Vegetarian, Vegan and Animal Rights

The "meat" balls are great in spaghetti and make a really yummy sub. I like their "chick" patties with tarter sauce and cheese (think McD's fish sandwich) and the nuggets are awesome with Bookbinder's cocktail sauce (it has heavy horseradish). I really don't like their attempts at sweet BBQish variations (patties, McRib thingies, etc.) or the "Italian sausage", but the regular links rock as a snack and are perfect in Bush's vegi baked beans. The "bacon" strips make an awesome BLT (I add sliced mushrooms and cheese) and the veggie dogs are the ONLY such creations that work well over an open fire. SmartDogs are close, but they split and I've lost a few to the pit. My youngest daughter likes the corn dogs with honey. I find the bread coating to be too sweet as it is, but hey, she's only 17.

Something to try with your husband: Get the refrigerated crescent rolls (check for lard), pull them apart and put half a veggie strip or a link on each one. Cheese is optional. Roll them up and bake them as per the crescent rolls directions (about 10 minutes at 350). I'm yet to find anyone who doesn't like those.

As for "Boca crumbles" or MorningStar's equivalent, I really don't like either, but the latter made a great sloppy joe. For chili and such we use bulghur (sp?) wheat, quinoa, or a combination of both. They add body and texture and are both really good for you. We usually cook it in a crock pot so you can just add them with all the other ingredients when you throw it together. Chunk-cut mushrooms are also a good texture addition.

If he really needs a wake-up call, get "Diet for a New America" by John Robbins (heir to Baskin Robbins). It's about half nutrition-based and half ethics-based and it's the book that made us go veggie in '89 (we read it together). For recipes, all of the Mollie Katzen books (starting with "Moosewood Cookbook&quot are excellent and Laura Robertson's "Laurel's Kitchen" is full of great recipes and nutritional information. They were my staples in the early days. I never use recipe books now unless it involves baking (which is very much a science). Speaking of which, join the "Cooking and Baking" group and just throw out questions.