TVP Challenge - tasty or nasty???

[gazz]

Calling all chefs...
is it possible to create something nutritious AND tasty from TVP? I've tried twice and failed. At home I tried spag bol where I substituted the TVP for mince - it was just a weird fusion between texture and flavour. The other time was on a walk where I thought TPV and Mushroom and garlic gravox (with some surprise peas) on some couscous would pass as a casserole . I was wrong.

Very VERY wrong.

Does anyone have any success stories with said vege protein? In an ideal world the ingredients would be non-perishable (ie be able to last on a long walk!) I'd love to be able to prove to my sceptical walkmates that it CAN be done.

I'm willing to share my damn fine japanese inspired 2 minute noodles nosh-up if I get some good suggestions...

Cheers!

[tasadam]

Very VERY wrong.

Can only imagine the mess in the bowl.
Sorry, didn't know what TVP was til now. Hopefully someone out there will help, the 2 min noodle nosh up sounds interesting...

Any recipes here?

[Penguin]

I have been a vego (with the occasional fish) for 30 years now. I have been afflicted with TVP, and nut meat, by many people over teh years. Never, and I mean never, has TVP and an edible meal been synonymous. You can fry it, bake it, deep fry it, put it in cassaroles, put it in salads (the worst so far - raw TVP - I still have nightmares), season it, marinade it, barbeque it, steam it and have it with lots of alcohol. None of these alter it from being TVP - which is revolting.

But you have to take what I say with a grain of salt as I like Tofu!

We just bought a dehydrator and are having lots of fun dehydrating various bean dishes. Much more potential here.

[tasadam]

... and have it with lots of alcohol. None of these alter it from being TVP - which is revolting.

What if you have the "lots of alcohol" first?
Mind you, after that report, I can't say I'm tempted to find out... Maybe I'll just stick to the alcohol and skip the TVP

[waldgeist]

Maybe you can try these ideas to make it more edible in recipes:
Add stock powder or tamari to the soaking water. TVP alone has no nice flavour, adding some stock powder or tamari improves it.
Fat adds flavour. TVP has either no fat or a very low amount of it. Unless what you're adding the TVP to has plenty of fat already, add more.
Add dehydrated grated carrot or other vegetables to the recipe. This lightens it up, adds flavour and makes for a more varied texture, especially for bolognase. Rolled oats also work well for this [and are especially good in burger and notsausage rolls].
Allowing the TVP to cook for a couple of minutes improves its texture and allows it to blend in with the sauce more.

Bolognase should be easy to make if you follow these tips.

[Speculator]

None of these alter it from being TVP - which is revolting.

Surely with enough chilli anything can be disguised! Maybe you could try a recipe I like to call TVP served with with "OMG my heads on fire".

But you have to take what I say with a grain of salt as I like Tofu!

So do I. I'm not vegetarian/vegan though.

[corvus]

As a carnivore I thought I would try TVP as it is present in many processed foods however despite being a foodie I never came up with anything that myself other carnivore's found acceptable.
With all due respect I feel that TVP could be OK for experimental home use but left well alone as BW tucker

[quntmphscs]

I found this thread while searching for a tvp casserole oddly enough. I have a great TVP recipe and I thought I'd share with you guys. It takes several days to get everything prepared, but it's just part of my every week routine so when I go to make the TVP what I need is aleady on hand.

It all starts with an humble pot of beans. I use the juice from these beans to re-hydrate the TVP. So let's start with the beans

Soak pinto beans overnight. I cook my beans on a woodstove, but you would do just as well in a crock pot or on the stove.

First put a good bit of olive oil in the pot (I guess about 2-3 tablespoons). While that's heating up, heat about a cup of water with a bullion cube so that it disolves. Sautee onions, then garlic. When the garlic is almost done, cover the bottom of the pot with cumin powder. As soon as you can smell it, put in the bullion water. Then put in the pinto beans and enough water to cover by about 2 inches. Then I completely cover the surface of the water with chili powder, then do it again. Then I spice the heck out of it with these other spices if I have them on hand:

Garlic powder, onion powder, more cumin powder (though don't over do it on that one), cayenne pepper, black pepper, annato chili powder, smoked chipolte powder.

Put in 3-4 good dashes of liquid smoke, put on the lid and bring up to a boil. If you don't see a nice layer of oil around the edge of the water, feel free to dump in more oil. then turn it down if it's on the cook stove and cook it till the beans have a creamy consistency. This is a few hours longer than those nasty firm beans you'd get out of a can. On the woodstove, I usually let it cook at least 6 hours depending on the temperature. The main thing is that the bean isn't firm, but creamy, yet doesnt' disintegrate.

Salt the beans when they are done and take the lid off of the beans. I let it sit on the woodstove like this another 1/2 hour or hour to reduce the bean juice and make it a bit thicker.

I jar up the beans and the juice separately - the bean juice is where the magic happens. I put about 1- 1/3 Cup of bean juice in small mason jars, keep one in the fridge all the time and the rest in the freezer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ now for the TVP part

Heat 1 - 1/3 C bean juice when boiling, remove from heat and add 1-2/3 C TVP. If you don't have bean juice at a minimum heat water with bullion cube.

After it's rehydrated I keep it in the fridge as a base for several recipes. Here are a few:

Sautee oil in a pan with onions. If you have a chili spice mix pack (shelby's is the best) put in about 2 Tbl per about 1/3 of the rehydrated TVP you just made. Make a paste with the oil and chili spices. If you don't have a spice mix, you can use a lot of chili powder, onion & garlic powder and a bunch of salt (or get a recipe online). When you smell the chili cooking, put in the TVP and mix to coat. If you can't see a sheen of oil in the pan, if the TVP has soaked it all up, just add more. I add quite a bit of oil. Then a little water to finish, for hot dog chili not too much water, for taco meat (yeah same recipe) a little more water. For a chili stew not too much water because you'll just add the chili TVP to your pot of chili.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For spaghetti, I start the same way. Soak in boiling bean juice, sautee onions and garlic in the pan. But this time I put italian spices in the oil, when I smell them I add the rehydrated TVP and coat and add oil till i have a nice oily sheen in the pan. Then put in your spaghetti sauce ingredients. I know it sounds odd, but it taste great.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

pretty much all of my TVP recipes are done the same way... Soaking in a very spicy juice and frying it when done in spices, onions and garlic. since it has no taste on it's own, you have to BAM it up a little.

I live in the

[quntmphscs]

whoops hit reply too soon. I live in the states, so I probably won't be checking back here. Hope you guys enjoy.

[corvus]

just in case this confuses you TVP is textured vegetable protein derived from soy beans.
c

[Darren]

Thank you corvus
Now that i know what it is it sounds even worse..
Darren

[BarryJ]

just in case this confuses you TVP is textured vegetable protein derived from soy beans.
c

I thought the letters stood for Totally Vile P..p.

[susanspy]

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[Speculator]

Where do you get TVP from?

I've tried some soy protein supplements before and if it's anything like them it ought to be horrible. I'd like to find out though, where can I get some?

L8r.

[sml_12]

um.. would this be the same stuff that (pre-packed) soy sausages and their ilk are made of?? The ingredients list vegetable protein [wheat gluted, soy protein] - same deal?
I surprised myself a couple of years ago when I discovered I really like them, (along with a heap of other soy products - no longer can I mock my buddy's tofu turkey...) but I have always been a bit "bummed" that they were such a processed food - ie not really something I could readily whip up myself - sans packaging.

[Penguin]

Where do you get TVP from?

I've tried some soy protein supplements before and if it's anything like them it ought to be horrible. I'd like to find out though, where can I get some?

L8r.

Sanaterium has a TVP product that you can get at any large supermarket. You have too look hard because it is sooooo revolting that it is often hidden amongst the more palatable lines.

P

[strewth]

i used to like tvp stuff in the uk...used to be good, made a nice shepherds pie with mashed potato and carrot on top...but the tvp here is crap, dunno why, just tastes ...well, of nothing really!

wonder if i can bring some back next time i go!

[corvus]

The Sanitrium TVP is just slightly nicer than the bulk one from whole food shops but I suspect that this is only (because the packaging ) keeps the flavour in
Despite all that I have said I may just in my new penurious state try it again
c

[BarryJ]

The Sanitrium TVP is just slightly nicer than the bulk one from whole food shops but I suspect that this is only (because the packaging ) keeps the flavour in
Despite all that I have said I may just in my new penurious state try it again
c

Does this mean you eat the packaging and throw the TVP away in order to get more flavour

[corvus]

No you mix them
c

[ben.h]

Disclaimer: I'm not a vegetarian.
I do however love vegetarian cooking and sometimes use a TVP substitute in pasta dishes.

A mixture of refried beans and vegie mince ("Sanitarium Vegie Delights - Vegie Mince" is one such variant) makes a beautiful alternative (note I didn't use the word "substitute") in any mince type meal such as lasagna, spaghetti, pasta bake, etc.

Give it a try, I think you will be pleasantly surprised (I'm guessing it would be perfect for dehydrating)

edit: oh, off topic but anyhow... the sanitarium green lentil burgers are soooo nice (despite their price).

[corvus]

RU for real?? TVP edible must try that out again !!
c

[Tony]

This thread makes me feel sick.

In 1975 as a twenty year old I spent three months in New Zealand hitch hiking and tramping. On a weeks tramping trip to Stewart Island, I was talked into taking some TVP as my main source of food, I had not tried it before and had no experience on how to cook it, I spent a week living off the stuff, I have never been able to touch TVP since and even now 34 years latter the thought of TVP makes me feel sick.

Tony