This childhood favourite is a great alternative to mince on toast.

I have strong memories from when I was little of eating bacon flavoured TVP (textured vegetable protein) by the bucket load while somewhere up the Young Valley about five days into a family adventure. Now that I have to carry my own food I can understand why my parents used so much of it.

TVP is made from soy and is a lightweight, shelf-stable option for tramping trips. It’s high in protein and doesn’t turn to mush in your pack. The most important thing when cooking TVP is to ensure that it rehydrates fully – otherwise it can make you feel bloated.

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Prep time 10min
Cook time 10min
Serves 2
Cost $5-7

Recipe

• 1 cup TVP
• 1/3 cup dehydrated peas
• 1¼ cup boiling water
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 small onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp veggie stock powder
• 1.5 cups water
• Salt and pepper
• Toast of choice and grated cheese to serve

Method
Pour 1¼ cups of boiling water over the TVP and dehydrated peas, and soak covered for 20min.

Dice onion and garlic and fry in olive oil for 3min until starting to brown.

Add soaked TVP mixture, tomato paste, paprika and veggie stock along with an additional 1½ cups of water and bring to a simmer for about 10min until water is mostly absorbed and the mixture thickens. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.

Spoon on top of toast and sprinkle with a little cheese to serve.