[Charbar]

I'm so on the seeds are good for you bandwagon! (yes, I know.. I do have to watch how many I eat - they are still high in calories)

I've been buying no salt sesame seeds - I put a T on my salads or my go lean crunch cereal - awesome!

I bought some flax seed - a box of Hodgson Mills and some organic flax seed too - I wanted to see if they looked different. Now what do I do with it? I put a t on my cereal this morning.. but what do you guys do with it?

I am finding I buy all this healthy whole foods - (mostly, lean meats, greens, fruits) and I have no clue what to do with it. (besides make another salad) Salads, I know will become a bore after a while.

I love the taste of a creamy filling casserole - any good ideas?

Thanks!

[Glory87]

Hmm, I don't do a lot of cheesy casseroles since cheese and I don't get along these days, but there should be some options. I've made a sheperd's pie with a lot of vegetables and mashed sweet potatoes on top, I've made a bulgur red pepper casserole with feta. I've made stuffed pita sandwiches with red beans, corn and a little cheese. Stir fries aren't cheesy, but hey are a good super food non salad variety. For simple, I like to roast up a huge pan of veggies (carrots, diced sweet potato, tomatoes, beets, red onion, zucchini, broccoli and serve it over whole wheat couscous or quinoa).

I guess I do things a little differently, I find a recipe with super foods and then go to the store! There are literally millions of recipes on the internet.

Here's some info on flax seed:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?t...dspice&dbid=81

[canelle]

I am not sure if any of you bake...
but I use flax as an egg replacer. You mix 1 TB ground flax with 1/4 c of water and let it sit for a while. It becomes like a glue, and binds things like muffins, breads, "healthier" cookies like a charm. If I am using oil in a recipe along with the flax eggs, I will beat them together in the blender first (since the oil and water likes to separate.) I wouldn't use it on anything too delicate, some say it adds a bit of nuttiness to the overall taste.

[zenor77]

You can use ground flax seed as a fat replacement in baking as well. 3:1 ratio flax seed:fat. Just remember that if you do this what you bake will brown quicker, so watch carefully. I tend to lower the temp 25 degrees when I bake with flax. I mix it into my oatmeal most days too.

I like tuna noodle casserole myself. I make it with ww noddles and I make my own "soup" from 1c milk and 2T flour. You don't have to make a roux with fat, you can add the milk slowly to the flour while it's cold and then heat it to thicken. I also add mushrooms and peas to get some veggies in.

I love shepherds pie too! I have a vegan version that uses lentils, onions, carrots, tomatoes, spices, and a little flour to thicken. It's all cooked in water. No added fat at all. I top mine with regular mashed potatoes (just potatoes and the cooking water~no butter or milk), but using sweet potatoes sounds good too! I'm going to have to try that. Thanks Glory!

[canelle]

ooh I would love the shepherds pie recipe!