okara felafel •

A delightfully tasty dinner, one that the little darlings love. If you have the time to bake Okara Pita Bread, it will really jazz up your meal. I usually use canned beans for this, because I am terrible about planning ahead. It probably would be even tastier if you cooked the chickpeas yourself. Don’t try and get by without the zesty sauce, it really makes the meal!

Okara Felafel •

1 (29 ounce) can chickpeas (drained, rinsed, and mashed)

1 cup wet okara

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup celery, minced

1/2 cup green onions, (white portion only) minced

1/2 teaspoon tumeric

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon paprika

cayenne (dash or to taste)

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

3-1/2 tablespoons white unbleached flour (you will need extra for coating)

3 tablespoons tahini

2 eggs, beaten

In a large mixing bowl, combine above ingredients well. Chill mixture for at least one hour or more. With your hands dusted with flour, scoop out mixture to make 1" balls. Coat the balls with flour. Heat a 2"- 3" pool of oil in a heavy skillet or heavy saucepan to 365 degrees. Deep fry the Felafel (three at a time, depending on size of skillet or pan...don’t overcrowd) until golden brown. Hold in a warm oven until done frying all the Felafel. Serve warm with Tangy Yogurt Sauce.

Tangy Yogurt Sauce •

3/4 cup tahini

1 tablespoon natural creamy peanut butter (optional)

1-1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 large clove garlic, finely minced

1/4 cup green onions, finely minced

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely minced

1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely minced (optional)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon paprika

dash cayenne

In a medium sized mixing bowl combine sauce ingredients and beat well. Refrigerate any sauce that is left over and use it for dip for raw veggies, or as a salad dressing.

smokin’ okara chili •

Even though it was Palm Sunday yesterday, and Easter is next week, the temperatures here in the Dairy State aren’t climbing too high. I can still see inches of snow all around, it is melting, albeit very slow. So having chili right now isn’t so far-fetched. I long for Spring, but I am still wearing my woolens!

Smokin’ Okara Chili •

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet red bell pepper

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

In a large dutch oven heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and  bell pepper, saute for 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 10-15 seconds. Add to the dutch oven:

3 quarts tomatoes (do not drain)

1 tablespoon cocoa

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons chopped chipolte pepper in adobo sauce

4 tablespoons chili powder

1 cup wet okara (this is referring to the okara straight from your machine, not drained or dried)

1 cup double strength brewed black coffee

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon coriander

2 teaspoons cumin powder

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 (16 ounce) cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

sour cream for garnish (optional)

Combine ingredients throughly. Simmer, covered, for 45 minutes to an hour. Uncover, and continue to simmer for another hour. If you eat dairy, a dollop of sour cream on top cuts the heat, and is delicious.

olé okara patties •

When we ate these patties, I wasn’t going to post this recipe. Who needs another vegetarian burger recipe anyway? That all changed, though, when the little darlings gobbled them up. I had to stop my youngest from eating the serving that I had set aside for my husband. I swear I don’t starve my children—they really did think these were great!

Olé Patties •

In a large mixing bowl combine:

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups frozen sweet corn, cooked and drained

2 cups wet okara (this is referring to the okara straight from your machine, not drained or dried)

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles (I used mild)

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

2 cups cooked rice

In a small mixing bowl combine coating mixture:

1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

1/3 cup unbleached white flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

cracked black pepper

1 cup canola oil

I did not chill my bean mixture, but it might help in the shaping of the patties. Using your hands, scoop out enough mixture to form a golf ball size pattie. Do yourself a favor and make these on the small size. Any bigger and they will fall apart. Flatten slightly. Gently coat it on both sides with the cornmeal mixture. In a heavy skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Carefully place a couple of patties in the skillet and fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper toweling, then transfer to a plate and hold in a warm oven until you have fried as many as you need. This recipe makes 20 to 25 patties.