Don't be chicken to try this pasta salad
"You don't like any vegetarian foods?" I ask.
"Nope. Not a-one. If it doesn't have meat in it, I won't eat it. Simple as that."
I try to picture them eating a meat covered ice cream sundae (in some cases, it's not much of a stretch, I guess) and then I laugh when I see them heading back for seconds on my "Chicken" Pasta Salad.
There is not one shred of chicken in the salad, but because there is the word chicken (and, yes, I always put it in quotes so they could ask if there was really chicken in it if they doubted it), but they don't seem to care.
The "meat" is textured vegetable protein. (Veat makes a really good "chicken breast", but I'm sure there are lots of other pseudomeat makers out there who do an excellent job of recreating the salty taste and texture of a fowl breast). I usually avoid TVP because I don't miss meat in my diet, but I know there are some who choose not to eat meat who miss the taste and texture they gave up.
Try this with for your meat eating friends as well as fellow vegetarians. Tell then it's not really meat...one taste and they won't care.
Vegetarian Chicken Pasta Salad
16 ounces of garden pasta1/2 cup of sweet peas
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped 1 small red onion, chopped
1 small can sliced black olives
1 vegetarian chicken breast, chopped
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Boil the pasta. While that is going, chop the green and red peppers, the onion and the chicken.
When the pasta is done, drain and rinse with cold water. Place in a large bowl (with a lid) and toss in peas, the peppers, the onions, the chicken and the olives.
Mix the olive oil, the lemon juice, the sugar, the vinegar and the salt and pepper and toss it over the salad.
Chill for at least two hours before serving. The longer you chill it, the more the flavors will blend and the more delicious it is.
Vegan.
