Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein: What Is It?

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) has been in the news lately, and not in a positive light. The FDA has issued a recall of  processed food products containing HVP coming from Basic Food Flavors Inc of Las Vegas. A customer of Basic Food Flavors found that testing of a batch of HVP contains Salmonella Tennesse.

HVP is a salty and savory flavoring found in thousands of foods, including dips, sauces, soup mixes, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, tv dinners, chips, snack mixes, and pretzels. The products being recalled are those that are "ready to eat" instead of those you have to heat to eat. Many familiar brands have been involved in the recall, including:

T. Marzetti
Great Value
Reser's
McCormick
Deans
Pringles
Quaker
Kroger
Jose Ole

Nearly 100 items have been recalled. and the list keeps growing. I highly recommend you go to www.foodsafety.gov to find a list of products that have been recalled. I found a couple dip mixes that were included in the recall that I had to throw out.

Also, the Mincing Overseas Spice Company has issued a recall of spices containing pepper under the Frontier and Whole Foods 365 brands. You can find a full list here.

A good thing that's come from this is now we are learning about the health concerns of eating foods containing HVP, Salmonella aside. HVP typically has MSG in it, and many people react badly to MSG, myself included. The problem is that both MSG and HVP are often listed simply as "natural flavors" or as something else completely, such as glutamate, glutamic acid, sodium caseinate, yeast extract, hydrolyzed plant protein, and many more. These chemicals are also in so many of the foods we eat at restaurants, from fast food to nicer places.

Remember to look at the ingredients of what you eat, especially if you are sensitive to certain ingredients. These foods are also heavily marketed to kids, and we just don't know how this stuff will affect them in the future.

Happy eating, and remember to keep food real!

My Favorite Bread Machine Bread

This is my very favorite white bread recipe for the bread machine. Why? Because not only is it delicious, it turns out the same every single time! No surprises, just the perfect loaf of bread each time. This bread hold up really well, so it's great for slicing thin for sandwiches and toast. I hardly ever buy bread anymore because this is easy to make and easy on the wallet.


Basic Bread Machine White Bread

1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 (.25 oz) package bread machine yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Place water, sugar, and yeast in bread machine pan. Let it sit and dissolve for 10 minutes, until foamy. Add oil, flour, and salt. Select white bread (or basic) setting on your bread machine and start.

This makes a 1 1/2 pound loaf, so adjust your machine's settings if needed.

Happy Eating!

What's For Dinner Tonight? Beef Stroganoff

I've been getting used to the warmer weather here, so today's burst of cold air caught me by surprise. I immediately knew tonight was going to be a total comfort food night. For this beef stroganoff, I used ground beef, since I stockpiled it during a great sale at Farm Fresh. I serve it over egg noodles, but it's also great over other types of pasta, rice, and potatoes. Easy, warm, and tasty for those cold nights!


Beef Stroganoff


4 ounces fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper

In a large skillet, sautee onions, garlic, and mushrooms in half of the butter over medium heat until soft, remove from pan.

Brown ground beef in same pan. Add remaining butter to pan and melt. Mix in flour. Stir in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and cook until thickened slightly.

Add onion and mushroom mixture. Stir in sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until heated through, but do not boil. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

Serves 4 (easily doubled). Total prep and cook time: 25 minutes.



I served this along with asparagus sauteed in a little butter and olive oil and my favorite bread machine bread.

Happy eating!

Welcome to my new blog!

Hi there! I'd like to welcome you to my new blog. I'll be featuring products, recipes, coupons, deals, and promotion that I've personally found to be worthwhile. I'm a big believer in eating homemade foods that are made from quality ingredients. My priorities are in great-tasting, healthy foods, but I also value quick, easy, and affordable methods of making them. I hope you'll find some tips, tricks, and products that will make your life a little easier while keeping your taste buds happy!

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Happy eating!