It seems so obvious, doesn't it? Instead of going out to buy that perfect ramekin or cute little dish to make that recipe of chocolate mousse or pudding or whatever, just use your old jam jars. I say jam jars, because they're often fat and squatty, and therefore easy to eat out of, but any old wide-mouth jar will do (some salsa jars are actually great for this).
Use them for all sorts of things, from making single (and portable) servings of cold salads, such as lentil salad with smoked salmon, to stuffing them with plums, cauliflower or chicken and warming them through, like the mini-casseroles they are.
Pick your jars depending on what you plan to do with them. If you're using them for stuffing and traveling (jars are great for picnics or lunches), any old jar will do, but if you're using them to cook in, make sure they're heat-resistant, as canning jars will be.
Besides the obvious money-saving appeal of using jars, they're cute ... and you're helping the planet by recycling.
Cauliflower 'n' cheese
Serves 4
• Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, florets removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
4 cups cooked grains (barley, brown rice or a mixture)
8 tablespoons shredded Comté or Gruyere cheese
• Instructions:
Preheat oven to broil. Put the cauliflower florets on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and drizzle them with olive oil, then lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slide into the oven. After about 15 minutes, turn them over, so the other side gets brown, too. This will take about 10 more minutes. When browned on both sides, remove florets from the oven and let cool.
In a jam jar that'll hold at least 2 cups, layer 1 cup of grains on the bottom and 1 cup of roasted cauliflower florets on the top. Add 2 tablespoons of cheese on top of each one, then pop into the oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until the cheese is nice and bubbly.
This recipe is from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Crunchy, cheesy chipotle chicken
Serves 6
• Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 chipotle chiles in adobo, finely chopped
4 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 cup cooked black beans (if using canned, drain and rinse them first)
1 (14.5-ounce) can chopped tomatoes with juices
¼ teaspoon cumin
Pinch of sea salt and pepper
2 cups crushed tortilla chips (or Fritos)
5 ounces mozzarella cheese
1 chopped avocado, for serving
Big handful fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving
1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving
• Instructions:
Preheat oven to broil and put six (2-cup) jars on a cookie sheet.
Drizzle the olive oil into a large skillet and add the onion and garlic. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook till the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chiles, chicken, black beans, tomatoes, cumin, and salt and pepper, and stir till warmed through. Taste for seasonings.
Put 1 cup of the chicken mixture in each of the jars and top with about 2 tablespoons of the tortilla chips and just enough cheese to cover. Slide into the oven and cook till the cheese is bubbly, about 10 minutes. Serve right away, with chopped avocado and cilantro on top and lime on the side.
This recipe is from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Lentil salad with smoked salmon
Serves 4
• Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped into ¼-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic
1 stick celery, chopped into ¼-inch cubes
1 carrot, peeled and chopped into ¼-inch cubes
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