Sloppy Jofus

(This Beef Flavored TVP is found at http://www.shelfreliance.com/beef-tvp-1.html) It's the best price I have seen online- I got mine in Canada for about $15 a can)

I used TVP to make sloppy Joes last night- For those of you who don't know, my husband is a wonder bread and hot dog type guy. He likes easy cheap foods, but he wants them to be familiar. He has expressed less than enthusiasm about my using TVP in the past (TVP, incidentally, is Texturized Vegetable Protein, dehydrated soy basically) but what he doesn't know won't hurt him right? He doesn't even notice when I use it in chili or with taco meat as a filler... Well, my plan was to reconstitute the TVP before he got home so he didn't notice. It's actually "Beef flavored" so it tastes a little more like real meat. Texture-wise it's a little softer, but I know there is a noticeable difference. I was also planning to use 1/2 lb ground beef and 1/2 pound TVP to better disguise it.

But that's not what happened.

I had a pretty stressful day yesterday and was not in a good mood when Jason came home from his class. (I was actually still crying about cat feces to Erica- see previous post) so I was running a bit late and had to hurry with dinner if I wanted to eat before work. So I was just putting the TVP into the skillet with the tomato paste water and seasoning when Jason walked in. He looked at it for a second, but Bless that Man, he said nothing.

I think if he had said something, he knows he's get a Pyrex bowl thrown at his head- so I served it up and Hudson complained that it didn't taste like meat- I asked what it tasted like and he said water. I wonder if reconstituting it in Beef Broth would improve the flavor? hmmm...

Jason again said nothing. He ate two sloppy- jofus without complaint. If he's hungry he'll eat it. Of course I wasn't like "Oh honey look! I am using our TVP food storage- what do you think?"

and if he barfed later I am unaware because I went right to work. :)