salad in a jar Q/A and my kitchen wall :)

 

 many questions have been asked since i posted my salad picture yesterday and while i don't have the monopoly on answers ;) i will answer to my experience and what i did to make these salads THM workable. 

Q.  how long do they last?

• i have had these last up to 2 weeks.  i do think packing them tightly is what keeps them so fresh.  the other trick is to keep your dressing as far away from your greens as possible.  i actually like doing this so much more than daily preparing a salad, because once i have thought and planned, i don't have to think again on my meal choice, either for lunch or when the rest of the family wants something NOT THM friendly.  it also makes the greens last MUCH longer than when they are in their bulk containers.

Q.  what kind of jars and where do you get them?

• i kinda covered this in my first post about these little gems.  i use mason or ball jars.  i have also used walmart brand.  they are canning/jelly jars.  they are in the area with storage/canning supplies or pickling supplies.  i have found them at target, walmart, true value stores and grocery stores.  i use mason jars for EVERY. STINKIN. THING. so i have them lying around.  i don't like the metal rings as they rust easily and there are 2 parts to keep up with.  the plastic lids can be found in the same section with the jars.  this is a great time to stock up on them because with the gardening season comes canning season. but any jar with a lid will do.  i have tried these with plastic containers but the salads just don't last as long.  these jars are the widemouth pint and quart.  

Q.  do you have to seal them, vacuum pack, etc? 

• nope

Q.  what kind of protein do i use?

• again, i covered this a bit in my last post but i keep getting questions.  i use chicken, turkey (either cooked at home or deli meat--boars head without fillers, sugars, etc.)  i have used ground beef as taco meat.  one of my favorites is to buy a package of salami and pepperoni and chop that up and make it an italian type salad.  i will usually take a boiled egg with me to put on top as there is barely room for anything else and taking an egg is not a big deal.  

Q. what kind of dressings?

• i typically make my own but the creamy one in the photo is one i found at whole foods.  its a white cheddar and doesn't have all the junk most dressings have.

Q.  what other salads can you make?

• again, i found these on pinterest.....you can too!  if you don't eat THM, its your choice.  if you do follow the THM plan, find a recipe you like and just substitue or leave out what makes it not on plan for you.  i typically do well with a cross over meal tossed in frequently, so i just make sure the ingredients are still on plan.

any more questions?  i am happy to answer what i know and what i don't, i will make up and act like i know ;)

oh...and my wall, LOL....i may have gotten more questions about this than the jars.  as  you can see its in need of some TLC, but when we moved in this house, it was VERY 90's with floral wallpaper EVERYWHERE.  we had just moved from a 100 year old victorian and i wanted to keep my stuff and the look.  i wanted my kitchen to look like a farm house/kitchen.  we decided to keep the wall paper and paint over it to 1) save money and 2) keep the smooth walls.  I LOVE IT.  i have several kitchen gadgets from flea markets and my grandma and also decided to hang my cast iron skillet.  voila.  nothing spectacular but its mine and i love it.

trim healthy mama and how i make it work for me.

last august i found this eating plan completely by accident.  my dr had prescribed apple cider vinegar to be taken daily.  this became a little more than  i could tolerate well...as in i couldn't choke it down any more.  i posted something on facebook about needing to find another way to chug it and all these comments about good girl moonshine kept poppin up.  when i googled that (secretely hoping it had tequila in it) THM was mentioned in almost every post.  i looked that up and i have been on a get healthier journey that is finally working for me.  if you want to know more, google it....what did i ever do before google?????  if you want to hear more about my own personal journey with THM, i am HAPPY to oblige.  

it has been a trial and error situation for me, and add in beginning to work full time, i had a challenge on how to make this continue working for me.  i have some regular things that work well and i would love to write about it all, but you can find most of what i do on pinterest or facebook.   BUT.  i have made it work for ME.  

this is one of those things.  i have seen these little jewels on pinterest for years now and been afraid to try them.  i LOVE salads!  but only when someone else does all the prep work.  I love salad bars but they are too pricey for me.  and i NEEEEED more salads in my life.  so.   i decided to bite the bullet and try these out.  I LOVE THEM.  i take them to work daily and they are so good and i feel so much better first knowing i'm eating better and then i feel better because i AM eating better.  

i will explain more about the science behind what i do, but for now (and it will only make sense to those already eating this way) i will tell how i make these salads fit into the plan.  

i have made most of these 'S' meals, which means they are high protein, high fat/low carb.  Some are 'E' but not as much because i don't do well on high protein, high carb/low fat.  

to keep this from being too long on details when all you want is the specifics, i will get to it.  

these can be any size jar.  the big quart size make a nice salad to share or to feast on.  i made them this size first and they were too big...time wise and appetite wise.  i had to throw much more out than i wanted, so went to the pint size.  they are perfect for me.  

i think glass makes a difference in the staying power of the greens.  i haven't tried anything else, but what i have read makes me want to stick with mason jars.  and honestly, i have mason jars coming out my ears because I LOVE MASON JARS.  I DID purchase the plastic lids because i don't like to deal with rust.  

the key is the layering order.  you want the dressing to stay as far away from the greens as possible.  so...what i do and did here is in the order i put them is

• dressing
• grape tomatoes (not too many if your doing an 'S' meal
• zucchini
• cucumbers
• bellpeppers
• purple onion (again...not too much)
  

basically any vegetable that being merinaded in the dressing won't hurt or will make it better--broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus...you get the idea. 

then...i put in either seeds, nuts, olives or avocado, or grains or beans (if I am making an E)

next would come cheese/meats.  if i am doing an E, i use fat free feta.  for meats, i have used what i have or i go buy specific meats for what i want.  i really like pepperoni and salami cut up with parmesean and cheddar.  i have used taco meat and made a taco salad.  i have used left over baked chicken for both S and E meals. i put the cheese in first and then the meat.  

then comes the greens.  this is fun because i can use greens that i typically wouldn't buy.  i buy the big containers of probably spinach and then 'power' greens.  i stuff stuff stuff the top of the jar to the point i have to hold it in to put the lid on.  

i put the lid on and put them all in the frig in order of what fuel source they are.  

you HAVE to get them full to over the top brimming to keep them fresh.  

DRESSINGS:

I have several favorites and for the most part I make them myself. 

by the nature of dressings, they would typically be an S but what i do is switch out half the oil with water.  Can't even tell.  

two of my favorites so far are:

HERB VINAIGRETTE 

• 1/2 Cup Olive oil
• 1/4 Cup ACV
• 1/4 Cp Braggs Aminos
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 Tablespoon dijon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

mix together in a jar

STRAWBERRY VINAIGRETTE

• 1/4 Cup olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons sugar free strawberry preserves
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
• salt and pepper 
  

mix together in a jar

i use about 2 tablespoons of dressing in the bottom of my jars. 

i will post answers to most of the questions i have gotten in my next post......later tonight or tomorrow.  

cole slaw....the easy way ;)

better late than never?  i hope so....its now great b-b-que time.  so i am finally sitting down to write out the cole slaw recipe.  cheese potatoes coming next! to read about the origins of this recipe, read here .

cole slaw

• 1 cup Hellmann's Real Mayonaise (i've never gotten brave enough to try another brand)
• 3 T. lemon juice (bottled works just fine, but fresh does take it a notch
• 2 T. sugar (can use honey)
• 1 t. salt
• 2 t. horseradish (the one of the secret ingredients)
• 3/4 t celery seed
• 6 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped find green pepper

whisk 1st 6 ingredients together.  combine vegetables and add sauce mix.  Stir well.

that's it.  so easy and so good.

now....i do take a short cut in that i purchase ready made shredded cabbage mix.  it does have carrots in it, although not 1 cup.  so, i just decide in the moment if i can make that happen or not.  the bell pepper is a non-negotiable.  it is the other secret ingredient.  i usually just put it through the food processor.

chicken salad

i had the privilege of having some chicken salad with an old friend and a few of her friends when we met up for lunch in Canton....that's a whole 'nother post....make that 2 posts....one on canton and one on my friend Kaye.  well.  eating her chicken salad reminded me that i had taken pictures of my recipe last year and had never posted it.  we had it for dinner tonight and it is always a favorite....so again, i was reminded that i had the fixings not only for food, but for giving you the recipe. i think i got this recipe originally from the pantry diner in downtown mckinney.  i think i have said before that one of my favorite things to do is to try to replicate something i really like.  so, after a few tries and kids taste testing...we came up with our own version of it....

it has become the go to recipe for picnics, lake days, travel days, you name it, it works ;)  we usually have it with club crackers, just to make it easier to pack and eat on the go.  we have been eating gluten free for a while now, so we have it with rice crackers.  it is VERY good!  on of my kids favorite ways to eat it is just to digit with chips and veggies....i am always a popular person when this is on the menu......you would think i would make it more.......

chicken salad

• 1 rotisserie chicken (this is a much, MUCH easier way to do this....)
• 1 cup toasted pecans, cooled and chopped
• 2 cups red grapes, halved, or if very large, quartered
• 1 cup of  mayonnaise, sour cream, greek yogurt or a mixture of any or all
• and for my secret ingredient--juice of 1 lemon
• salt to taste
• and for my secret, secret ingredient--1/4 cup water

strip, shred or chop the chicken....combine all ingredients except the water...mix well....add the water and mix to a good spreadable consistency....you can add more dressing as you desire....

serve on bread, with crackers or on top of salad greens.

i will tell you.....when i grocery shop, i try to get it all done in one day.  when i actually get that done :| i am beat when it is all said and done.  and we usually have to grab some food out....kinda defeats the purpose of grocery shopping, wouldn't ya say?  so.  i decided i would buy a rotisserie chicken (the last i bought 2 to have enough for chicken salad, also) and i cook some version of quinoa, and a veggie or two.  it has become an easy {maybe not cheapest} way to have dinner in on shopping days....

my version: III forks salad

alright.  you can know that god is leading me to do this when i share some of my 'secret recipes'.

i had this salad at III forks, in dallas.  it was one of the best salads and dressing i.have.ever.had.  i think i have said before that one of my favorite things is to have something really good in a restaurant and then try to recreate it.  the salad was easy....just pick it apart :) .  the dressing was another matter.  i asked our waiter what kind of dressing it was and he told me that i could find something very similar at central market.  i immediately went and purchased 4 bottles :)  yep...4.  it is a bit on the pricey side and we went through it like water, so i decided i would try to recreate that.  it worked!!  I made it!!  and for less than half the cost of the bottle of dressing at the store!  the one at the store is called Monica's maple balsamic vinaigrette.  its in the refrigerator section.  you do have to look for it, it is not an easy find.

III forks salad with maple balsamic vinaigrette

• mixed baby green salad mix
• toasted pecans (either with a flavored coating or not--we use plain)
• sliced pears, granny smith apples, strawberries or dried cranberries (we LOVE it with any of these)
• crumbled feta cheese, gorgonzola, or bleu cheese
• dressing (recipe follows)

Toss all together.  drizzle dressing over it.

maple balsamic vinaigrette

• 2 tbsp olive oil, preferably extra-virgin
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp grainy mustard
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk oil, vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, salt and pepper until blended.  I have one of those shaker/blender cups and usually double or triple this.

grape salad--don't be fooled!

it may not look that good, but again, this is one of our family's favorite recipes!!!  My friends, the Porters brought this to a potluck and it was a HIT....of course I pilfered the recipe :) .  That tends to be my style....I find something I like and either beg, borrow or steal (really--more on that the closer it gets to the Holidays)...or if those methods don't work, i try to recreate it.  I was blessed this time...they handed it over with out too much force....just a promise for cinnamon rolls.  I made this once and now it is a regular....well, as regular as grapes on sale is.....which right now, they are plenty...so, here is the recipe:

Grape Salad

• 1 lb green grapes
• 1 lb red grapes
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 8 oz sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 Cup brown sugar--this is a perfect place to substitute sucanat.  PLUS--I never use all this.
• ¾ cup chopped and toasted pecans

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla and ¾ C. of brown sugar.  Carefully stir in grapes.  Before serving top with remaining brown sugar and pecans.

Texas Caesar Salad

you asked for it....you got it....this is one of THE BEST salad recipes i have.  I got this from a friend MANY years ago and it has become such a favorite.  i used to shy away from making it as it has a few steps and when you have a bunch of little ones hanging on your legs, its just hard to do it all...BUT...it is SOOOOO worth it!!!  if i am really pushed for time, i make it in stages...the dressing and crutons will keep.  what i also really like about it, is that it can be vegetarian or with meat.  we usually have it with meat, but keep that on the side--for two reasons--to keep the salad fresh and the meat from making it soggy and for serving purposes....my kids, when they were little wanted everything separated....so, they can have all we have, just ours is all mixed up :).  for the meat...one of my new secret weapons in fixing this is the Mexican Grocery store and get marinaded fajita meat from the meat counter...its WONDERFUL!!!!  but, in a pinch and what i did in the old days :| is get chicken breasts and marinade them in equal parts of teriyaki sauce, worchestershire sauce and lemon juice.  then sprinkle garlic, salt and pepper on them and let them sit a couple of hours. Grill as you normally would.  the croutons and dressing are THE BEST part of the whole thing, so i usually make double of them and then we eat on this for several days...it makes a TON (even for our family) and we eat it ALL up...we LOVE it...serve with chips and salsa, a mango margarita  iced tea and you have a wonderful meal.... Texas Caesar Salad

Dressing

• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 shallots or green onion
• 2 anchovies (opt)
• 2 fresh jalapenos, seeded
• 1 c olive oil
• 1/2 c red wine vinegar
• 1/2 c. grated Romano cheese
• 1 egg yolk, or 1 T plain yogurt
• 1/2 t. black pepper
• 1 t lemon juice
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Process in food processor or blender

Salad

• 3 heads romaine lettuce
• 2 red bell peppers
• 3 ears fresh corn kernels
• 1/2 c. tomatoes, fresh or sun dried
• 1/2 c.  fresh grated Romano or parmesan cheese, Grilled chicken, sliced, opt.

Shred lettuce, cut peppers in strips and combine with remaining ingredients.  You can saute corn in a little oil if desired, but let cool before combining with salad.  Serve with croutons and dressing.  Adding chicken makes  this a complete meal in itself.

Croutons:

• 1/2 loaf bread, cut in 1/2" cubes
• 1/2 c. melted butter
• 1 t. chili powder
• 1/2 t. cayenne pepper (opt)
• 1/2 t. cumin
• 1/4 t. salt

Combine butter and spices.  Toss bread cubes in butter mixture and  spread on cookie sheet.  Bake in 350 oven till browned.

thai salad

this is one of the most refreshing salads we have at our house.  It does have a funny story--as do most of my recipes....this came from my friend, Candy Porter.  she and her husband, Kirk are amazing cooks!  They do what I have always loved to do: have something at a restaurant and uncode the recipe.  This one came from Cheesecake Factory and they shared it with me once they figured it out.  I LOVED it.  My family HATED it.  I gave up on it.  Well, I LOST the recipe.  And I didn't know that it was the only copy....ARGH!!  I felt HORRIBLE!!!  Well, fast forward about 3 years and I was doing some major cleaning and FOUND it...it had fallen behind a drawer.....well, I copied it and made it for the family--again--silly me....but this time, they LOVED it.  I can not make it enough now.  The dressing is WONDERFUL.  We run out of it everytime and still double that!!!   I'm not convinced its authentic Thai, but it sounds good ... THAI SALAD

Dressing

1/2 C. Nakano Seasoned red wine vinegar

1/4 C. sugar

1/4 C. liquid aminos

1/4 C. oil

1/2 t. sesame oil

1 tsp lime juice

1T chunky peanut butter

1T Thai Kitchen red chilie dipping sauce

Combine all ingredients and blend well....I have found that one of those blender bottles works really well for this.

3 Cups green cabbage, purple cabbage and shredded carrots (I use a slaw mix from Sam's)

1 bell pepper slivered

1/4 C. chopped green onions

1/2 - 3/4 C.  plain cashews

1 mango, slivered

1/8 c. chopped mint leaves

1/8 c. chopped cilantro

Soba or Udon noodles

Grilled chicken--I usually marinade it in teriyaki sauce for a couple of hours before grilling and then strip it like fajita meat.

Combine slaw mix with peppers, herbs and onions.  (most of the time, I leave all of it separate, so that people can put on what they like and leave off what they don't)

Place noodles on plate and top with slaw and  chicken.  Sprinke with cashews and mango. Drizzle dressing on top