I cook with TVP very frequently. It's extremely cheap in bulk at Whole Foods. I mostly make chili out of canned tomato paste, water, onions, jalapenos, garlic, cumin, salt, and a couple of different cans of beans and corn. Just put all of that stuff in a pot and heat, adding water until it's the consistency you like and the TVP has soaked up all the flavor of everything.
With leftover TVP chili, I smash refrigerator biscuits out flat, put a spoonful of chili in the middle, fold it over and seal with a fork and bake. Easy empanadas.
Don't be afraid of TVP. It's like, the easiest vegetarian protein to cook with ever.