Seafood Pasta Salad

This seafood pasta salad is made from a mix of frozen seafood which is cooked after being partially thawed which makes its own simmering sauce which doubles as a dressing base.

Any mix of seafood will work for this recipe. A bag of frozen mixed seafood from your local supermarket works well.

Ingredients:

8 0z. pasta shells-any kind
1 340 gram bag of frozen mixed seafood
1 bell pepper, any colour
4 green onions
1 small can(200 ml) sliced olives
1 small clove of garlic
fresh ginger root
Parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

Dressing:

Olive oil (if you don't have olive oil use any other salad oil you have handy)
Sesame oil(if you don't have it-don't worry)
Sushi(rice) vinegar or some wine.
Lemon juice
Mayonnaise(optional)

* Cook pasta for about 10 minutes until el dente(cooked but firm). Drain into a colander and rinse with cold water. Leave colander in the sink for a while and chop up vegetables while it cools.

* Chop vegetables and put them in a large bowl or pot. Peel the garlic and mince on a grater. Mince a small amount of ginger root in the same way. Add to bowl.

* Drain water from can of olives and add them to bowl.

* Add pasta to the large bowl and gently mix. Set aside.

* Remove frozen seafood from freezer, put in a colander and rinse with cold water.

* In a large pan add enough olive oil(or other salad oil) to cover cooking surface, and add a little droop more(I think droop is a word).

* Add a little sesame oil of you have it-about a tablespoon.

* Add about the same amount of sushi vinegar or wine.

* Cover pan and heat on medium temperature until oil is hot-please be careful.

* When oil is hot, add the slightly thawed seafood to the pan and cover. Raise heat slightly.

* Stir seafood every minute as it cooks and recover. There should be enough water from the thawing seafood to make a nice sauce to simmer the seafood until cooked. If not add a little water or wine. This process should take 3-5 minutes-remove from heat when cooked to avoid overcooking.

* Using a spatula, remove seafood immediately and set on top of salad. Let cool for a couple of minutes before mixing into salad.

* Add leftover liquid from pan to salad-this is your dressing base.

* Add about 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice, salt & pepper and parmesan to taste.

* If desired, you can add a little mayonnaise to enhance the flavour and consistency.

* Move salad to a smaller bowl, cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.