I forgot my lunch and ended up at a place that serves sandwiches, salads and breakfast items. I Panera except for when I spend $8.75 on a sandwich, which included one side. That price did not include a drink or a $.99 pastry register up-sale.

I have no one to blame but myself for forgetting my lunch or being lured in by a large sign to try a new sandwich with an unadvertised price because I saw avocado. I’ve mastered packing my lunch the night before, but for whatever reason my head was on another planet when I walked out the door without my lunch tote.

The bright of this experience is that it prompted me to look for a copycat salad dressing recipe so I can look forward to packing a salad AND remembering it instead of paying more for a sandwich with an uninspiring portion of avocado.

Choose your bed of greens and add your vegetables (carrots, red peppers, tomatoes, etc).
Slice and cook chicken – I toss mine in a little soy sauce and sesame oil in the skillet.
Add in cashews and wontons for crunchy and crispy appeal.
Dress with both dressings.
Enjoy!

Mix the following to create the Peanut Dressing
2 tbsp of Plain Yogurt
2 tbsp of Peanut Butter
2 Tbsp of Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp of Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp of Curry Powder
1 tsp of Ginger
1 tsp of Lime Juice
1/4 tsp of Sesame Oil
1 tsp of Water

Mix the following to create Thai Dressing
2 tsp Rice Vinegar
2 tsp Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 garlic
Salt to taste

When I pack my lunch I combine the two dressings into one container. Put the wontons and cashews in a second. The chicken in 1 cup Pyrex round. The greens in a 1 qt (4 cup) Pyrex round. Then, at lunchtime I assemble my salad. I wish I could say I am careful enough to not wear the dressing, but a little Dawn dish soap on the stains works wonders!

I realize two glass containers might be a little heavy in one lunch tote, but I prefer to reheat in glass. For those biking or walking to work, it comes down to personal preference from containers to whether or not you even reheat the chicken.