Love in the Time of Vegetarianism

I’m in love with a vegetarian, but luckily we don’t live in the same city, so meal planning isn’t an issue. We have three or four stand-by items that I make whenever we’re together, and those, combined with a dinner out (everybody wins!) can usually get us through any long weekend. But we used to live together. So this has been an issue for us before.

As you all must know by now, I’m Southern. With a capital S. I was raised that the way to man’s heart is through his stomach. I have grandmothers who’ve passed down recipes specifically designed to help me snare a man: meatloaf, lasagna, roast, chicken potpie, bbq spare ribs, etc. I know how to cook all of those things like I know the back of my hand, but that skill is not really coming in handy these days. These days I have the problem of not knowing how to cook tempeh. Or even what that even is. I don’t know a damn thing about soy, soy beans, soy milk, soy whatever. And I sure as hell don’t know how to snare a man with tofu. I really want to make meals that we can both enjoy, and that are the same meal. I don’t want to be chowing down on roasted leg of lamb and have only the capacity to make him a grilled cheese (I make lots of grilled cheeses, I’m getting better. Not too buttery and not too burnt). But at the same time, I’m not willing to sacrifice the animals (ha!) completely.

I’m sure this wasn’t the situation that either of my grandmothers ever predicted I’d be in when they were making me stand at the stove and take copious mental notes on how to get the crust just so on a homemade chicken potpie. It probably wasn’t what I was dreaming of either (I think I remembered thinking I’d be rich and have a maid to do all the cooking, so that’s not really helpful either). It doesn’t help that I’m not a huge fan of all things vegetable, although I do appreciate a good refried bean. Sadly. I’ve tried just taking meat out of some of my favorite dishes, but the lasagna and spaghetti aren’t the same, and one cannot even attempt to enjoy a pizza without pepperoni. So if any of you out there have yummy vegetarian recipes, send ‘em my way. I’m willing to try just about anything. I guess it could be worse, he could be vegan.

So in honor of my little vegetarian, I’m including some hand-me-down family recipes that are good for meat-eaters and non-meat-eaters alike. Mainly because they’re desserts!


GrammaMonday’s Chess Pie
(for those of you who have never had the pleasure of enjoying a chess pie, it’s like a lemon bar meets sugar cookie pie). Mmmmm.

Make pastry for 9” crust pie (or just buy one, but don’t tell her….)

4 eggs
1.5 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of butter
2 tbsp cream or milk
2 tbsp corn meal
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

Heat oven to 325. Combine eggs, sugar and butter. Beat 5 minutes high speed on pink KitchenAid mixer. Blend in remaining ingredients. Pour into pastry-lined pie pan. Bake 1 hour until knife inserted about an inch from edges comes out clean.



Peanut Butter Pound Cake
(this is a great pound cake recipe and the flavor of the peanut butter is not overwhelming at all).

1 cup butter, softened
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Icing
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup butter
Dash of salt
¼ cup evaporated milk


Beat 1 cup butter and ½ cup peanut butter at medium speed in aforementioned bright pink KitchenAid for 2 minutes until creamy. Gradually add 2 cups sugar and 1 cup brown sugar beating at medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs one at a time just until (AND THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART – overbeating will make this cake or any pound cake DRY!) the yellow disappears.
Combine flour, baking powder, soda, and ½ tsp salt, stir well. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with 1 cup milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix at low speed until just blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into greased and floured tube pan.
Bake at 350 for an hour and 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.
Beat powdered sugar, and next 3 ingredients at a low speed until well bended. Add evaporated milk and beat at a medium speed until smooth. Drizzle over cake.