It's all OKara: A Tofu Alternative for the Meatless Diet

By Bruno Wüthrich

»Okara« is the term for the product left over from the pressing process in the production of soy milk and tofu. Every kilogram of tofu results in a kilogram of okara, which contains valuable nutrients and is perfectly suited for human consumption. All too often, however, okara is still treated as waste.
With the right preparation, however, okara can satisfy even the most refined palates, as former Culinary Olympics winner Bruno Wüthrich demonstrates with his eclectic gourmet menus.
Let them inspire you!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Books on Demand
• Release date: Feb 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9783749477203

Bruno Wüthrich

The author is a trained chef who has worked in many different gourmet restaurants, including a position as the Chef de Cuisine in the »Schultheissenstube« of the Hotel Schweizerhof in Bern (17 GM points). He has acquired much of his expertise in various restaurants in Paris, Tokyo and Moscow. He has worked as a teacher and technical instructor at the Hotel & Gastro Formation Bern, where his job involved training chefs and restaurant managers. As a member of the Swiss culinary art team, of the »Cercle des Chefs de Cuisine Berne«, he has received countless awards, including a gold medal at the Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany. In 2013, his restaurant in Spiez Castle was presented with the »Thunersee Stern« award as restaurant of the year.

Book preview

Contents

Taking a Major Stand Against Food Waste

Okara Inspection Report

Making Your Cuisine more Ethical with Okara

Okara Porridge

Okara Granola

Okara Pancakes with Blueberries

Okara Ring Cake with Olives and Tomatoes

Cream Cheese Truffles with Okara

Okara Salad with Dates and Turmeric

Pâté with Legumes in Okara Pastry

Tiramisu with Beets

Okara Terrine with Saffron and Beans

Soy Okara Soup with Egg

Curly Kale Soup with Okara

Orange and Carrot Soup with Okara

Basel-Style Okara Soup

Okara Falafel

Stuffed Mushrooms with Okara

Stuffed Tomato with Feta Foam

Gratinated Chili Peppers on Onion Compote

Eggplant Piccata and Okara with Apricots

Red Kuri Squash Pie with Mozzarella

Okara Rosettes on Bell Pepper Coulis

Deep-Fried Okara with Beet Ketchup

Okara Gnocchi with Buckwheat Flour and Sage

Okara Saffron Noodles with Mascarpone Sauce

Okara Dumplings on Paprika Cream Sauerkraut

Okara Spinach Pasta Roulade

Baked Okara Flat Bread

Okara Gratin with Carrots and Curly Kale

Gnocchi Parisienne with Okara and Porcini Mushrooms

Okara Hemp Burger

Okara Pudding with Rum

Okara Waffle with Plum Compote

Okara Roulade with Peanut Mousse

Okara Bricelets with Nutella Mousse

Okara Meringue with Pomegranate Seeds

Okara Chestnut Cake with Chocolate

Okara Breadsticks with Parmesan

Okara Brioche Buns

Okara Nut Bread

Okara Dried Fruit Bread

Plaited Okara Loaf

Taking a Major Stand Against Food Waste

Tofu production in Switzerland results in over 100 tons of okara per month. About the same amount of okara results from soy milk production. All too frequently, okara ends up being fed to animals, tilled into the ground on farms, used to create biogas—even disposed of at incineration plants!

As an ecologically, economically and ethically minded person, I am appalled by this type of food waste. Okara contains almost three times as much protein as potatoes, next to no carbohydrates, mainly polyunsaturated fatty acids and is very rich in cellulose. These characteristics alone should be enough to make us view it as a food product, not as waste.

Okara cannot yet be found at major distributors, but there are several health food stores that have it available.

Okara has no taste of its own, which makes it a very versatile ingredient. That is what I hope to demonstrate in this cookbook. It makes just as much sense to add it to breakfast dishes like pancakes, porridge or okara-based granola as it does to use it for soups, salads, deserts or baking.

I hope that you, dear readers, have a great deal of fun with my creations. Bon appetit!

Sincerely, Bruno Wüthrich