A friend going through cancer treatment introduced me to Rebecca Katz, author of The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery. Katz’s recipes are designed to help cancer patients nutritionally prepare for treatment and deal with side effects using healthy, whole foods bursting with flavor—so important for my friend, who struggles to eat. I made Katz’s delicious, warming chai—which she describes as “a back rub in a cup”—with cannabis-infused almond milk. My friend can control her own dose by adding more or less of the infused milk.
Makes 8 cups
1/8 ounce cured cannabis flower or trim, finely ground
1-1/2 cups cannabis-infused almond milk
1/3 cup sliced, peeled fresh ginger, cut ¼-inch thick
10 cups water
3 tablespoons cardamom pods
4 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
1-3 tablespoons maple syrup (to taste)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
double boiler
coffee grinder or mortar and pestle
fine mesh strainer
cheesecloth
Grind cannabis in a coffee grinder or using a mortar and pestle. Combine with almond milk in a double boiler, stir well, and bring to a simmer. Simmer over very low heat for at least an hour, stirring occasionally. Do not let it boil.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Line strainer with cheesecloth and place over a bowl or large measuring cup. Pour milk through strainer as many times as is necessary to remove all plant matter from milk. Compost plant solids or save to use later.
Combine ginger and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.
Add cardamom, cinnamon and cloves and continue to simmer 20 minutes.
Strain tea through fine-mesh sieve into clean saucepan. Add almond milk and maple syrup and gently reheat without boiling for 2-3 minutes until warm. Stir in vanilla. Add more milk or sweetener to taste.
Store cannabis milk in a labeled jar in the refrigerator for up to a week. Tea will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks without milk and sweetener.
Rebecca Katz’s Cancer-Fighting Bedtime Chai (with Cannabis)
