Mason Jar Salads and more

Is there a difference between a recipe book and a cookbook?  If there is, than  Mason Jar Salads and more - 50 Layered Lunches to Grab & Go is more of a recipe book.  There's little, if any actual cooking here.  Author  Julia Mirabella has come up with an ingenious method of preassembling salads, breakfasts and snacks ahead of time for quick meals on the go.   It reminds me of the Make-a-mix fad from the 1970's.

Mirabella has developed a simple layering technique that lets you combine all your ingredients in a Mason jar so that they stay fresh for up to a week while stored in the refrigerator.

The concept is pretty simple.  The most problematic ingredient in making any salad ahead of time is the dressing.  If you dress your salad greens in advance, they end up wilted and soggy.  Using her layering technique, the dressing goes into the jar first.  The next layer should be something that is impervious to the dressing - carrots, radishes, peas or the like that acts as a buffer between the dressing and the greens. Continue with your layers, placing the greens at the top.  Seal the jar tightly and pop it in the fridge and you have a salad to go.  And the same thing applies to the snacks and breakfast ideas too.

More than 60 different recipes are included for salads, breakfasts, smothies, soups, and simple pasta dishes, along with 4 pages of salad dressing recipes.

The one thing missing from this book is nutritional information for each of her recipes.  Salads in general are nutritious, but dressings, fruits, nuts and cheeses can be sources of sugar, fats or sneaky calories, so use some common sense when creating your masterpieces.  This would be a great addition to any kitchen - especially for someone tired of fast food lunches.