MULTI-COLORED SUMMER PASTA SALAD W/VEGETARIAN RANCH DRESSING

Ingredients :

1 bag Eden ™ vegetable spirals

¼ cup Eden ™ Extra virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon Black pepper

1/8 teaspoon White pepper (optional)

1/8 teaspoon Si ™ salt (regular salt may be substituted)

¼ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice

¼ cup vegetarian mayonnaise (regular may be substituted)

¾ cup diced red radish

½ cup finely-diced celery

¼ cup chopped celantro

1 cup finely-chopped romaine hearts

1 can Eden ™ garbanzo beans

1 head baby butter lettuce

Procedure:

STEP 1: Boil 3 carrots in a medium pot of water. I boil them long enough to make them easy to cut and to chew in the salad. This also gives a nice variety of textures.

STEP 2: Dice the carrots, radish and celery and romaine and combine in a large bowl.

STEP 3: Pour the garbanzo beans into the large bowl, add the ingredients from Step 2.

STEP 4: Cook pasta per package instructions. Cool with cold water to keep aldante. Pat dry with paper towels or cotton cloth.

STEP 5: Add cooled and dried pasta to the garbanzo bean/vegetable mixture.

STEP 6: Add olive oil, spices and mayonnaise to the bowl and mix well.

STEP 7: Add dressing (see procedure for dressing, below) and garnish with nasturiums or similar edible flower.

Dressing:

1 12-oz. Package Mori-nu ™ soft tofu

¼ cup Eden ™ umeboshi vinegar

1 tablespoon Chopped dill – fresh or dried

1/8 cup olive oil

Procedure:

Pour tofu into a blender. Blend for 2 minutes, then add vinegar and olive oil. Blend until dressing is creamy and has no lumps. Turn off blender, add dill and fold -- NOT BLEND -- the dill into the dressing. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve.