Kale & Brussel Sprout Ball Jar Lunch

Whoa.  Seeing the last date I posted on this here blog...  Shame.  Feeling like quite the slacker.  If anyone actually pays any attention, sincere apologies.  But eh, I've gotten comfortable with recipes, repeating favorites, and not experimenting too terribly much.  And this blog really just serves as my selfish little archives, anyways...  ;)

But it's January.  And with that comes renewed commitments to health goals, portion control, and steering clear of the foods that derail those goals.  This week, I'll be lunching on a lovely layered salad in a ball jar.  Expect more of these ball jar concoctions to come... (only to be blogged if actually tasty...)  This is a quick fix on a Sunday night to have a weeks worth of lunches ready - with a portioned amount to stay on target and in control.

This weeks concoction is a kale and brussel sprout lemon salad (inspired by a Wegman's bagged salad... and after enjoying the salad, wondering why I didn't just shred my own sprouts.)

May as well make 4 jars while you're at it - the per jar ingredient list is:

Handful of shredded kale
Handful of shredded brussels sprouts
1 tsp decadent vinegar (pear champagne vinegar from Los Olivos, CA if you have it on hand)
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 C cooked bulgur (cooked in chicken broth and cooled well)
1/2 C chickpeas
1/4 avocado
1/4 lemon

Layer kale and sprouts for about half of the jar.  Add oil and vinegar.  Put lid on and shake. Shake. Shake.  Top with chickpeas, bulgur, and avocado.  Squeeze lemon on avocado to keep from browning. 

Voila.

When ready to eat, dump in a bowl and add salt and pepper (if desired).  Quite satisfying.

Black-Eyed Pea, Quinoa, Avocado Salad

This is a fresh fun salad when the standard greens are boring you.  It was perfect for this gray, drizzly, not quite warm enough day.  I love salads like this, a whole meal if you want - with beans, grains, and veggies a plenty.  And will be just as good the next day.  I served it over arugula and with a small piece of salmon on the side that needed to be cooked.  I will no doubt be eating it on top of arugula for many more meals this week.

Makes 5 - 1 Cup servings
Ingredients:

Dressing: 
1T Dijon Mustard
Juice of 2 Mandarins
1T canola oil
dash of garlic powder





Salad:
1/2 C raw quinoa cooked to package directions
1 can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 avocado diced
handful small tomatoes diced or 1 large
1 red bell pepper and 1 yellow bell pepper diced
salt and pepper
arugula


Directions:
Start quinoa on stovetop.  1/2 C quinoa and 1 C water.  While that is simmering - dice all of the things that need dicing.  Toss everything together, letting quinoa cool a bit before adding into salad.