Veggie Bites - “The Converters”

There is a lot of babble I hear every day about how hard it is to stop eating meat and usually I roll an eye or two, however where is the spirit in that right? Why not help these poor animal eaters make the transition. I will admit I spent the better part of thirty years eating meat and never considering doing anything else until I started reading the facts and watching the videos showing how my burger was made and I never looked back. The thing was I never thought it was that hard, but I can understand how some meat eaters might have some trouble. Therefore, I want to show some great meat like products I use weekly that really help when your friends who have not been animal free converted yet and are having their holiday BBQ you will have some great choices.

First off, there is the chicken issue. “But I could not live without chicken.” I hear this once a week and I always point out two products: One is a company call Quorn (http://www.quorn.com). They make several different faux chicken products made out of a mushroom protein. It taste and looks basically like chicken with no weird fake chicken aftertaste that older veggie products sometimes have. Their breaded chicken is awesome and I do not miss the “real stuff” at all. All their products are great; they even make a turkey roast for Thanksgiving.

Next product I suggest is Morningstar farms products: (http://www.seeveggiesdifferently.com). In particular I would like to focus on the hot dogs. For me hot dogs with chili and cheese were my all time favorite comfort food. When I made the switch to the veggie lifestyle, hot dogs were the one thing I began to miss, and I went through many different fake hot dogs and mostly they taste like mush warmed over, not very appealing. Then my wife, the owner of this blog found Morningstar Farms hot dogs in the freezer and brought them home to me. I already found the best Vegan chili in the world in Amy’s Spicy Chili (http://www.amyskitchen.com) so all I needed was a hot dog. I cooked them up, got ready for more mush, but when I took a bite there was a snap, a hot dog snap, and it tasted awesome. I was very happy and I know you will be too.

All three of these companies make a plethora of products that I think would help any meat junkie convert. Check out these sites and just look at all the ways these products can help you change your eating habits. Below is my new comfort food recipe:

Chili Cheese Dog

2 Morningstar Farms Hot Dogs
1 Tablespoon Mustard (spicy)
1 Slice Veggie Cheese
2 Whole Wheat Rolls (I use Potato Rolls- a little smaller)
¼ cup of Amy’s Chili

1) Butterfly hot dogs and cook in pan with a little spray oil. They are already cooked so just cook until hot
2) Cut “dogs’ in half, place on rolls
3) Top with mustard, chili, and cheese
4) Microwave for 25 seconds
5) Enjoy the best chili dogs ever!!

Till next time, remember there are plenty of options for the meatless eater, you just have to look and I will be happy to help open the eyes of anyone out there that disagrees. Thank you for reading and remember that animals belong on our laps, not our bellies.

Do you have a topic or question for Veggie Bites? Feel free to contact Jerry at JerryFrawley@gmail.com. Be sure to put “Veggie Bites” in the subject line. Check back every Thursday to see if your question has been answered or topic covered. Remember, Friday is Pet of the Week and Monday is Endangered Specie Day.

Happy Trails & Tails,
Tina, Jerry & Buck