lemon poppy seed muffins

These muffins were on the dense side, but that's not a trait I especially mind in muffins. I was quite happy with the taste -- very lemony and just sweet enough.



In a bowl, whisk together
8 oz. okara
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
zest of 2 lemons
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup water
until thoroughly combined. Add
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon, until dry ingredients are moistened and well combined.

Fill the cups of a lightly oiled 12-muffin tin with the batter. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-23 minutes.

tofu-spinach baked ziti

Bring some
water
to a boil, and add
2 packed cups of finely chopped spinach

Boil spinach until it is wilted. It should only take a few minutes. Then drain the spinach and set it aside. If you like, you can reserve the water for reuse in cooking the ziti.

Prepare
1/2 lb. uncooked ziti
according to the package's directions.

Over medium heat on a stove, heat
2 Tablespoons olive oil
and then add
2 cloves minced garlic
Sautee garlic for a few minutes, until it is golden brown. Then add
13 oz. firm regular tofu, crumbled
1 tsp. kosher salt
and stir until tofu is coated with oil and salt. Then add
1/2 cup okara
and incorporate into the mixture. Finally, add the
spinach
stirring well. Try to break up all the spinach lumps so that it is evenly distributed throughout the tofu mixture.



In a large bowl, combine the cooked ziti with the spinach-tofu mixture. Add
zest of one lemon
juice of half one lemon
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
and stir until thoroughly combined. Spread the ziti-spinach-tofu mixture evenly into an 8x8 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.



Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: I didn't cover the casserole with aluminum foil and the topping got slightly burnt. So covering it with foil is probably a good idea.



Verdict: I loved this. However, I think I could have juiced the whole lemon without negatively affecting the flavor. I also should have put way more basil into the mixture.

whole-wheat waffles

In a bowl, whisk together
1 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour
3 Tablespoons soy milk powder
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
until well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together
1/4 cup okara
1 1/2 cups water
2 Tablespoons canola oil
until oil is emulsified.

Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk together until "just mixed." Prepare according to waffle-iron instructions.

This recipe made four Belgian waffles in my waffle iron.

okara split-pea soup

Honestly, you can just take your favorite split-pea soup recipe and sneak in some okara. You might have to amp up the seasonings a bit to make up for any dilution in flavor caused by the addition of okara. But for the record, here is the recipe that I came up with.

Also, split-pea soup goes great with corn muffins!



Put the following ingredients into a large pot:
1 pound dried split peas (yellow, green, or a combination)
10 cups vegetable broth
3 carrots, finely chopped
1 small parsnip, peeled and finely chopped
3 celery ribs, sliced
1 small Yukon Gold potato (about 10 oz.), peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 cup okara

Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for at least two hours, or until peas and other ingredients are soft. (It might take more or less time, depending on how old the split peas are.) Once the texture is to your liking, add
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 Tablespoon curry powder (more or less, according to taste)

When the seasonings are to your liking, the soup is ready to serve (after removing the bay leaf, of course). If desired, garnish with
fresh chopped cilantro