“My daughter Lauren loves Asian cuisine,” says her mom, Faye. “This can be challenging to pack for a lunch. I have come up with this satisfying ‘Asian-style’ lunch for her. I usually cook the noodles the night before. They are very easy to cook: It only takes 2 minutes in boiling water.” –Lauren Kuperman, age 12, South Carolina

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

1 cup vermicelli noodles

1 cup cooked chopped chicken breast

1 tablespoon chopped red bell pepper

1 tablespoon chopped celery

2 tablespoons chopped peanuts

1 teaspoon chopped onion

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon lime zest

1 teaspoon minced fresh lemon basil

1/4 cup rice-wine vinegar

Preparation:

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the vermicelli noodles for 2 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, and return the noodles to the pot.
2. Add the chicken, bell pepper, celery, peanuts, onion, pepper, lime zest, lemon basil, and rice-wine vinegar, and stir to combine. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for two minutes. (This can be prepared the evening before.)  Serve hot or cold.

Featured in the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. Check out more winning recipes here.