5 Fast Brown-Bag Lunch Recipes

Start with about 2 cups of cooked spaghetti (leftover un-sauced spaghetti works best, but you can use any kind of pasta). In a separate bowl, make the sauce by whisking together 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter, 2 tablespoons each of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar, and 2 teaspoons toasted sesame or peanut oil. Then add 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoons orange juice to the mix, and stir in the pasta, along with 1 cup cooked broccoli florets, 1/2 cup cucumber slices cut into half-rounds, 1/2 cup julienned snow peas, and 1/4 bell pepper sliced into matchsticks (or any combination of vegetables, but be sure to add something raw for crunch). Add freshly ground black pepper to taste. Top with shredded cooked chicken (6 to 8 ounces, grilled or roasted). Refrigerate, or store in a cooler bag with an ice pack, until ready to serve. Makes 2 servings.