The Okara Project

carrot-ginger eggless egg rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 21:37:00 +0000

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

carrot bread

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 08:50:00 +0000

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.

cherry(-orange) muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 09:39:00 +0000

These were meant to be cherry-orange muffins, but because they didn't quite have the orangey oomph! I was going for, they're merely cherry(-orange) muffins. They still taste good, though!

In a small bowl, combine
1 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tablespoon dried orange peel
1 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped

NB: I used dried bing cherries.

In a larger bowl, combine
8 oz. okara
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
and whisk thoroughly.

Add the flour mixture from the first bowl to the wet ingredients in the second bowl, and mix until just combined.

Fill the cups of a lightly oiled 12-muffin tin with the batter. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.

Verdict: I liked these, but they might further benefit from one or two tablespoons of vegetable oil. Also, next time I might use orange extract to amp up the intended orange flavor. (It's also possible that these weren't as orangey as I wanted them to be because my jar of dried orange peel is quite old, and might have lost some of its potency. Your mileage may vary.)

chocolate-cherry (okara!) bread pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Mon, 14 May 2012 06:33:00 +0000

Do you make more than one batch of soymilk at a time? If so, you might be able to use up a lot of okara if you make this recipe, which calls for nearly two cups of the stuff!

I took one loaf of Trader Joe's par-baked ciabatta bread, which I did not bake as directed, and cut it into cubes. The package said the loaf was 8 ounces, but the scale said it was more like 11 ounces! In any case, I ended up with
7 cups of cubed Italian bread

Take these bread cubes and distribute them evenly along the bottom of a well-oiled 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan.

Sprinkle
1/2 cup dried cherries
on top, ensuring that they are evenly distributed.

In a small pot over low heat, mix together
3 cups soy milk
12 ounces chocolate chips
2/3 cup sugar
until the chocolate has completely melted and is fully incorporated into the milk. Pour half of this chocolate mixture into a blender along with
1 3/4 cups okara
1 tsp. vanilla (I used vanilla paste!)
Liquefy completely. Add the rest of the chocolate mixture into the blender and blend thoroughly (if your blender is big enough -- otherwise do this in two batches).

When chocolate-okara mixture is completely liquefied, pour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes. Pat any floating cubes down into the chocolate mixture with a spatula or spoon to ensure that all of the bread is covered.

In a bowl, combine
1 cup cherry preserves
1 tsp. lemon juice
thoroughly. Pour the cherry mixture evenly over the bread-chocolate mixture.

Cover the bread pudding with foil and allow it to sit for 30 minutes before transferring it to a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven. Bake for an hour and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. (I think it tastes better after cooling completely.)

Verdict: I think this tastes great, but it might be fun to experiment with liquids aside from soymilk. Perhaps coffee or some kind of liquor could give this dessert a deeper and richer flavor. But I'm not going to complain about a cherry-chocolate combination, and this was pretty easy to make!

okara blueberry-corn muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 03:47:00 +0000

I like this blueberry muffin recipe much more than its predecessor. It has a much better texture, and I like that it's sweetened with maple syrup, which gives it a subtler sweetness.

In a bowl, mix together
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup corn meal
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
until ingredients are thoroughly combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together
8 oz. okara (approximately 1 cup)
1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup maple syrup
2/3 cup soy milk
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla
until oil has been emulsified.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine until "just mixed." Then fold in
1 cup blueberries

Fill the cups of a lightly oiled 12-muffin tin with the batter. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-27 minutes. Allow muffins to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from tin.

raspberry okara muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 06:20:00 +0000

In a bowl, mix together
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans
until ingredients are thoroughly combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together
8 oz. okara
1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup maple syrup
2/3 cup soy milk
2 tsp. vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
2 tsp. vanilla
until oil has been emulsified.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine until "just mixed." Then fold in
6 oz. raspberries (fresh or frozen)

Fill the cups of a lightly oiled 12-muffin tin with the batter. You should have enough batter to fill each cup all the way to the top. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 28-30 minutes. Allow muffins to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from tin.

Verdict: I loved these. I like that they were sweetened with maple syrup, which is a bit more understated than cane sugar. I think I could have added more raspberries, or, if I were really nuts, I could have thrown in some chocolate chips for a dessert muffin.

chocolate peanut butter brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 06:02:00 +0000

One reason I haven't been updating as often as I should is because I can't stop making these brownies. I've even made a 9"x13" version and a chocolate-raspberry version. So ... here's a peanut-butter version!

In a small bowl or cup, whisk together
1/4 cup unsalted peanut butter
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
until mixture is smooth. Set aside.

In a bowl, thoroughly mix
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

On a stove top over low heat, mix together
1 cup sugar
4 oz. okara
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup almond milk or soy milk
and stir until chocolate is completely melted and ingredients are incorporated. Be careful not to let the chocolate burn. Remove from heat, and add
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla
and whisk together until oil is emulsified.

Add the chocolate mixture to the dry ingredients and stir together until incorporated. Scrape batter into a lightly oiled 8"x8" pan (I used a Pyrex pan). Then drop dollops of the peanut butter mixture on top of the chocolate batter.

Using a knife, cut through the peanut butter and chocolate batter to create a "marbling" effect.

Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 32 minutes. Allow to cool.

brownie tart

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:55:00 +0000

This is a slight tweaking of the delicious chocolate-coconut brownie tart I came up with last month. I made it with hazelnut milk instead of coconut milk and changed a few other things as well. Still delicious!

to make the brownie layer:

Over the stove top, on low heat, stir together
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup okara
1 tsp. vanilla
until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.

In a separate bowl, mix together
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Add the chocolate mixture to the dry mixture and stir until well combined.

Mist a 9-inch spring-form pan with
vegetable spray
and pour the batter inside. Spread evenly and cook at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 19-21 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow brownie layer to cool while you work on the next steps.

to make the custardy layer:

In a saucepan, whisk together
1 cup hazelnut milk
1 1/4 tsp. agar powder (not flakes)
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

Place saucepan on stove top and stir over medium heat until the mixture starts to boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture starts to thicken.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, make a slurry of
1/4 cup hazelnut milk
1 tsp. arrowroot powder

Whisk together until smooth.

Add the slurry to the hazelnut milk mixture over the stove top, and stir into the mixture. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens and bubbles.

Then add
3 1/2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) chocolate chips
and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

In a food processor or a large, powerful blender, puree
12.3 ounces silken tofu
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 Tablespoon barley malt syrup
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
until all tofu has been liquefied.

Add the contents of the saucepan to the food processor or blender, and puree contents until totally combined. You will probably have to scrape down the sides with a spatula a few times.

When it's all mixed, pour the contents of the food processor or blender into the spring-form pan, over the brownie layer.

Optional topping:

Chop up
1/4 cup chocolate chips
and sprinkle over the top of the tart.

Place the pan into the refrigerator to set. Allow it to chill for at least an hour. When ready to serve, run a sharp knife around the edges of the spring-form pan before releasing the cuff.

Verdict: The reason I used hazelnut milk is because I love the way it tastes with chocolate. However, the hazelnut flavor really wasn't discernible here, leading me to believe you could use any plant-based milk and achieve similar results. Almond might be a good choice as well!

But all in all, delicious.

yam-kale soup with chorizo garnish

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 06:27:00 +0000

This delicious soup was inspired by the potato-kale soup in Terry Hope Romero's Viva Vegan! Romero provides a recipe for homemade vegan chorizo in her fantastic cookbook, but I just used the store-bought stuff. If you don't want to buy or make vegan chorizo, you could eat this soup without it, but seriously ... it's the chorizo that really knocks it out of the park.

Also, when I made this soup I completely forgot to put the onions in at the beginning, and ended up sauteeing them separately later. Since it came out so great, I'm going to pretend that's what made all the difference, and that mistake has been preserved in the directions below. But I'm sure you could just throw the onions in with the rest of the veggies and pour in a couple of Tablespoons of olive oil ...

Peel a
large yam (about 19 ounces)
and cut it into small bite-size pieces along with a
small Yukon gold potato (about 8 ounces)

Throw the yam and potato chunks into a large pot, along with
6 cloves of coarsely chopped garlic
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
and bring to a boil over high heat, covered. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the yams and potatoes are very soft.

Remove
2 cups of the cooked vegetables in cooking liquid
from the pot and puree in a blender or food processor along with
5 ounces okara

Once pureed, return to the soup pot. If desired, you can mash the remaining yams and potatoes with a potato masher or other mashing implement.

Saute
a medium-sized white onion, finely chopped
in
2 Tablespoons olive oil
for 5 to 10 minutes, until onions are translucent but not browned. Add them to the soup pot along with
5 ounces kale (stems removed and chopped into small pieces)
1 Tablespoon white wine
and increase the heat to medium. Stir until the kale is wilted.

NB: This should have only taken maybe 5 minutes, but because I used prepackaged kale from Trader Joe's, I had to cook this for about 15 minutes. Why? Because the TJ's kale didn't have the thick stems removed, so it had to be cooked for a lot longer! In the end this wasn't a problem, so if you don't want to remove the stems I guess you don't have to -- just be prepared to cook it longer, until the stems are nice and soft.

When the kale is wilted, add
1 1/2 tsp. salt
ground pepper, to taste
1 tsp. white vinegar
and stir seasonings into the soup. Turn off heat and let the soup rest while you lightly saute the chorizo.

There really aren't instructions for the chorizo -- I just sauteed some store-bought vegan chorizo in some olive oil for a few minutes, being careful not to burn it. How much chorizo you garnish your soup with depends on your tolerance for heat and your own personal tastes. I probably used about a Tablespoon of chorizo per cup of soup.

Ladle soup into a bowl, garnish with desired amount of chorizo, stir chorizo into the soup, enjoy!

Verdict: This is one of my new favorite soups. I love the combination of yams, potatoes, and chorizo, and love finding ways to sneak kale into my food (not to mention okara).

chocolate-coconut brownie tart

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 03:25:00 +0000

This recipe includes two things I despise, namely thickeners and chopping chocolate chips. I hate dealing with thickeners, whether it's corn starch or kudzu. In this case, it's arrowroot powder and agar powder. I have no confidence when it comes to thickening a liquid over the stove top; it never seems like it's working and it just gives me anxiety.

As for chopping chocolate chips, that's got to be one of the stupidest things ever. Is there a trick to it that I just don't know about? I've tried using a blender and a spice grinder, to no avail. Perhaps it would be easier to chop a chocolate bar -- at least a bar wouldn't be rolling around under your knife, making it nigh-impossible to get some quality chopping in.

I think the annoyances were worth it, though.

to make the brownie layer:

Over the stove top, on low heat, stir together
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup okara
1 tsp. vanilla
until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.

In a separate bowl, mix together
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup soy flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

NB: I'm sure you could substitute regular flour for the soy flour. The reason I threw it in is because I have a big bag of it that I'm trying to get rid of!

Add the chocolate mixture to the dry mixture and stir until well combined.

Mist a 9-inch spring-form pan with
vegetable spray
and pour the batter inside. Spread evenly and cook at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-21 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow brownie layer to cool while you work on the next steps.

to make the custardy layer:

In a saucepan, whisk together
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp. agar powder (not flakes)
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

Place saucepan on stove top and stir over medium heat until the mixture starts to boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture starts to thicken.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, make a slurry of
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 tsp. arrowroot powder

Whisk together until smooth.

Add the slurry to the coconut milk mixture over the stove top, and stir into the mixture. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens and bubbles.

Then add
1/4 cup chocolate chips
and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

In a food processor or a large, powerful blender, puree
12 ounces silken tofu
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
until all tofu has been liquefied.

Add the contents of the saucepan to the food processor or blender, and puree contents until totally combined. You will probably have to scrape down the sides with a spatula a few times.

When it's all mixed, pour the contents of the food processor or blender into the spring-form pan, over the brownie layer. Place the pan into the refrigerator to set while you chop up
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Remove tart from fridge, sprinkle the chopped chocolate over the top of the tart, and return the tart to the fridge.

Allow it to chill for at least an hour. When ready to serve, run a sharp knife around the edges of the spring-form pan before releasing the cuff.

Verdict: I think this is great. The coconut flavor wasn't too strong for my tastes; it also might be interesting to experiment with almond milk or hazelnut milk in place of coconut milk. The custardy layer might have benefited from another 1/4 cup of melted chocolate, but when eaten with the brownie layer, it's just fine.

The brownie layer was a bit on the crumbly side, which might have been due to the inclusion of soy flour. (In the past I've noticed that soy flour seems to make baked goods a little crumbly.) Might be wise to use all whole-wheat pastry flour rather than a combination of wheat and soy flours.

oatmeal-okara cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:57:00 +0000

These oatmeal cookies are based on last month's delicious pumpkin cookies, only lacking the pumpkin and spices. Makes about 33 cookies.

In a bowl, thoroughly combine
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats (quick-cooking)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup chocolate chips

In a second bowl, whisk
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup okara
1 Tablespoon molasses
1/2 tsp. vanilla
until thoroughly emulsified.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until they are thoroughly incorporated. Drop by the Tablespoonful onto a cookie sheet that has been lightly misted with vegetable spray. They don't spread out too much; I liked them best when I didn't flatten them out and instead let them stay in little rounded domes.

Bake for 14-15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

pumpkin cookies (with optional chocolate chips!)

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 02:29:00 +0000

These pumpkin cookies are delicious on their own, but I really love the addition of chocolate chips. This recipe makes about 45 cookies.

In a bowl, thoroughly combine
1 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup oats (quick-cooking)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

In a second bowl, whisk
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon flaxseed meal
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
1/4 cup okara
1 Tablespoon molasses
1 tsp. vanilla
until thoroughly emulsified.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until they are thoroughly incorporated. The dough will be quite stiff. Drop by the Tablespoonful onto a cookie sheet that has been lightly misted with vegetable spray. They don't spread out too much; I liked them best when I didn't flatten them out and instead let them stay in little rounded domes.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

okara pumpkin muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:25:00 +0000

In a bowl, thoroughly combine
1 1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup soy flour
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. salt

NB: I'm sure you could substitute regular flour for the soy flour. The reason I threw it in is because I have a big bag of it that I'm trying to get rid of!

In a separate bowl, combine
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup okara
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup soymilk
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons molasses
and whisk vigorously until well combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Fold in
1 cup chopped walnuts

Distribute batter evenly between the wells of a lightly oiled 12-muffin pan, filling the wells completely (there's a lot of batter!). Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Allow to cool before removing from tins.

Verdict: These are great! There is way too much maple syrup though. Next time, I'll try making it with 2 Tablespoons of maple syrup, rather than with 1/4 cup.

chocolate-beet muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 22:34:00 +0000

I had leftover beets, and the obvious choice was to sneak them into some chocolate muffins. This recipe is based on this chocolate-banana muffin recipe, so if you're wary of getting beets in your chocolate I highly recommend trying that one instead! (Or in addition to.)

I'm not sure whether to classify this as a dessert or not. It has a great flavor but really isn't very sweet. Next time I make it I'll add more sugar and maybe even play with some spices, but I think this is a nice recipe as is, and might be especially appealing to people who don't like super-sweet desserts or snacks.

In a bowl, mix together
1 1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
and stir until well combined.

NB: I'm sure you could use all whole-wheat pastry flour instead of a combination of that and spelt flour. The reason I threw in some spelt flour is because I happened to have 1/4 cup of it to use up!

In a blender or food processor, mix until completely pureed:
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 cup okara
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup soymilk
1 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. cooked, peeled beets
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Add chocolate-beet mixture to dry ingredients and stir until just mixed. Distribute batter evenly between the wells of a lightly oiled 12-muffin pan. The wells will be pretty full!

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 23 minutes. Allow to cool for at least a few minutes before removing from pan.

potato lima-bean soup

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 08:15:00 +0000

Place
3 1/2 cups cooked white lima beans
1/2 cup okara
2 cups vegetable broth
in a blender and puree completely. You might need to do this in two batches, depending on how powerful your blender is. Set the bean puree aside.

Heat
2 Tablespoons olive oil
in a pot over medium heat. Add
1 small onion, diced
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 potato (about 10 oz.), finely cubed (about centimeter cubed)
to the oil and saute until vegetables are covered with oil. Cover the pot and allow to cook over medium-low heat, stirring often to ensure the vegetables don't burn.

After 15 minutes, add
1/2 cup soymilk
and stir. Cover pot and cook for an additional 10 minutes, continuing to stir often to avert burning. Then add
2 Tablespoons white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried thyme
black pepper, to taste
to the vegetables and stir until they are coated with the mixture. Add another
1/2 cup soymilk
and stir until the mixture thickens a bit. Then add
the pureed lima beans
to the pot and stir until ingredients are well incorporated. Heat through, stirring occasionally, until it is hot enough to serve.

Verdict: I liked this a lot, except some of the carrots and potatoes were a bit undercooked. I blame myself -- I didn't chop these vegetables into uniformly small pieces as I should have. Chalk that one up to laziness. Maybe I could have shredded them in the food processor -- then they'd be in even smaller pieces! Learn from my mistake, and be sure to chop these veggies up into very small pieces. Or, if you want to add an extra step, you can precook them in boiling water until they have softened.

chocolate poundcake, version II

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:10:00 +0000

I came up with a chocolate poundcake last year, but now that strawberries are in season again I wanted to see if I could improve on it. This is less crumbly and is, I believe, an improvement.

In a bowl, stir together
1 2/3 cup white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
and mix until thoroughly combined.

In a small pot over low heat, mix together
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup okara
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup soy milk
and stir until chocolate is completely melted and ingredients are well incorporated. Remove from heat and whisk in
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon white rice vinegar

Pour the chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until incorporated. Immediately pour batter into an oiled 9"x5" bread pan and bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cake to cool for about 20 minutes.

NB: As you probably know, vinegar has a chemical reaction with baking soda to produce gas, which gets trapped in the batter as air bubbles. This is why it's essential to get the cake in the oven right away, before the batter goes flat.

Run knife around edges of cake and invert onto a cutting board.

Cut off a slice and garnish as desired. Fresh fruit, chocolate syrup, (nondairy) ice cream, whatever strikes your fancy!

Verdict: I liked this a lot, although it could stand to be more chocolately. Next time I might try decreasing the sugar and increasing the semi-sweet chocolate. I might also try apple cider vinegar instead of white rice vinegar. But all in all, it held together quite nicely and was an excellent accompaniment to the delicious strawberries that are currently in season.

isoflavones in okara

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Wed, 18 May 2011 02:39:00 +0000

You’ve probably heard a lot of hype about soy foods and their alleged ability to reduce risk for cancer or treat menopausal symptoms. You might also have noticed an anti-soy sentiment running through certain corners of the Internet, including claims that the plant estrogens (or phytoestrogens) in soy can have an influence on one’s hormone levels. However, when it comes to the powers of soy – whether these powers are healing or harming – there is currently no scientific consensus. Based on the scientific studies I have read, it seems that soy is probably not the magic tonic some make it out to be; nor does it seem likely to make your endocrine system go haywire. The reason I eat it is because it’s versatile and packed with protein.

Soybeans are a major source of a type of plant estrogen known as isoflavones. Of foods commonly eaten by humans, soy has the highest isoflavone content. According to the USDA, okara has a mean of 9 mg of isoflavones per 100 grams:

To give perspective, for every 100 grams of a particular item, textured soy flour (aka TVP) contains a mean of 172.6 mg isoflavones; edamame contains a mean of 48.9 mg; silken tofu contains a mean of 18 mg; and legumes such as lentils and navy beans contain less than a milligram of isoflavones. Among the nuts listed, raw pistachios have the highest isoflavone levels, with a mean of 3.63 mg for every 100 grams.

There are 12 isomers of isoflavones, including genistein and daidzein. On a molecular level, their chemical makeup resembles that of the human hormone estrogen and can bind to estrogen receptors, although according to Hooper et al. their binding affinity is much lower than that of the estrogens made by one’s own body. Some experiments have shown isoflavones to have estrogenic effects under certain conditions, which raises the question: Can soy have special physiological effects on humans (either adverse or beneficial)? (Messina, access required)

Isoflavones from soybeans are sometimes said to have “feminizing” effects on men, as well as effects on their fertility. According to Hamilton-Reeves et al. (2007), while quite a bit of research has been done into the effects of soy consumption on hormone levels in human subjects, the results of these studies have been inconsistent, but the majority have not found significant changes in levels of steroid sex hormones.

A 2009 systematic review and meta-analysis found that soy consumption by premenopausal females did not affect concentrations of estradiol, estrone, or sex-hormone binding globulin, but did seem to reduce follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone, and increase the length of menstrual cycles (by an average of just over one day). It was unclear if these changes indicated an estrogenic or anti-estrogenic effect. However, all studies under review were considered at risk for bias. When the numbers were crunched in another way, it appeared that soy’s seeming effect on follicle stimulating hormone was still significant, but effects on luteinizing hormone and menstrual cycle length were no longer significant. In post-menopausal females, soy consumption did not seem to have any effect on any of these hormones; in peri-menopausal females, much less research had been done but there also did not seem to be significant effects on hormone levels (Hooper).

Because of the extremely tentative nature of these findings and several reminders from the authors about the preponderance of studies at risk for bias, even a robust analysis such as this one should be taken with a grain of salt. (And people who don’t produce follicle stimulating hormone or luteinizing hormone probably don’t have to be concerned either way about these particular results.)

A 2009 meta-analysis (access required) examined whether isoflavone consumption by male subjects had estrogenic properties by determining if intake correlated with testosterone levels, sex-hormone binding globulin levels, or free androgen index. After crunching the numbers a couple of different ways, no correlation could be found.

A 2010 review of the literature finds that soy isoflavones (as supplements or in soy foods) have no impact on testosterone or estrogen levels in humans. There also does not seem to be effects on sperm, though studies into this question have been short-term; likewise, claims that isoflavones can cause erectile dysfunction seem to be based on methodologically flawed animal studies. Finally, despite reports that soy can adversely affect the thyroid, there is “essentially no evidence” that this is true, at least in healthy subjects (Messina, access required).

Some early documentation of fertility problems were in non-human animals such as sheep and monkeys. One problem inherent in animal studies is that what is true for one mammal might not be true for humans; for instance, there is variation between species in how isoflavones are metabolized and the type of response they induce. Infant marmoset monkeys given soy formula, for example, converted daidzein into equol (which can be 100 times as potent and might affect testosterone levels); however, human babies probably do not metabolize isoflavones into equol (adults might, but only if their intestines are colonized with the appropriate bacteria). Additionally, rodent studies focused on administering purified daidzein, rather than soy foods or products with the full complement of isoflavones (Messina, access required).

One problem in determining the effect isoflavone consumption has on human subjects is that metabolism of soy varies from individual to individual. A person’s genetics can influence what isoflavones and metabolites thereof circulate in the bloodstream after digestion. Furthermore, the type of bacteria that colonize a subject’s intestine determine whether or not daidzein is converted to the more biologically active metabolite equol (Hamilton-Reeves 2009, access required).

According to Hamilton-Reeves (2009), only 25 to 35 percent of Westerners have such bacteria; according to Messina, 50 percent of Asians have these bacteria. The “equol hypothesis” holds that isoflavones have different effects on people whose gut flora are able to produce equol (Hamilton-Reeves 2009).

The Internet is rife with frightening statements about soy, and despite the fact that they often arise from sources of dubious credibility, the sheer number of such claims creates a thundering chorus. Although you can find plenty of anti-soy fear-mongering on the Internet, perusing the peer-reviewed literature on soy makes me skeptical that it has many of the powers attributed to it by its proponents or detractors.

Patisaul and Jefferson sum it up best when they say, “alarm over soy products is likely unnecessary but so is the belief that a soy-rich diet will alleviate all ills.” Non-allergic people should be able to eat soy safely. If someone is truly concerned about the effects soy might have on hormone levels, he or she might want to follow the precautionary principle and limit especially dense sources of isoflavones in the diet, but the occasional burst of concentrated isoflavones seems unlikely to have a chronic effect on one’s hormone levels.

pasta e fagioli

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 08:14:00 +0000

How do you say "and chard too" in Italian? Because this pasta-and-bean soup also has chard. It was growing in my yard, begging to be eaten, so I threw it in. You could probably omit the chard and be fine. You could probably also substitute spinach or kale and be fine.

Soak
1 cup dry navy beans
overnight. Drain and rinse. Then return it to a pot and add
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic (whole)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp dried sage
and bring to a boil.

Cover the beans, reduce the heat, and simmer for 90 minutes, until beans are soft. (While you are waiting, you'll probably want to clean and cut the chard and other vegetables; instructions below.) Remove from heat and remove the bay leaves. Do not drain. Place the contents of the pot -- beans, water, garlic, and all -- into a blender or food processor, along with
5 oz. okara
1 cup water
and liquefy.

NB: If the bean mixture is too thick for your blender or food processor to handle, you can thin it out with some of the 4 cups of water that are called for in a later step.

Wash
5-6 oz. chard
and remove the stems. Set the stems aside. Chop the chard finely.

In a large pot over medium heat saute
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
in
2 Tablespoons olive oil
and cook for a couple of minutes. Then add
1 carrot, sliced
1 celery rib, sliced
chard stems, sliced
and saute for five minutes, until soft.

Add
4 cups water
bean puree from blender or food processor
2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
the chopped chard
and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-35 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally. (While you are waiting, you can cook the pasta; instructions below.)

Add
1 tsp. dried rosemary
and
salt and pepper
to taste. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Cook
1 1/2 cups small pasta (e.g., macaroni, fusilli)
according to the directions given on the package. Drain pasta and set aside.

NB: This is a great opportunity to try whole-wheat pasta, if you're curious but have been afraid.

When the soup is done, stir in the cooked pasta and serve.

Verdict: I absolutely love this. You could probably experiment with adding more okara, if you wanted to. I played it a little safe and only added 5 ounces, which is a little more than half a cup.

chocolate-raspberry brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 04:30:00 +0000

This is a delicious variation on this brownie recipe.

In a bowl, thoroughly mix
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

On a stove top over low heat, mix together
1 cup sugar
4 oz. okara
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup raspberry preserves (seedless if desired)
1/4 cup almond milk or soy milk
and stir until chocolate is completely melted and ingredients are incorporated. Be careful not to let the chocolate burn. Remove from heat, and add
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla
and whisk together until oil is emulsified.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together until incorporated.

Scrape batter into a lightly oiled 8"x8" pan (I used a Pyrex pan) and cook at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes. Allow to cool.

butternut squash baked ziti

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:34:00 +0000

Prepare
1/2 lb. uncooked ziti or penne
according to the package's directions. Drain and set aside.

I'm giving whole-wheat pasta another try! Thus far I have only liked whole-wheat lasagna noodles, but other whole-wheat pasta products have not impressed me.

Also cook
2 1/4 cups cubed butternut squash (1/4" cubes)
I used a rice cooker to steam them for about 15 minutes. Make sure they are soft, then set aside.

In a food processor, pulse together
2 oz. cashews
5 oz. okara
a few times, until well incorporated.

To the food processor, add
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
and puree.

Now add the cooked butternut squash to the food processor and puree into the mix.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked ziti with the butternut squash mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.

Spread the ziti-squash mixture evenly into an 8"x8" pan.

In a small bowl, combine
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup ground walnuts
and stir until mixed. Evenly distribute breadcrumb mixture onto surface of ziti.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, removing the foil after 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Verdict: I was nervous, but actually quite enjoyed this. I think I would have liked it even better if the squash-to-pasta ratio had been a skosh higher ... And I probably would have liked it better with refined pasta, too, but the whole-wheat pasta was not bad. I probably should have mixed some olive oil in with the bread crumb mixture for extra cohesion, but for some reason I was trying to minimize fats in this recipe.

weird healthy brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:20:00 +0000

I can't stop making brownies. What sets this one apart is its slightly weird ingredients.

In a bowl, mix together
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
and set aside.

In a blender or food processor, puree
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup cooked black beans
2-3 oz. ripe banana (about one half of a banana)
5 oz. okara
3 Tablespoons canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup soymilk

Scrape pureed cocoa-okara mixture into a saucepan and, over low heat, add
3/4 cup chocolate chips
and stir constantly until chocolate chips have melted into the mixture.

Add the cocoa-okara-chocolate mixture to the bowl with flour. Mix until well incorporated. If desired, fold in
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Transfer batter to a lightly oiled 8"x8" pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes. Let cool.

Verdict: Not my favorite brownie recipe, but not my least favorite either. I like that it has the sweetness of banana without being overpowered by it. I'm also pretty sure that no one would ever suspect there were black beans in here, especially since I was able to liquefy them so utterly in my fancy blender.

double-chocolate brownies, 9"x13" version

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 08:57:00 +0000

I enjoyed January 14's double-chocolate brownies so much that I scaled the recipe up for a 9"x13" pan.

In a bowl, thoroughly mix
1 3/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

On a stove top over low heat, mix together
1 3/4 cup sugar
8 oz. okara
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup almond milk or soy milk
and stir until chocolate is completely melted and ingredients are incorporated. Be careful not to let the chocolate burn. Remove from heat, and add
1 cup canola oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla
and whisk together until oil is emulsified.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together until incorporated.

Scrape batter into a lightly oiled 9"x13" pan (I used a Pyrex pan) and cook at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-37 minutes. Allow to cool.

double-chocolate brownies, 8"x8" version

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 05:32:00 +0000

It's a close call, but this might be my favorite brownie recipe. A 9"x13" inch version can be found here.

In a bowl, thoroughly mix
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

On a stove top over low heat, mix together
1 cup sugar
4 oz. okara
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup almond milk or soy milk
and stir until chocolate is completely melted and ingredients are incorporated. Be careful not to let the chocolate burn. Remove from heat, and add
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla
and whisk together until oil is emulsified.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together until incorporated.

Scrape batter into a lightly oiled 8"x8" pan (I used a Pyrex pan) and cook at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 32 minutes. Allow to cool.

Variation: chocolate-raspberry brownies

peanut butter cookie bars

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 08:24:00 +0000

Peanut flour was an impulse buy, but I had no idea what to do with it. I was finally inspired to experiment with it.

Stir the following ingredients in a bowl:
1/2 cup peanut flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder

In a separate bowl, mix together
3/4 cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup okara
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup soy milk
2 tsp. vanilla
I used a whisk but an electric hand-held mixer might have been a better choice.

Thoroughly combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.

Lightly spray some vegetable oil onto an 8"x8" pan and pour the batter inside, spreading evenly.

Evenly distribute
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts
over the surface and lightly press them down into the batter.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-35 minutes. (I'll narrow that cooking time down the next time I make these and edit this entry to reflect that.)

homemade vegan yogurt using soy milk and coconut milk

noreply@blogger.com (Anna) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 05:38:00 +0000

And now for something completely different. I figure that if you're the kind of person to make your own soy milk, you might also be the kind of person to make your own soy yogurt. In fact, if you're like me, you have the yogurt machine (which is really just an incubator that holds things at 110 degrees Fahrenheit) but are not sure what to do next.

I purchased my yogurt machine last year, but the instructions were completely dairy-centric and I found that dairy-to-soy substitutions (with a little sugar added to compensate for the absence of lactose) just didn't work. Internet searches for recipes were more or less fruitless. So I had to start from scratch. Now that I've finally perfected my recipe, I will post it here in the hopes that someone in the same position I was in last year will be able to find my formulation and save a lot of time.

You'll still have to tweak this recipe to get the yogurt to your liking. Adjust the sugar if it's too sweet or not sweet enough. Ferment it longer if it's not tart enough, or for less time if it's too tart. But I think you will find this to be a nice starter recipe.

Out-of-the-ordinary tools you will need to make your own yogurt:
a yogurt maker
a candy thermometer

First, shake a
13.5 oz. can of coconut milk
and open it, then pour the milk into a measuring cup. Add
2 1/4 cups unsweetened soy milk (cool or at room temperature)
to bring the total liquid to four cups.

NB: I use full-fat coconut milk, not lite. The brand I buy lists guar gum as an ingredient, which may or may not affect the yogurt's ability to thicken and set.

Pour most of the soy-coconut mixture into a pot, reserving 1/4 to 1/2 a cup. Add
1/4 cup corn starch
to the reserved liquid and whisk vigorously until the corn starch is dissolved.

Into the pot, stir
the corn starch/soy milk/coconut milk mixture
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown rice syrup

Over medium heat, whisk the contents of the pot more or less constantly, until the liquid is bubbling and has been thickened by the corn starch.

When the liquid is thickened, turn off the heat. Use the thermometer to monitor its temperature. When it reaches 110 degrees Fahrenheit, add
2 Tablespoons vanilla
5 Tablespoons vanilla soy yogurt

DO NOT add the yogurt when the temperature is above 110 degrees Fahrenheit!

NB: I used to use Whole Soy vanilla, but have been boycotting them since I purchased some defective yogurt. It tasted overly sweet, barely tart at all, and sure enough did not work as a starter for my own yogurt, meaning that it didn't have live cultures in it. When I wrote to them asking if there were any known problems with that batch, I never received a reply. I was miffed, so since then I've been using other soy yogurts. Make sure that the brand you use contains "live cultures."

I have also found that different brands have different concentrations of live cultures, which means if you switch to a different brand you might have to adjust incubation time to achieve desired level of tartness. For instance, WholeSoy took about 10-12 hours to ferment, while Silk took about 14 hours.

Using a whisk, incorporate the vanilla and store-bought soy yogurt thoroughly. Now comes the annoying part: pouring the yogurt into the jars. I use a funnel and a ladle. I try not to spill. It's annoying.

Pop the jars into the yogurt maker and set the timer for 10 hours. (The person I live with likes super-tart yogurt that has been left for 12 hours. So obviously this is part of the recipe that you'll need to tweak for yourself.) After the hours have elapsed, remove the jars from the machine, screw the lids on top, and refrigerate. If you find that the yogurt is not to your liking and you need to tweak the recipe, I suggest pouring the sub-par yogurt into a fruit smoothie. This is how I dealt with so many test batches of yogurt!

So what exactly is yogurt, anyway? Simply put, what you are doing here is taking some soy milk, throwing bacteria in it, and leaving it at 110 degrees Fahrenheit for hours on end, allowing the bacteria to proliferate. Appetizing, eh? Don't worry, these bacteria are beneficial. They come from the store-bought yogurt; you can also buy powdered yogurt starter, but many of these contain milk products. Use vegan soy yogurt as a starter if you want to make vegan yogurt.

Two important microorganisms that make up the yogurt are Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii bulgaricus, both of which produce lactic acid. When the yogurt is held at 110 degrees Fahrenheit, the conditions are ideal for bacteria to replicate, and that is what they do. S. thermophilus eats sugar and produces acid as a byproduct. So does L. d. bulgaricus, which also plays more of a role in the yogurt's flavor and aroma. Eventually, the lactic acid produced by the bacteria decreases the pH of the yogurt so much that other microorganisms are unable to survive. (So if you accidentally contaminate your yogurt with any other bacteria, it will probably be killed by the acidic environment. This is not an excuse to relax your kitchen-hygiene standards, however.)

Because soy milk and coconut milk don't contain lactose, you have to add sugar so the bacteria have food to eat. Additionally, the reason you must wait to add the store-bought yogurt until the temperature has dropped to 110 degrees Fahrenheit is because the bacteria will not be able to survive in temperatures that are much higher than that.