Lunch with the Computer

One of my favorite fall-back-on lunches is Asian-American noodle salad. I almost always have the ingredients, and it’s a great repository for leftovers, especially roast chicken and crudite.

It’s based on a classic Chinese noodle salad with peanut butter dressing, though I use spaghetti instead of egg noodles, an idea I took from my Taiwanese sister-in-law, who’s had to make do with American ingredients.

It’s perfect for rainy days, when lunch means taking a break in front of the computer, watching YouTube or Hulu.

Noodle Salad

1/4 pound spaghetti

cucumbers, celery, bell peppers, bean sprouts, or other crunchy veggies

sliced green onion

chicken, pork, or tofu

Dressing:

2 tablespoons water

1 and 1/2 tablespoon peanut butter

1 and 1/2 tablespoon oil

1 and 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 and 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Boil the spaghetti until it’s done. In the meantime, slice the veggies into strips and the meat or tofu into cubes. Combine the dressing in a small container.

Rinse the spaghetti in cold water and place it in a big container with the veggies and protein. When you’re ready to eat, pour the dressing over the noodle salad, cover the container and shake it well.