You may have seen these tiny seeds pressed into some whole grain tortilla chips or baked into 12 grain bread, but what exactly are they and what do they do for you? Well, they are a mighty little seed packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower blood cholesterol, reducing your risk of heart disease. Just two tablespoons of flaxseed can provide you with 146% of your daily value of omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseeds also contain a good amount of fiber, which also helps reduce cholesterol, keeps you full, can prevent certain cancers and regulate blood sugar.
It is best to eat flaxseeds that have been ground, the body absorbs ground flaxseeds better than in their whole form. You can buy the whole seeds and grind them at home or you can buy them already ground. However, once they are ground or opened they must be refrigerated, as the oils can go rancid very easily.
Flaxseeds can be used in so many ways – I use them or baking mostly. I sub oil or eggs for flaxseeds in every baked product I make (even when I cheat and buy the packaged mix). You can also add a couple tablespoons to smoothies, pizza crust, tomato sauce, soups, chili and stew, lasagna, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches – the sky’s the limit! I usually buy Hodgson Mill Milled Flax Seed because I love the recipe on the box for the Flax’n Apple Muffins (which we’ve dubbed Super Muffins) and because it gives me the substitutions right on the box, so convenient!
Here’s the recipe for Flax’n Apple Muffins and check back soon for a Pumpkin Bread recipe subbing flaxseeds for eggs!
Whole Wheat Flax’n Apple “Super” Muffins
½ cup Hodgson Mill Milled Flax Seed
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup white flour
½ cup sugar
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1 ½ cups finely chopped apples
3 tbsp vegetable oil
½ cup milk
½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
Directions:
Blend dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine egg, vegetable oil and milk. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and stir until just blended. Fold in apples and nuts. Batter will be thick. Fill well-greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 18 – 20 minutes or until top springs back when touched.
Yield: 12 muffins
Cookus Interruptus
