An Updated Pea Salad

 Can a family classic recipes be updated? Yes! there are some recipes that can be adapted to vegan lifestyles or just have new ingredients added for more flavor. It;sa fun way to carry on tradition while adding a new spin.

I did this with my Mom's pea salad. She combined peas and rice , adding cube of ham for savoriness and oomph. I decided to updat eit a bit.

There are still peas . Get the canned sweet ones, U=I used the Stop & Shop brand which are always good.]

My Mom;s version called for white rice - a riff on the classic Russian salad Yet supposed elbow macaroni was subbed in insread?

It needs to be mixed. The original recipe called for just mayo. Yet suppose if there was a dash of flavor - namely ranch dressing added in.

I added about three tablespoons of each, equally mixed to the salad.

My Mom also had cubed han in her pea salad .I thought , why not give it a vegan twist.I used Morning star plant based based to crumble over it.

I used eight sliced microwaved for four minutes to get extra crispy. These were crumbled into the salad.

I liked this updated recipe. The bacon really adds  to it as does the ranch dressing. It;s a nice blend of sweetness from the peas and the bacon;s saltiness. You can add julienned hands trips if you want a long with changing up the pasta to rotini.This is a great salad for barbecues and picnics.

Should recipes be updated? Yes.As with this salad , an update made it fresh and tastier. It;'s the perfect summer salad.

Small Pastas, Big Ideas

Everyone thinks pasta should be long and stringy nor square and chewy to be delicious. That's not necessarily true.Some of the best pasta dishes require the smaller kinds.These are usually made of the same flour but are cut smaller.They still PAC the same taste whether in bowl of sauce or bowl of soup. There are several different kinds of mini or little pastas.Elbow macaroni is probably the most popular and also the most used .These curved little tubes are usually used in the summer ,drenched in mayo and covered with carrot sliced and celery bits .However elbow macaroni is also good with a tangy tomato sauce and makes a fun lunch for kids.Ditalini ,literally meaning little fingers inItalian are another tasty little pasta.It'sone of the ingredients in pasta efagiole and is a chewy , perfect with the soup's other signature ingredient chick peas. Orzo ,usually considered "Greek pasta" is a rice like pasta that can be used hot or cold.Orzo is goods pilaf and can accompany chicken kabobs or even lamb.You can also make salad with it as well.Create a Greek style, using feta cheese along with chopped onions and peppers along with a spice infused dressing.Pastina is another great mini pasta.It can mostly found in soups ,adding spark and flavor to simple beef,chicken and vegetable stock.Pastina can also be made with egg as a quick and healthy dinner.It can also be made with butter fora nice comfort meal or even snack. Small pastas can pack a big punch.Use them in a variety dishes from snacks to dinners.Try them for a huge burst of flavor.