Mason Jar Salad - Asian Salad

Mason Jar Salad - Asian Salad

I did this one a few weeks ago and didn't post a recipe. But it is a winner for sure!!! So good and so filling. I can't wait to make it again. I definitely recommend giving this one a try.

When I made it, I didn't have all of the ingredients for the dressing, so I used a store bought low sodium spicy peanut dressing. My only change next time will be to actually make the dressing at home. One so it's healthier and also so I can make it less spicy! The ingrediant I was missing was sambal oelek, but I found out after the fact that it is a type of chili paste. Since I don't like much spice, I may go without or use a pinch of chili powder instead the next time around.

Finished Jars

This recipe is for 4 16oz mason jars. Adjust quantities as needed.

Ingredients for the Dressing:
-2 Tbsp peanut butter
-4 tsp sambal oelek
-4 tsp rice vinegar
-4 tsp soy sauce
-1/4 cup EVOO
-1 Tbsp black sesame seeds

Ingredients for the Salad:
-4 oz soba noodles
-1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
-1 cup shelled edamame, cooked
-2 large carrots, shredded (and peeled if you prefer)
-4 green onions, thinly sliced
-1/2 cup crunchy rice noodles

To start, cook the noodles and edamame according to the directions on the package. I ended up buying dried edamame and reconstituting it in a pot of boiling water. I couldn't taste the difference, but fresh would be healthier. While those are cooking, stir together all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

Divide the dressing equally between the 4 mason jars. Divide the cooked doodles evenly and add on top of the dressing. Layer the remaining ingredients in order. When I make this again, I will leave the rice noodles out and add the day I enjoy the salad to keep them crisp. They were still good in the jars, but did not add any crunch to the salad.

To add protein, you could add 3-4 oz of grilled steak or pork on top of the finished salad!

Ready to eat!

Mason Jar Salad - Taco Salad

Oh my! This is a mason jar salad you do NOT want to miss. Amazing!! So easy and tastes fantastic. And have I mentioned how much I love mason jar salads? They save great and it's so nice to have lunches for the week that don't require prep every morning! Oh, not to mention this stuff is healthy! Tastes great + healthy = score!!

Finished Taco Salad

This recipe will make 4 16oz mason jar salads. Adjust the quantities if you are making different sizes.

Dressing:
5 Tbsp lime juice
2 tsp honey
2 Tbsp EVOO
1-2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt

Salad:
1 cup black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup diced bell pepper (I used yellow and orange)
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 small avocado, diced (use lime juice to reduce browning)
4 Tbsp salsa
Sliced lettuce to fill

To start, get the quinoa cooking as it takes the longest. Next, whisk all of the dressing ingredients together. Taste and adjust the salt, cumin, and honey levels to your desire. Pour evenly in the bottom of the 4 jars.

Then all that's left is to chop up all the ingredients and layer in the jar in the order they are listed above (black beans, diced peppers, green onions, quinoa, avocado, salsa, and top with lettuce). After I rinsed the black beans, I patted them dry with paper towel. I did the same thing with the quinoa.

Then store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Did I already mention how easy these were? I do plan to make some shredded chicken this week to top the salad with.When you're ready to eat, shake the jar and pour onto a plate. You can also top with sour cream (I used low fat) or cheese. Enjoy!

So good!!

Stir Fried Veggies - Amazing and Easy!!

I have recently fallen in love with stir fried veggies. I originally found a recipe that is on the 21 Day Ultimate Reset, however, there are so many options this never gets old!

Last night I had stir fried veggies with brown rice and turkey kielbasa. Earlier in the week, I had stir fried veggies with soba noodles. I also made stir fried veggies with roasted turkey. You get my point, the possibilities are endless.

Veggies with Soba Noodles

So where to start? Pick whatever veggies you want to make. My favorites are red, green, or yellow peppers, carrots, and broccoli. I also want to experiment with squash and asparagus. I've used zucchini before as well. But there are so many more you can throw in too. Sugar snap peas are another one that come to mind! If you want to add rice or noodles, brown rice is my favorite and healthy. Quinoa would also be a good choice! Then if you want a protein, the sky is the limit. Turkey, chicken, steak, pork, really anything!

Here is my recipe from last night:

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp sesame oil (add a bit more oil if you are going to increase the amount of veggies!)
3/4c broccoli florets
2 medium sized carrots, cut into 2in pieces and cut into 1/3rds
1 bell pepper (I used 1/2 yellow and 1/2 red)
1/2c brown rice, cooked
2oz turkey kielbasa
2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce

To start, heat both oils in a large skillet. While those are heating, get the rice cooking. I use minute rice so that it's quicker. The veggies take less than 10 minutes to make. If your rice takes longer, get that started first. Once hot, add the carrots for a minute or two and stir frequently. Then add the broccoli and peppers. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, again stirring frequently. Add the protein, in this case the kielbasa, at the end to warm. Remove from heat, add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and stir. I add the other tablespoon of the soy sauce to the rice. Then, combine on a plate and ENJOY! See how easy that is? And trust me, it's amazing!

Finished Product in Skillet

Mason Jar Sprout Salad Recipe

I LOVE mason jar salad recipes. They are so easy to make, stay fresh in the fridge for up to five day, and taste fantastic! This recipe was no different.

Finished Product!

First off, the recipe I started with is as follows. This is portioned to make 4 16oz mason jar salads.

Basil Vinaigrette Dressing:
*10 Tbsp olive oil (I used EVOO)
*5 Tbsp red wine vinegar
*8-12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
*2 heaping tsp sweet Dijon mustard
*Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Salad:
*1c cooked chickpeas
*1/2c grated carrots
*1c cherry tomatoes (leave intact to preserve freshness)
*1c shelled edamame beans
*1/2c pine nuts, or your preference of nut (I used sliced almonds...pine nuts are pricey!)
*1c fresh sprouts (I used alfalfa and snack sprouts)

I started by cooking the chickpeas as directed on the package. I also had to cook the edamame beans, since the only ones I could find shelled were dried. So I boiled them in some water for a few minutes to reconstitute them.

While those were boiling, I made the basil vinaigrette dressing. I added all of the ingredients into a Tupperware bowl and shook them up. I didn't have any sweet Dijon mustard, so I mixed regular Dijon and honey mustard together. It tasted good, so I went with it.

Once the chickpeas were done, I rinsed and drained them and added them to the dressing. I shook up the mix once again. Then portioned the dressing and chickpeas evenly into each of the jars. I will say that the dressing could be cut in half. There was WAY too much dressing on the salad. A little bit of EVOO goes a long way!

All that's left is to layer the remaining ingredients. The order from top to bottom that I used: cherry tomatoes, carrots, edemame, sliced almonds, snack sprouts, and alfalfa sprouts). The idea is to layer heaviest on the bottom and lightest on top.

You can store them in the fridge for up to 5 days and when you're ready to enjoy, just shake and pour onto a plate or bowl! It's so easy!

Edit: with the reduced amount of dressing (which made it so much better!), this recipe per serving is 391 calories, 32g of carbs, 24g of fat, and 13g of protein. I may add extra protein (shredded chicken or turkey) to it!

Ready to enjoy!