Recipes: Pasta and Potato Salads

Bagel's birthday party was today, so yesterday I made an old family favorite, Mediterranean Pasta Salad, and attempted a vegan version of another favorite potato salad. I hate mayonnaise-based potato salads, so I used to make a potato salad that was sour cream-based, with dill. It tasted like sour cream and onion potato chips, it was delicious. I wanted to get that sort of taste in an egg-free milk-free potato salad.

We make the pasta salad without using anything raw, because of FH's allergies to fresh things. Feel free to use fresh ingredients instead of canned, raw onions instead of sauteed onions, etc.


Mediterranean Pasta Salad

16 oz. small shell pasta
1 small onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can whole olives, drained
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar or to taste
chopped fresh or dried herbs to taste (rosemary, basil, parsley)

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Saute onion and garlic in 1 Tbsp of olive oil until onion is transparent. Toss pasta, onion/garlic, and all other ingredients. Refrigerate and serve cold.


Vegan Potato Salad

A bunch of potatoes (Knuckles was handing them to me so I lost count)
12 oz. firm silken tofu
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. ground coriander
2 Tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. really non-dairy creamer
2 tsp. dried dill weed
1 tsp. dried parsley
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

Peel potatoes, chop into 1" cubes and boil in a pot full of water; drain. Combine all other ingredients in food processor and cream it to within an inch of its life. Combine with potatoes and toss until all potatoes are covered in sauce. Chill and serve.