Sunday, February 3, 2008

How to prepare TVP

My husband is the TVP expert, and gave me these instructions. TVP is available in different shapes & sizes (all dried); minced, cutlets, and chunks.

He soaks the cutlets for 4 minutes, but the thicker cutlets take a lot longer, so you will have to experiment with how long to soak. You must boil the water first, and it's best to use a Bodum (plunge-type glass coffee maker)so that the chunks are totally submerged. Once you've solved the texture problem with the correct amount of soaking, you can move on to the seasoning step.

He splashs it with Tamari (a bit, not a lot), and stirs it all up so it's well mixed. He says the chunks don't have a large surface area so you won't need a lot.

Then he says you need something with acid in it:
lemon juice, or lime juice, or balsamic vinegar
His latest find was mint sauce (purchased, but basically consists of mint in vinegar with a bit of sugar)

You can put this in soup, or a cassoulet-type bean dish, or add to stews.