Somethings New and Somethings Old

First, I have to start by saying that imitation is a form of flattery - based on Tracy's posts, I have made Penne Vodka (to DIE for), Lower-Fat Deep Chocolate Bundt Cake, and will soon be making the Pumpkin Ziti - all from Vcon. It's great seeing and reading about some of the recipes before trying them! And besides, it's my job as a little sister to copy my big sister.

However, I do have some shred of independence. With my new cast-iron skillet, I made Meredith McCarty's Skillet Cornbread from her Fresh from a Vegetarian Kitchen cookbook. It was tasty, but quite crumbly. I might stick to my tried-and-true Jennifer Raymond Peaceful Palate Cornbread recipe and try it in the cast-iron pan instead.

I have to admit I'm not a vegan quiche fan, but was intrigued by Vcon's Asparagus Quiche with Tomato and Tarragon. I had found some asparagus at Farm Boy in the dead of winter, but by the time I got around to making the quiche, the asparagus was shriveled up and dried out. Instead, I subbed broccoli. It was the tastiest quiche! I didn't like it too warm, and opted to reheat leftover slices for only 15 seconds. I think this would be tasty in a mini-quiche form too.

I made Vcon's Smlove Pie for the third time for mine and my mom's dual b-day party. In my absentmindedness, I forgot to buy the darn pecans for the topping, so I subbed 1 cup of walnut pieces. I actually liked it better, since I could load up all of the mapled walnuts on the pie!

Finally, I made the Porcini-Wild Rice Soup from Vcon. Reeeaaaal good. Very thick and hearty. Each time I opened the casserole I stored it in, I added some water which increased the volume everytime, so it seemed like one of those cartoons where the pile never gets depleted no matter how many servings I took!