November 26, 2012

carrot-ginger eggless egg rolls

Today we're revisiting the fried okara spring rolls, only this time we're making them with egg roll wrappers. It took me forever to find egg roll wrappers that were vegan! In my opinion, spring rolls just aren't meant to be fried, and this tastes much better with the egg roll wrappers.

carrot-ginger eggless egg rolls

Over medium heat, sautee
1/2 cup okara
2 Tablespoons agave nectar, sugar, or combination of the two
1 Tablespoon tamari
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 tsp. minced ginger
1/4 tsp. salt

and stir for several minutes, until the liquids have been mostly evaporated and the contents have been thoroughly combined.

Move okara-carrot mixture to a bowl and stir in
2 Tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

carrot-ginger eggless egg rolls

Now it's time to fill the egg roll wrappers. You'll need about
20 vegan egg roll wrappers (or wonton wrappers)
give or take, depending on the size of the carrot you used.

wrappers

Put a half Tablespoon of the okara mixture into the egg roll wrapper. Place it on one side of the wrapper and leave enough space to fold down the tops and bottoms.

carrot-ginger eggless egg rolls

Obtain a small cup of water to dip your fingertips into. Moisten the top and bottom of the wrapper, and then fold over the top and bottom of the okara filling.

carrot-ginger eggless egg rolls

Roll the wrapper over the filling. When you have a little flap of wrapper left, moisten it and stick it to the rest of the wrapper, sealing it.

carrot-ginger eggless egg rolls
Fry the spring rolls in hot
oil
I used canola oil but something like sesame oil might be more appropriate for a dish like this. If the oil is deep enough to submerge the rolls, fry them until they turn a golden brown. If the oil is too shallow for full submersion, make sure you flip the rolls to ensure even browning. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel.

Verdict: Much better with the egg roll wrappers! I love the taste, and thought they were fine without any dipping sauce.

November 9, 2012

carrot bread

carrot okara bread
In a large bowl, mix together
2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour 
1/4 cup wheat germ or quick oats 
1/2 cup sugar 
1 Tablespoon baking powder 
1/2 tsp. baking soda

In another bowl, whisk together  
1/3 cup canola or corn oil 
1 cup orange juice or 1 cup soymilk + 1 tsp. orange extract 
1/2 cup grated carrots 
1/2 cup okara 
the zest of one orange

After the oil has been emulsified, add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all the flour has been moistened.

Scrape batter into a 9"x5" loaf pan that has been sprayed with vegetable oil. Place into an oven heated at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 55 minutes.