I’ll get to the cool stuff after I show you my quite boring dinner. It tasted fantastic, but really, it wasn’t anything exciting. At all.
That would be steamed brown rice, steamed broccoli, and pan “fried” cube steak. The cool part: I steamed the broccoli in the steaming basket of my rice cooker while the rice cooked! Very convenient! The cube steak was floured, egged, then bread-crumbed, and cooked in a couple teaspoons of olive oil. Delicious? Yes. Pretty? Not really…
Now comes the good part. While I was waiting for the State of the Union to come on, it became increasingly obvious that there was NOTHING on TV. Some of you would’ve taken the opportunity to get an extra workout in. Some of you would’ve found SOMETHING to watch. Some of you may have done what I ended up doing: cleaning the kitchen and then baking brownies.
If you know me at all, you’ll know that me cleaning ANYTHING is a huge feat. I’m a very very very messy person. I was always that kid in school who had the locker that exploded whenever it was opened. My roommates in my favorite college house (kindly known as “the Blue House” because well, it was blue) had to get me a separate Rubbermaid tub for my dirty dishes because if it wasn’t there, they couldn’t get to the sink! Adam and I are slowly working on getting our house looking like grown ups live here, and just the fact that I cleaned is miraculous.
You’re probably wondering now “WHERE ARE THE BROWNIES?!” Ok, ok, here we go. After the brownies I posted on Sunday, I have been bound and determined to make a relatively healthy yet still fudgy brownie. I believe I have succeeded. This started as a vegan recipe in my head, and realized that not only did I not have any non-butter fat besides olive oil, nor did I have enough applesauce to completely sub it out, I used the butter. So they’re vegetarian, but can easily be made vegan with a couple small substitutions (and not the ones you’re thinking!)
Fun Flax Brownies
Ingredients
1 stick of butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
4 oz. unsweetened natural applesauce
1 1/2 c. water
3/4 c. cocoa powder (I used Now Foods organic)
1/4 c. milk (I used skim, but was out of Almond milk)
1/2 c. white chocolate chips (optional)
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350*. Add softened butter and sugar to mixing bowl and cream until light yellow and no longer grainy. While that mixes, place flaxseeds in your blender. Grind thoroughly. Add the water, and blend for 2 minutes until the mixture is foamy and is of egg-white consistency. (This is a vegan egg replacement for 2 large eggs. Feel free to use real eggs) Allow to sit a few minutes while the butter and sugar finish creaming. Add the applesauce to the butter/sugar mixture and mix well. Add flax “eggs” and mix well. Slowly add in the cocoa, and mix well. Add flour, mix until incorporated then add the milk. Gently mix in the chocolate chips and spread into a pan. I used my brownie pan, but an 8×8 would’ve been perfect. Bake about 25-30 minutes.
Remember that fudgy brownie texture I was looking for? Oh yeah, these have it… the flax and whole wheat flour along with the applesauce makes these a higher-fiber and healthier recipe than your typical egg/white flour/lotsa fat recipe, and honestly, the flax makes a great little crunch in there!
Do you notice that cool little button up under the recipe title? That button will soon become your new best friend! See, that button is from SpringPad, a very useful website which, once you have an account, can save recipes for you with just a click of a button! A few of my recipes (the most recent ones) have already been entered and will soon have buttons too. SpringPad is FREE, and the best way I’ve found to catalog all those recipes I come across that I want to try, but don’t want to print out. Or those ones that I go “OOH! I want to try that” and then forget where I saw it. Now, I can add a Web Clip button to my browser toolbar, and click it when I see a recipe I like. A window pops up, I hit save, and then all the recipes are in one place.
Now for the giveaway part (I know you love these!) MONTHS ago, I got a bag of Tropical Traditions golden flaxseeds sent to me to try. I hadn’t been able to think of anything to make with them until now, so now’s your chance: You can win one 16 oz. bag of whole organic golden flaxseeds from Tropical Traditions!
Again, I’m going to go with the multiple entries thing! You MUST choose ONE of the options to be entered. Each additional method will earn you one additional entry. You must comment for each method. 4 methods = 4 comments = 4 entries. Get it?
Method 1: Leave a comment on this post about what you’d do with the flaxseed
Method 2: Tweet about the giveaway “I want to win flaxseed from @imadedinner and @troptraditions http://bit.ly/a9jk7f”
Method 3: Join SpringPad and Spring! my brownie recipe. I’m notified when you “Spring” but a comment is needed anyway 
Happy Springing and good luck! Winner will be announced Friday evening, January 29.
*Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to review or sponsor a giveaway in return for the free product.
Comments on this entry are closed.
{ 45 comments }
I’d also like to try baking with flax seeds, as I’ve heard you can use it to replace an egg. It’d also bulk up recipes w/ a lot more nutrition!
.-= Christina´s last blog ..Make-your-own Pizza Night! =-.
I tweeted! http://twitter.com/DinnerAtXtinas/status/8307008313
Throw it in my shake!! I LOVE flaxseed in my shakes.
I love butter, so that brownie is absolutely fine with butter! I saw your tweet on that, and you’re right, it looks like the BEST brownie ever!
Hmm…What can I do with flaxseed? I dunno, but I’ll find out.
.-= sophia´s last blog ..A Daily Miracle =-.
I tweeted!
.-= sophia´s last blog ..A Daily Miracle =-.
i am always fond of healthy alternatives to cookies and brownies but i never have the right ingredients
someday… actually, i guess i could use the flax to make these bad boys!! i would also use it to put in my yogurt and oats.
Oh, and I “sprung”. Hee.
.-= sophia´s last blog ..A Daily Miracle =-.
i just tweeted (@ashleigh325)
.-= ashleigh´s last blog ..Salad Lover =-.
I’d bake with it!
.-= Olga @ Healthing It´s last blog ..Gyming It =-.
I’d put it in oatmeal!!
Those brownies look sooo moist and yummy! *drool*
I also think your dinner looks great!
Jenn
.-= Jenn (www.j3nn.net)´s last blog ..Ice and Rice =-.
Put them in oats, and maybe try them as a salad topper!
.-= Joanna´s last blog ..my granola =-.
I have just started adding ground flax seed to my smoothies. I would love to research some new recipes to try!
I tweeted about this post. I would also put some flax seed in a smoothie. Or use them to make “fried” chicken or fish
.-= amanda´s last blog ..Mushroom Power = 1 up =-.
I put flax in just about anything I can think of. Most appropriately, in my oats, but I have also been known to sprinkle it on ice cream.
.-= Lauren´s last blog ..The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich I Ever Ate =-.
Your brownies look great! But I think I would use them to make flax “eggs” for vegan pancakes!
I tweeted it (@Kimmyjahnke)!
I like adding flaxseed to morning oats. I want to try them in a muffin recips soon too!
Wow do those brownies look amazing
.-= Heather @ Side of Sneakers´s last blog ..Changing it Up =-.
Another vote for oatmeal!
I would love to put these flaxseeds in my homemade granola bars!
http://www.sweetandsavoryfood.com/2010/01/freezer-challenge-day-2-homemade.html
.-= Ally@Sweet & Savory´s last blog ..The 3 GREAT Things that Happened to Me Today =-.
I love to use flaxseeds to make crackers or bread in my dehydrator. Great giveaway!
I also have a Tropical Traditions Giveaway going on right now for some coconut oil so you should enter if you are interested: http://cookingforaveganlover.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/tropicaltradtionscoconutoil/
tweeted the giveaway!
.-= Stephanie´s last blog ..Love in a saucepan =-.
I’ll put the flax seed in my oatmeal!!
.-= ashley´s last blog ..Oats in a Jar =-.
I love flaxseeds…I could add them to everything and be a happy gal!
I would put it in my oatmeal
I put some in there every morning!
.-= Matt´s last blog ..Grilled Shrimp over Garlic Quinoa =-.
My first plan would be to sprinkle it on my oatmeal in the mornings!
I’m subscribed to the Tropical Traditions newsletter too
I’m would make these brownies…they look so yummy!
I am already signed up for the Tropical Traditions newsletter.
I ‘Spring Padded’ the recipe..so excited to make it:)
I love to bake with flax seeds for a little more nutrition!
.-= Julie @SavvyEats´s last blog ..Haiti Bake Sale Day! =-.
I’m subscribed to the newsletter!
Tweeted!
.-= Julie @SavvyEats´s last blog ..Haiti Bake Sale Day! =-.
i would bake with it or add it to oatmeal!
tweet! @carrothead
I’ve never tried flax seeds before but would like to try!
.-= Jessica Lee´s last blog ..Two in One? =-.
I linked back!
.-= Jessica Lee´s last blog ..Two in One? =-.
I need some flax in my life!
I love putting it on oats or using it as an egg substitute in baking!
.-= Lara (Thinspired)´s last blog ..The Little Gym =-.
I tweeted!
http://twitter.com/ThinspiredBlog/status/8344631612
.-= Lara (Thinspired)´s last blog ..The Little Gym =-.
I’d love to win me some flaxseed. Recently I’ve been putting flaxmeal in my oats & yogurt – yum!
I would add them to my oatmeal and cottage cheese!
Gotta say that cube steak actually looks pretty good, the brownies too. Although I’m still looking for a good healthy, homemade black bean brownie recipe that uses a mashed banana and/or applesauce.
As for the flaxseed? I’d probably try baking with it as I’ve heard it’s an excellent fat replacement.
.-= Nick´s last blog ..Strawberry Banana Kiwi Ice Cream =-.
Guess I have a new mission
I would sooo try this recipe for the brownies!!! Looks YUMMY!!!