The Wonders of TVP

What is TVP you as? Textured Vegetable Protein defined by healthyrecipes.com as "[a product that] comes from defatted soy flour, which is a by-product of soybean oil, so it is plentiful in supply. It’s also quick to cook and a great source of vegetable protein without all the fat." If you'd like more of an explanation, you can visit "What the Heck is TVP?"

Why have I brought this up... well, this is the first installment of the vegetarian portion of the website. Since this blog is called THE GREEN SHEET, one might infer I like the veggies, dislike the meat, and therefore, am vegetarian. Inference correct.



SO, back to TVP. I've tried TVP before in the form of Protein Crumbles from Morningstar Farms - notice they have a fancy name now: Grillers Recipe Crumbles, sounds much better than "Protein Crumbles." It acts as a great filler for recipes that call for ground meat. Well, after a few meals using this, I'd had enough. And it's been 6 years since I've had it. (Side note, I've been a vegetarian for about 7 years. Yes, my husband is a vegetarian too, so it is easy to make meals for both of us - common question.) I had a hankering for breakfast sausage, bacon, etc. lately, but since I've committed myself to no meat options, it's not on the menu. I knew that Morningstar Farms also made vegetarian breakfast sausages and I thought I'd give them a try. They fit the bill. Not quite your greasy pork sausages, but the taste was pretty much the same. I'll buy them again. I don't know if I'd go so far as to say YUM! But, they'll be a nice addition to eggs.