Lea's Pasta salad veganized :)

My dear friend Lea, whom I've met and become friends with much too late before she had to move far away from me :( ..., always made this super yummy pasta salad when I'd come over and we would hang out for hours, watching Friends or Glee or any other 'chick flicks' and just have a great time! 

Since then it's "Lea's Pasta salad" in my house when I make this! =)

  I've become vegan in the meantime since she moved, so I had to come up with something I could use for the feta cheese!

The nearest answer: TOFU!

Granted, I don't get the firm water-packed one here (or every once in a 'blue moon' and if you're not quick enough, those few packages are already gone again..*sigh*) and even though I've pressed it for good 24hrs in the fridge, it still doesn't stay as firm, naturally.. but still. I'm happy with the result! ;)

 I can't use Mc Cormick's Salad Supreme spice anymore since it contains quite a bit of cheese *dangit*.. so I looked up the ingredients: SALT, SESAME SEED, POPPY SEED, PAPRIKA, GARLIC, CELERY SEED, BLACK PEPPER, AND RED PEPPER

and spiced the salad accordingly myself. For the cheese flavor I simply sprinkled a bit of nutritional yeast in the mix.

I think this salad can be tweaked to everybody's liking easily. ;)

Any kind of veggie can be used; if I have bell pepper, that goes in as well.

~* Lea's Pasta Salad veganized *~

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients:

*~12 oz (320 g) Pasta [I like the tri colored Spirals]

* 1/2 - 1 cucumber, diced into bite sized pieces

*Handful of cherry tomatoes or if not available, ~1/2 c sundried tomatoes 

*1/4-1/2 c black olives, diced [I only had green ones]

*1 c Italian salad dressing [or just make one yourself with olive oil, vinegar, spices]

*Spices such as salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, selery seed etc.

*Tofu 'Feta' [instructions on 'how to make one' follows below]  

Preparation:

Cook pasta accordingly to the instructions, drain, set aside in a bowl and let it cool down.

Cut the cucumber and tomatoes as well as the olives, add to the cooled pasta.

Prep the salad dressing, toss over the pasta & veggie mix.

Add the spices, toss again.

Into the fridge with the bowl and let everything chill!

In the meantime prep your 'Tofu Feta':

Take 1 firm block of tofu (not the tetrapacked Silken one!), preferably pressed overnight, cut into bite-sized cubes.

*1/4 c olive oil

*1/4 c water

*1/2 red wine vinegar or ACV [apple cider vinegar]

*2 tsp salt

*1 Tbsp dried basil

*1/2 tsp dried oregano

*1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Place everything except the tofu in a bowl and mix well.

Add tofu, stir and let marinade for at least 1 hour.

Once the 'Tofu feta' is done, add it to the salad, toss again and voila! :)

~*~*~

I think of my friend Lea every time I make this and just had to share!

Miss you tons, Lea!!! xo