Grillin' without the killin'

Time to fire up the BBQ (yeah, yeah, it's a little polluting, but so is that gas or electric stove inside the house). Let's have ourselves an eco-cookout -- instead of dead-cow patties and piggy ribs, how about some veggie burgers?

Now, while I love a juicy burger as much as the next red-blooded American, I also need to cut down on saturated fat and cholesterol as much as the next American. So I mostly eat veggie burgers at home (also, my husband never eats red meat -- having been a hardcore vegetarian in college -- so I'm not going to bother prepping ground beef for just lil' ol' me).

We've experimented with lots of veggie patties at our place, and I've looked at the lists of "best veggie burgers" online. You'll find so many varieties that surely something will please your palate. Just remember that most of supermarket veg options aren't really trying to be just like beef. The patties may be round and brown, but they won't be exactly the same as cow.

Approach them like new sandwich varieties, and experiment with toppings. Traditional ketchup, mustard, mayo, lettuce, and pickle are great. But you might also like salsa or chutney, feta cheese or Pecorino, mushrooms or sautéed onions. Go nuts -- especially since nuts and grains are a main ingredient are these burgers.

The Real Age blog's top three veggie burgers are the Morningstar Farms Garden Veggie Burger, Quorn Chick'n Patties, and the Boca All-American Flame Grilled. I have to agree with this number one -- Morningstar Farms has some really fabulous patties you can really sink your teeth into. My husband and I love the "griller" variety. And the Boca brand is a close second.

For more unusual varieties, the Hungry Girl blog recommends four different flavors. Try Boca Burgers Original, Morningstar Farms Philly Cheese Steak Burgers, Amy's Quarter-Pound Veggie Burger, or Dr. Praeger's California Veggie Burgers. I suspect that Philly Cheese Steak type isn't vegan, but it sure sounds tasty!

PETA has a Golden Bun Award for best overall veggie burger patties. Number one is the Boca Meatless Burgers Roasted Onion Burger, which I've tried and if you like onion, yep, you'll love this one. Runners up include Yves' the Good Burger, Garden Burger Chik’n Grill, and Okara Courage Burger from Soy Boy.

About.com rated its five top veggie burgers and repeated some of the above listings. Boca Burgers Roasted Onion Flavor was again number one, followed by Amy's Organic Texas Burger, Gardenburger Veggie Medley, and Boca Bugers Original Vegan Burger.

Finally, Consumer Reports weighed in with an evaluation. MorningStar Farms Garden Veggie Patties is the best buy here for taste and value, with Boca All-American in the next spot. I heartily agree.

Of course, you'll want something else on the grill with those patties. How about adding some sweet corn? Vegetarians and carnivores should agree about that side-dish.