Soy Curls, How Do I Love Thee?

My Whole Foods doesn't sell Soy Curls, and since WF is the only health food store we have in Memphis, I have to order these chicken-like dehydrated soy protein strips. Thankfully, I placed an order for Soy Curls on Vegan Essentials last month (thanks Papa Crunk!).




If you've never had them, Soy Curls are basically just chicken-strip-shaped hunks of textured veggie protein (also known as TVP). They don't have a flavor on their own, but after re-hydrating in boiling water, Soy Curls soak up whatever spices and seasonings they're cooked with. They're awesome in stir-fries, mixed with barbecue sauce on whole wheat buns, and tossed with vegan alfredo and pasta. And they were delicious in these Cheezy Un-Chicken Quesadillas:

The recipe is actually an appetizer in my cookbook. Since Soy Curls aren't readily available everywhere (including Memphis), folks can use Morningstar Farms faux chicken strips, flavored seitan, or plain ole tofu in this recipe.

Besides the Soy Curls, my quesadilla contains some other stuff that I'd tell you about ... but then I'd have to kill you because it's going in the book. Sorry to be such a tease, but here's an inside shot:

I served mine with Tofutti sour cream and Newman's Own all-natural Bandito Salsa. And I steamed some kobocha squash for a hearty winter side dish.