In my family it seems like every holiday it's the same uncomfortable feeling with meat eaters on one end of the table and veg heads on the other. We have four omnivores and three herbivores.

Yes, it's true; somehow I raised two vegetarians, and the son who does eat meat, married one. The vegetarians always feel like they draw the short straw with no main course and just the side dishes to eat.

This year I decided I was going to make our Easter dinner one where the only lamb on the table was going to be in the form of a molded hunk of butter.

The big question was, what kind of main course can be made for Easter dinner that doesn't center on a beautiful leg of lamb or spiral-cut ham?

I decided to turn to an expert, Canadian author Pat Crocker. Crocker is an expert when it comes to healthful eating. She is a culinary herbalist and home economist who has written "The Vegetarian Cook's Bible," "The Smoothies Bible" and, most recently, "The Vegan Cook's Bible."

More and more people are trying to eat more vegetables for their health, she said, adding, "More people of our age (older than 50) are going toward the light."

Crocker can even find health benefits in this bad economy with more people planting vegetable gardens. "There is always a silver lining; more people are going back to basics," she said.

She pointed out that even the first lady is putting a vegetable garden in at the White House.

"The first and most important thing in a good vegetarian entree is the sensation of chewing, (which is the sensation when eating meat); some of the best foods include the portobello mushroom and roasted asparagus," Crocker said. "Roasting vegetables gives them a totally different taste."

Crocker said she tested every recipe on her husband, who is not a vegetarian. "We are 'flexitarians,' which means we eat a wide variety of foods including organic poultry and fish and very little red meat," she said.

So, armed with her good advice and some great recipes, here are a few items that will appear this year on the Kullerstrands' Easter table.

Leek, Kohlrabi, Garlic and Onion Tart

1/2 kohlrabi, thinly sliced

2 onions, quartered

6 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 naan (a round flatbread made of white flour) or 10-inch prepared pizza shell

1/2 cup store-bought pesto, tapenade or tomato sauce

Directions: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. On baking sheet, toss kohlrabi, onions, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Bake, stirring once or twice, in preheated oven for 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Do not turn oven off. In a skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes, until very soft. Stir in balsamic vinegar. Arrange pizza shell on baking sheet and spread pesto evenly over it. Spread leeks over pesto and top with roasted kohlrabi, onions and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake in preheated oven for 6 to 10 minutes or until base is lightly browned.

Makes 6 servings.

Sweet Potato Wild Rice Cakes

1-1/3 cups vegetable stock or water

1/3 cup wild rice

1/3 cup sticky rice

1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 cup shredded rutabaga or carrot

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig of fresh rosemary

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions: In a saucepan over high heat, bring stock to a boil. Add wild rice, stir and cover. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Quickly stir in sticky rice. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Cover and set aside. Meanwhile, in a steamer basket set over a pot of boiling water, steam sweet potato, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Let cool. Coarsely chop and place in a large bowl. Add rutabaga, thyme, rosemary and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add rice and stir gently to combine. Drizzle with sesame oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. In 1 large or 2 medium skillets, heat remaining olive oil over medium heat; arrange metal rings in the skillet and reduce heat to low. Press sweet potato-rice mixture into rings and cook for 5 minutes. Flip cakes while still inside ring and cook for about 5 minutes on each side one more time or until cakes are lightly browned on both sides and cooked through.

Note: The recipe calls for eight 4-inch baking rings to make the cakes perfect. They are available at most kitchen speciality stores. Rings do not necessarily need to be used; cakes can be hand-shaped. The rings are used to make more perfect rounds.

Black Blondies

1/3 cup rice milk or soy milk

3 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

5 tablespoons vegan margarine

3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup coarsely chopped semisweet vegan chocolate

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, optional

Directions: Heat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8-inch baking pan with parchment and lightly oil. In a small bowl, whisk together rice milk and flaxseeds. Whisk in lemon juice and let stand for 10 minutes or until gelatinous. In a bowl, combine whole wheat and all-purpose flours, baking powder and soda. Whisk to mix well and set aside. In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, cream together margarine and brown sugar. Add applesauce and vanilla and beat well. Add flaxseed mixture and beat well. Stir in half of the dry ingredients and beat well. Add remaining dry ingredients and stir to mix well. Stir in chocolate pieces and pecans, if using. Scrape into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Let cool in pan and cut into 2-inch squares.

Note: Although this is a vegan recipe, regular semi-sweet chocolate and butter or margarine can be used.