Hey Wa’il et al,

I had some guests over for Indian food tonight and thought I would try something with the bag of TVP that I bought a while ago. Two of my guests were LC wannabees and one was not. All were quite impressed with the results which soaked up the sauces in a lovely way. It was not “sticky” as you have said about the soya grits and the spicing should go well with Middle Eastern meat dishes. BTW it was your and Doreens inspiration that led me to try this.

I found out that it was not a good thing for me to eat. My mouth got all tinny and dry, just like when I eat baaad carbs. I expect the effect when I am on a binge, but it was quite unexpected! I will use it when I have people over who are used to having a carby blob with their meat and vegetables.

TVP Pilaf
Makes 3 cups

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
3 cardamom pods
1 bay leaf
1 inch cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups TVP
2 cups water
1/2 tsp. turmeric
3/4 tsp. salt

Heat the oil over high heat. Add the cumin, cardamom, bay leaves, cinnamon and cloves. When the cumin turns a shade darker, add the garlic and cook until the garlic is golden. Add the TVP and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add the water, turmeric and salt. Bring to a boil and turn the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes. It reheated very well in the microwave.

Total Carbohydrates: 87
Total Carbohydrates Minus Fiber: 37