With all of the recent hoopla about the vegan, fake, meat products that have hit the market lately, I thought that I'd bring up TVP, (Textured Vegetable Protein.) It's been around for a long time. TVP is not as glamorous as those vegan hamburger patties that, "bleed," or sausages that taste just like Jimmy Dean, but it's a great alternative to ground meat, if you are trying to go for a meatless meal.
TVP comes packaged as a dry product, like a grain, or bag of pasta, so it stores easily and doesn't spoil. It's made out of soy, is nutritious, 100% vegan, gluten free, low in fat and high in protein. It's also relatively inexpensive compared to fresh ground beef, or turkey. You can find it online and sometimes, in your local supermarket. I'm pretty sure that Bob's Red Mill and Nuts.com both carry it.
The texture is pretty good for an, "analog meat." I've served it as a taco filling before and no one even knew that it was not ground beef. My favorite way to use it is in chili. I pour some straight into the chili, without rehydrating it and it thickens up the chili nicely. It's also good in stuffed peppers, enchiladas, tacos...anything that calls for ground meat. It takes on any taste and seasonings that you choose.
If you are familiar with TVP, please share any recipes that you may have.
