Wheat Berry Fruit Jar Salads

 Shonna just keeps coming up with great ideas for these Jar Salads.  She is so inventive and creative.  This one sounds delicious.  Make them one day each week, store them in the fridge, and eat one each day for a week of delicious, healthy lunches. 

Wheat Berry Fruit Jar Salads

Layer in each of 7 quart Mason jars:

Bottom Layer: 1/4 cup cauliflower rice

2L: 1/2 cup wheat berries

3L: 1/2 apple, diced

4L: 1/3 orange, leave in a big chunk and cut up when you eat

5L: Apple juice sweetened craisins ( a handful)

Greens:  Top with spinach to fill the jar- 1 1/2 - 2 cups

Toppings when served: toasted pecans and crumbled feta cheese

Dressing (times this by 3 or 4 for 7 salads)

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

3 T. honey

1 T. apple cider vinegar

1 T. freshly squeezed lemon

1/8 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

OR

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

4 heaping T Dijon

6 T honey or agave

3/4 cup orange juice

zest from 1 orange

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Blend all in a blender, then slowly stream in 1/2 cup olive oil.

Salt and pepper

Or you can just make a big salad and the dressing and serve it to your family.  Michelle did a combination of those ideas.  She served it to her family, then stored the rest in the fridge.  She said this salad was absolutely delicious.  Everyone liked it.  She made the top dressing (above) and loved it.

Plastic containers work too.  

Balsamic Berry Quinoa Salad

 Here is another delicious, nutritious jar salad recipe from Shonna- the queen of jar salads.  She has made quite a name for herself in her neighborhood  and community with her jar salads.  

Balsamic Berry Quinoa Salad

BL: 3/4 cup cooked quinoa total.  Divide between 6 or 7 jars. After it's cooked, spread out on a cookie sheet to dry a bit, then cool it before putting it in jars.  It will be about 1/3 cup in each jar.  The rest of the recipe amounts will be for each jar.

2L:  1/4 cup quartered strawberries

3L:  1/4 cup blueberries

4L:  a couple of chunks of goat cheese crumbles or Feta crumbles

5L:  1/2 avocado, diced (I prefer to add this on the day I eat it.)

6L:  2 cups mixed greens, arugula or baby spinach

Toppings: 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds (or chopped roasted almonds)

Balsamic Raspberry Vinaigrette

6 T. balsamic vinegar

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 minced garlic cloves

2 tsps. dijon mustard

2 T. raspberry jam

Salt and pepper, to taste

Add all the ingredients to a blender except the olive oil.  Blend briefly, then while it is mixing pour in the olive oil slowly, allowing it to emulsify.   

Tuscan Salmon

 Shonna made this delicious salmon recipe and said it was out of this world good.  I can't wait to try it.

Tuscan Salmon

4  6oz. salmon fillets

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 T. butter

3 cloves garlic, mashed or minced

1 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes

2 cups baby spinach

1/2 cup heavy cream

 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped parsley or basil

Lemon wedges

 Over medium-high heat, heat some olive oil  Meanwhile, season the salmon with salt and pepper.  When oil shimmers, add the salmon, skin-side up.  Cook until deeply golden.  It will take about 6 minutes.  Turn over and cook for about two more minutes.  Move the salmon to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter.  When melted, add the garlic and cook and stir for about a minute.  Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.  When the tomatoes are beginning to burst, add the spinach and cook until the spinach is beginning to wilt.

Stir in the cream, parmesan, and herbs.  Bring to a simmer.  Turn to low and simmer until the sauce is reduced-  about three minutes.

Return the salmon to the skillet and simmer until the salmon is cooked through.  It should take about three more minutes.

Garnish with more herbs and served with lemon wedges.

Four "P" Salad

Ready for another jar salad recipe?  Shonna says this is one of her two favorite of all her jar salad recipes.  She loves it and makes it every few weeks.

Four "P" Salad

BL:  1/2 cup chopped apples

1L:  1/3 cup chopped pear (you can put the pear in lemon water or apple juice first so that they don't brown)

2L: 1/3 cup pomegranate arils (fresh is good if available, but you can also use frozen- found in the freezer section)

3L:  2 cups greens (Green leaf and mixed greens)

4L:  2 TBSP feta crumbles

Toppings:  small handful each of pistachios and pepitas

Pomegranate Yogurt Dressing

1 5.3 oz container Greek yogurt (Chobani Pomegranate Greek yogurt)

3 Tablespoons Sweet Asian Chili sauce

2 Tablespoons pomegranate juice

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar (I like to add a bit more)

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk ingredients in a bowl until incorporated.  Keep in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.

Source:  I got the base of this recipe from Carlsbadcravings.com.  I tweaked it a bit to my taste.  The dressing has strange ingredients, but it is totally amazing!