The bigger picture about CANOLA OIL

Over the years, we hear about products that are harmful to consume and often it is difficult for us to separate fact from fiction. Canola oil, is one of those questionable products.

Hilary Kallaway, (who works for Spectrum Naturals, a leading brand of organic oils,) just gave a very informative seminar on the properties of the various oils we ingest. She was a wealth of information and below you will find her response to the controversy about canola oil:

Hi Arnel,

I've consulted with our R&D Director to find out a bit about Canola Oil history.

Canola originated from the Rapeseed plant. Rapeseed contains high levels of Euric acid which is toxic. Plant breeders, through seed selection and plant hybridization (not genetic modification), selected out the seeds with less Euric acid. After 30+ years of this we have Canola seeds which are very different from the original rapeseed, but still have the stigma associated with rapeseeds and their high levels of Euric acid.

It is true that today Canola is one of the top Genetically Engineered crop, so it is wise to make sure your source of canola oil can verify that their product is GMO (genetically modified organism) FREE.

Have a good day.

Hillary

Hillary Kallaway

Training Manager/Associate Brand Manager

Spectrum Organic Products

2201 S. McDowell Ext. Suite 210

Petaluma, CA 94954

707.559.2661

Canola oil has a neutral flavor which makes it a great choice for baking. It is high in the beneficial Omega-3's and it also has a high heat tolerance which makes it easy to use for sauteing and frying. As digestively sensitive as I am I have never had any adverse reactions to the expeller pressed/non-GMO canola oil I buy from Trader Joes or Whole Foods.

I use "Nothing but the Best" ingredients in my gluten free products.

Arnel McAtee

www.ArnelsOriginals.com

Baking Without Eggs

As we all know, cooking and baking without standard ingredients can be a challenge. Although there is no connection between a gluten allergy and an egg allergy, I will sometimes get asked what can be substituted for eggs. I came across four different things one can try when baking without eggs. Here they are:

1) 3 tablespoons of applesauce + 1 teaspoon of baking powder

2) FLAX GEL - 1 tablespoon of flax meal + 3 tablespoons of hot water. Let it stand for 10 min. and use without straining

3) Use EnerG egg replacer according to directions

4) 4 tablespoons of pureed tofu + 1 teaspoon baking powder

5) When your recipes includes baking soda and/or baking powder, one Tablespoon of apple-cider-vinegar per egg does wonders to give it a lift, just like an egg. There is an airy chemical reaction between the acid (apple cider vinegar) and the base (baking soda). Add the flax gel too, to hold it all together. Our Make - a Cake Mix is ideal to use with this method.

6) Bean water, aqua-faba, (the thick liquid that cooked beans win in) does wonders as an egg substitute for certain type of baked goods, like our Buckwheat Bread Mix. It didn't work well with our cake mix.

Did you know that baking powder contains corn starch? You can make your own "corn starch free" baking powder by starting with baking soda and adding a small amount of Cream of Tartar?