Okara Granola

Okara Granola


This is my favorite way to use up the okara left over from making soy milk. I have not included a cost for the okara since the cost was already accounted for in the making of the soy milk.

1 cup okara

¼ cup oil                     

2 cups oats

1/4 c dark Karo syrup

2 Tb. Brown sugar

Add all ingredients in a large bowl a stir to mix well. Place ingredients on a couple of cookie sheets, spreading out so it is evenly distributed in a thin layer. Place in a low oven (about 250°F) and toast until golden brown, stirring occasionally. The edges will brown first, so push them into the middle and push the granola in the middle towards the edges. Take care not to let it burn. When done, remove from oven and let cool thoroughly on the trays. I let it sit out overnight so that it's thoroughly dried out before storing in a jar.

I have not calculated the cost per serving but it's not much. This recipe makes approximately 10 40 gram servings. Serve in a bowl with 1/2 cup soy milk. 

Note: I often will add a teaspoon of vanilla or maple flavoring.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories:           153

Protein:               3 g.

Carbohydrates:  21 g.

Fiber:                  2 g.

Fat:                     7 g.

Soy milk, 1/2 cup:

Calories:           50

Protein:              4 g.

Carbohydrates:  4 g.

Fiber:                 1 g.

Fat:                     2 g.

Recipe: Nepali Style Dal and Rice (Dal Bhat)

Dal and Rice (Dal Bhat)
serves 7

Note: This is the staple of Nepali diet, at least the part of Nepal around Kathmandu and the Kali Gandaki trail. This is very digestible. Nepali comfort food. I like using the small red/orange dal but one can use small yellow dal, too. They are quick cooking, taking only about 30 minutes to simmer.



Ingredients:

1 cup dal 200 g:              .74
1 tomato  10 oz:              .43

1 onion    10 oz:              .62

2 Tbsp. olive oil:             .19

1 tsp. tumeric:                  .01
½ oz. garlic:                     .06
2 oz. canned chiles           .29
½ tsp. paprika:                  .01
½ tsp. cumin:                    .01

Ginger, fresh:                    .10

1 ¾ c. cooked brown rice: .49

Cilantro, chopped              .10

            Total:                 $3.05 for 7 servings = $.43/serving

Soak dal in water for 20 minutes. Drain. Add dal to a pot, cover with water and simmer over low flame, stirring occasionally, until it begins to fall apart. 

Chop onion, mince garlic. Heat oil in a frying pan, saute onion and garlic until onion begins to soften. Chop tomato, mince fresh ginger, add to onion/garlic mixture. Add paprika, tumeric, and saute briefly. Add to dal, stir. Add chiles. Simmer 15 minutes to let flavors blend. Remove from heat. Serve in a bowl over 1/4 cup cooked brown rice, garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories:           189

Protein:             10 g.

Carbohydrates:  39 g.

Fiber:                 10 g.

Fat:                       5 g. 

Recipe: Cuban Black Beans and Rice

Cuban Black Beans & Rice

serves 8

1/2 lb. uncooked black beans

10 oz. onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2 oz. garlic, minced

cilantro, chopped, to garnish

1/2 small can of chopped green chiles 

Directions:

Cover black beans in water and overnight. Drain. Place black beans in a slow cooker, cover with water, cook until tender. You should be able to easily mash them between your tongue and the roof of your mouth. (Or cook beans by whatever method you prefer. You can substitute canned beans; it will be a little more expensive.)

Heat olive oil in a skillet and saute onions, green pepper, and garlic until onions and pepper begin to turn soft. 

Add sauteed onions, pepper, and garlic and stir into the beans. Add can of chiles and salt to taste. Simmer together until the onions and peppers are very soft and flavors have melded. Remove some of the cooking liquid and set aside. Mash some of the beans with a potato masher or run some of them through a food processor to thicken the soup. Add some of the cooking liquid back in to achieve desired consistency. Serve over cooked brown rice, garnish with fresh, chopped cilantro leaves.

½# black beans                   .77

10 oz. onion                        .63

1 green pepper                     .50

2 oz. garlic                          .24

2 Tablespoons olive oil       .24

½ small can chiles              .29 

1 tsp. salt                            .01

cilantro                               .10

            Total                    $2.78 for 8 servings = $.35/serving

10 oz. brown rice            .56 for 8 servings = $.07/serving

Cuban black bean soup w/rice:  $.42 per serving.


Nutritional content for 1 serving Cuban Black Beans served over 1/2 cup cooked long grain brown rice:

Calories:           276
Protein:             12 g.
Carbohydrates: 48 g.
Fiber:                11 g. 
Fat:                     5 g.