SoyMilk Crossroads

The texture of tofu is perfect for marinating.  It soaks in the great flavors.  Here is a simple mixture that gives tofu a wonderful taste.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 oil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 cup ground sesame seeds
• 2/3 cup flour
• 2 lbs firm tofu

Directions:

Cut the tofu into cubes or slices.  Marinate it for 2 hours in a mixture of the first six ingredients.  Then roll the tofu in the blend of ground sesame seeds and flour.  Brown nicely in a pan with hot oil.  Serve it with your favorite rice to six.

I grew up on a farm.  When the garden was busting with rip green peppers, Mom was always stuffing them with something.  It was usually rice or potatoes and meat with various seasonings.  Now I do the same thing with tofu.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 chopped onion
• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice (or leftover mashed potatoes)
• 12 ounces tofu (mashed)
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 green peppers, cut in half vertically, seeds removed

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Heat the oil and saute the onion.  Add rice and saute for another minute.  Add the tofu and continue to saute for two more minutes.  Mix in the Ketchup and salt. 
 

Stuff the peppers with the mixture.  Rub the outside of the peppers very lightly with some oil.  Bake for 20 minutes on a lightly oiled pan.

Variations: 

Absolutely!  This is actually a rather bland version of what I usually end up with.  It’s all in the seasonings.  A mixture of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce works great.  Or try mixing a little lemon juice and soy sauce to some ketchup.  Maybe you prefer a hotter route with some Tobassco.  As always, experiment.

This meatless chili took first place at the 2007 International Beer Tasting and Chili Cookoff, Urbana, Ill.  No, it wasn’t a meatless chili competition.  This chili won against meat-based chilies. 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 Tbsp ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1-1/2 cups tomato juice
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1-1/4 cups dry textured vegetable protein
• 1 can diced tomated (14.5 oz)
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed & drained (15 0z)
• 2 cans kidney beans, rinsed & drained (15 oz)
• 2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, chopped (from can) Depending on how hot you like your chili, you may want more or less of these.

Directions:

Mix the eight seasoning together in a bowl and set aside.
 

Heat oil in a large pot with medium heat.  Add onions and saute.  Add garlic, bell pepper, and bowl of seasoning mix, saute for a minute.
 

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes, stir occasionally.

Condiments:

Some options to top the chili… chopped onions, grated cheese, sliced black olives or diced avocado.

Variations:

I know, how can anyone do variations on a chili that won an international competition?  But on the other hand, if you start with the best, how can you mess it up?
 

If you collect your okara when you make a pot of soymilk, it makes a wonderful addition to this chili. 
 

Substituting dried beans?  Then you’ll need to soak 1 cup of black beans and 1 cup of kidney for about 8 - 10 hours or overnight.  Then cook the beans for 1 to 1/2 hours.  Drain.  I like to have them cooked and in the frig waiting for me a day in advance.  You can keep cooked beans in the refrigerator for about four days or store in the freezer for six months.

We love pancakes on a Sunday mornings.  It’s the only day of the week when we can take the time to make and sit down to enjoy one of these types of breakfast.
 

Yes, I know that for the most part pancakes are just a calorie meal.  Not much value to them.  But by substituting cow’s milk with soymilk and adding some fruit, it does become more redeemable.  And we do love them!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup buttermilk pancake mix
• 3/4 cup vanilla flavor soymilk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup apples, peeled and diced

Directions:

Mix together until well blended the pancake mix, soymilk and cinnamon.  Stir in the apples.  Cook as directed on the pancake mix package.  (Yep, this comes from a box.  Sometimes you just don’t want to take the time to do everything from scratch.)  Top the pancakes with any left over fresh apple.

You can use soymilk in just about every way that cow’s milk is used.  It works great in pancake and waffle mixes.  And of course, soymilk makes great smoothies, shakes, and yogurt.  Cream sauces that are made with soymilk are cholesterol-free and low in saturated fat, as are soups.
 

As the weather begins to change and the colder winds move in, the soup making in our kitchen increases.  Hot bowls of soup in the winter are just the ticket.  Here’s one of my favorite. 

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium size onion, chopped
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 10 oz frozen chopped broccoli
• 1 can creamed corn (14 oz)
• 1-1/2 cups plain soymilk
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano

Directions:

Add oil to a pan and saute the garlic and onion until soft.  Add the broth and broccoli.  Bring to a boil and break up the frozen broccoli.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the broccoli is cooked. 
 

Pour the soup into a blender.  It’s going to be very hot, so be careful.  You don’t want to puree the soup.  This is just a short blend to cup up the broccoli into small pieces.
 

Then pour the soup back into the stove pan and mix in the soymilk, creamed corn, black pepper and oregano.  Heat thoroughly.

Variations:

If you would like a thicker chowder, stir in some okara during the last heating.  Or cube a potato to add to the mix.  For additional color, adding graded carrot is a great idea.  As always, experiment, make it your own and enjoy.

Fruit gets eaten in our house more during the summer months than in the colder months.  So to intice everyone to eat more fruit, I used to include mayonnaise, honey and lemon into the mixed fruit bowl.
 

I’ve found something so much better, both health-wise and taste.  The simple, humble block of tofu can turn your mixed fruit into a real treat.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Tofu  (1/2 lb.)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt

Combine into a blender and blend until it’s smooth and creamy. 

This is a great recipe for snacks.  So save and freeze your okara from those pots of homemade soymilk.  Beware though.  Don’t eat too much of this at one sitting, it expands.  It makes a delicious topping for yogurt and can be added to any cereal.  This Okara Crunch even makes an excellent topping on casserole dishes. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups okara
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 5 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
• 1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine and mix ingredients well.  Spread onto a shallow pan or cookie sheet that’s been  very lightly oiled.  Bake for 50 to 70 minutes, until nicely browned and crumbly. 
 

Start stirring the mixture after it’s baked about 30 minutes to make it crumble.  Continue to stir occasionally and keep an eye on the color.  It can go from the nice golden to dark and burnt in short order when it gets close to being done.

Variations:

Depending on what you have in the house or suits your fancy, create a 1/4 cup of additional ingredients to stir into the baking okara about 5 minutes before the ending of toasting.  Any of the following will work: chopped nuts, such as walnuts or almonds, raisins, pine nuts, toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, minced apricots or dates, or wheat germ. 
 

Remove from oven, let cool before usage.  Keeps in a tightly sealed container in the frig for two weeks.  Or you can freeze it for later use. 

Are you still throwing away the bean pulp after making a pot of soymilk?  Stop doing that!
 

It’s a fabulous, healthy food.  It’s high in fiber,  practicely fat-free, low in calories and contains calcium plus high-quality protein.  Just take a look at the chart of contents for 100g of Okara.

Make Soymilk - Save Okara

Each Soyabella pot of soymilk gives you about 3/4 cup of Okara.  This is just like getting free food.  High-quality food at that.  So, what to do with it?
 

If you transfer it to a container and stick it in the frig, you need to use within three days.  If you’re not going to use right away, then freeze it or dry it.  Stock pile it for later use. 

Freezing Okara

For freezing, you can take it straight from the milk screen into a freezer container or bag.  Label it with the date, because it needs to be used within five months.

Drying Okara

Or you can dry it and use it as a powder.  This isn’t as easy as freezing, but has cooking applications for baking.  You can replace some or all of the flour in many recipes with okara flour.  When you’re ready to start this substitution in breads and muffins try using two parts flour to one part okara.
 

Squeeze out as much of the milk as possible from the okara and spread it onto a cookie sheet to dry in the oven with low heat.  You’ll need to turn the okara about every 15 minutes until it’s completely dry. 
 

To make it more of a powder consistancy, you can put it in a blender or food processor and swirl it for a few seconds.  Then seal it in an airtight container. 

Reconstitute Okara 

When you’re ready to use it, you’ll need to “reconstitute” it for some recipes and make it soft and creamy, more like the fresh pulp.  Stir it into some soymilk or water and simmer on the stove until smooth.  Then remove the excess liquid via a cheese cloth or fine mess.
 

Fresh, frozen, dried… use it, enjoy it.  Don’t throw it away anymore.

The okara (soybean pulp) that I collect from making one pot of soymilk is usually enough for this recipe.  These are great pancakes for that late Sunday morning, early afternoon breakfast.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup okara
• 1 cup grated potatoes
• 3 eggs, beaten lightly (or egg substitutes)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/2 Tbsp minced onion
• Oil for frying
• Butter or Applesauce

Directions:

Press out as much moisture as possible from the grated potatoes via a towel.  Combined the ingredients in a bowl.  Mix it well and form into patties.  Fry in oil in heated skillet on both sides until golden brown.  Serve hot, topped with butter or applesauce.

Substitutions:

I’m always changing, replacing or adding ingredients.  You’ll want to experiment with this one and come up with some favorites of your own. 
 

For my egg substitutes, I use 2 Tbsp of soymilk with 1 Tbsp of cornstarch for one of the eggs.  For another, I use 1 Tbsp of flax seed, ground well with a mill, and mixed into 2 Tbsp of warm water.  For the 3rd, well, I usually just forget it.  The okara usually still has extra soymilk in it that I didn’t get pressed out.
 

When I’m out of whole-wheat flour, I mill some old-fashion oats, works great.   You’re going to love adding this recipe to your okara uses.

When my family went non-dairy, one of the things we missed the most was sour cream.  We love Mexican food, baked potatoes, and homemade dips, but without sour cream all of those foods seemed lacking.
 

We found some non-dairy sour cream at the health food store, but it was way too expensive to have around all the time.  To save money and always have a topping for our baked potatoes, I went in search of a way to make it myself. 
 

I found this recipe, and our vegan enchiladas have never tasted so good!

Ingredients:

• 10-12 ounces tofu (firm), crumbled
• 1 Tablespoon canola or olive oil
• 4-5 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process several minutes, until very creamy and smooth. Make sure you process it for a few minutes to ensure the creamy texture. Cover and refrigerate. It will keep for about 3-5 days.