We recently spoke with chef Unika Noiel about cooking with weed, getting shut down by the city, and her ideal Danksgiving dinner. Below, she shares a few weedy recipes of her own....

Weed Butter

1 stick butter (1/2 c)
1/4 ounce ground cannabis
mesh strainer
cheesecloth
glass container (to hold and cool butter)

In a small saucepan on low heat, melt butter. Add ground cannabis and cook (stirring occasionally), on low for 45-60 minutes.

Line a mesh strainer with cheesecloth. Pour butter through, into glass container. Squeeze cheesecloth to get any remaining butter out of solids.

Cool. Store in an airtight container and freeze or refrigerate.

Candied Yams

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes

2 lbs (about 3 medium or 2 large) Garnet or Beauregard yams (orange flesh)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
4 tbsp (weed) butter
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/8 tsp ground ginger (optional)
1 tbsp orange juice (optional)
orange zest (optional)

Peel and cut yams as uniformly as possible, into 1/4" thick pieces.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add butter, sugars, honey, and spices; stir until sugar dissolves.

Add sliced yams. Cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes (yams should brown slightly). Turn yams over and cook an additional 4-5 minutes.

Reduce heat. Add vanilla and orange juice (if using) and cook an additional 10 minutes, or until glaze has thickened and yams are cooked through.

Resist the urge to eat them immediately... let cool for a few minutes to avoid burning yourself. Candied yams are VERY HOT!

Cornbread

My cornbread recipe changes depending on who I'm making it for. During the holidays, I make two, one with sugar and one without. If you prefer your cornbread sweet, add a 1/4 cup sugar to dry ingredients.

2 1/2 cups course ground yellow corn meal
2 cups flour
2 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 c buttermilk (or whole milk)
2/3 cup oil
2 eggs
4 tbsp (weed) nutter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In one medium bowl, combine corn meal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar (if using).
In a separate bowl, blend milk and eggs well. Pour wet ingredients into medium bowl of dry ingredients. Stir until combined.

Drop butter in a 13x9 baking dish or large cast iron pan, and place in 400 degree oven until melted. Carefully remove baking dish from the oven and immediately pour in cornbread batter. The edges will begin to cook immediately and butter should rise to the top. This is normal and desired for deliciously buttery, crisp edges.

Bake 20-25 minutes. Cornbread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm with canna-butter, if you like.