Toddler Treat: Snappy Pea and Pineapple Salad

Source: Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers

Kids love sugar snap peas for the same reason adults do—they’re crunchy, sweet and fun to eat! This is a delicious salad that’s sure to be a hit at the dinner table or in the lunchbox. To bring out the incredible green color of the sugar snap peas, blanch them first. Blanching is simple cooking technique that adds eye-popping visual appeal to your veggies.

Ingredients:
8 ounces fresh sugar snap peas
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced

Dressing:
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. store-bought teriyaki sauce
1 Tbs. rice vinegar

Directions:
To blanch sugar snap peas: Place them in pan of boiling water for 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, move them to a bowl of cold water and ice. Drain the peas when they are completely cold.

Make the dressing by whisking the sesame oil, brown sugar, vegetable oil, teriyaki sauce, and rice vinegar together. Combine the peas and pineapple in a salad bowl. Just before serving, toss with the dressing.

Variation: Add 1/2 cup cubed firm tofu or cooked chicken for a great lunch or light dinner.

Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are
sisters, the mothers of five children and founders of Fresh Baby. Visit
them at www.freshbaby.com and subscribe to their Fresh Ideas
newsletter. Fresh Baby Baby Food Kits and other products are available
at many fine specialty stores and national chains including Target,
Wild Oats, and Whole Foods Markets.