Quick and Easy Wednesday: making lunch a real meal for mom

Hello! I'm back from vacation and ready to go!

I have this problem about lunch. It has to be the craziest time of day, even crazier than dinnertime, because my husband isn't there as my toddler, Peter's, fantastic source of entertainment. And, sometimes lunch doesn't have as important of a feeling as dinner, so I often catch a few bites of a sandwich (standing up and walking around) while I am trying to feed Peter and call it good. But, my friends, 2008 is the year of tasty, healthy mommy lunches (while sitting at the table! Imagine that!!)! To really follow through with this, I've got to have something lightning fast (under 15 minutes) and easy to prepare the night before. Here's what I came up with today:



Chicken Noodle Soup (from October 2004 issue of Everyday Food)

1. In a small saucepan, bring 1 can reduced-sodium chicken broth and 1/4 cup water to a boil. Add 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 cup fine egg noodles (or whatever pasta is around), and 2 ounces green beans, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces (1/2 cup). Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes.

2. Add 1 coarsely grated carrot and 4 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup); simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 1 thinly sliced scallion. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

3. To store overnight, let soup cool completely; refrigerate in an airtight container and reheat next day in microwave.

It's cozy and filling and tastes way better than a pb&j.