I just bought a box of Yves Meatless Ground, and I have a recipe I want to try it in--a vegan version of a family favorite that combines ground beef, several kinds of beans, onions, green peppers and spices. The original recipe calls for browning the beef and then adding the other ingredients, so I assume I need to cook the TVP first for the vegan version (which I can enjoy while DH is chowing down on the original--he has informed me that he has no intention of giving up meat) but I'm not sure how to do so.

Could I just saute it right from the package in a little olive oil, or do I need to add water to it first?

The package gives the number of servings(6) and the calories per(60) but provides no cooking instructions.

I'm not vegetarian but I'm a big fan of Yves products and I've copied many recipes with it...pasta sauce, chili, tacos etc. You should not need to add any water to it, it should be a great substitution (perhaps only slightly drier). If I'm making my pasta sauce, I saute the veggies and then add the sauce, spices and the Yves. I'm not sure exactly what your recipe is but it sounds like you could do the same thing.

Hope this helps and there should also be some great information and recipes on their website http://www.yvesveggie.com/.

Good Luck.

Yep, the Yves products you can generally use as direct subs in recipes without doing anything too differently. However, if you use the dried TVP granules (like the kind you get in the bulk bin at health food stores) you need to rehydrate with boiling water before using.