Sunday Night Salads: 5 Recipes to Make Ahead and Eat All Week — Sunday Night Salads. What's more satisfying than looking into the fridge and having a solid understanding of what you're going to eat for the week? Prepping meals ahead of time answers the "What's for dinner? " question we face every day. These five salads, which have been designed with storage in mind, can be made on a Sunday night for eating throughout the week. While they all make excellent dinner options, lunch is where they prove their worth, making the ho-hum midday meal instantly more appealing.
What's a Sunday Night Salad? This is the salad you put together when you're meal prepping for the week. Because we wanted these salads to last, all the major elements — the salad base, the topper, and the mix-ins — can be stored in the fridge anywhere from three to five days or longer without showing signs of fatigue. Meet the Bases At the rate we're going, you'd think we don't like lettuce at all — that's not true by any means, but we've recognized it as something better enjoyed right after prepped and handled. Make Lunches Easy This Year With Salads in Jars!
OK. Let's get this out of the way. You either saw this post and thought, "That's genius! Why haven't I thought of that? " or, "Yeah, I know. That's so March of 2014... " I only say that because apparently the idea of "salad in a jar" lunches went crazy online at some point last year, but this girl (who is online A WHOLE LOT) had never heard of it until a few weeks ago. I felt a little dumb for being completely oblivious to a giant food craze, but when I started asking around, I realized there were actually a lot of other Pinterest-loving ladies that hadn't heard of it either.
The main pros to the salad in a jar thing are twofold: first, you can make all your lunches for the whole work week in one sitting (like on a Sunday), and your worries of what to eat everyday for lunch are already solved. All that said, you can see why the concept is so appealing to a person that's lazy-yet-health-conscious like I am. I love the mix of the mango, black beans, avocado, and quinoa in this salad. Couscous Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries. It's about this time of year that I start getting antsy, culinarily speaking. It's still winter and my body craves those hearty dishes of squash and legumes. But I'm also ready for the bright, fresh flavors of spring. This couscous salad with its roasted squash and citrusy vinaigrette bridges the gap. This is one of those recipes that I find myself making again and again, and not only in springtime.
The recipe makes a lot, can be served warm or cool, and keeps well, so this is the perfect make-ahead potluck dish. There are a lot of parts to this dish, but you'll find it comes together surprisingly quickly. Couscous Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries Serves 8-10 Pre-heat oven to 425° F. Cover the cranberries with very hot water and set them aside to plump while the squash is cooking. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, zest, spices, and 1 teaspoon of salt. This salad can be served room temperature or cold. Whole Grains for Lunch: 15 Hearty, Satisfying Lunch Salads Recipes from The Kitchn. Lunch Recipe: Golden Quinoa Salad with Lemon, Dill & Avocado Recipes from The Kitchn. It took me a long time to warm up to quinoa. I felt like I was the only one not on the super-grain-(that's-not-really-a-grain-but-who-cares) bandwagon.
But my attempts at quinoa had all turned out sticky and faintly bitter, a health food to choke down. So how did I get from there to here, to this lemon-scented golden salad with crunchy bits of cucumber, radish, and almonds? (There are dates, dill, and Parmesan in there too, plus a secret ingredient that really makes it sing.) It only takes one quinoa dish, it turns out, to make a difference. Appropriately enough, my turning point with quinoa came in my direct line of work for The Kitchn.
When I visited and shot Lilian's gorgeous sunlit kitchen last year, she fed me a giant green salad with quinoa tossed throughout. I asked Lilian how she got her quinoa so delicious, and she described how she rinsed even pre-washed quinoa for several minutes to remove all traces of the bitter coating. After that experience I was hooked! Picnic Recipe: Brown Rice Salad with Apples, Walnuts, and Cherries Recipes from The Kitchn.
Brown Rice Salad with Apples, Walnuts, and Cherries Serves 6 to 8 1 cup brown rice3/4 cup frozen peas1 apple, diced into 1/2 inch pieces1/4 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped1/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped1 bunch of chives, finely chopped For the dressing:2 cloves garlic, minced1 tablespoon agave syrup1 teaspoon yellow miso paste2 tablespoons canola oil2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar4 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds Cook the brown rice in about two cups of simmering water until tender (See: How to Cook Rice on the Stove Top), or according to package directions. Fluff and cool to room temperature. Microwave the frozen peas for 1 minute to thaw. Learning to Actually Pack (and Eat) Lunch: 3 Tips from a Recovering Lunch Buyer.
The act of bringing my lunch to the office ebbs and flows to some unidentified beat: sometimes I'm great at packing my containers and bringing snacks and other times I catch myself buying everything from coffee to salads and soups. The first obstacle is that I work within walking distance of many pretty good take-out restaurants.
But the real barrier to transforming into a brown bag expert? Planning ahead. Yes, I'll admit, I'm not much of a master meal planner. And I'm less than realistic about what I'll actually eat. Should I pack lentil soup four days in a row? So, from me to you (and with a little help from Mark Bittman), here are a few tips and recipes for starting up a brown bag habit: 1. 15 Snacks to Fuel Your Work Day 2. 10 Freezer Meals 3. 7 Ways to Turn Leftovers into Lunch What are your brown bag tips? (Images: Flickr member taiyofj licensed under Creative Commons) Roasted Eggplant Salad with Smoked Almonds & Goat Cheese. I have a confession to make: I have a hard time considering eggplant a summer vegetable.
I know that it grows in the sunshine, right in between the tomatoes and the basil, but its silky, melting texture is what I want in wintertime. It's light yet satisfying, the perfect comfort food for January. Some people guiltily buy avocados in winter; others, pineapple. Me, I buy eggplant. And when I do, I make this salad. This is not a cold salad (although you could eat it cold; it's quite good at room temperature). The eggplant is tossed with olive oil and a touch of vinegar, smoked paprika and cumin, and roasted until soft and buttery. This is good all on its own, or as a side dish to a bit of chicken or steak. Roasted Eggplant Salad with Smoked Almonds & Goat Cheese serves 4 Heat the oven to 400°F. Whisk together the olive oil, cider vinegar, honey, smoked paprika, and cumin. Whisk together the lemon juice and soy sauce. (Images: Faith Durand) Tacos with Roasted Winter Vegetables & Red Cabbage Slaw Recipes from The Kitchn.
You can use this recipe with a mix of winter squashes, roots, and tubers — whatever you like and have available from beets to butternut squash, carrots, celeriac, fennel, parsnips, turnips, and sweet potatoes. Any of these cool weather vegetables will taste sweet and earthy and delectable when roasted with Mexican oregano, cumin, and chile powder (I especially like the Chimayó variety). As counterpoint to the tender roasted vegetables, the tacos are topped with a refreshing red cabbage, lime, and cilantro slaw, plus crunchy pepitas. A satisfying vegan meal, they bring a pop of color and texture to the winter table. Tacos with Roasted Winter Vegetables and Red Cabbage Slaw Makes 8 tacos Preheat oven to 400°F.
Toss the vegetables and onion with 2 tablespoons olive oil, oregano, chile powder, cumin, a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. To assemble, warm the tortillas, fill them with roasted vegetables, and top with cabbage slaw. Recipe Notes: Grab and Go: 5 Make-Ahead Lunches to Pack in Jars. Previous image Next image Is it any wonder why we are crazy for canning jars? They are cheap, easy to find and leak-proof. They can be frozen, microwaved (minus the lids, of course) and even baked in the oven. . • Salad: It's easy to get more vegetables into your day when they are prepped in bulk on the weekend and waiting for you in the refrigerator. . • Soup: Make a big batch of soup and portion it into canning jars, which can be refrigerated for several days of lunches or frozen for several months. . • Chili and Cornbread: Pack chili into jars, top it with cornbread batter, bake until the bread is golden-brown, and you have warm, comforting lunches that can be refrigerated or frozen.
. • Vegetables and Hummus: Partially fill widemouth jars with hummus or other hearty dip and store sliced vegetables right on top and ready to grab for lunch or snacks. • Crustless Quiche: We love this idea, which comes from the blog Krista and Jess. (Image: Kathy of Healthy. More posts in this series. 20 Satisfying, Wholesome Lunches You Can Make the Night Before Recipes from The Kitchn.