Ultimate Reset Microgreen Salad Mason Jars

As I'm sure you know by now, I'm currently doing the Ultimate Reset. If you don't know, where have you been or where are you hiding?? One of the biggest commitments with the Ultimate Reset is meal planning and prep. So anything I can do to help with less meal prep is great! Well, as you also know, I'm a HUGE fan of mason jar salads. That's where this post comes in.

The first week on the Reset, I made a salad for myself almost every night, either for lunch or dinner. It wasn't until the end of the week that I thought, well this is dumb, why not make it all at once and then I can just grab and go! So for week 2, that's exactly what I did.

This is a very simple recipe and salad, but very filling and delicious. Especially with the dressing. You can also add in any other veggies that you enjoy and top with whatever protein you like - chicken would be perfect! You can also top with toasted seeds or nuts (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, etc).

Best part - without the toppings, these are ULTIMATE RESET APPROVED!!!

Finished Mason Jar Salads

Here are the salad ingredients. This is enough for 4 16oz mason jars.

1 bag mixed greens
1 C shredded carrots (I cut mine into match stick sized pieces)
1 C chopped cucumber
1 C chopped red pepper (I used yellow)
1 C sprouts (I did not include these in mine)
1 C chopped tomato (I used cherry tomatoes because they last longer in the mason jar)
1 C jicama (again, I did not include this)
Fresh herbs of your choice (basil, cilantro, dill, etc)

And the dressing ingredients:
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
1/8 C red wine vinegar
2 T balsamic vinegar (if desired)
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp Ground pepper (to taste)
1/2 tsp honey, agave, or pure maple syrup (I used syrup)
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 tsp fresh herbs of your choice (basil, cilantro, dill, etc)

To make, I combined all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisked together. Then I poured the dressing evenly over the bottom of the four mason jars. Then you add in the vegetables in layers as follows: red pepper, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, sprouts (if added), jicama (if added), and fresh herbs. Top with the mixed greens to fill as much as possible. Screw on the tops and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you're ready to eat, shake it up, pour it out, and ENJOY!

Did I mention how easy and yummy these are?

Ready to Enjoy!!

Ultimate Reset Week 1 Review

It's been a few weeks since my last blog post - things have been a bit busy! This post will be focused on a recap of my first week on the Ultimate Reset!

For those of you who don't know what the Reset is, here are a few short statements from the Team Beachbody site:

"In just three weeks, you'll steer your body from mere survival back to a state of "thrival." In just 21 days, you'll take back your power. Bolster your health. Release what no longer serves you—and never did. Learn. Cleanse. And if you're not already, you'll become 100 percent in awe of the remarkable creation that you are."

However, it is NOT designed to leave you in the bathroom 24/7! In fact, in the first week, I've kept my normal bathroom schedule (sorry if TMI!). 

So why did I choose to do the Reset? Well, I gained a few pounds on my last headache medication. I have been really struggling to get those off. I also felt like I was eating the same foods day in and day out without really branching out and trying new. Finally, I wanted to make sure I was in the best shape and health when we start training for the Chicago Marathon on June 23!

As a summary, the first week has been amazing. I struggled a bit with being achy all over and feeling like I had the flu during a few evenings in the middle of the week, but outside of that I've felt great. The food is very very good AND as an added bonus, I've lost 3.8 pounds and my pants are looser.

Now for the recap - during week 1 there are 4 different supplements you take. Mineralize is taken 4 times a day mixed with water, Optimize is taken 3 times a day in capsule form, Alkalinize is taken once a day mixed with water, and Soothe is taken once a day in capsule form. The capsules and Mineralize are easy to get donw. The Alkalinize is a bit rough. It's a whole bunch of grass powders that you mix in with water. If you've ever had a wheatgrass shot, it's about 3 times the quantity and no where near as sweet. Still not absolutely terrible though.

The food has been nothing short of awesome. Here was my meal plan for the week.

Here were my favorite breakfast, lunch, and dinners for the week.

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Apples & Flax Seed and Organic Greek Yogurt sweetened with pure maple syrup

Lunch - Quinoa Salad with cucumbers and tomatoes

Dinner - Nori Rolls with Tempeh, carrots, cucumbers, avacado, and quinoa (my rolls fell apart, but the insides were delicious)

My least favorite meal was the miso soup. The soup itself was good, but I think I may have added too much seaweed, which took over the taste of the dish. I'm making a hearty vegetable miso soup in week 2, so I'm going to go easy on the seaweed and see how it turns out.

I'm really excited for week 2. I've been very pleased with the amount of energy I have and the fact that I haven't been overly hungry at all. I've still been able to keep up with most of my running (although at a bit slower pace), but I have cut back significantly on the cross training. Bring on more yummy meals!

If you have any questions on the Ultimate Reset or would like anymore information about it, send me an email (fitmindfitmama@yahoo.com) or comment below!

Asian Mandarin Chicken Mason Jar Salad

My latest mason jar salad experiment is an Asian Mandarin Chicken Salad. It definitely wasn't as good as the peanut sauce and soba noodle salad or the taco salad, but I'll still keep this one in my rotation. I may try it with the peanut sauce next time around. I think that'll make a huge difference! It was really good, just not amazing! I guess the bar has been set way high! This was also a lot more work and clean up than the others required....

This one will make 5 16oz mason jars. Adjust quantities as desired.

Ingredients for Dressing (Asian Vinaigrette):
3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp Braggs Amino Acids (you can also use soy sauce)
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp hot Chinese mustard
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 cup EVOO

Ingredients for the salad:
1/4 package rice stick noodles
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp EVOO
2 cans mandarin oranges (I bought the no sugar added ones)
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds
2 Tbsp black sesame seeds
Romaine lettuce, shredded or chopped

Finished Salads!

I started by seasoning the chicken with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. I also added a few tablespoons of Braggs Amino Acids (again, could use soy sauce). I cooked the chicken at 350* for 20 min covered and 10 min uncovered. Meanwhile, I cooked the rice stick noodles according to the package to make them soft. Once the rice stick noodles were cooked, I drained and placed them on some paper towel to dry off a bit. I did the same thing with the mandarin oranges - drained and patted dry with paper towel.

While the noodles and chicken were cooking, I combined all the ingredients into a small bowl for the dressing. Once it was all whisked together, I evenly spread the dressing at the bottom of the 5 mason jars.

Next, I added the sesame seeds to a frying pan with the tablespoon of EVOO on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Once the chicken was chopped into small pieces, I added the chicken to the pan and tossed to coat the pieces in the seeds. At the same time in a separate pan, I toasted the almonds.

All that's left was to layer. With the dressing on the bottom, I added the cooked rice sticks. This helps them soak up the dressing and have more flavor. Next I added the chicken, then the mandarin oranges, then the almonds, and finally the lettuce.

These can be stored up to 5 days in the fridge. When you are ready to enjoy, just shake up and pour onto a plate or into a bowl. Super easy and tasty! Like I said earlier, next time I may try it with peanut sauce. I also would add more veggies (carrots? red/green/yellow peppers? cucumbers?). Still very tasty, just worth playing around with a bit!

 Lunch time!!

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!