These delicious "glass" noodles actually change color when you add certain ingredients. They're great for a weekend project with your kids, or to make for a party! I've made them with my after-school class and for small groups. You've gotta try them.
Ingredients
- One package Saifun or bean thread noodles (aka glass noodles – stores such as Safeway have these in the Asian food section)
- ½ red cabbage, sliced or cut into chunks
- Lemon or lime juice
- Baking soda
Instructions
- Cook the red cabbage in a medium saucepan with water to cover for five minutes.
- Turn off the burner, and add the noodles. Soak them for five to ten minutes, and watch the color get absorbed into the noodles.
- Remove noodles with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl.
- Squeeze a lemon or lime onto the noodles, and watch them turn pink! They can now be used in a salad, or with a sauce such as satay, or added to a stir-fry veggie dish. They are good with the cooked cabbage, too! Try adding cooked chicken, snow pea pods, green onions and maybe chopped peanuts.
- To turn noodles blue: (this will make them inedible): Add a shake or two of baking soda to the colored noodles. Watch the color change – it’s chemistry in action!
More Information
Red/purple veggies like cabbage have a pigment in them called anthocyanin. This pigment reacts, and changes color, when something acidic is added. It changes to a different color when something alkaline (such as baking soda) is added.
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