TVP Sloppy Joes – Tasty Vegan for a Carnivore

Yes, quite a bit of time has elapsed since I last penned a blog post. It was a mostly good summer, but I'm glad it's past us and we're in autumn. I want to think everyone in our family grew and learned something new this summer.

One of those things for me was discovering textured vegetable protein (TVP), or textured soy protein, something I had never heard of before having the veg burger at our go-to bar, Square One Burgers and Bar, when we are at our South house. TVP is defatted soy flour, where the soybean oil is extracted, resulting in a dried, almost oatmeal-y, grain-y texture, that is a nutritional power house. A quarter cup, at 80 calories, has 0 grams fat, 540 mgs of potassium, 4 grams fiber, 12 grams protein, 15% RDA of iron, 18% of magnesium, and 17% of phosphorus, virtually carb-less and cholesterol-free. It has a long shelf life. And, it’s super cheap, about a penny (!!!) per gram of protein. Expect to get the equivalent of three pounds of meat out of a pound of TVP.

And, it’s so versatile, from breakfasts – cereals, faux(oat)meal, sausages – to dinner – soups and chili, burgers, faux(meat)loaf, pasta, tacos, stuffed in veggies (peppers, zucchini). Use it as you would any ground meat. I’ve even seen recipes where TVP is made into cutlets. The end result is eerily like real ground turkey or chicken in texture, with a pretty neutral flavor.

Our first TVP dish was sloppy Joes. Keep in mind I feed a carnivore. A real meat and potatoes guy. We had a dinner party the night after making these, and I overheard Craig telling a few of the other male carnivores, “you wouldn’t believe these weren’t meat. They taste like the real deal.” Knock my socks off.

Disclaimer:  if you Google TVP, you get a lot of contradicting information because TVP is a “processed” food. I buy my TVP/TSP at Whole Food’s Market; believe what you’d like, but I personally buy-into their core value of providing the highest quality products, and I trust the TVP/TSP they sell as being nutritious and wholesome.

(Baked zucchini fries are a perfect late summer side for sloppy Joes.)

TVP Sloppy Joes

Serves 4

3/4 cup dry textured vegetable protein
a little short of 3/4 cups of boiling water

1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 large bell pepper, diced

1/2 jalapeno, minced

1 carrot, grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cups no salt tomato sauce

2 tablespoons ketchup, preferably organic

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1/2-1 tablespoon chili powder

Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
Combine TVP and boiling water. Let sit about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skill. Sauté onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and carrot until softened.

Add remaining ingredients and TVP and simmer for 20 minutes.