Salmon Pasta Salad

For the past some days, I've been staying at an adult family home-type house, and functioning as the sole staff person. I've had the opportunity to try out a some meals that I might not make at home where there are just the two of us. There are just some things that I can only make a vat of (too many years spent feeding a largish family!). I really like to have leftovers, too, I really do. If I can make a dinner for a group and have enough left over to feed them lunch the next day, score! My job just got easier.

***note on mayonnaise: Unless you are avoiding eggs as well as dairy products, mayo is perfectly fine for the non-dairy eater. I know, it's white like milk, but there is no milk in it, honest! I've run into this misconception too many times to count, so thought I'd just mention it here. Ingredients in Best Foods mayonnaise, which is the brand they have here at the home: Soybean oil, water, whole eggs and egg yolks, vinegar, salt, sugar, lemon juice, calcium disodium (what? Do we really want to eat that?), and natural flavors.

I've made my own mayonnaise many times through the years. No to the water (what? Second ingredient, they are just stretching it), no to the disodium stuff. Everything else I put in, with the addition of some dry mustard. If you have a blender or food processor, it's very easy to make.***

Salmon Pasta Salad (picture later, forgot the camera)

1 pound package of whole wheat rotini pasta. (I get mine at Trader Joe's, superior quality, and very inexpensive), cooked in lightly salted water, drained.

2 cups (at least, you may prefer more) cooked salmon. Canned is just fine (and if you shop at Costco, it's reasonably priced, as well), but drain it well.

two bunches of chopped green onions (about a half cup when chopped), with green tops.

¼ c minced onion (regular variety, I just wanted more onion than I had)

½ to ¾ c sliced and quartered zucchini (I used two small ones)

¾ c sliced celery

¾ tsp Grill Shakers for Seafood (brand name is "The Spice Hunter") It's a very tasty blend of sea salt, onion, orange peel, ginger, sesame seeds, pepper, coriander, peppermint, cardamom, cilantro, citric acid and orange oil.

1 tsp garlic powder (or more or less, to taste)

Mayonnaise (start with a half cup, and then add, or not, until the consistency satisfies)

First, cook your pasta. No need to cool it before using. After draining, run a little cold water over it, to keep the gluten from forming up and making it stick together. After draining again for a few minutes, dump your pasta into a really big bowl.

Add your salmon, breaking up any big pieces. Add all the veggies, as well as any others you might have on hand and want to use (this can be one of those great 'kitchen sink' recipes). Add spices. Mix well at this point, and then add your mayo. Everyone likes their mayonnaise amounts different, so just put in the amount that makes it 'right' for you. At a ½ cup, it will be thinly distributed, and that happens to be the way I like it.

Eat warm, or refrigerate and let those flavors mingle for a while. Great pot luck dish!

This dish is easy to cut in half (kinda makes you wonder why I never do that myself, doesn't it?

I originally put chopped bell pepper in this, but I don't recommend it. I had a bowl (and it's SO good)(except for bell pepper), and spent some time picking them back out. They jar, not good.