Got any favorites or perhaps some good links?

Thanks!

Luna

-- LunaC (LunaC@moon.com), December 07, 1999

Answers

Would someone spend a minute and explain what TVP is? I assume it is a dried meat or prorien substitute. I hope it isn't something I really need or is something I have planned for in another way. Pam

-- Pam (jpjgood@penn.com), December 07, 1999.

TVVP is textured vegetable protein, a soy meat look-alike. If you put TVP AND recipes into the Alta Vista search engine, lots of recipes will appear. FOr soups, stews and spaghetti sauce, just throw the stuff in the pot--check to make sure sufficient liquid remains. For more sophisictaed dishes, The TVP is best soaked in boiling water and seasonings for about 5-10 minutes before use.

Lumen Foods at soybean.com can deliver flavored or plain TVP with a week's turnaround. You can also buy this stuff at co-ops and whole food stores. Lumen's Y2K line takes about three weeks. Call them for exact shipping times.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), December 07, 1999.

There are lots of TVP recipes on the net. Just do a search. Here's one site with recipes: http://www.p5.com/y2k/recipes.htm

LINK

-- walt (longyear@shentel.net), December 07, 1999.

Thanks for your responses. I had already done a search for "TVP and recipes" before posting here. Some of the links pulled up recipes that were inappropriate for Y2k - some required refrigeration or ingredients not likely to be in stock. I was also hoping for "taste-tested" recipes that were easy, easy, easy! Some of the recipes I found on the net would take forever to prepare and I'm not sure I'll have the patience to be a gourmet cook in a survival situation.

LunaC

-- LunaC (LunaC@moon.com), December 07, 1999.

Look at the archives at www.michaelhyatt.com under Discussion Forum and there under FOOD. There are a zillion recipes for Y2K, including TVP recipes.

I got lots of different spices from various cultures, i.e., Mexican, Hispanic-islands/So. American, Chinese, Cajun, etc. Plan to dress up the rice and beans and the TVP with that. You can use broths to moisten, or put gravy over it also. It's what's used, I hear, at a certain Taco chain.

Old Git, or anyone else, do you know anywhere that has shorter delivery time than 3 weeks, at this late date? I got the ground up TVP in a small amount at a country store an hour and a half away, and they didn't carry the chunks (that look like stuffing croutons) that would dress up more like meat chunks. Thanks!

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), December 07, 1999.

LunaC...A common mistake people make in using TVP is that they expect it to taste like meat. Plain TVP if just trown into a sauce will only add protein, no taste or color to the sauce. It can be soaked in soy sauce or other highly flavored broth before using. As mentioned, Lumen Foods has a wide variety of already seasoned TVP 'meat' which stores well and only needs water to reconstitute. Their taco mix and ground beef are both excellent, but not cheap. The other 'meat' tastes, i.e. chicken, ham, jerky, didn't impress me. We are not a protein deprived nation and can well do without meat substitutes. However, if your family is concerned about having meat, you would be better off spending your money on canned meats (chicken, tuna, dreid beef) than to have items that they wouldn't like.

-- Kenin Marble (kenin17@yahoo.com), December 07, 1999.

Lumen Foods www.soybean.com

-- Ein (Stein@beirstube.com), December 07, 1999.

ELaine, Lumen's regular TVP is on a one-week turnaround. It's not guaranteed to last for five yaers like the specially-packed Y2K stuff, but I know it's good for over a year because I've eaten it at a year and a half old! After opening the vacuum-pack, I put the remainder into ziplock bags and squeeze out as much air as possible as I close it up, then I store it in a cool, dark place.

To add a meat-like flavor to TVP spaghetti sauce, add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast, available at health and whole food stores. Nutritional yeast is not the same thing as the stuff you use to bake bread. It also contains tons of B vitamins.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), December 07, 1999.

Sorry to tell you this, but I called Lumens 10 days ago and ordered 100# of TVP. They called today to day it would be shipped tomorrow. So they must be feeling the crunch. No one week turn around now.

-- Taz (Tassi123@aol.com), December 07, 1999.

I used to use TVP in the 70s when I was "poor". I never really had any recipes. I always used it as an addition towhatever I was cooking. It had no flavor of its own and took up flavor of whatever it was cooked with. It added protein that was far cheaper than meat. For what you pay for 10# of it now, I used to get 50# bags of it. Toss it into Speghetti sauce and that sort of thing. Mix with canned cat food or canned dog food to add protein and stretch contents. I used to get nasty fishy cans of cat food. Took one can mixed with 4 cans of TVP and let it set to take up the flavor and fed 5 cats that way. Now the cat food is cheaper than the TVP. Sigh...Hopefully we will never need it...but its nice to have if necessary...like someone moves in with us and I have to 'stretch' the rations.

Taz

-- Taz (Tassi123@aol.com), December 07, 1999.

LunaC,

I would cook soy beans, add salt, grind
in a meat grinder, dry in my food dryer,
and store in glass gallon jugs. Cheap and
easy. Also good for camping trips. This
works with rice also. There is no cooking
time and can be reconstituted with hot
water.

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), December 08, 1999.

EASY HIGH-PROTEIN CHILI

- canned or cooked beans (your choice: pinto, black beans, kidney beans, or a combo)

- all the regular chili veggies: onions, peppers, tomoatoes, whatever is on-hand (substitute dehydrated onions or powdered garlic, celery, etc.)

- canned tomato paste

- water to thin tomato paste plus extra water to reconstitute the TVP

- splash of vinegar (apple cider vinegar, preferred)

- for "real" chili flavor, add some mesquite barbeque sauce (VERY effective at getting the taste)

- season with "hot stuff" as you like it: Tabasco, or whatever chili sauce you like

Serve with rice and a smile, and you have a complete protein entree.

ALL INGREDIENTS ARE EASY TO STORE FOR LONG-TERM USE.

-- Sara Nealy (keithn@aloha.net), December 08, 1999.

Wow, Taz, that happened fast! I received a Lumen's order yesterday that took exactly 8 days to arrive. I guess the Christmas package rush factor has kicked in. Even so, if they have a ten-day turnaround, that's not too bad if you order now.

BTW, the "jerky" Lumen sells can be eaten straight from the package--useful for a high-protein snack or if you can't cook for some reason. A reminder--Lumen sells "fines" (misshapen pieces) at about half the regular price, a bargain!

When I get my order, I repackage it into snack ziplocks in quantities appropriate for two people. I have a little time now; I may not have it later. I also think it stays fresher with less air in the bag.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), December 09, 1999.

Hi, Sara! I used your recipe last night for chili, and it was delish! I put 1/2 cup tvp in a bowl, poured 1 package of chili seasoning over it, and mixed it up, then I put 1 can of tomato paste in a quart jar and filled it with water and shook it up till the tom. paste was all mixed with the water, then I added the "tomato water" to the tvp mixture, stirred it, and let it sit while I sauted my onions. After sauteing the onions for 5 minutes, I added a can of beans and the tvp mixture, brought it all to a boil, then simmered for about 5 minutes.

It made enough to serve 4 adults, and the whole thing probably cost less than $1.00.

Thanks for the idea!

-- Margo (margos@bigisland.com), December 09, 1999.