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Published: May 02, 2008 09:50 am
Cookbook Corner: There's nothing bland about these soy recipes
Originally published in the May 2, 2008, print edition.
By Sarah Johnson
The Land Correspondent
Not so long ago, you had to be an adventurous farmer to plant soybeans in America. Although cultivated for millennia in China and Southeast Asia, soybeans were a little slow to catch on this side of the planet.
Then, in the 1940s, American soybean farming really took off, and now we supply around half of the world’s soybeans, mostly for export and for livestock feed.
Whose stomachs these soybeans end up in is changing, however, as Americans include more and more soybeans in their diet each year. Prevention Magazine says soybeans fight heart disease, ward off osteoporosis and tame menopausal symptoms; they may fight several types of cancer and stroke. I mostly eat them because they taste good and are a good source of protein.
Versatility is the soybean’s forte, as you will see in these recipes from the United Soybean Board’s “Favorites From the Heartland” cookbook (www.soybean.org). It’s a smart, full-color publication with a surprisingly large variety of recipes and soy cooking tips. Try a couple of these recipes and you’ll see why I keep turning to this resource again and again.
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Make a fancy homemade layered dessert with hardly any work with Quick Mix Cookie Bars. The secret to the creamy filling is sweetened tofu with a hint of vanilla.
Quick Mix Cookie Bars
2 packages (16 ounces) refrigerated chocolate chip or oatmeal chocolate chip slice-and-bake cookie dough
1 package (12 ounces) firm silken tofu
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 F. Soften one roll of cookie dough. Spray the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Line the bottom with the softened cookie dough, spreading to all sides. In food processor bowl, combine tofu, eggs, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over cookie dough. Drop second roll of cookie dough by teaspoonful on top of filling. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Yield: 36 bars
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Add an extra boost of nutrition to your next smoothie by adding silken tofu. This shake will not only wake you up, it’ll help keep you going all day. My son, the smoothie expert, pronounced this version one of his top three smoothie experiences — high praise indeed. Four out of four yums from the Johnsons.
Tofu Shake
1 package (12 ounces) silken tofu
1/3 cup grape juice (or other juice) concentrate
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
1 cup flavored yogurt
Combine all ingredients in blender and mix until well blended. Yield: 4 cups
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First marinated and then roasted, firm tofu becomes mock chicken with little effort. Use it in traditional stir fries, or see the other serving suggestions at the end of the recipe.
Oriental Mock Chicken
1 package (14 ounces) water-packed firm tofu
1/4 cup bottled Oriental-style salad dressing
Cut tofu into 1/4-inch slices. Marinate 24 hours in salad dressing, turning pieces over after 12 hours. Arrange tofu slices on baking sheet and bake at 425 F for 20 minutes on each side. Brush with additional marinade. Yield: 4 servings
Serving suggestions: Serve warm in a sandwich; or cool and cut into chunks and use in your favorite chicken salad recipe. Also good cubed and rolled in a flour tortilla with shredded cheese, lettuce and salsa. Or cut tofu cracker-size and top with salsa or guacamole for an appetizer.
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If spring is in the air, can summer be far behind? And one of the things summer brings is bean salad. This version uses soybeans as well as garbanzo, black and kidney beans. Fresh vegetables and zesty seasonings make this dish the pride of the picnic table.
Molly’s Bean Salad
1 can soybeans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 large purple onion, chopped fine
8 ounces frozen corn, thawed
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 green pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped black olives (optional)
1 1/4 teaspoons lime juice (optional)
1/4 cup Western or zesty Italian dressing
Drain beans in colander. In large bowl, mix all remaining ingredients. Stir in beans. Refrigerate four hours before serving. Molly suggests using this all-purpose bean salad to stuff tacos or burritos.
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You can substitute part of a recipe’s regular flour with soy flour for an extra shot of protein. Here’s a raisin pumpkin bread, fragrant with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, utilizing soy flour for a tender and moist texture that’s delicious hot or cold.
Pumpkin Bread
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 can pumpkin
1 cup flour
1/2 cup soy flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup raisins
In mixing bowl, beat sugar and oil until well mixed. Beat in eggs and pumpkin. Mix in flours, baking powder and spices. Add raisins and stir. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake in 325 F oven for about one hour or until done.
(Recipes reprinted by permission.)
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