Cold Chinese Pasta Salad

Abby likes peanut butter, and she likes noodles. Abby LOVED this salad.

Cold Chinese Pasta Salad

Total time: 30 minutes (most of which is waiting for water to boil or pasta to cook)

7 oz dried whole wheat linguine
1/3 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp peanut butter (preferably natural peanut butter - Skippy or Jif might be too sweet)
onion powder and garlic powder to taste (I used just a dash of each)
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Prepare the pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the chicken or vegetable stock, soy sauce, peanut butter, onion powder and garlic powder.

Drain the pasta and put it in a large bowl. Toss it together with the sauce, red bell pepper strips, and cilantro. Set it aside to chill, or eat it warm (but I think it tastes better chilled).

This will make a big batch of pasta - if you only want a few toddler portions, make half this recipe (if you want a lot for the whole family, double it!). Abby and I brought this salad with us to a playdate today, and it got two toddler thumbs up. Neither girl would try the red pepper, so I might replace that with carrots in the future. They each had a second helping, though! My mommy friend and I both gobbled it up, too.