Briefcase portables: turn your desk into the hottest lunch spot in town - includes recipes and a list of the editors' favorite lunches

Bored with brown bags? Disappointed with the deli? When your workday lunch feeds the body but neglects the soul, it's time to take matters into your own hands and into your own kitchen. Making your own lunch not only guarantees a healthful meal, it also ensures an enjoyable midday break. When you make your own lunch, you know that no matter how crazy your morning gets, there's something to look forward to sometime around noon.

It goes without saying, of course, that an office lunch must be portable and easy to prepare. The good news is that "gourmet" is not incompatible with "ready to go." My tastes are currently running toward fragrant and colorful vegetable dishes that are easy to make but look professionally finished. En route recently to Madison, Wis., for a business appointment, I packed a lunch containing a thermos of Green Tea and Mushroom Broth with Miso and a favorite salad with avocado and lime wrapped in a giant tortilla. The wrap (sandwich) is fun to make and eat and you can easily vary your fillings and condiments based on the contents of your refrigerator. I make enough filling for two wraps, reserving half to wrap and eat the next day. I also can enjoy the filling as a salad for dinner that night.

Another of my favorite sandwiches uses a spread made of white beans and three cheeses. I serve it with arugula and sauteed or grilled eggplant slices. Look for grilled eggplant at your deli or supermarket salad bar or substitute jarred roasted sweet red peppers if you don't have time to cook vegetables yourself.

The cheese spread mixes up in no time in the food processor, and the flavors blend and mellow after a day or two in the refrigerator. The cheese spread is wonderfully versatile. Make it on the weekend when you have company; it's great served as a dipper with crudites and can be served broiled on toast points. The spread also makes a great salad or baked-potato topper, an omelet filling and is especially delicious served with slices of pear and apple.

Whether you make everything from scratch or round out your lunch with a few pre-made items, pack your lunch with style and imagination. Tuck in a real linen napkin or a fork from your flatware to make your desk feel a little more like a cafe table. You'll also have to keep in mind the equipment available to you at work to refrigerate or heat your lunch. If there's a microwave oven or a water cooler that dispenses boiling water, that's useful lunch-planning information. One final tip: Now that you have lovingly assembled and packed that lunch, mark it clearly so no one accidentally picks it up out of the public refrigerator at work. I secure the contents of my much-loved lunch box with a skull and crossbones sketch and the warning: "Do not touch, it's mine!"

My Favorite Wrap

This recipe makes two sandwiches. Make both sandwiches at the same time, saving one for the next day.

2 10-inch tortillas 4 leaves romaine lettuce 1/2 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced 3 scallions, slivered lengthwise 1 cup mung or adzuki bean sprouts (see glossary, p. 126) 1/2 cup grated carrot 1/2 cup grated zucchini 1/2 cup grated raw sweet potato 6 to 8 leaves of fresh basil or the equivalent of fresh tarragon Juice of 1 lime 1 clove garlic, minced Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Cayenne pepper to taste

30 Place tortillas on work surface. Cover center of each with romaine. Divide avocado half between each tortilla, then scallions and sprouts. Distribute carrot, zucchini and sweet potato on each tortilla. Sprinkle each tortilla with basil or tarragon, lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne.

Carefully and tightly roll one end of the tortilla to the center, tucking sides in as you roll. Continue rolling tightly. Cut in half, wrap tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Makes 2 sandwiches.

PER SANDWICH: 314 CAL.; 8G PROT.; 10G TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT); 50G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 199MG SOD.; 8G FIBER. VEGAN

White Bean and

Gorgonzola Sandwich

The secret to this great sandwich is the spread. Serve it with the bread of your choice, a leaf or two of your favorite salad green and a slice of roasted or grilled vegetable such as eggplant, red bell pepper or zucchini from your local deli or salad bar. For the next day's lunch, top a microwaved baked potato with the spread.

3-oz. pkg. cream cheese 1 clove garlic, minced 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 Tbs. fresh parsley 2 Tbs. fresh basil 1/2 cup cooked white beans 6 oz. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled 4 English muffins, split Arugula leaves (see glossary, p. 126) Grilled vegetable slices of your choice

30 In food processor, process cream cheese with garlic and Parmesan cheese until smooth. Add parsley and basil; pulse briefly until herbs are chopped. Add beans; pulse just until beans are crushed and mixed with cheese and herbs. Do not overprocess as some texture is preferable. Remove mixture to small bowl; gently stir in Gorgonzola cheese.

Lay muffin halves on work surface. Top bottom halves with arugula and slices of grilled vegetable. Top other halves with 2 tablespoons each cheese mixture. Put muffin halves together to make sandwiches. Makes about 1 1/2 cups cheese spread and 4 sandwiches.

PER SANDWICH WITH 2 TABLESPOONS CHEESE SPREAD: 230 CAL.; 9G PROT.; 8G TOTAL FAT (5G SAT. FAT); 29G CARB; 20MG CHOL.; 625MG SOD.; 2G FIBER. LACTO

Green Tea and Mushroom

Broth with Miso

If your mornings are too rushed to make this easy broth, fix it the night before, reheat in the morning, then pour it into a wide-mouth thermos. The soup finishes "cooking" at work with the addition of miso just before lunch. If the tea is too strong, it overpowers the broth, so keep it on the weak side when steeping. If you prefer to avoid tea altogether, substitute vegetable stock.

1 green tea bag 3 cups boiling water or vegetable stock 1 tsp. olive oil 1/2 tsp. sesame oil (see glossary, p. 126) 1/4 cup finely diced onion 1/2 lb. thinly sliced white mushrooms (about 3 cups) 1/4 cup shredded carrot 2-inch piece lemongrass (see glossary, p. 126) or lemon zest 1 large clove garlic, minced 1 Tbs. miso, wrapped in plastic (see glossary, p. 126) Salt and pepper to taste

30 Steep tea in water or stock until brewed, about 4 minutes. Remove tea bag.

Heat 1-quart heavy saucepan until warm over medium heat. Add olive and sesame oils. Immediately add onion, mushrooms, carrot, lemongrass or lemon zest and garlic. Cook 4 to 5 minutes. Add tea; simmer gently 5 minutes. Pour into thermos.

When ready to eat, unwrap miso and drop in thermos. Cover and shake lightly. Makes 1 large serving or two 1-cup servings. PER 2-CUP SERVING: 179 CAL.; 7G PROT.; 8G TOTAL FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 22G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 646MG SOD.; 5G FIBER. VEGAN

Carrot and Ginger Soup

When you have carrots for dinner, cook a double batch to have leftovers for this soup or use frozen carrots that have been thawed as a shortcut. Don't forget to carry a carton of yogurt to work for the garnish.

1 Tbs. grated gingerroot (see glossary, p. 126) 3/4 cup chopped onion 1 Tbs. olive oil 2 tsp. curry powder 1-lb. bag frozen carrot slices, thawed, or 4 cups cooked carrot slices 4 cups "chicken" flavored vegetarian stock (see glossary, p. 126) Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Plain yogurt for garnish

30 In soup pot over medium heat, saute ginger and onion in oil until aromatic and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add curry powder; cook until fragrant but not burned, about 1 minute. Stir in carrots until coated with spices. Add 1 cup stock; cover pot and simmer carrots until tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove carrot mixture to food processor. In batches, process with small amounts of stock to desired consistency. Return mixture to soup pot; add remaining stock. Add salt and pepper. Heat through. When ready to serve, garnish with dollop of yogurt. Makes 5 servings. PER 1-CUP SERVING: 109 CAL.; 3G PROT.; 4G TOTAL FAT (0.4G SAT. FAT); 18G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 884MG SOD.; 5G FIBER. VEGAN

Fava Bean and

Spinach Soup

The classic version of this dish calls for soaking dried fava beans overnight, then washing, blanching and refreshing chopped chard leaves and stems, all of which is a bit time-consuming for lunch on the run. Here's a quicker version that's nearly as good as the original.

1 Tbs. minced garlic 1 Tbs. olive oil 2 10-oz. pkgs. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry 16-oz. can fava beans, rinsed and drained, (see glossary, p. 126) 14 1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes with juice 5 cups vegetable stock, divided Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Grated Romano cheese or extra-virgin olive oil for garnish (optional)

30 In soup pot, saute garlic in oil over medium heat until aromatic and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add spinach, half of beans, tomatoes and half of stock; simmer until spinach is tender, about 10 minutes.

In food processor, process spinach mixture to desired consistency. Return mixture to soup pot. Add remaining fava beans and stock. Season with salt and pepper; heat through. When ready to serve, garnish with cheese or oil. Makes 8 servings. PER 1-CUP SERVING: 96 CAL.; 7G PROT.; 3G TOTAL FAT (0 SAT. FAT); 14G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 799MG SOD.; 5G FIBER. VEGAN

Editor's Favorites

What do Vegetarian Times editors actually eat for lunch besides test kitchen goodies? We took a look at the refrigerator and found:

* bag of pre-peeled carrots and a container of homemade hummus

* raw potato (to microwave later) and a jar of salsa for a topping

* lefover risotto or pasta from dinner

* stuffed grape leaves from supermarket deli case and Greek salad

* prepackaged, marinated tofu diced and stirred in ramen noodles

* vegetarian sushi

* sweet potatoes mashed with black beans, red onion, a drop of lime juice and cilantro

* Eggplant Parmigiana layered on bread with a little grated mozzarella

* falafel patties in a pita round with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and barbeque sauce.

* refried beans, a tortilla and homemade salsa with chunks of veggies.

* hash browns topped with green beans and stewed tomatoes

* sesame noodles

Michael Foley lives in Chicago where he operates an organic farm, and co-owns with his father, the nationally acclaimed restaurant, Printer's Row.

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