Pasta Salad & Tamale Soup

A friend of mine from church asked me for these recipes and since this is the first time I’ve ever typed them up I thought y'all might like to have a copy as well. Enjoy.

Pasta Salad
1 package of twisted pasta (I use the kind made of vegetables)
salt – add while pasta is cooking
2-3 cucumbers sliced or diced
2-3 cans of sliced black olives – drained
1 med. bottle of Kraft or Wish-Bone Italian Dressing (reg. NOT non-fat)

Cook the pasta for about 10–12 minutes. They should be done not chewy and drain well under cold water. Add your cucumbers, black olives and Italian dressing and mix WELL.

Preferably this is better when you make it the night before so that everything has a chance to marinate but it can certainly be eaten as soon as it’s made. Also it can be stretched as much as you like by adding more cucumbers and cans of black olives.

Tamale Soup
1 large can of Hormel Tamales
1 or 2 cans of (loose) corn – drained
1 can of crushed or diced tomatoes (spicy kind if you like)
shredded cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
salt to taste – if needed

Break up a few of the tamales and crush up a few more; this adds body and texture to the soup. Add the corn and tomatoes and cook until everything is headed all the way though. Since everything is already cooked really you’re just warming it all up. Then added shredded cheese and or sour cream. You could even add tortilla chips. This soup can be stretched as much as you need it to be by added more cans.