NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
June 1, 2000
I had a college roommate who ate pasta by the boxful. Raw. It seems just like yesterday when I could hear him crunching on a mouthful of macaroni. At some point during his college career, my roommate developed an ulcer. Go figure.
My roommate's experience has not deterred me from seeking out crunchy foods, although I prefer my pasta al dente--not raw--thank you very much. Among the crunchy foods I enjoy the most are nuts--any kind of nut. But because nuts are high in fat, I usually need to satisfy my crunch craving in other ways more often.
Raw vegetables always work. Celery and green onions have been long-time crunchy favorites of mine. In more recent years when that crunch-craving hits, I've been known to nibble on jicama, nicknamed the "Mexican potato." Those flat pea pods I first ate in Chinese cooking have been available in many of the region's supermarkets for years, and I've long since quit using these pods in stir-fry. Instead, raw pea pods add a wonderful crunch to salads--for example, a salad that also includes peanuts, cubes of cooked chicken, bamboo shoots, crumbled bacon, diced red peppers and pineapple chunks served with a teriyaki-laced vinaigrette.
Of course, anyone who likes foods that go crunch has a favorite fruit or two. Mine are peppers and cucumbers (technically, peppers and cucumbers are fruits). Sometimes when the produce is flowing from our garden, I'll eat sliced peppers between two thick slices of crusty bread, which I've painted with mayonnaise. My only seasonings are likely to be salt, pepper and maybe some crumbled oregano. When my mood changes, I make a similar sandwich with cucumbers, but I use fresh dill instead of the oregano.
There's no doubt, in my mind at least, that the creaminess of mayonnaise provides a nice textural contrast to the crunch of peppers and cucumbers. The same can be said for cream cheese, of course. The cheese ball recipe that follows will not only produce a companion for your favorite raw vegetables and fruits, it also offers a crunch (and a nutty flavor) of its own.
Seedy Cheese Ball
This recipe is a slightly modified version of the original, which came from the Flax Council of Canada.
Yield: 8 servings (about 2 tablespoons each)Ingredients:
1 8-ounce package Neufchatel cheese
1 teaspoon salt-free lemon pepper
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce (or to taste)
3 tablespoons flaxseedProcedure:
In a medium-size bowl, mix together the Neufchatel, lemon pepper, onion powder, thyme and pepper sauce. Shape into a ball. Place flaxseed in a small bowl or spread out on wax paper. Roll cheese ball around in flaxseed so all sides are coated. Discard any leftover flaxseed. Wrap cheese ball with plastic wrap and refrigerate two hours before serving.
What's Your Take on This, Julie?
Cheese balls always seem to remind me of a story involving an office party, a former officemate and a creation of hers that's become nearly legendary. Of course, the main "character" of this love story is a cheese ball, one so delicious that it sparked party-goer pandemonium, of sorts. This extraordinarily appealing appetizer disappeared within minutes as co-workers clamored to have seconds and thirds--with some, it was reported, heaving themselves across the table to sample one more bite.
By the time I arrived on the party scene, the cheese ball was gone--completely--even its plate appeared to have been licked clean. I not only missed out on experiencing that highly original cheese ball, I don't have the recipe for it either. So I'm thinking that my summer party plans might include a Seedy Cheese Ball, a serving of which (1/8 of the recipe or about 2 tablespoons) contains about 100 calories and 8 grams of fat when made with Neufchatel cheese.
Neufchatel is a type of cream cheese with one-third less fat than regular cream cheese. By comparison, regular cream cheese contains about 30 calories more per ounce than "light" varieties of cream cheese.
The recipe for Seedy Cheese Ball also features whole flaxseed for added crunch and an attractive appearance. Flaxseed has become a viable alternative for sesame and caraway seeds in some bakeries. Available in many health food stores, flaxseed, which is flat and oval shaped and either shiny red brown or golden hued, has a nutty flavor. Grown primarily in North Dakota and Canada, flaxseed is becoming noted as a "functional food," a food with health benefits beyond nutritional value.
While whole flaxseed is not highly digestible, ground flaxseed, flaxseed oil and flaxseed fiber have been studied extensively in Canada and the United States. Flaxseed is high in the omega-3 fatty acid (alpha-linolenic acid), a type of fat that some researchers have compared to fish oil due to its possible health-promoting effects.
Studies involving humans have suggested that flaxseed may reduce the risk of cancer, especially breast cancer. Flaxseed also may decrease heart disease risk. A research report from the University of Toronto showed that total cholesterol levels decreased 9 percent and LDL ("bad cholesterol") decreased by 18 percent when a group of nine women ate 50 grams of ground flaxseed every day for a month.
According to a study of older Canadian adults, eating 50 grams per day baked in muffins improved their regularity. The part of flaxseed responsible for the laxative effect--and the shiny appearance of flaxseed--is its water-soluble fiber known as "mucilage." This gum-like material separates easily when the seeds are soaked in water. Years ago women would use this sticky material as a makeshift hair-setting gel, even before "all-natural" cosmetics were fashionable.
Along with water-soluble fiber, which also may reduce blood cholesterol, flaxseed contains water-insoluble fiber, such as cellulose and lignin. Humans lack the digestive enzymes to break down dietary fiber, so the fiber hastens movement through the gastrointestinal tract and decreases constipation. Some researchers suggest that flaxseed fiber may even help with blood glucose control among diabetics.
If you decide to add flaxseed to your diet, start with small amounts in case of allergies or other reactions. As little as 10 grams (1.5 tablespoons) of ground flaxseed added to juice or sprinkled on cereal has been shown to have health benefits, and researchers suggest up to 50 grams (7.5 tablespoons) as being safe and palatable. You may want to discuss adding flaxseed to your diet with your doctor or a dietitian.
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Sources: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136
Julie Garden-Robinson (701) 231-7187
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