recap from soyfoods council tour + chocolate-cherry snack bars
Sunday, August 26, 2012 at 2:40PM I've been hoping to blog a recap from my recent trip to Iowa for weeks now. But with school starting back, I've just been treading water to get dinner on the table every day & get through my normal plan of work. There was so, so much information shared on that trip (and of course, pictures to be downloaded & reviewed), I just haven't had a time until now to re-visit that trip.
But this last week, after learning that my son could no longer bring peanut butter or peanut flour foods in his lunch, I felt a huge sense of urgency to try my hand at a recipe idea that I'd been brewing on every since my soy tour. Read all about the recipe below.
But first, the tour.
Hosted by The Soyfoods Council, this trip offered an insightful look into various aspects of soybean production & farming, as well as nutrition research, culinary applications (including an in-lab kitchen workshop making tofu, which for a food nerd like me was da bomb) and insight into what soybean farmers are doing collectively to eliminate world hunger. We toured soybean farms and talked to farmers (who, by the way, were some of the most delightful, well-educated and gracious hosts I can recall in all my farm visits).
We dined on some amazingly creative dishes that showcased the way that soyfoods can easily be incorporated into everyday dishes... including my favorites of edamame guacamole & crostini, a tofu panna cotta & a miso vinaigrette that almost had me licking my plate clean.
But with all the fun also came multiple opportunities to have some very frank discussions on a topic that I suspect many of you, my blog readers, are asking - what about GMO?
I thought going into this tour, this would be a discussion that would be back-burnered. But what I found was that both The Soyfoods Council and the farmers we met were very open to the discussion. We met farmers who farm GMO & some who don't. No question was off limits, and the responses we got offered me more insight into the complexity of the GMO issue than I had ever really realized.
I know GMO is a divisive topic, and I'm frankly not a blogger who is interested in telling you what your opinion should be on any topic. But I'll say this - I walked away from this tour realizing this issue is much bigger - on both sides of the fence - than much of the coverage seems to portray. What's my advice to you? Be informed and make sure that information is credible. There are, in my opinion, some strong and valid arguments on both sides of this topic. As with most things in life, you need to decide what matters to you and your family, after you've considered all the facts.
We also had a chance the first evening of our trip to really dive into the research around the health benefits of soybeans and discussed some of the common misconceptions. I probably raised my hand 100+ times, and I know everyone at the table was like "Who's the nutrition nerd that can't be quiet?" But I tell you folks, as much as I'm a foodie at heart, that RD side of me never really sleeps for long, and I love the chance to talk with the researchers who know this stuff like the back of their hand. I know... that sounded so gooberish, but it's true.
Anyway, it was a great trip. I walked away with a renewed desire to embrace the humble soybean, especially in whole-bean form.
How I did not know that you could purchase whole canned & whole dried soybeans is an indictment of me as both a consumer & RD. I'm on it now though. So let's get to the food!!
These Chocolate-Cherry Snack Bars are modeled after the Black Bean Brownies & White Bean Blondies that ran on the blog here last year. While those were mostly developed with dessert in mind, I wanted these bars to be a little more protein-rich for my son's lunch. I've detailed multiple times that son #1 is a picky little fella... and typically protein foods don't rank terribly high on his list.
Why use soybeans and not another bean? I was reminded on this trip how soybeans really do distinguish themselves from many of the other beans available. Take black beans for instance - in 1/2 cup of soybeans vs black beans, you get 3 times as much fiber, twice as much protein, twice as much iron and 6 g fewer carbohydrates.
But how did they taste in these bars?
They moved straight up to first place of all the bean based baked goods I've made. They were delish!
In fact, we all loved them...even the hubs (who frankly is the gene carrier of my son's picky eating tendency, if you ask me). I will be making these over and over. They make a great snack and an even better grab-n-go breakfast bar. I really hope you'll give 'em a try!
Question: Have you ever purchased canned or dried whole soybeans in your market? Am I the only one who was missing out on these little gems?
Note: Don't be tempted to substitute edamame (green soybeans) for the canned variety here. They are not the same thing and can't be used interchangeably in this recipe.
***
Chocolate-Cherry Snack Bars
Ingredients (1 (9-inch) square pan)
- 1 (15-ounce) can soy beans, drained, rinsed & dried on paper towels
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
- 2/3 cup dried cherries
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Blend everything (except oats, cherries and chocolate chips) in the bowl of a food processor in order listed, pulsing between each addition. Before adding oats, cherries and chocolate chips, process mixture until very well blended and very smooth. Add oats and cherries, pulsing just until blended. Pour into an 9- x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
Bake for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand at least 20 minutes before slicing. Store in refrigerator.
