It amazes me how much we go through eggs nowadays as we’re beginning to back away from the Standard American Diet (SAD) and eat more traditional whole foods. And it never fails that when a baking bug hits, I need eggs, only to turn to the chill-chest and be stricken with panic (because you know I’ve got a recipe half done, just waiting to get the egg out) that it’s void of eggy-goodness.
Thankfully, when I purchased my first box of ground flax-seed from Hodgson Mills, there was a handy-dandy tip on the side about how you can use ground flax-seed to replace eggs! Now, I can’t imagine a flax-seed influenced frittata, but for one egg in a baking recipe…sure beats packing up the kids and heading out to the mega mart and losing all that mojo that’s striking like mad in the kitchen!
Flax Seed Egg Replacement
1 TB Ground Flax Seed
3 TB water (or other liquid)
Mix both until you’ve formed a slightly gelatinous concoction. I usually allow it to sit on the counter for a bit to ‘meld’.
You do have flax-seed, don’t you? No? What?! Seriously? Flax Seed is one of the nature’s little bits of goodness. High in plant-derived omega 3 fatty acids (only chai seeds seem to have more), flax can be added to just about any baked good or salad or smoothie to add a little bit of extra nutritious punch, and it’s slightly nutty flavor adds a nice touch. You can get it pre-ground from any grocery store in the baking aisle, however as with any seed, once you’ve ground it, its shelf life is reduced drastically. I’ve switched to buying seeds in bulk (you can find it at many health food stores and upscale markets and online) and do a quick grind of a 1/2 cup or so at a time of seeds in my coffee grinder, then store in a jar in the fridge. I toss a couple of tablespoons in just about everything! I store my un-ground seeds in the freezer to preserve them.
Nutritional Facts about Flax Seed
Flaxseed is what’s used to feed all those chickens that are laying eggs with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
Although flaxseed contains all sorts of healthy components, it owes its primary healthy reputation to three of them:
- Omega-3 essential fatty acids, “good” fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.
- Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flaxseed contains 75 to 800 times more lignans than other plant foods.
- Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.
(via WebMD)
Next time you run out of eggs, remember there is a way to use something different in your muffins!
