I want to love you--T.V.P.!Ok, so that doesn't have quite the same ring to it as "P.Y.T.," but this altered Vegetarian Chili recipe
was a pretty little thing. The first recipe made to save serious money and nourish me through a week of lunches, I was happily surprised with the hearty results. The QFC closest to me didn't have T.V.P. (Textured Vegetable Protein) in their bulk aisle anymore, and I wasn't up for walking to Madison Market, the local co-op, so I ended up buying that veg chili mix some company makes, which is nothing but a bag of T.V.P. and some dehydrated veggies for $3.99. Pricey, but I suspect its pre-packaged magic gave this recipe the kick that others have somewhat lacked. The kick that says, "You can eat me with very few garnishes, really! I taste good!"
The recipe I followed was for a 6-qt pot, so I halved some things, though not the spices, and added/subtracted an ingredient or two. Since it looks quite different from the original, I'll present it to you as--gasp!--mine:
15-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
15-oz. can kidney beans, drained
15-oz. can garbanzo beans, drained
15-oz. can black beans, drained
15-oz. can corn, drained
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c. chopped red onions
4 c. low-sodium tomato juice
(I may have used 3--as Kate points out you can always use less liquid than what's called for. The main thing is that your pot is at least half full so things will cook evenly, but not more than 3/4 full so it won't explode. I just tried to make sure the ratio of solids to liquids was more chili-like than soup-like.)
1-2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1-3 tsp. chili powder (three baby!)
1 c. T.V.P.
1. Place tomatoes, all beans, corn, pepper, and onions in cooker.
2. Add tomato juice & seasonings/spices. Top with T.V.P. (Don't stir it in)
3. Cover, cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4 hours.
6-8 servings, 270 calories per
beautiful colors, no? and the result:
The perfect consistency and spicy deliciousness! My boyfriend requested that the next batch be made with beef, but I liked the substitute. I'm trying to eat less meat, and maybe by cooking I'll discover that I really do like enough vegetables and varieties of food to do that.