"Cate" > wrote in message
...
> Husband's office staff (half of whom are college or grad students) is
coming
> for a Christmas party at our house this Sunday afternoon. Tiny house,
staff
> of 15, nowhere for them all to sit, so all the food must be finger food or
> easily eaten with a fork while standing.
>
> There's one known vegetarian in the bunch (possibly more we don't know
> about), and I'm trying to balance meaty and meatless dishes. I have
limited
> time this weekend to cook, so I'm hoping to make some things of time and
> freeze it. The final menu isn't yet set, so I'm open to suggestions.
>
> But my main request is that I'm looking for a meatless pasta or rice salad
> (ie., cold) recipe that's not the standard macaroni primavera and
mayo-based
> dressing. Something that can hold up unrefrigerated for three hours is
> required. Any combo of chewy, crunchy, tangy, sweet, spicy is even better.
> And anything that cuts down my cooking time would be great too.
>
> Any ideas?

One of my favorite pasta dishes is made with cabbage and cashews in a spicy
peanut sauce. I make it for camping so it holds up well to harsh treatment,
including lack of good refrigeration. It's easy to make, delicious, and may
be served warm or cold. Goes something like this...

2 cups cabbage, coarsely chopped
decorative pasta strips (I like orange colored sesame pasta from Eden Foods)
1 cup cashews
1 cup spicy peanut sauce (below)

Boil the pasta according the directions. Add the cabbage to the boiling
water for the last two minutes. Drain thoroughly. Combine all ingredients in
a serving bowl.

Spicy Peanut Sauce

1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1-1/2 Tbs smooth peanut butter
1 Tbs minced onions
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
black pepper to taste
hot sauce to taste

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Makes about 1 cup.