking is to blend it with an olive oil or coconut oil first to hide the bitter taste and help distribute it throughout the food.”
That’s exactly what the health and nutrition coach did with her CBD pesto edamame spaghetti recipe, which appears in Cancer Free With Food. If you’re looking for an easy way to incorporate CBD into some of your meals, check out the recipe below!
CBD Pesto Edamame Spaghetti
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
For the pesto:
• 1/3-cup olive oil
• 4 full droppers of CBD (4 servings)
• 1 cup fresh basil
• 1/4 cup broccoli sprouts
• 1/2 cup spinach
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
For the pasta:
• 1 box Explore Cuisine Edamame Spaghetti
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil and CBD until it’s well combined. This step is key to make sure the CBD and olive oil bind well. Set aside.
- In a food processor or blender, add the other pesto ingredients and blend until well-combined. Then, add the CBD oil mixture and mix together. Keep some chunks if you like texture in your pesto. Set aside.
- Boil water in a pot and cook the edamame spaghetti for three minutes, according to the package instructions. Drain and serve in bowls.
- Toss the pesto sauce with the edamame spaghetti and enjoy!
