It's almost Thanksgiving and it's finally starting to feel like fall in New Orleans. This is a vegan twist on the classic White Russian, with some pumpkin spice to really get you in the fall spirit. This would be a great addition to a Thanksgiving meal!
Prep time: 10 mins
Yield: 2
Serving Size: 1 8oz mason jar
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 1/4 cup Kahlúa
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
- Ice
Directions
- Combine the vodka, Kahlúa, almond milk and spice in a 16oz mason jar and fill the rest with ice. Add the lid and shake well.
- Use the lid of the mason jar to strain and pour into 2 8oz mason jars.
- Garnish with some extra pumpkin spice and enjoy!
- Pro tip: use a Mason-re koozie to keep it cool longer and keep your fingers from getting chilled!
Inspiration for this recipe came from Amy The Blond Cook
Recently I had curry cauliflower tacos and thought, "Hey, I should make this into a mason jar salad." Besides being delicious, curry powder has some health benefits, such as preventing heart disease, increasing bone health and protecting the immune system.
Prep time: 1 hour
Yield: 5 servings
Serving size: 1 16oz mason jar
Ingredients
- 5 cups of spinach and arugula
- 1.5 cups of grape tomatoes
- 1/4 cup of dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup of dry quinoa
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- 5 oz of olive oil and vinegar
- 1/4 cup of cashews
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of curry powder
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Roast the curry cauliflower: preheat the oven to 375. Then chop the cauliflower into florets and mix in a bowl with the olive oil, curry powder, garlic powder, turmeric and some salt and pepper. Mix until all the florets are coated and then spread out on a baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes. Once they're done cooking, place in a bowl and refrigerate until cool.
- While the cauliflower is roasting, cook the quinoa: bring the 1/2 cup of quinoa and 1 cup of water to a boil and then cover and let sit for 15 minutes or until nice and fluffy.
- Add spices to the quinoa: curry, garlic, salt pepper to taste. Refrigerate until cool.
- Cut the tomatoes in half.
- Layer the ingredients evenly across 5 mason jars in this order: olive oil & vinegar, tomatoes, quinoa, cranberries, cauliflower, greens, cashews.
- Add lids to the jars and store in the fridge upright to enjoy all week long!
This mason jar salad is a combination of foods that remind me of fall. Besides, being tasty, this salad is packed with nutrients. Just to name a few: chickpeas are high in both protein and fiber and contain several essential vitamins and minerals. Wild rice takes longer to cook than other types of rice, but it makes up for it with its added antioxidants and protein. Pine nuts also contain a variety of vitamins and antioxidants. While drying cranberries reduces their vitamin content, they still are high in fiber and antioxidants.
Hopefully you enjoy this salad as much as I am while I'm writing this! Here's the recipe:
Prep time: 1 hour
Yield: 5 servings
Serving size: 1 16oz mason jar
Ingredients
- 5 cups of kale and spinach
- 1/2 cup of feta cheese
- 1/4 cup of pine nuts
- 1/2 cup of dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup of dry wild rice
- 1 cup of chickpeas
- 2 pears
- 5 oz of olive oil and vinaigrette
- Pinches of salt and pepper and a teaspoon of olive oil to roast the chickpeas
Directions
- Start by cooking the wild rice since it will take the longest time: bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Then stir in the wild rice, reduce heat and simmer for 45-60 minutes. For a softer texture, cook a bit longer and for a firmer texture, cook for a shorter time. Once you like the texture, remove from heat, drain the extra water, if necessary, and set aside to cool down.
- While the rice is cooking, start roasting the chickpeas: preheat the oven to 450 degrees; drain the chickpeas and blot dry; mix in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper; spread out on a baking pan; bake for 35-40 minutes until brown. Refrigerate until cool.
- Chop the pear.
- Layer the ingredients evenly across 5 mason jars in this order: dressing, pear, cranberries, wild rice, cheese, chickpeas, kale/spinach, pine nuts.
- Add lids and store vertically in the fridge and enjoy all week long!
Quinoa is a great gluten-free alternative to rice. It's also an excellent source of protein. So this Quinoa 'Fried Rice' is a delicious option for gluten-free folks as well as vegetarians! Works well as a side dish or a main meal :)
Prep time: 30 mins
Yield: 2 servings
Serving size: 1 16oz mason jar
Ingredients
- 1 cup of dry quinoa
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 of an onion
- 1/2 of one large carrot
- 1/4 cup of shelled edamame
- 1/4 cup of broccoli
- 5 oz of soy sauce
- Teaspoon of olive oil
Directions
- Cook the quinoa: bring the 1/2 cup of quinoa and 1 cup of water to a boil and then cover and let sit for 15 mins or until nice and fluffy. Set aside.
- While the quinoa is cooking, prep the veggies: chop the onion, carrots and broccoli.
- Caramelize the onions: No oil needed for this step, just preheat a saucepan, add the onions and stir. Add some water and stir until water evaporates. Repeat the process until the onions reach your desired level of caramelization.
- In the same saucepan, add some oil and scramble the eggs.
- Once the eggs are scrambled, add the carrots, broccoli and edamame. Stir.
- Add the quinoa and then the soy sauce to taste.
- Let cool and enjoy.
- Store leftovers in a mason jar for a tasty lunch the next day!
Have you jumped on the zoodles bandwagon yet? Zucchini noodles (made via a spiralizer) are a great alternative to traditional pasta because they're low in calories and carbs. They're also gluten-free and contain more vitamins and minerals (such as vitamins A, C and B, potassium and fiber) than traditional pasta. Plus, they're way quicker to make than pasta- I use this simple handheld spiralizer and it works great!
This salad is based off one of my go-to dinners. The only difference for the hot version is that I stir-fry everything on the stove and add a scrambled egg. So, for the salad version, I added quinoa instead to get some protein.
Prep time: 30 mins
Yield: 5 servings
Serving size: 1 16oz mason jar
Ingredients
- 2 zucchinis
- 1 onion
- 1/2 cup of raw quinoa
- 1/2 cup of shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup of broccoli
- 5 oz of Thai peanut dressing
- 1/8 cup of sesame seeds
Directions
- Cook the quinoa: bring the 1/2 cup of quinoa and 1 cup of water to a boil and then cover and let sit for 15 mins or until nice and fluffy. Refrigerate until cool.
- Prep the veggies: chop 1/4 of the onion, shred the carrots, chop the broccoli and spiralize the zucchini.
- Layer the ingredients evenly across 5 mason jars in this order: dressing, onions, broccoli, carrots, quinoa, zucchini, sesame seeds.
- Store upright in the fridge and enjoy all week long!
Fall is finally here! It's my favorite season, so in honor of that I made this fall-inspired mason jar salad. It's filling and easy to prepare.
Prep time: 40 mins
Yield: 5 servings
Serving size: 1 16oz mason jar
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups of shredded brussels sprouts
- 2.5 cups of mixed greens
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 2 pears
- 1 pomegranate
- 1/2 cup of goat cheese
- 1/2 cup of raw Harvest Grain Blend (Israeli Style Couscous, Orzo, Baby Garbanzo Beans & Red Quinoa- from Trader Joes)
- 5 oz of olive oil & vinegar dressing
Directions
-
Cook the grain blend (bring the 1/2 cup of the grain blend and 1 cup of water to a boil and then cover and let sit for 15 mins or until nice and fluffy. Refrigerate until cool).
- Remove the seeds from the pomegranate (I use the under water method for this- cut the pomegranate in half, then submerge one half into a bowl of water and use your hands to break the pomegranate apart and separate the seeds from the white membrane. The seeds will sink to the bottom and the white membrane will float to the top. Then remove the large floating pieces and strain the seeds).
- Chop the pears (I left the skin on for extra crunch) and shred the brussels sprouts.
- Layer the ingredients evenly among 5 mason jars in this order: dressing, pears, grain blend, cheese, pomegranate seeds, mixed greens, brussels sprouts, pumpskin seeds.
- Add lids and store upright in the fridge to enjoy all week long.
It's TACO TUESDAY! Who doesn't love tacos? This week's mason jar salad is a tasty taco salad. Definitely one of my favs.
Prep time: 30 mins
Yield: 5 servings
Serving size: 1 16oz mason jar
Ingredients
- 5 cups of shredded butter lettuce
- 2 taco shells
- 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup of raw quinoa
- 1/2 cup of shredded carrots
- 1 zucchini
- 1 bell pepper
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 5 oz of salsa
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa: bring the 1/2 cup of quinoa and 1 cup of water to a boil and then cover and let sit for 15 mins or until nice and fluffy. Refrigerate until cool.
- Prep the ingredients: chop the zucchini, onion and pepper; shred the carrots and cheese; crush the taco shells.
- Layer the ingredients evenly across 5 mason jars in this order: salsa, onion, peppers, zucchini, carrots, quinoa, cheese, lettuce, taco shells.
- Store in the fridge and enjoy all week long!
This week's lunch is a delicious mason jar garden salad. It's healthy, light, refreshing and quick to prepare.
Prep time: 30 mins
Yield: 5 servings
Serving size: 1 16oz mason jar
Ingredients
- 5 cups of mixed greens
- 1/2 cup of pistachios
- 1/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
- 1.5 cups of mandarin oranges
- 1/2 cup of shredded carrots
- 1.5 cups of grape tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 5 oz of balsamic vinaigrette
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients: chop the cucumber, cut the tomatoes in half, shred the carrots and the parmesan cheese, shell the pistachios.
- Layer the ingredients evenly across 5 mason jars, in this order: dressing, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, oranges, cheese, lettuce, pistachios.
- Store in the fridge and enjoy all week long!
Down in hot and humid New Orleans, cold brew coffee is brilliant. It's SUPER easy to make at home the night before and grab and go on your way out the door. AND it's waste free because the filter is reusable. Here's what I do:
Ingredients/Supplies
Instructions
- Fit the filter over the lip of a wide mouth canning jar.
- Grind your beans medium/course if needed.
- Put your desired amount of coffee into the filter. A good rule of thumb is 3/4 cup ground coffee to every 4 cups of water. So, if you are using a 16oz mason jar, this would be 3/8 cup of coffee.
- Wet the dry coffee thoroughly and let sit for about 30 seconds. This helps avoid dry pockets which lead to a weak brew.
- Fill the rest of the jar with cold filtered water.
- Close the filter and tie the string around the top of the filter to make sure it is fully closed.
- Place the jar in the fridge for 6-12 hours (I leave it overnight).
- After brewing, carefully take the filter out and discard the coffee grounds (you can compost these) and then thoroughly wash the filter.
- You can store the cold brewed coffee in the fridge up to a week. When you're ready to drink it, add cream/sugar to your liking (I add almond milk) and enjoy :)
My go-to drink is always a Vodka Soda with a Lime, so I love this variation. It's a little more adventurous than my go-to drink, and so light and refreshing. Perfect for these final days of summer!
Prep time: 10 mins
Yield: 2
Serving Size: 1 8oz mason jar
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber
- 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 10 mint leaves
- 3 ounces of vodka
- 1 cup of club soda
- 1 cup of ice
Directions
- Peel the cucumber and cut into 4 sections. Place in a blender with some water and blend until smooth.
- Strain the cucumber puree.
- Combine the mint leaves, 2 quarters of the lime and sugar in a mason jar and muddle.
- Add the cucumber juice, vodka and ice. Seal the mason jar and shake well.
- Pour the mixture into 2 8oz mason jars and top with club soda (use the lid from the mason jar to strain).
- Stir, garnish with cucumber and mint leaves and enjoy!
