“Welcome to Psychedelicatessen, a weekly column exploring the world of cannabis cuisine, including recipes from the great chefs and ganjapreneurs who fuel our appetite for adventure.”
Colorado marijuana activist Jessica “Cheesecake Lady” LeRoux fights long and hard on behalf of patients, participating in political processes and agitating for fewer regulations and reasonable taxation. A die-hard pot lover with roots in the local live music scene, LeRoux is a fixture in the cannabis movement, determined not to be cast aside by the new crop of money-hungry “ganjapreneurs” flooding Denver. As proprietor of Twirling Hippie, a medicated bakery churning out cheesecakes, savory nut mixes, chocolates and more, Jessica took a very hands-on approach to her business, routinely making deliveries herself in order to connect with dispensary owners in rural parts of the state. A vocal critic of how new regulations were driving out mom-and-pop businesses, LeRoux was quoted by Bloomberg News, stating: “When you’re making a baked product and your overhead is eight times more than a strip club and you have more cameras than a casino, the market is already over-regulated.”
Jessica’s newest venture is a cannabis country club, aimed at attracting real-deal heads with an appreciation for counterculture values. Currently renovating a 100-year-old historic log building in Grant, CO, a “ghost town in the middle of nowhere,” Jessica wants to invite cool, artistic potheads to relax, rejuvenate, and participate in outdoor activities. The riverfront property will offer opportunities for skiing, fly fishing, foraging mushrooms, watching wildlife, and hiking the Continental Divide Trail—all on weed. “Because I don’t want to play golf,” she says. “I want to get high and play Frisbee golf!”
Describing a retreat where hippies and weirdos will feel at home with other like-minded kind people, LeRoux plans on hosting parties, small concerts, cooking classes and other events. A Super Bowl party at the cannabis country club would definitely feature her signature THC Tofu Wings, a hippie twist on your usual chicken dish. Jessica’s recipe for tofu drenched in a sweet and spicy glaze mimics the flavors traditionally coating chicken wings, a Super Bowl staple her vegetarian friends hadn’t enjoyed for many years. “Of course I eat tofu, I lived in Boulder for 10 years!,” says the proud hippie, “Since it has weed in it, the fact that it’s tofu is easily overcome!” After initially making this dish, it quickly became a much-requested and beloved favorite. Try it at your next soiree, accompanied by carrots, celery and blue cheese dip.
Boneless Buffalo Tofu Wings
This dish takes more patience than effort to prepare, and is a great crowd pleaser everybody will enjoy on game day or at a potluck party. This offering is “beegan” (vegan, but with honey), gluten free, and packs a two-fisted punch of spice and space! Be amazed as your meat-loving friends scarf down these wings with gusto, and expect your vegan friends to weep with gratitude. Best of all, once you’ve got ’em in the oven, you have time to roll and smoke a couple’a joints!
Equipment: 9×13 Pyrex baking dish and tin foil
Ingredients:
2 packages extra firm tofu
1 cup hot sauce (we used Sriracha)
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup Olive oil
small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 Tablespoons medicated coconut oil (recipe to follow)
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp pepper
1-2 tsp salt
To Accompany: Celery and carrot sticks, blue cheese dressing.
First, drain your tofu. Remove from package, place into a strainer and put a heavy object on top to help squeeze out moisture. While the tofu is draining, prepare the sweet and spicy glaze.
In a nonstick saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add garlic and onion and sauté until onion is beginning to brown. Add hot sauce and honey, bring to a simmer. Add medicated coconut oil, salt and spices and stir until the coconut oil is fully incorporated. Let simmer on low heat.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Drizzle the Pyrex baking pan with a coating of additional olive oil and place the pan in the oven to preheat as well.
Cut the tofu into “wings.” Slice the tofu brick in half, horizontally. Then cut four rectangles through the top, and again diagonally to make a wing-shaped right triangle. You’ll get about 14 wings per tofu brick.
By now, your preheated pan should be sizzling hot. Carefully place the wings into the hot pan and cover with the sauce. Cover with foil, then put them into the oven for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and cook 15 to 20 minutes longer to crisp the edges of the wings. Spoon some of the sauce over the tofu before serving.
Serve with carrot and celery sticks, plus a good blue cheese dressing.
Jessica LeRoux’s Medicated Coconut Oil
First, prepare your infused coconut oil. This can be done 2 to 3 days in advance. I like to use one ounce of cannabis for every two ounces of coconut oil.
Place your dry cannabis into a Crock-Pot and cover to the top of the cannabis with crushed ice. Add your coconut oil and set your Crock-Pot on low. (Jessica likes to start the Crock-Pot before bedtime and let it run overnight. Since she frequently gets up in the middle of the night, she’ll check the Crock-Pot and add more water if necessary to prevent the oil from drying out or burning.)
After 8-12 hours, strain the oil through cheesecloth. (Jessica wears a pair of cheap magic gloves under nitrile gloves so she can safely squeeze the hot oil out of the leaf. She also pours almost-boiling water over the leaf a little at a time as she squeezes it in order to release the trapped oil.)
Put the resulting coconut oil/water mixture into the fridge. The oil will solidify so you can separate it from the water and refine for storage. Give the oil ample time to harden for best results.
We hope you enjoyed Part 1 of our Psychedelic Super Bowl Snack Series! Check back next week for Bacon Truffle “Devil’s Lettuce” Eggs and Super Stuffed ‘Shrooms.