Cilantro Chicken and Pasta Salad (for 2)

due volte/two times

Getting ready for Easter Sunday? Planning your meal? I am not sure if I am cooking Sunday, but time will tell, I guess! I think I am just looking forward to a quiet day at home. I know I will be finishing a small wedding cake for my neighbors, which is always fun.

Even though I don’t have plans for the holiday, which is my preferred plan (really), I did have a little fun with some cookies this week.

I also began thinking of what to make for the many pregnant friends I have at the moment. One thing is for sure, cookies or no cookies…I am not drinking the water! What’s up with all the babies, people?! Yikes! LOL

I am actually cheating a bit, as I am “kinda” double posting this week. Why? I guess it’s a combination of a time issue and an “I love cilantro” thing. In my recent Herbapalooza! post, I wrote about a Cilantro Sauce I made and was totally stoked about. Having extra, I decided to take the leftover, add to it a bit, and give it a second use. I added a little Vegenaise®, to the sauce to make it “creamy”, and added it to a pasta, and voila! Meal #2.

There isn’t really a recipe to this dish, as I just threw together some ingredients once my baked chicken tenders (seasoned with salt/pepper and baked at 375F for ~25 minutes/to 165 degrees) cooled enough to not kill the sauce. But wait, don’t the “quickies” often end up the tastiest? If you want the sauce creamier, you can add more Vegenaise®/mayo. If not, go less!

Cilantro Chicken and Pasta Salad (for 2)

(about) ¼ cup cilantro sauce (recipe below)
1-2 Tbsp. Vegenaise® (or mayonnaise)
2-3 cups of cooked Ditalini Pasta (or pasta of choice), cooled
1 cup cooked baked chicken, shredded and cooled

In a medium bowl, toss together the pasta and chicken. In a small bowl, mix cilantro sauce & Vegenaise® together to combine. Add to the pasta. Serve immediately.

Cilantro Sauce

1 cup chopped cilantro
3 finely chopped garlic cloves
½ tsp salt
½ tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil

Combine the garlic, salt, cumin, and chopped cilantro in a food processor and pulse to combine. Scrape down the sides and add the vinegar, then pulse again for about 30 seconds. While the processor is going, add the olive oil in a slow stream, Process for about 2 minutes or until the sauce is to your preferred smoothness.