Today we were busy busy in the kids kitchen cutting and tearing up fresh vegetables and whisking up salad dressings for TWO different salads. 

The first salad that we made was one of my favorite ones for kids!  The fruit and slightly sweetness from the dressing entices the kids to gobble up the spinach.  You can find the recipe, here, in this previous post:
 http://txkidskitchen.com/2011/12/kids-in-kitchen-thursday-red-green-are.html

I can honestly say that kids immediately told me they don’t like strawberries and/or spinach.  After they created their own salad and were enticed to try just one bite – kids tried it!  And, some said that they liked the strawberries and/or spinach in this salad, but don’t usually do.  It was a successful day!

After the kids cut their spinach with scissors, slices strawberries with knives – we whisked up the dressing, smelling each ingredient individually along the way.

But, the Pasta salad was the favorite!  Cute little bow-tie multi-grain pasta mixed with a variety of veggies was loved by those that tried it. Cut your chives with scissors, tear off tiny broccoli florets from the stem, and mix up dressing ingredients – all activities your little one can do to help make this dish in the kitchen.  Its fun to try different pasta shapes and switch up the variety of vegetables!

Formal ‘Bow-Tie’ Veggie
Pasta Salad

4 cups noodles, try whole grain or whole
wheat noodles!


½ cup corn niblets , frozen


½ cup sweet red pepper , diced


1 ½ cups broccoli , florets


1 cup carrot , match stick style


¼ cup chives , fresh chopped

Dressing
¼-½ cup salad
dressing , I prefer Mayo made with Olive or Canola oil.

¼ cup low fat sour cream


1 tablespoon lemon juice


¼ teaspoon salt


¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper


Just a dash, cayenne pepper

Directions:

Cook
noodles in boiling salted water until al-dente. Drain and rinse in cool water.


Place
drained noodles in a large bowl and add the next five ingredients. Mix well.


In a
medium bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients. Adjust salt if needed.


Pour dressing onto the
noodle/vegetable mix and toss to coat.


Chill for several hours
before serving.