4 recipes with flax seeds (and tricks to use them well)

Flaxseeds are a superfood in their own right. They are rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids, vitamin E and other antioxidants, B vitamins, and minerals such as potassium, zinc, and iron. They also provide a lot of fiber, which makes them a popular constipation remedy. Knowing how to prepare them and having ideas to include them in our recipes is the first step to make the most of their nutrients and benefit from their many properties.

Here I will tell you why it is worth including these seeds in your diet and how to prepare them to assimilate their nutrients wellbut above all I will give you ideas on how to use them and I will give you four examples of very practical flax seed recipes to include these seeds in your day to day.

Lots of benefits

In addition to being great allies against constipation, perhaps its best-known use, flax seeds have many health benefits:

Thanks to the nutrients they provide, they help to have shiny skin and hair and strong nailsThey are a very special food for women, since they help balance hormones.Have anti-inflammatory propertiesstabilize sugar levels, lower cholesterol and reduce tension. They help with children’s concentration and sleep.

There is no doubt that it is worth including them in our diet. But the question is how…

How to take them

To take advantage of the benefits, it is advisable to include a tablespoon daily of these tiny seeds.

In the market we can find golden or brown flax seeds. Both types have the same nutritional properties, but the golden seeds have a slightly milder flavor. Apart from the taste, it is only a matter of appearance: the golden seeds and their flour are more beautiful in some recipes, especially in doughs and breads.

Flaxseeds are hard to digest and to make sure we benefit from them should be crushed before incorporating them into recipes.

When cooking, these are some ideas of what we can do with flax seeds:

Sprinkle the ground seeds on salads, vegetable purees, cooked vegetables, breakfast cereals, add to porridge, smoothies or yogurt.Substitute up to a quarter of the flour in doughs of traditional recipes in cookies, muffins, biscuits or breads with ground flax or prepare crackers, torittas, pizza doughs. Flax meal imparts a nutty flavor and adds moisture and texture. Use ground for replace fat in recipes: For every tablespoon of oil, use 3 tablespoons of ground flax.Make flax gel to replace the egg in some recipes such as cakes, biscuits, cookies, pancakes or vegetable burgers. To make a flax egg, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flax with 3 tablespoons of water and let it rest.

How to shred them

In the stores the seeds are already crushed, but as fats can go rancidit is best to get the whole seeds and crush them just before using.

To grind flax seeds at home, We can use a powerful glass blender, a hand blender or a coffee grinder. Then we can use the seeds at the moment or store ground in a glass jar for a couple of weeks in the fridge or a couple of months in the freezer.

4 recipes with flax

For more ideas on how to incorporate these seeds, here are four recipes.

Photo: Stockfood

1. Oatmeal and flax cookies

Preparation: 20 minutes – Cooking: 15 minutes

Some cookies easy to prepare for breakfast of those crazy mornings in a hurry. Thanks to its preparation with nutritious natural ingredients, they contain a lot of fiber and protein, to fill us up until lunchtime.

Ingredients (8 cookies):

8 tablespoons melted olive or coconut oil 150 g whole cane sugar 1 tablespoon chia seeds 1 teaspoon cinnamon or vanilla extract 80 g rolled oats 130 g whole wheat flour 70 g ground flax seeds 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon of cinnamona pinch of salt50 g of blueberries75 g of dark chocolate chips

Preparation:

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees.In a small bowl, Mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 2.5 tablespoons of water and let sit for 5 minutes to form a gel.In a bowl, Beat the oil with the sugar. Once mixed, add the chia gel and mix well.In a large bowl, mix rolled oats with flour and flax. Add a pinch of salt, cinnamon, baking powder and mix. Add the oil and sugar mixture and mix well. Add the blueberries and chocolate chips.Line a baking tray with parchment paper or spread with a little oil. With the help of a spoon, place the dough on the tray and shape it into a cookie. Leave room between the cookies, so they don’t bite. bake some 12 minutes. Photo: Stockfood

2. Keto flax pancakes

Preparation: 10 minutes – Cooking: 15 minutes

Here are some low-carbohydrate pancakes, ideal for a special breakfast. sweets can be served with fresh fruit, jam or compote, yoghurt, chocolate or salty with scrambled eggs of tofu, avocado, hummus, fresh cheese, vegetables….

Ingredients (4 people):

0.5 cup of sunflower seeds 4 tablespoons of flax seeds 0.5 cup of almond flour 1 teaspoon of baking powder a pinch of salt 0.5 cup of milk or vegetable drink 2 tablespoons of melted butter or soft olive oil 4 eggs 2 tablespoons of erythritol ( optional)

Preparation:

in a blender, Crush the sunflower seeds and flax seeds until you get a flour. Add a pinch of salt, baking powder, milk, crack the eggs into the mixer and beat on low power to mix the dough.If you are going to make some sweet pancakes, you can add 2 tablespoons of erythritol or a couple of drops of stevia and vanilla or cinnamon extract.In a frying pan, heat some oil. Place 2 tablespoons of the dough in the center and shape it into a pancake. Cook for 2 minutes on one side, carefully flip and cook for another 2 minutes on the other side. Repeat with the rest of the dough and serve. Photo: Stockfood

3. Flax Crackers

Preparation: 10 minutes – Cooking: 50 minutes

Universal, crunchy crackers that keep well for a couple of weeks and are delicious as is or with avocado, hummus, cream cheese, jam or different spreads.

Ingredients:

0.5 cup ground flaxseeds 0.5 cup seed mix such as sesame, sunflower, or pumpkin seeds or another 1/2 cup ground flaxseeds 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast fine herbs, curry, paprika… (optional) 0.5 cup of water

Preparation:

Preheat the oven at 160 degrees.In a bowl, mix the ground flax seeds with the salt and seasonings. Add the water and mix well until you get a dough.Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the dough in the center and give it a rectangular shape with a thickness of 3cm with the help of wet hands or a rolling pin. Bake 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into crackers.turn them around to the crackers and bake 20-25 more minutes, until crisp. Photo: Stockfood

4. Green smoothie with flax seeds

Preparation: 5 minutes

The easiest way to incorporate flaxseeds to our diet is to add them to juices or green smoothies like this one. This delicacy serves as full breakfast or snack.

Ingredients (2 people):

1 frozen banana 1 small green apple 1 small orange 1 bunch of spinach or 2 kale leaves 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds 250 ml of water or vegetable drink 1 cm of fresh ginger

Preparation:

Remove the seeds from the apple and cut it into pieces. Peel the orange and cut it into pieces.In a powerful blender, place all the ingredients and blend until you get a smoothie without lumps. Add more water if you prefer a more runny texture.Serve as is or in a bowl with crunchy toppings. such as nuts, fruit, cocoa nibs or granola for a more complete breakfast.