Off the Shelf
Flax seed can be a nutritious treat
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
Flax seed is among the many ingredients that have been hailed in recent years as miracle health foods. The small, reddish-brown, shiny seeds, most often consumed ground or whole in baked goods, are said to help reduce cholesterol because they contain omega-3 fatty acids, and to pump up the immune system. The seeds also are high in fiber.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
Vegans use flax seed, which has a gelatinous texture, as a substitute for eggs in baked goods (1 tablespoon ground flax seed and 3 tablespoons water equal one egg) and in place of oil (1 cup of ground flax seed equals 1/3 cup of oil) in pancakes, muffins and cookies. These baked goods will have a slightly chewier texture and will not rise as high as with eggs and conventional leavening agents, and they may brown more rapidly.
The seeds are a useful egg substitute and add a nutty flavor to baked goods.
Flax seed also lends a pleasant, nutty taste to conventional recipes for breads, pancakes, muffins and cookie mixes — a small handful added to the dough or batter, a sprinkling added on top of the produce before baking.
Grind flax seeds in a clean coffee grinder. Store flax seed in a refrigerator or freezer because of its high oil content.
