Cold Peanut Noodle Salad

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp natural-style peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 medium lime, juiced
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup neutral oil
• 8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti
• 4 cups finely shredded red cabbage
• 2 carrots
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 4 green onions
• 1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

Directions

1. For the peanut-lime dressing, put all of the dressing ingredients into a bowl or blender. Whisk by hand, or run the blender, until the mixture is smooth. Move it aside while you cook the noodles.
2. Set water over high heat in a pot for cooking the whole wheat spaghetti. Snap the spaghetti in half so it will mix into the salad more easily later. When the water reaches a boil, stir in the spaghetti and cook at a steady boil until tender. Tip the noodles into a colander, give them a quick rinse under cold water to bring down the temperature, then leave them to drain thoroughly.
3. While the pasta cooks, cut the cabbage into the finest shreds you can manage with a knife, or use a food processor fitted with its shredding attachment. Run the carrots over the large holes of a cheese grater. Coarsely cut up the cilantro and peanuts, then slice the green onion.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cool, thoroughly drained noodles with the shredded vegetables, cilantro, sliced green onion, and chopped peanuts. Toss until everything is evenly distributed.
5. You can serve the salad with the peanut-lime dressing right away. For storage, portion the salad before dressing it into 4 containers, about 2 cups each, and portion the dressing into 4 smaller containers, about 2 Tbsp or a little more in each. Refrigerate for up to 4-5 days.