Textured soy protein?

it's vegan right?


my mom just brought some home for me (i am 15) since she knows if vegan and i didnt know what it was then i read the lable and i was like oo... so is "textured soy protein" the same thing that one food i've seen on this site called "textured vegetable protein (TVP)" ??





it looks kinds of like dry cereal if that helps..what do i do with it? ? ?? ? ?


somethign simple


and is it healthy ??|||I am a former chef and now a vegetarian and all of the respondant except "Meg" are right, I use it for the same things most others do, and like others have said there are other similar products, slices and chunks, these take longer to cook but are good substitutes for meatballs and sliced meat dishes, I use the chunks for a stew like dish and the slices for Asian pot style dishes.





As for the TSP or TVP they are the same, I find if you slightly toast it in a bit of oil to make a veggie spagehetti sauce, the chili as said (I use several types of beans), lasagna with zucchini instead of pasta, eggplant in a greek moussaka like dish with a non dairy topping.





Even cooked with spices and onions for soft or hard tacos, even as a stuffing for veg like green peppers, zucchini and eggplant. Use it for make a tofu turkey stuffing, even seitan or fried tofu balls with a spicy stuffing cooked like a chinese hot pot dish. It is only limited to your creativity and culinary abilities, it is versitile and high in fiber and protein, it can be a bit of a transition when getting use to the flavour, it is not a highly seasoned product and takes on the flavour(s) it is cooked in or with.|||Yes, you're right, it's the same thing as TVP. How awesome of your mom to buy it for you! It's one of the best meat-replacements of all! It absorbs flavour better than tofu and has a "meatier" taste.





What size is it? It comes in three shapes. Granules, chunks and little flat slices. I like the slices the best. The easiest thing to do with it is put it in chili. Do you have a recipe? Any one will do. Just reconstitute it first by putting some in a bowl and pouring boiling water over it. Careful, it will at least double in size! Then make some chili and throw it in with the beans, or instead of beans. Here's a good recipe if you don't have one:





CHILI





1-2 cups TVP (granules, chunks or slices. It鈥檚 best to not use all granules, the bigger chunks make this chili into something special)





1 lg onion, chopped


1 green pepper, chopped


3 cloves garlic


1-2 jalapenos (depending on how hot you like it)


3 stalks celery, chopped


1 can mushrooms, chopped


3 tbsp chili powder


2 tsp oregano


2 tsp cumin


2 cans tomatoes (whole or diced or a mixture of both, flesh and juices)


2 cans beans (whatever! Romano beans, black eyed peas, black beans, beans in tomato sauce, kidney beans...etc)


1 can corn


broth (optional, depending on desired thickness)


salt and pepper to taste








For chunks or slices of TVP: put dry TVP in a bowl and cover with boiling water, keeping in mind it will double in size. Let stand for 15 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and press out as much liquid as you can. If using granules, you can add them to the chili dry.





Saute onion, pepper, garlic, jalapeno, and celery in oil until soft. Add mushrooms and continue cooking for a few minutes. Add TVP and spices and cook for a few more minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the broth. Once everything is in the pot and simmering, decide if you鈥檒l want to add broth to thin it out a bit.





Cover and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. Once flavours are blended and everything is soft, add salt and pepper to taste. Then chow down! This is so healthy and yummy - it鈥檚 great with a dollop of plain yogurt too. It freezes well, and it鈥檚 easy to double this recipe (if you have a big enough pot, that is!).








Here's another recipe I love:





BARBECUED TVP


TVP (the flat chunk size)





Marinade:


(There really aren't specific amounts you use for this. Just make sure there is enough marinade to coat all the TVP liberally. Use lots of everything, you can鈥檛 use too much for this recipe. Please adjust to taste)





olive oil


apple cider vinegar


chili powder (lots and lots of this)


oregano


chili flakes (or jalape帽o, or hot sauce, depending on desired heat)


garlic, crushed





Reconstitute TVP by pouring boiling water over it and leaving it for 15 minutes. Drain well. Put TVP and marinade in a container and shake to coat. Put in fridge and leaving it there for at least a day, preferably 2 or 3 days. Make sure to shake/flip it periodically during this time. You can even sample it cold from the fridge and it's really tasty!





2 cooking options:


1. Shishkabobs: The TVP is great on sticks with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, and pineapple. Take all the veggies and put them in with the TVP marinade and shake it around so everything gets some of the flavour. Make sure to soak the shishkabob sticks in water for a bit before using them or they'll burn.





2. BBQ-ed by itself: We use one of those camping cook racks, with the big long handle. You can just put all the TVP in it, clamp it together, and put it on the BBQ (or over a fire!) It's delicious - some bits crispy and a bit burnt, some juicy and succulent.





This is the perfect recipe for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Make it for your meat-eating friends, I assure you they will be impressed and surprised that veggie food could be so tasty. TVP can be purchased in most bulk food stores. It's incredibly cheap - the amount you might use for this recipe would cost no more than $1.00 and feed 10 people.. Remember when you are reconstituting it that it doubles in size! This is a great recipe for camping cause you can make it before you go and it's ready to cook at any time.|||You can use it in spaghetti!





please eat in moderation as highly processed soy is not good for you.|||Recent scientific studies show some severe health problems associated with consuming large amounts of soy. Also many of these processed products contain a lot of unhealthy fillers, preservatives and sodium.|||they are the same. it's healthy, but has no real taste. cook it with a liquid, like soup or add it to food mixtures, like meatballs. look at some chinese canned foods like "mock duck" or mock chicken" they are made with tvp.|||Lemon-Grilled Tempeh


Melissa's Marinated Vegetable and Tempeh Kabobs





the 1st recipe here claimed, easy to prepare. this site looks informative. ive not used these recipes. i have had TSP before but not with a good recipe, so i cant really tell you for sure if these are good, but they look good. hope this helps. To truly be vegan, to be able to get all the nourishment you need and keep an entertaining menu for your taste buds is an art form in my opinion. do you know what kind of vegan you are? theres a couple.....|||Yes, that's TVP. You reconstitute it with water (there should be directions on the package of how much to use) then you use it like you would ground beef in recipes. Tacos, chili, whatever.