Mason Jar Salad

I just want to start this post by saying, I love mason jars. I literally have an entire kitchen cupboard devoted to them. I use them for everything: salads, soups, sauces, milks, leftovers, desserts. You name it, I make it in one. I have even bought several blenders based on the fact that they fit a standard mason jar.

That being said, this is probably on of my favorite uses for them. I am currently on week 3 of Wildfit, and in week 2 we upped our vegetable consumption. Enter in the humble salad. I make one every morning with my Alkagizer and fruit plate. In my mind, you might as well get as much chopping done at once as you can. I used a wide mouth jar for this application, and I just pour in into a big bowl of  pre-washed, pre-cut lettuce when I'm ready to eat it. Feel free to change up the veg seasonally or to taste. With two cups of lettuce this has 5 servings of vegetables.

Mason Jar Salad

1 serving of salad dressing (see below)

1/2 avocado

6 cherry tomatoes

1 green/spring onion

1/2 cucumber

1 carrot, shredded

2 cups lettuce/greens of choice

1. Make your dressing on the bottom on a pint wide-mouth mason jar. 
2. Layer in the cut veggies. 
3. When ready to eat, dump over 2 cups of lettuce/greens.

Salad Dressings Four Ways

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 pinch sea salt

1 pinch garlic powder

1 pinch Italian seasoning*

Great add ins: beets, sunflower seeds

Italian Dressing

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp apple cider or white wine vinegar

1 pinch sea salt

1 pinch garlic powder

1 pinch onion powder

1 pinch Italian seasoning*

Great add ins: olives, chickpeas

Cilantro Lime Dressing

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp lime juice

1 pinch sea salt

1 pinch garlic powder

1 pinch Mexican seasoning*

2 sprigs cilantro, chopped fine

Great add ins: bell peppers, mushrooms

Asian Ginger Dressing

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp lime juice or rice wine vinegar

1 tsp coconut aminos

1 pinch sea salt

1/2 clove garlic, grated

1/2 inch fresh ginger, grated

Great add ins: snap peas, mushrooms, sunflower seeds

*I love Frontier Co-op Spices. When choosing a spice blend make sure to check the ingredients list to make sure it is sugar and additive free. 

Until next time...

- Melissa

Vegan Taco Salad

I promise, up front, that you will never miss the meat/dairy in this dish. Now, growing up I loved taco night. The bright colors and flavors and the nearly endless possibilities. I would mix and match the ingredients until I couldn't eat another bite. When cleaning up our diet we came up with variation after variation on the theme: Fajita pockets (chicken, veggies and whole wheat pita pockets), Veggie Burritos (veggies and beans in a whole-wheat tortilla, which turned into "Flop-o's" because you couldn't roll them, just flop them over), and finally Taco Salad.


This is one of my favorite Green eating make-overs. I added the recipes for some of the pieces I make from scratch. (Note: 1 cup dried beans = 1 can, but the can lining may contain BPA, so really read the labels.) Fiesta Seasoning is a staple in our kitchen, and is in all three recipes below. You can buy it, in bulk, in Fred Meyer's natural section, or at New Seasons. I love this dish, and  I hope you fall in love with it too.

Taco Salad
Serves 2

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion
4 mushrooms
1 clove garlic
1/2 bell pepper
1 zucchini
2 tsp Fiesta Seasoning
(chili powder, garlic, cumin)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup Bean Paste*

1/2 head lettuce
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup olives
1 tomato
Guacamole**
salsa
corn chips

1. In a skillet, heat oil. Add in onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Saute until caramelized. Toss in bell pepper, zucchini, salt and spices. Cook until tender.  Stir in bean paste. Set aside
2. Wash and rough chop the lettuce, spinach and cilantro. Place on serving plates. Slice olives and tomatoes and set aside. 
3. Layer over the salad the vegetable mixture, guacamole, salsa, tomatoes, olives and corn chips. Serve.

*Homemade Bean Paste

1 cup of mixed dried beans

(black, kidney and pinto)

2 cloves garlic

3 tsp Fiesta Seasoning

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

Fresh Cilantro

1. Soak beans overnight. Rinse and place in a sauce pan. Cover with water, and add in garlic and half the spices and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook covered for 20 minutes. Drain.
2. In a blender, place the cooked beans and garlic. Add in the olive oil, remaining spices and cilantro. Blend until smooth. Serve, or refrigerate for up to a week.

**Homemade Guacamole

1 avocado

1 tsp Fiesta Seasoning

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp fresh lemon or line juice

1. In a bowl, mash up avocado. Season and squeeze in juice. Stir until combined. Serve.

Until next time...

- Melissa