TVP Stroganoff

In my attempt to prepare vegetarian meals a few times a week, I bought some TVP (Textured vegetable Protein) on impulse when I was in my local Bulk Barn. It is an incredibly cheap source of protein - I paid $1.19 for 3 cups worth. It is low in sodium and fat, high in fibre and protein. It is neutral in taste and takes on the flavours of the sauces in which it is cooked. It provides the texture of ground beef in dishes like chili, soups, stews, burgers and sauces. Dry product will keep up to a year in a sealed container in a cool location.  Once hydrated, it should be refrigerated and used within 2-3 days.

The origin of this recipe is from "The Good Cook Book" by Yves, the company who makes a variety of veggie cuisine. It is loosely based on their recipe for stroganoff which uses Yves Veg. Burger patties.

To rehydrate the TVP, pour 7/8 of a cup of boiling water over 1 cup of TVP granules. Stir it up and let it stand for 10 minutes. This makes approx. 2 cups of usable TVP in the following recipe.
I rehydrated it with Kitchen Basics Low Sodium Vegetable stock - thinking that it would result in a more flavourful dish.

TVP Stroganoff

2 cups hydrated TVP

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup red wine, white wine or veg.stock

2 tbsp. flour

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp. prepared mustard

1 tsp. salt free seasoning -(eg. Mrs. Dash or 21 Seasoning Salute) 

1/2 tsp.salt

pinch black pepper

1-3/4 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup light or regular sour cream

1 cup frozen green peas (optional)

4 cups cooked broad egg noodles or rice

• Hydrate the TVP and set aside.
• In a large saucepan, saute the onion and garlic over medium heat until the onion is soft.
• Add the sliced mushrooms and saute until they start to brown. 
• Add the 1/2 cup of wine or veg, stock and allow it to reduce by half.
• Stir in the flour, tomato paste, mustard, salt and pepper and stir for a couple minutes to avoid scorching. 
• Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the stock - slowly, stirring to avoid lumps.
•  Return to heat and add the rest of the vegetable stock and the TVP. Cook gently at a lower temp. for 5 minutes.
• Remove about 1/2 cup of the hot liquid from the pan and add it slowly to the sour cream. This is to prevent the sour cream from curdling when it gets added to the pot of hot ingredients.
• Add the peas. (I just wanted the pop of colour...this is optional)
• Stir this mixture into the saucepan.
• Heat thoroughly - but do not boil.
• Serve over cooked noodles.

Here's how it looks dry:

and how it looks when rehydrated: 

When I make it again, I will double the amount of mushrooms and omit the red wine and opt for some additional herbs and possibly double the tomato paste for flavour. I found it to be somewhat bland. I'll take some time to research and see what others use for spicing up a stroganoff and embellish the recipe. After all, I still have a couple cups of the TVP to use up.