Mmmmm....Curry! And Mexicurly Pasta Salad

I've never eaten curry outside of my own house. I'm not sure even what it should taste like. I tried the Curried Noodles in VwaV and was kind of on the fence about them. But now I tried a new tester for Crack of Noon: Curried Cauliflower Frittata. I bought new curry powder for the occasion and WOW! This is so good. I'm going to have to try those noodles again. Here's the frittata with a cucumber salad on the side, using the Yellow Rose Lemon Dressing (tester). Yummy!

Now for that recipe with the oh-so-clever name. Well, I tried to come up with a cooler name than just "pasta salad". My addition of one word changes everything. Sort of. But don't let the name throw you off. This is really good! And it uses soy curls. I'm trying to incorporate them more. This is tasty and easy, great picnic food, too.


Mexicurly Pasta Salad
Serves 4 as a side dish

For the soy curls-
1/2 cup soy curls (break into about 1/2 inch pieces)
2 cups boiling water
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp tamari

1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of pepper

Dressing
1/2 an adobe pepper
1/3 cup vegennaise
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp cumin
1 - 2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp cayenne

Vegetables
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/8 cup diced red onion
2 Tbsp diced poblano peppers (or jalapenos)
1/4 cup green peas (if using frozen, thaw under hot water)
1/4 cup corn (if using frozen, thaw under hot water)
fresh cilantro (or dried) to taste

2 cups dry pasta

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Bring 2 cups water to a boil to soak the broken strips. Add 1 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp chili powder along with the tamari. Let strips and spices soak for about 10-15 minutes to rehydrate. Drain and squeeze dry. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a frying pan. Toss the strips with 1 Tbsp cumin and 1 tsp chili powder, salt and pepper. Fry in the hot oil until lightly browned. Place in mixing bowl.

Prepare dressing by mixing all ingredients together in a blender. Add dressing, drained pasta and vegetables to mxing bowl. Adjust seasonings. That's it!