Oat and soy clusters

A delicious morning cereal with milk, or a munchy crunchy snack to eat by the handful, this smells just divine as it cooks.  Put it in the oven and watch the kids descend on the kitchen like vultures!  These clusters are crunchy soon after baking, but get chewier as they are stored.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups wholemeal (wholewheat) flour

1 cup Fluffy okara

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 tsp. bicarb. (baking) soda

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup maple-flavoured syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180oC.  Combine all dry ingredients well.  Whisk together buttermilk, syrup and vanilla, and stir into the dry ingredients.  Mix well, breaking up lumps so that none are bigger than a hazelnut.

2. Spread mixture on two baking sheets and bake for 10. Stir to break up lumps, and bake another 10-15 min., until golden.  Cool before storing in an airtight container. 

Apricot and almond soy snacks

I love a commercial bar here in Australia called “Soy Snax”.  Last time I bought one, I looked at the ingredients, and made my own!  You can replace the apricots and almonds with your favourite dried fruit and nuts.

Ingredients:

1 cup okara, firmly packed

1 cup flour

3/4 cup chopped dried apricots

1 1/3 cups unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup slivered or chopped almonds

1 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal

1/2 cup honey

Method:

1. Grease a square baking pan, and preheat oven to 170oC.

2. In a bowl, combine okara, flour, apricots, coconut, and almonds.  Stir in cereal.  Stir in honey, and mix to form a dough.  Press into prepared pan.  Bake 30-35 min., until set and lightly golden on top.  Cut into 12 bars while still hot, and allow to cool in pan 30-45 min.  Lift out bars and cool on a wire rack.

Okara "chicken" nuggets (or strips)

This is the kind of recipe that throws some people into a panic: it’s got two cooking stages!  But never fear.  Neither of the stages takes a long time in terms of labour, and you can break up the task: cook the “chicken” mixture up to four days ahead and cut and crumb when you’re ready.  In fact, the cooked "chicken" mixture is a great standby to have in the refrigerator.  It can be the base for so many things, from a simple breakfast sandwich to a "chicken" Parmigiana.

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

For “chicken” –

2 large chicken stock cubes (or 4 small)

1/4 cup boiling water

1 tsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. yellow (German) mustard

1 1/2 cups okara

3/4 cup flour

2 tbsp. gluten

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. pepper

For crumbing and frying –

1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. baking powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 egg

1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/4 cup milk whisked with 1/4 cup yoghurt)

oil for frying

Method:

1. Dissolve stock cubes in boiling water.  Add soy and Worcestershire sauces and mustard; set aside.  Combine okara, flour, gluten, salt, oregano, thyme, and pepper.  Add stock mixture, and knead with hands until well combined.

2. Press mixture firmly into a greased cake pan, and cover with foil.  Place in a frying pan, and fill frying pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up sides.  Cover, and bring to the boil.  Reduce heat to medium-high, and cook for about 45 min., until set and firm.  Remove from heat, peel off foil, and allow to cool completely.  (Mixture will get even firmer as it cools.)

3. In a ziplock back, combine breadcrumbs, flour, garlic and baking powder, and salt and pepper to taste.  Whisk together egg and buttermilk.

4. Unmould “chicken” mixture.  Cut into small rounds or ovals with a cookie cutter for nuggets, or into strips with a knife for chicken strips.  Dip nuggets or strips into egg mixture, and as they’re dipped drop them into the bag.  When they’re all done, seal bag, and shake.  Fry nuggets or strips in hot oil until golden, and drain on crumpled paper towels.  Serve with the dipping sauce of your choice, or in a sandwich with mayo, lettuce and tomato.