The experience of a great baker...

I had heard about Salba from a few people who worked alongside me at an organic market where I sold baked goods. I was very intrigued by the description of the product and all the amazing nutritional qualities it contains. I was especially interested in the high Omega-3 content and the fact that Salba is high in soluble fibre and becomes gel-like when it absorbs liquids. As an organic baker who sells vegan products, I had been using flax seeds a lot in my baking as an egg substitute, and thought it would be a good idea to give Salba a try.

When I did start experimenting with the product, I was not disappointed! My first venture was a recipe for Pear and Ginger Mini Loaves or Muffins. These came out great, and I’ve received incredible positive feedback for them. What I liked most about the Salba was how much liquid it absorbed while still providing an egg-like texture to the batter. I was able to get the same results I used to get with flax, only with much less Salba. The loaves also seem to stay moist longer in the refrigerator—flax-based ones dry out after 2 or 3 days, but the Salba-based ones were moist for almost a week.

After that first success, I went on to try out a rolled cookie dough. This, too, worked beautifully well, and tasted great. The Salba is lighter in colour and milder in flavor than flax, so it didn’t interfere with the cookie’s subtle flavour.

So far, I have loved using Salba in my baking. I know that it can also be eaten plain, or soaked, or added to a smoothie, so I’ll be trying out those uses, too. And I feel great knowing that I’m adding essential nutrition to all of my baked treats while not contributing to spikes in blood sugar levels. This is a wonderful product, and I look forward to more baking and cooking experiments!

Ricki Heller, PhD, RHN

Owner, Bake It Healthy
http://dietdessertndogs.wordpress.com
www.bakeithealthy.ca

Check out Ricki's Great Salba recipes:

Apple Quinoa Cake

http://dietdessertndogs.wordpress.com/2008/04/13/lucky-comestible-ii-5-apple-quinoa-cake/

Sweet potato gnocchi:

http://dietdessertndogs.wordpress.com/2008/03/22/spiced-carrot-gnocchi-in-creamy-sauce/

Gluten-Free Bean Brownies:

http://dietdessertndogs.wordpress.com/2008/02/01/bean-there-done-that-gluten-free-brownies/

Last-minute Christmas Cookies:

http://dietdessertndogs.wordpress.com/2007/12/24/last-minute-christmas-cookie/

© 2008 Ricki Heller