Flax Seed Info and a Granola Recipe

In the process of doing the recent group buy that included flax  seed, I have been asked by several people what to do with it, so I figured it would be worth a post for those that have never used flax seed before.

If you are unfamiliar with the health benefits of flax seed, you are really missing out! Here are some of the benefits of ground flax seed:

• Cholesterol.  Flax helps prevent + decrease bad cholesterol and prevent heart disease.
• Weight Loss Flax helps in weight loss because the Omega 3 tells your brain you are full while the fiber and protein take a long time to digest keeping you full for longer.
• Diabetes Flax is low on the glycemic index and it helps stabilize blood sugar.
• Inflammation The Omega 3 and the lignans in flax have been studied for their inflammation decreasing properties. Flax helps with inflammatory disorders, such as allergies and arthritis.
• Digestive System. Flax has soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps in the digestive process.
• Healthy Skin. Flax and the Omega 3 help decrease and heal acne, psoriasis, eczema, and dry skin.  I have very specific experience with this one!  Dylan has been having problems on his mission with terrible eczema around his shirt collar.  I sent him a bag of flax seed that he has been adding to his food and his eczema cleared up completely in just a few days.  He had tried a plethora of items he bought at the drug store and nothing was working.
• Brain. Flax provides Omega 3, which is essential for good brain development, especially in children.  Your body cannot make Omega 3 on it's own--you have to eat it.  Omega 3 can also help with Alzheimers, dementia, sleeping problems, ADHD, and depression. 

 Okay...so now that you know WHY you should eat it, here are some ideas of HOW you can eat it:

• Mix ground flax seed into yogurt or applesauce
• Add ground flax seed to oatmeal or sprinkle it on your cereal.
• Add a tablespoon to soups, beans or chili.
• Add ground flax seed to smoothies or other breakfast drinks.
• Mix ground flax seed into salad or salad dressings.
• Use as a filler in things like meatloaf, meatballs, or hamburgers.

Ground flax seed will add a very light nutty flavor to foods.  It's best to experiment with it in recipes to make sure you like it.  A little goes a long way--a tablespoon is probably all you need.  Also important to know--in order to get the best benefits from flax seed, you need to use it GROUND.  The whole seeds can be added to salads to provide a nice crunch, but seed in=seed out (the body cannot break down the whole seed and they are generally too small for the teeth to crush them adequately.)

So now for my favorite way to use flax seed--in baking or as a substitute for eggs, flour or the oil in baked goods.

Substituting for fats and oils

3 TBSP ground flax seed for every 1 TBSP of margarine, butter or oil.  You can substitute for all or part of the oil or fat.  This substitution means baked goods will brown more rapidly.  Because the flax seed is dry and full of fiber, you may want to cut back on the flour to keep dough or batters from being too thick or dry, or you can add some additional liquid.

Substituting for flour

While you wouldn't want to substitute ALL the flour, a good rule of thumb is to decrease the flour by about 1/4-1/2 cup and substitute with equal amounts of ground flax seed. Mixtures might be overly thick or dry, so add a bit more liquid if needed.

Substituting for eggs

Mix 1 TBSP ground flax seed with 3 TBSP water and allow to sit for a few minutes for each egg.  Cookies and other baked goods will have less volume and may be chewier than those cooked with eggs.  You can choose to substitute all or just part of the eggs.

On another note, I promised a recipe for the Group Buy Granola that was sent with the Group Buy information.  I still have not tried it, but I would like to.  I'm going to post the recipe here, and if anyone tries it, I want some feedback about how it turns out!

Group Buy Granola

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. 

In a large bowl combine:

6 cups rolled oats

1 cup nuts (any kind you like, I used sliced almonds and cashews)

1 cup dried fruit (any variety or mixture – raisins, golden raisins, Craisins, dried blueberries etc.)

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup sprouted ground flax or wheat germ

1 cup coconut (optional – add more fruit or nuts if you are not crazy about flaked coconut)

1 cup powdered milk (Country Cream is the best)

1 teaspoon salt (if you are using salted nuts or sunflower seeds, omit the salt)

1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Melt together:

1 cup honey

1 cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

Pour honey mixture over dry mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. 

Spread on a large jelly roll pan 12”x17”.  I like to spray the pan with non-stick spray and then top with a piece of parchment paper and spray again.  The first spray keeps the parchment paper from sliding.    

Bake for 30 minutes stirring twice during baking. 

Store in an airtight container.  

If you try the granola, please be sure to comment and let us know how it is!  Also, if you have any other great uses for flax seed that you'd like to share, please do so!