I've used TVP a couple of times, but it has been the pre-hydrated, flavored stuff in the tube. (I like puns, but for pity's sake "Gimme Lean" sausage is a little much.) I picked up some dry TVP the other day and I'm curious to see if it is easier to work with.
The pre-moistened stuff is extremely sticky and has a somewhat slimy feel. I find that I have to add breadcrumbs to get the consistency to one that I like. It also sticks to my hands in a disconcerting way. I can't be sure, but I suspect that the local supermarket may not be storing it properly.
So tomorrow I'm going to make some chili from a recipe that I have that uses bulghur as a meat substitute and use TVP re-hydrated with vegetarian bouillon in place of the wheat.
That last phrase, meat substitute, would really bother me if I were a vegan rather than an herbivore. I am so bound up by meanings that the term meat substitute would make me think that I was using a spiritual loophole since, if I am going to avoid meat, I should avoid anything that even seems like meat. But therein lies madness, so I'm glad that my parameters are determined by physical rather than spiritual health.
If you ever want to try making seitan, though, a friend of mine did and documented in photos:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mynxzilla.com/2010/05/wheat-meat.html
None of my family like it, so I haven't tried it....
That seitan recipe seems easy, and I can think of a number of flavoring alternatives to steak sauce such as Guilin Chili Sauce or Hoisin Sauce. I could even see using dry spices to compose one's own particular variant.
ReplyDeleteThanks! It's on my list to try.