LAYERED SALAD BAR

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Create your own salad bar at home, easy simple and oh so many combinations. You can use any leftovers to make it easier.  Make a production line, making layered salads in Mason jars to go!  Protein toppers like pumpkin seeds dress up any salad and healthy lifestyle.  Pumpkin seeds are high magnesium with one-quarter cup of having nearly half of the recommended daily amount of magnesium. Magnesium boosts your energy, heart health, bone strength, and sleep thanks to its rich source of tryptophan.  Tryptophan is an amino acid that is converted to your happy hormone serotonin, which is then converted to melatonin your sleep hormone.

Power Food: Pumpkin Seeds

Prep. Time: 15 min. | Cook Time: 0 min. | Total Time: 15 min. | Servings: 4 | Serving Size: ~ 2 cups ( 1 medium Mason jar)

Free From: Gluten, Dairy, Soy

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups *spiraled or shredded zucchini
  • 1-14 oz. can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
  • ½ red onion, chopped
  • 1 avocado, peeled, pitted & chopped
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, assorted colors, sliced in half
  • 1 small beet *spiraled or shredded
  • 1 cup baby spinach

Avocado Pesto Dressing:

  • ¼ cup vegetable stock (low sodium & gluten free)
  • ¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • ¼ avocado, peeled, pitted & sliced
  • ¼ cup basil, packed
  • ribbon & fork, to finish!

Directions: 

  1. From the bottom working up layer a glass container with the ingredients in order above.
  2. To make dressing add vegetable stock, lemon juice, avocado, basil to a small blender, blend until smooth. Drizzle the dressing on top and enjoy!

Variations:

  • Asian Ginger: 1½ cup of each: Brown Rice Noodles, Edamame (soy), Red Pepper, Carrots, Bok Choy, Bean Sprouts with Asian Ginger Dressing: ¼ cup vegetable stock, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 2 Tbsp. honey, 1 tsp. ginger (minced), 2 sheets of nori, crumbled on top to garnish
  • Mediterranean Sun: 1½ cups of each: Quinoa, Chickpeas, Sundried Tomatoes, Artichoke, Olives, Arugula, ¼ cup almond slivers to garnish with Lemon Olive Dressing: ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 tsp. whole grain mustard
  • Lebanese Maple : 1½ cups of each: Parsley, Quinoa, Red Onions, Yellow Pepper, Tomatoes, Spinach, ¼ cup pine nuts to garnish and 1 Tbsp. maple syrup, pure (grade B) with Tahini Maple Dressing: ¼ cup tahini, 2 tsp. maple syrup, pure (grade B), 3 cloves garlic (minced)

Now you can get creative at your salad bar! Put out a couple of items from each group of your choice and voila, dinner’s done! What’s your favorite combination?

  1. Whole Grains: Brown Rice Noodles, Quinoa,
  2. Protein: Legumes, Black Beans, Nuts & Seeds
  3. Veggies: Cucumbers, Asparagus, Beets, Fennel, Green Beans , Jicama, Mushrooms, Radish, Zucchini, Squash, Purple Cabbage, Watercress, Grilled Veggies
  4. Leafy Greens & Herbs: Sprouts, Baby Kale, Beet Greens, Cilantro, Basil, Mint
  5. Toppers: Spiraled Zucchini, Yellow Beets, Red Beets, Sweet Potatoes; Nori Crumbles, Pumpkin Seeds, Goji Berries, Almond Slivers, Mary’s Cracker Crumbles…

*Spiralizer- This is a great kitchen tool, that you can use to make veggie noodles! You can find this on line or at your local kitchen store.

Nutritional Facts :   Calories 120.3 | Total Fat 5.0 g| Saturated Fat0.1 g |  Monounsaturated Fat0.1 g| Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g | Cholesterol0 mg | Sodium 114.8 mg | Potassium 595.3 mg | Total Carbohydrate 17.7 g| Dietary Fibre4.8 g | Natural Sugar 3.4 g | Protein 4.0 g | *Vitamin A 37.5 % | *Vitamin C 19.9 % |  * Vitamin A 50 %  | *Folate 18.9 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.