Okara (or Tofu) Coconut Cookies

It's a hard job, but somebody had to do it, and I hope you all appreciate what I went through for you today. I mean, it's bad enough having to make one batch of cookies, but to make another batch of them the next day? And to have to test these little morsels of coconut goodness by actually eating a few? Torture! But for the readers of this blog, I'm willing to go the extra mile or, in this case, the extra calorie.

It all started about a week ago, when a reader, Melanie, wrote asking why I never make cookies: "My guess is you are not a big fan of cookies....I love cookies and I thought I might send the encouragement over to you to put up some cookie recipes!" I let Melanie know that I also love cookies--I have a huge sweet tooth and am crazy about most desserts--but the problem with cookies is that they are very hard to make without using oil or margarine; it's the fat that gives them that crisp cookie texture, so when most people bite into a fat-free cookie, they wind up disappointed. I just hate disappointing people! If you do a search of this blog you'll find that I've posted only one cookie recipe, and even then I included a full-fat version. But I told Melanie that I'd keep working on my fat-free cookie skills and try to post more cookie recipes.

Then on Monday, something else happened: I received my new filterless soymilk maker in the mail. One of the many advantages of this machine (besides the fact that it's so easy to clean that I'll actually use it) is that you can make vanilla soymilk by throwing vanilla beans straight into the machine, to be ground up along with the soybeans. I love the taste of vanilla beans, so I made some fresh vanilla soymilk the very next day, and it was truly the best homemade soymilk I've ever had. But there was a problem: vanilla-flavored okara. Okara is the pulp that's left over after you make soymilk, and normally I use it to make things like "crab" cakes and burgers. Vanilla okara just wasn't going to work for such savory dishes, so I needed to use it in something sweet. I remembered Melanie's email and got to work coming up with a cookie based on okara.

The results were delicious--"The best cookies you've ever made" according to my husband and daughter. Soft and cakelike, they're not going to fool anyone into thinking they're a traditional cookie; there's no crisp cookie crunch, and I can imagine some critics denouncing it as more of a thin scone than a cookie. I think my family just likes soft cookies, and in case there are others of you out there with the same taste, I decided to post the recipe.

Of course, this morning I realized that most people don't have okara in their fridge, especially vanilla okara. I figured that you could use mashed tofu instead of okara, but I didn't want to recommend that without trying it myself. So here I am, alone in the house with a rapidly disappearing plate of Tofu Coconut Cookies, which, I'm happy to say, taste as good as the okara version. I can't wait until E gets home and takes them out of my reach!



Okara (or Tofu) Coconut Cookies
(printer-friendly version)

These moist cookies tend to attract more moisture, so store them in an airtight container in layers separated by sheets of waxed paper. I find that sprinkling them with sugar helps counteract some of the moisture.

1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes, packed (about 46g)
1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup okara (or 8 ounces firm tofu, blended in a food processor until almost creamy)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
3-7 tablespoons water (I used 3 with okara, 6 with tofu)
1 tablespoon sugar (I used vanilla sugar)

Preheat oven to 375F. Process the coconut in a blender or food processor until it is coarsely ground.

Mix the coconut, flour, baking soda, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the okara (tofu), vanilla, and coconut extract and begin to stir. Add water by the tablespoon until all the dry ingredients are incorporated and a heavy dough forms. Do not add too much water or over-stir.

Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to drop rounded tablespoons of dough at least two inches apart on a baking sheet lined with silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Flatten each cookie slightly with a fork. Bake for 10-16 minutes or until edges are golden and middles seem done. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring each cookie to a wire rack. Sprinkle with sugar and allow to cool completely before serving.

Makes 15 cookies. Per cookie, with okara: 72 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (12% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 84mg Sodium; 1g Fiber. Weight Watchers 1 Point.

Per cookie, with reduced-fat firm tofu: 82 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (15% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 85mg Sodium; trace Fiber. Weight Watchers 2 Points.

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If any of you have extra okara to use up, Bryanna Clark Grogan just posted a delicious-looking recipe for Dark, Fudgy Okara Brownies. Go check it out!

A Necessary Change

After a lot of thought and deliberation, I've made a tough decision that will change the way a lot of you read this blog. As of the next post, those of you who read the blog in a feed reader, such as Bloglines or Google Reader, or who subscribe to the email version of the blog, will see only the first few lines of each post and will have to click on the title of the post in order to read the whole thing on the blog itself. It's called using a "short feed" and it's something I've avoided doing since I began this blog. But finding that my blog posts are being copied in their entirety without my permission and presented as someone else's work, on a blog that has the look and feel of a reputable site, was just the last straw.

It's called a "scraper site," and it was created solely to make money off of other people's work. A scraper sets up a blog, but rather than write original content for it, he snatches the RSS feeds of legitimate blogs and displays them on his blog as though they were his own words and photos, in hopes of making money off of ads on his blog. I've had this happen to me several times, a few posts stolen here and there, but the last straw came for me last week, when I found a blog filled with my complete posts--photos, recipes, and stories about my daily life. Can you imagine how it feels to find your daughter's photo or your discussion of your birthday present on some random page of the internet, presented as though they belonged to someone else? Content theft can happen to anyone--this particular scraper has 1238 other domains, according to domaintools.com--but one sure way to make it more difficult is to change to a short feed. After sending email to the scraper and his website host and getting no response, I've decided to change, at least for the time being, to a short RSS feed.

I apologize to all of you who are inconvenienced by the change. I hope that you will click through to the blog and find that there are features here that you'd been missing, such as the search box that allows you to search this blog or over 470 other vegetarian blogs, the links in the sidebar to the most visited recipes, or the helpful comments left by other readers. I hope you'll find that reading the posts at the site inspires you to join the discussion and offer your own comments and suggestions.

Mostly, I hope that you won't want to miss a recipe, including the one in my next post for something I rarely ever make...cookies! Please stop in and read it at its rightful home, FatFree Vegan Kitchen.

Sunday Garden Blogging

I've been outside a lot lately, enjoying my garden and taking a few photos when I can remember to bring the camera out with me. As it turns out, when I look closely enough I find that I'm not the only one enjoying the garden.

I was admiring my basil, which is just now hitting its peak, when I noticed this little fellow cupped inside a leaf. He's lucky he didn't get picked for pesto!

We have a "volunteer" pumpkin, one that grew from the compost we spread on the garden. I was checking it out when I noticed this caterpillar giving it the eye. I doubt this guy eats pumpkins, but I moved him to the other side of the house, just in case.

This is the Porch Toad. I've seen him--or one who looks just like him--several times on the back porch. I suspect that he's drawn by the insects that clamor at our window at night.

I tried to get a photo of the bees that buzz around the rosemary flowers, but I just wasn't fast enough. I think the butterfly-shaped flowers are pretty in their own right--as well as a tasty addition to salads.

Eggplants seem to like me as much as I like them. This year's crop did much better than the tomatoes, which didn't like our hot summer days. When they're white like this, you can understand why they're called "egg" plants!

Thanks for touring my garden with me. I'll be gathering some ingredients from it and cooking up a new recipe soon.

Roasted Vegetables with Tomato Charmoula and Quinoa

After months of oppressive, energy-sapping, hot dogbreath-in-your-face heat and humidity, it's an absolute joy to be able to throw open the windows to the outside air or take a walk around the neighborhood. And it's such a surprise; normally, Mississippi doesn't experience fall weather until sometime around...oh...winter. Comfortable, sunny yet cool weather is not something we take for granted around here, so when it comes for an all too brief visit, you're more likely to find me puttering around the garden or sitting on the porch watching for hummingbirds than standing over a stove.

But we must eat, and with the lows in the 60's, I finally feel like turning on the oven and roasting some vegetables again. Besides, roasted vegetables are perfect for those times when I'd rather be doing something else; I just stick them in the oven while I go back to watering my garden or scouting for hummingbirds, and they cook on their own, without my having to watch over them constantly. I like to add some beans and serve them over a whole grain for a simple all-in-one meal. (See the end of this post for links to more roasted vegetable recipes.)

This time around, I've taken the Moroccan marinade charmoula and substituted crushed tomatoes for the usual olive oil, tossed it with the vegetables, and added some cooked chickpeas near the end of roasting. Normally, a Moroccan-seasoned dish like this would be served with couscous, but instead I used quinoa--a whole grain, and healthier in my opinion than couscous--adding a pinch of saffron and some raisins for a hint of sweetness. Oh my dog! You would have thought I'd invented bread by the reaction of my husband. He couldn't get enough of it and actually mmmmm-ed when he saw the photo below. E was less enthusiastic; she liked the vegetables but thought the "couscous" needed more seasoning (she assumed it was couscous and I didn't tell her because she thinks she hates quinoa). I'll happily throw in more seasonings the next time I make this, which will probably be this weekend, if my husband has his way.



Roasted Vegetables with Tomato Charmoula
(printer-friendly version)

Charmoula:
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes (I used Muir Glen Fire Roasted)
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon minced ginger root (or 1/2 tsp. ground ginger)
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes (peeling optional)
1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup vegetable broth

Combine the charmoula ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Preheat oven to 400F and lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread the vegetables in the dish, add the sauce, and toss well to coat. Roast until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chickpeas during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Remove the vegetables from the oven. Bring 1/2 cup of vegetable broth to a boil, and add it to the vegetable pan, stirring and scraping the pan well to incorporate all of the seasonings. Serve immediately over couscous, quinoa, or other whole grain.

Serves 6. Per serving: 124 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (9% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 396mg Sodium; 7g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core / 2 Points.


Quinoa "Couscous"

1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
1/8 teaspoon saffron, crushed
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons raisins, optional

Rinse the quinoa well. Put it in a medium-sized saucepan along with the other ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook until all water is absorbed and grain is tender, about 15 minutes. Fluff and serve.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 116 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (12% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 7mg Sodium; 2g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core (without raisins) / 2 Points.

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More roasted vegetables...

...from this blog:

Pasta with Roasted Vegetables and White Bean Pesto
Roasted Vegetable Napoleons
Roasted Ratatouille
Roasted Asparagus and Portabella Mushrooms with Horseradish Sauce

...and from other great blogs:

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
Roasted Vegetable Soup
Dijon Roasted Potatoes
Polenta Lasagna with Roasted Vegetables
Roasted Vegetables in a Nest
Citrus Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Waffles

I know I just posted a waffle recipe, but I couldn't resist showing you my latest version. I had a craving for pumpkin (must be that fall nip in the air) and decided to see if I could make a fat-free pumpkin waffle using gluten-free flours. If I say so myself, these waffles were an unqualified success. As soon as the batter hit the waffle iron, the tantalizing aroma of pumpkin and spices filled the air, luring my husband to the kitchen. He eagerly began eating the first waffles while I continued to cook the rest, grabbing the camera between batches to take the photo you see below. I was still cooking waffles when I thought to ask my husband how they were. "Delicious! I was so busy eating that I forgot to say." "Delicious for gluten-free or just delicious?" "These are gluten-free?" Nuf said.



Gluten-Free Pumpkin Waffles
(printer-friendly version)

1/2 cup rice flour
3/4 cup sorghum flour
2 tablespoons potato starch (or corn starch)
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 large pinch cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon agave nectar
3/4 cup solid-pack canned pumpkin
1 1/2 cups soymilk, water, or other non-dairy milk
2 tablespoons orange juice

Mix all ingredients except orange juice and set aside to rest while you heat your waffle iron. Once the waffle iron is hot, add the orange juice to the batter and stir. Spray the iron lightly with canola oil and follow manufacturer's directions to make waffles. (Batter will be very thick; add more orange juice or water if you want a thinner batter.) You may need to spray the iron between waffles to avoid sticking.

Makes 4 servings, about 2 average-sized waffles per serving. Per serving, using soymilk: 259 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (6% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 56g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 860mg Sodium; 5g Fiber. Weight Watchers 5 Points.

Fingerling Potatoes Braised with Smoked Paprika

I love fingerling potatoes. Their small size and elongated shape just scream cute, and since their skin is thin and tender, they look and taste great in dishes that use them whole. But besides being adorable, they cook up soft and creamy, without falling apart or splitting like new potatoes or Yukon golds, in less time than it takes to cook most other potatoes.

Fingerlings make great oven fries--just cut them in half lengthwise, arrange them on a baking sheet spritzed with canola oil, and bake them at 400F until they're done--but I've found that braising in a seasoned broth works really well with them; they seem to suck the flavors right up, resulting in potatoes that are seasoned all the way through, not just on the surface.

In this side dish, I braised the fingerlings in a broth flavored lightly with tomato and saffron and heavily with smoked paprika. (Saffron is expensive, and since it lends a very light taste to this dish, you can leave it out or, if you like, reduce the paprika to about half, allowing the saffron a little more room to shine.) Once the potatoes were done, I let the broth cook down to a delicious, thick sauce that's punctuated by the flavor of fresh oregano.

Served with sundried tomato and basil omelettes (made easily in my new George Foreman grill) and a crisp, green salad, these rich-tasting potatoes were absolutely delicious. E declared them "kid-friendly, even if they're not French fries."



Fingerling Potatoes Braised with Smoked Paprika
(printer-friendly version)

I buy fingerlings in bags that are made up of several different varieties and sizes, some two or three times larger than the smallest ones. To make sure they cook in the same length of time, I cut the largest ones in half width-wise.

olive oil spray
1 small red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste (I used double-strength, but regular will do)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 pinch saffron (optional)
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes (or small red potatoes)
3 cups vegetable broth (Imagine No-Chicken preferred)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves (optional)

Wash the potatoes and cut in half any that are larger than the others.

Spray a Dutch oven lightly with olive oil. Over medium-high heat, sauté the red onion for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, spices, and potatoes and toss to coat. Stir in the vegetable broth, add salt to taste, and cover. Cook on low for about 25 - 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Remove the cover and increase the heat. Cook, stirring regularly, until the broth has cooked down to a thick sauce. Add the oregano and toss the potatoes to coat with sauce. Enjoy!

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 160 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (2% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 311mg Sodium; 4g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core / 2 Points.

Desserts Magazine Vegan Edition

I just found out that the latest edition of Desserts Magazine is out, and it's all vegan! There are mouth-watering recipes and photos from some of your favorite vegan bloggers, including Dreena, Emilie, Hanna, Isa, and, well, me. You can learn the secrets to making the Chocolate Walnut Muffins from Mäni's on Fairfax, sample the Amazing Hot Fudge Sundae Cake from Fran Costigan, or dive into the Coconut Custard Pie from Baking with Agave Nectar . . . or you can just enjoy the pretty pictures as you sip your chocolate-flavored, stevia-sweetened hot beverage--your choice, but I'll leave you to guess what I'm doing!

The gorgeous cover photo is by Helen of Tartelette. Be sure to check it out in its full size when you flip through the free online magazine.

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Fat-free Vanilla or Blueberry Waffles

What a week! On Sunday, our house became temporary home to an extra 5 people, two dogs, one cat, and a bird when my mother-in-law, my sister-in-law, and her three children had to evacuate New Orleans because of Hurricane Gustav. This is not a big house, and things were a little cozy. Some of the kids were sleeping on the sofa bed and the floor, pets were held in separate bedrooms, and at times we were in danger of tripping over each other, but we were all relieved that the worst didn't happen, New Orleans didn't flood. Still, after several rainy days spent cooped up in someone else's house, my in-laws were happy to be allowed to go back home yesterday afternoon--even though their house is still without power, water, or sewage.

So I awoke this morning to a much quieter home and--surprise!--a George Foreman Next Grilleration Removable-Plate Grill, a birthday present from my husband and daughter. Yes, during all the chaos, I had forgotten my own birthday, but my sweet family did not; E even remembered the exact grill I had pointed out to her in Target and took D there to buy it for me. I am definitely not one of those people who dislikes practical gifts; give me a nice blender or a grill any day--I can pick out my own jewelry. (Note to D: that link to the Vitamix is a hint for future birthdays!)

Part of the reason I wanted this particular grill is that it comes with plates you can remove, making it much more versatile than other electric grills and the plates easy to clean. The grill came with two plates called omelet/snack plates, and I'm looking forward to finding out if I can cook my tofu omelette in them. I'll get to that soon, but what I really wanted to make right away was waffles. It's been a long time since I've had a waffle iron--or a waffle, for that matter--so first thing this morning I whipped up a batch of waffles, half of them plain (which I prefer to think of as "vanilla") and the other half with blueberries. Both were a delicious way start the day in my once again quiet house.



Fat-free Vanilla or Blueberry Waffles
(printer-friendly version)

Fat-free waffles are softer and less crispy than traditional waffles, but if you want them crispier, simply pop the cooked waffles into the toaster for a minute or two. This is also a great way to reheat leftovers.

1 1/4 cups flour (I used white whole wheat)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon potato starch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1/2 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
3/4 cup blueberries (optional)
canola oil spray

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Combine the soy milk, cider vinegar, and agave in a smaller bowl. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the liquid ingredients (or add vanilla extract). Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until all flour is moistened. If blueberry waffles, fold in blueberries. Set batter aside while you heat your waffle iron.

Spray your waffle iron with canola oil, if necessary, and follow your iron's instructions for making the waffles, cooking until golden brown. Makes approximately 12 waffles.

Makes about 6 servings. Per serving, without blueberries: 128 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (9% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 542mg Sodium; 4g Fiber. 2 Weight Watchers Points.

With blueberries: 138 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (9% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 543mg Sodium; 4g Fiber. 2 Weight Watchers Points.