My package looks like this, although I don’t think I bought it on Amazon. Why? Do you have a good recipe? I suspect I was going to try to make pad Thai? I should do a reverse recipe search (but I would have to not have ADHD to manage that). Bob's Red Mill Textured Vegetable Protein, 10 Ounce (Pack of 4) https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B002YR97J2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_i_7ihcGbKE2EH6H
Looks good. I'm not sure about your experience with cooking vegan, but I highly recommend adding some TVP to your chili for texture. It's great stuff, especially for the recently converted. It has the same texture as ground beef. My ex-wife was vegetarian and we used a lot of it. We were fortunate to be able to get it at our local grocery store in the bulk foods section.
TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) = 80kCal with 12g of protein. Significantly more protein per calorie than chicken, it's cheaper, and it's shelf stable.
Once I hydrate it, (usually in veggie broth, because I don't eat meat, but you could use beef broth) I use it just like cooked ground beef. It makes fantastic tacos, BBQ sandwiches, salad topper, etc.
ETA: This is the kind I buy: https://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-TEXTURIZED-PROTEIN/dp/B002YR97J2/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1474559484&sr=8-1&keywords=tvp+bob%27s+red+mill (I wouldn't bother looking for it in the store unless you live in a large city and have a lot of free time.)
TVP is Textured Vegetable Protein and it's amazing. My ex-wife was vegetarian so I had to learn to cook a lot of my favorite dishes and TVP was a life saver. Essentially it's got the consistency of cooked ground meat after you hydrate it. It's even great for stretching meals that use ground meat as it mixes in great. I've even seen a lot of canned chili that uses it. I used to get it in the bulk food section of my local grocery store. I highly recommend it.
If you are okay with just dropping meat and going all veggie then this might not apply to you. But if you are pretty attached to eating meat then I can offer you textured vegetable/soy protein as a way to cut any processed meat you consume. When I say cut, I mean diluting the amount of meat you use with vegetable protein, kind of like meatloaf and bread crumbs. A lot of people do this as a way to keep costs down and make meat last more meals, and some people do this to help transition out of meat. TVP/TSP has a pretty neutral flavor and you mix it directly into your ground meat recipes (like hamburgers, chili, etc) and season as you would meat. Where I live, this fancier brand is like 2.50 for a single bag and it lasts a while. If you go to an African/Caribbean market for example, you might find a bag twice as large for 99c. I like the subtle taste of it a lot, and always have. I add it to instant ramyun, along with an egg, to make sure I don't get hungry again shortly after.
Have you considered using tvp instead of tofu? Even full carnivores usually like tvp, as it has a similar texture to meat and it soaks up the flavor of whatever you cook it in.
Edit: this is tvp, textured vegetable protein.
Bob's Red Mill TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein), 10-Ounce Bags (Pack of 4) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002YR97J2/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_9G8Uub185X17F
You can probably find it in a decent grocery store. You would basically take whatever taco seasonings you're using, add water, and then add the tvp and simmer until it's fully hydrated. The tvp will soak up the water and the flavor of the seasonings. Then use it exactly as you would beef in the recipe.
It's super good, I've used it in vegetarian chili and not told people it was full veg. They never noticed!
I would highly recommend picking up some TVP. The stuff does a pretty good impression of ground beef in a lot of recipes, especially if you add flavorings. Yesterday I made up a batch of it, mixed it with some smashed canned beans and taco seasoning, and it made DELICIOUS veggie tacos. It's also, obviously, a great source of protein.
Subscribe and Save and you will receive free shipping for slightly over $2 per package. It is usually $3+ per package where I live. Best part is that you can cancel the subscription anytime.
If you're in the US TVP is available on Amazon.
If you're ok with soy, TVP is an old vegan trick to add protein to any meal. I also just drink chocolate milk or a basic "protein shake" (whey isolate + water).
Just the first i clicked at. http://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Textured-Vegetable/dp/B002YR97J2
You should also look into TVP. Does a great job in recipes calling for ground meat. Especially tacos.
TVP is Textured Vegetable Protein. It's commonly bought in granular form, and can easily be used as a rice substitute (or if you're more creative, you can create meat substitutes using it with some effort, lots of popular brands of veggie burgers use TVP like some MorningStar stuff).
It's very easy to prepare, just add boiling water in a ratio of 7/8th a cup water : 1 cup TVP.
It's an excellent source of protein (1/4 cup has 12g protein) and is generally low carb (1/2 a cup contains 6g net carbs. Half a cup is a sizable portion for me, and I'm a bigger guy at 6ft 210lbs)
I generally use Bob's Red Mill TVP from Amazon, with subscribe and save (and free shipping), it works out to about $8.23 for four 10oz packages which will last me about a week and a half to two weeks of normal consumption (between 1/2 a cup to 1 cup a day of TVP). So it's really cheap, too!
$10 for 4 burger patties (1 lb total)?
I guess it all depends on your budget and how much you’re willing to pay for doing less cooking.