Can They Help You Reign Supreme in Your Kitchen?
I’m always looking for ways to boost the nutritional value in my cooking and baking, and when I find one that is easy, works well, and adds the extra “oomph” to my recipes, I feel my work is done … well, at least for that particular meal. I’ve found a pair of products, King Arthur Flour Whole Flax Seed and King Arthur Flour Whole Flax Meal, that taste great and incorporate seamlessly into my recipes. Because they are pure flax, with no extra ingredients, only the pure health benefits come through. Flax is rich in essential fatty acids, which our bodies require to make and repair cell membranes, build a healthy heart, and regulate good blood pressure. With all these healthy aspects, I wanted to know if flax was an ingredient I could easily incorporate into our daily routine, so I subjected these two products to our review process, and here’s how they fared …
Beginning with the Whole Flax Seed, I wanted to use the seeds in various ways that would bring out their flavor and texture. First, I added two teaspoonfuls to my morning oatmeal. This gave my smooth oatmeal a little bit of a “tooth” or crunch. The flax didn’t get soggy or chewy, and the warm, golden color of the seeds speckled throughout the pale cream-colored oatmeal added visual interest. And since we eat with our eyes first, this made me even more ready for breakfast. The flax seeds also added a slightly nutty taste, giving my oatmeal a more complex flavor, which paired well against the dried fruit I’d added. Review results when added to hot cereal … easy, crunchy, and flavorful.
I wanted to do more empirical testing of these seeds, so I added them to my tuna. I really like having a little crunch in my tuna (my favorite in my pre-gluten-free days was tuna on Cool Ranch Doritos; okay, laugh if you must). Again, the seeds added a nice, mild, nutty flavor, and a little crunch in every bite. Adding flax seeds helped me make a little tuna (because tuna should be eaten in moderation) go a long way by boosting an already high protein lunch even higher. High protein, low fat, and extra essential fatty acids … nothing wrong with that! Review results when added to tuna … match well played.
On to the meal, whole flax meal that is. I have a recipe for waffles that is tried and true. Every time I try to make a change to it, to add additional nutrition or flavors, I always get the comment, “Please leave the waffle recipe alone. We like them just the way they are!” So, I’ve been very leery about tinkering with the ingredients. But I decided to throw caution to the wind, and I substituted an equal portion of my brown rice flour with whole flax meal. I quickly hid the flax meal box so no one would be the wiser before I could perform the blind taste test on my unsuspecting, and perceptive, waffle consumers. For the first time since I’ve been making gluten free waffles, and playing the game of “hide and seek” with the ingredients, we managed to make it through the entire process of mixing, cooking, and enjoying the waffles without a whisper of disapproval. The only comment sent my direction … “Thanks, Mom, these are really good!” And thus, that is my review result when adding whole flax meal to waffles.
So to test my luck with the whole flax meal one more time, I attempted the unthinkable … I tried making my chocolate chip cookies more nutritious. I know, crazy isn’t it, who cares if cookies are good for you? Well, if I can sneak in nutritious ingredients without changing the flavor or texture, why not? So I substituted a small portion of my oat flour with whole flax meal. Guess what? No one suspected they were eating “something good for them.” But with each bite they enjoyed, I felt a little less guilt for letting them indulge a little more. So, my review results when adding whole flax meal to chocolate chip cookies … less guilt, more rewards.
Bring some King Arthur Flour Whole Flax Seed and King Arthur Flour Whole Flax Meal to your home and your recipes can reign supreme with your family.
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King Arthur Flour Whole Flax Seed
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