"Beef" Stew & Outback Steakhouse Bread w/ Whipped "Butter"

TVP comes as unflavored chunks too!!!
I LOVE this new place that we discovered in Santa Monica on Sunday called "Co-Opportunity" because their bulk section is engrossing! And yes, yes, most of it is organic and/or fair trade! Dane went straight for the wonderful chocolate-covered goodies and gazillion types of granolas, and I dove straight into the cooking corner filled with so many different types of flours, beans, and grains. I think it's awesome that all these little co-ops came together to produce a Whole Foods-ish type store with lots of variety and super produce. We went to Pasadena afterwards so we couldn't stock up on the perishables, but man, I WILL be going back soon! Thank you again nice lady at Whole Foods in Santa Monica for turning me on to my new favorite grocery store! This recipe below was inspired by a non-vegan stew by evelyn/athens. SJG3483's rip off of Outback's Honey Wheat bread from top secret recipes: http://www.recipezaar.com/64435.

"Beef" Stew:
(no exact measurements)

Unflavored TVP chunks, rehydrated with boiling hot water and a pinch of vegan beef base
olive oil
onions, chopped
carrots, halved, cut into chunks about an inch long
good-quality red wine, dry is best
roma tomatoes, diced (or can use canned diced tomatoes w/ juice)
a nice amount of each: oregano, basil, thyme, parsley
a huge dollop of hoisin sauce (VERY important, don't leave out!)
a bay leaf
equal amounts of arrowroot powder (or conrstarch if absolutely necessary) and water for thickening stew

Heat a little oil in a stew pot over mediom-high heat. Add the rehydrated TVP chunks (should not be dripping wet, drain first if necessary) and "brown" them for a bit. Push them to the sides of the pan and add a little more oil, add onions. Sautee until soft, then mix with the "beef". Add carrots and tomatoes with their juices, sautee until juices start to leave the flesh and meld with onion. Add the garlic, herbs, hoisin sauce, and bay leaf. Bring to boil and add more wine (adding as much wine as you would like for a stew). Cover and turn heat down to a high low. Let simmer for about 25 minutes. Remove bay leaf, season with salt and pepper if desired, and add the arrowroot/water slurry (I generally use 1 T. arrowroot to 1 T. water for 4 cups of liquid) to the stew. Bring heat up to a medium high and stir until thickened. Serve sprinkled with more parsley.