Tag: okara

Okara muffins

In Japan okara is a very easy to find and very cheap product. Indeed, as it is a by-product of soya milk and tofu, there’s quite a lot of it. Up-cycling it in your cooking is also very easy. Apparently it has a good nutritional balance, but what I like with it is the little something different it brings. Added to an omelette for example it makes it extra fluffy and slightly pancake like. In a batter it adds some texture and firmness. Okara flavor is usually very mild and it is really the texture it adds that is interesting .

Okara: soya pulp after pressing to make tofu or milk

Okara is used in traditional recipes such as u no hana, or often in croquettes. I had times when I bought some often, but it was months if not years I didn’t. Probably because I liked one specific brand that was sold near the university but the shop selling it has closed and Has been replaced by another one that don’t have it. So when we went grocery shopping the other day at the local store and with the tofu there was fresh okara from the tofu maker I jumped on the occasion. I made some of the usual recipes aforementioned, but I really wanted to test okara in sweet preparations. I opted for chocolate muffins. I simply added okara instead of part of the flour. Added chocolate chips for the tiny ones and made a melty chocolate heat for the larger ones. And bet what…??? A. just loved them!!! And so did I!!!

Vegetarian quiche

We love quiches and I think I don’t cook some too often! There are so many variations that I can’t do twice the same one! Recently I’ve been using a lot of wheat bran in my breads, cakes, pancakes and quiche or tart doughs. It gives a fibery texture that I really love on top of being rich in nutrients. I simply add two large table spoon of wheat bran to the dough when kneading. For this very simple quiche with lotus root and shiitake I used also tried using okara in the egg base instead of tofu, which is also rich in fibers and protein and it gives a drier texture, a bit that of a fish cake that I really loved. So simple and delicious!

Green salad

Winter and spring continue their little twists. My cooking is thus following the same pace. And for a warm spring day I prepared a nice little green salad with fresh lettuce, cucumber, okara and plenty of fresh coriander. Very simple and fresh. For the dressing I simply used a tbs of soya sauce. This salad is perfect to eat with rice, grilled fish or just on its own. Have a beautiful week!

The curse of intensive meetings

I work in a field where people loves to gather for a few days, sit and discuss all day what is the future of our field. Usually these meetings take place in close environment and from morning to night we are presence is mandatory. It gives very little opportunity for physical activity (choices are quite limited this time since I’m in a remote village in Germany) or only at the cost of sleep deprivation, and food options are also limited. Though they make efforts to have fresh local food, after 3 days there my body is now fighting for going back to normal. And by normal I mean sleeping more, being ourdoor more and eating homemade prepared food. 

I anticipated that, so our very last dinner in Tokyo I cooked some simple Japanese food with all my favorite ingredients: plain rice, salty konbu with fresh tomatoes and uneboshi salad, and okara, shiitake and carrot croquettes. Now I am craving for something like this!!!! 

Okara croquettes

While in search for new recipes and tastes to change my routine cooking  I’m testing cooking ideas, one at a time. Some very simple like these okara croquettes served simply with pickled vegetables (nukatsuke) and rice. The recipe for the croquettes is just so simple: I mix one egg with half a little bag of okara, add flavoring: this time I used shichimi (7 spices – 七味) and stir well. In a slightly greased pan I cook at low heat on both sides until golden.

Red cabbage salad Japanese style

A red cabbage is a pretty big thing to eat for two and I’m trying to find new recipes that change from my usual ones. Recently I’m searching new ideas to change from my routine cooking, not that I don’t like what I cook but it’s became somehow too easy. Of course I don’t necessarily have the time for very complex recipes, but I am sure there other simple manners to prepare some ingredients that I use, and I’ve just forgotten about it or don’t know  about. There are many also that use products I don’t use/buy/make for example non seasonnal products, frozen food, canned food (except chickpeas), mayonnaise, deep fried, beef, shellfish, but still many remains. So I slowly trying new mixes and new arrangement and so far it’s working good. So here is one recipe for a Japanese version of a red cabbage salad: shaved red cabbage, boiled new potatoes, okara, and Japanese salted salmon. Dressing with a little of rice oil, soya sauce and black sesame.

Red cabbage salad

Nothing here too experimental with this recipe, but I’ve been craving for red cabbage salad. And it makes a perfect Monday fix for dinner when I’m in a rush. 

So I just sliced thinly about 1/4 or less of red cabbage, added some fresh baby leaf salad or just a few leaves of salad and fresh spinach also cut, I added some olive oil, some pumpkin seeds, some walnuts and some okara, a bit of salt and a pepper and finished with a little curcuma. Additional some cubes of gruyere cheese, and a slice of bread.

Okara galette

I like okara very much but we don’t eat some too often.  For this recipeI wanted   to prepare a 100% vegan meal and I come with the idea of a sort of galette. I mixed okara with finely cut tomatoes, fresh green beans slightly boiled, flax and sesame seeds, and salt. I shaped them in round and grilled them in the oven until the top it slightly roasted. I was very much pleased with the sweetness and juiciness of the tomato contrasting with the crunchy beans and flax seeds. It was hard to fell the sesame taste. I regretted not to have used tahine or suri-goma (crunched sesame seeds) for more flavor instead of just the seeds. But I’m fairly happy with this use of okara.

One-bowl lunch

This is definitely the end of winter! But the spring greens and veggies are not yet ready, we’ll have to wait a few weeks, so in between, mizuna, brocolli, spinach, na no hana are the best options!
I find that mizuna really goes well with plain Japanese rice, so I prepared it on a rice bowl with some steamed brocolli, and I made some pork-okara-curry bites.
For the mizuna just wash it in clear water, the brocolli I steamed them on top of thd rice for 2 min, the bites, I mixed pork meat with 2 large spoons of okara, one egg, a spoon of curry powder, salt, pepper and cooked then golden. Served all in one bowl, topped with some sesame seeds.
I believed that the pork can be removed and replaced by a little of panko for a veggan experience.

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