okara sunshine granola •

I have mentioned before about the early morning rush at our house. Anything that can be pulled out of the pantry, blurry-eyed, and eaten without too much fuss rates big here. I try and keep granola made up since it fits that criteria. It cuts down on the consumption of ready-made cereal, too. 

Okara Sunshine Granola •

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl combine:

1/2 cup orange juice

1 cup wet okara (this is referring to the okara straight from your machine)

1/4 cup canola oil

3 teaspoons orange extract

In a large mixing bowl combine:

4 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup ground flaxseed 

1/2 cup ground walnuts

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. You might have to end up using your hands. In two (greased) 9" x 13" pans, crumble the granola mixture evenly. Bake mixture 30 to 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, breaking apart clumps if necessary until slightly browned. After 25 minutes, add 2/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries and 2/3 cup chopped dates. Check often in the last 5 to 10 minutes, and do not allow the granola to brown too much. Let the granola cool in the pans completely. Store in a closed container.

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.

okara pita bread •

One dinner that is a favorite at our house is Felafel. Since Okara lends itself to bread so easily, I thought I would try and adapt my favorite pita bread recipe. I was pleasantly surprised with the results. Most of the breads formed the necessary pocket for Felafel, those that didn’t— got eaten anyway. The little darlings think it is pretty nifty that you can make a pita bread from scratch. 

Okara Pita Bread •

2 cups warm water

1 tablespoon yeast

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 cup warm wet okara (or substitute mashed soft tofu)

1 cup whole wheat flour

4 to 5 cups unbleached white flour

In a large mixing bowl mix the water, yeast and honey well. Let sit for 5 minutes to dissolve the yeast. Mix in salt and okara. Add one cup whole wheat flour and two cups of the white unbleached flour. Beat well to develop the gluten. Continue to add the rest of the white flour until you get a stiff dough. Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and place in a warm spot to rise for approximately 1 hour. After the hour, punch the dough down, and knead a few times. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Divide the dough into 10 to 12 portions. Roll the portions into balls, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

After the 10 minutes, take a ball of dough, and flatten it to 1/4". Place on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat for the remainder of the dough, placing two to a cookie sheet. Bake for 5 - 7 minutes until browned. Move to a wire rack to cool while you flatten and bake the rest of the dough. Makes approximately 10 - 12 pitas.

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dark chocolate cherry brownies •

Well, the temperature outside yesterday passed 60 degrees, and we actually had sunshine! I thought it called for a celebration. Which means, of course, CHOCOLATE. And not just milk chocolate but rich, dark chocolate. With the addition of okara, these brownies are more cake-like than fudgy, but are they delicious.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Brownies •

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a microwaveable bowl melt together:

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (3 ounces)

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons Hershey’s® Cocoa Special Dark

4 tablespoons butter

Microwave on high for one minute, stir and set aside to finish melting.

In a large mixing bowl sift together:

1 cup white unbleached flour

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup ground or chopped walnuts

Toss in 1 cup dried tart cherries.

In a small mixing bowl stir together:

1 cup wet okara (this is referring to the okara straight from your machine)

2 teaspoons vanilla

Add the chocolate mixture to the okara mixture. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing well. Spread into a greased 8 x 8 square baking pan. (To make it easier to cut, line your pan with a sheet of foil that overhangs the edges an inch or two. Spray the foil with cooking spray, then spread your batter. When it is finished baking, just lift out the foil and you can cut perfect squares with no waste....and that is important when you are serving something chocolate!) Bake for approximately 35 - 45 minutes. Do not overbake.

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.

okara skillet corn bread •

This corn bread is quick, and develops a nice crispy crust. I will usually bake it when we have Okara Chilli. It is a mild corn bread that would be at home at breakfast with a little honey, lunch or dinner.

Okara Skillet Corn Bread •

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease skillet (I use vegetable spray) and place in oven as is warms up.

In a large mixing bowl sift:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup unbleached white flour

3/4 cup yellow corn meal

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sucanat (natural cane sugar) or other sweetener. If you use honey, adjust the amount of yogurt or okara to compensate for the extra moisture.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together:

1 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons oil (canola, safflower, or light olive oil)

1 cup wet okara (this is referring to the okara straight from your machine)

Spread batter into the Very Hot skillet. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 375 degrees. Bake corn bread until browned and center tests done, approximately 20 - 25 minutes more.