Tomato Stew

This is a very quick slowcooker/weekday meal. I think next time I will try it with fresh basil on top. The goats cheese adds just the right richness to the stew.

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup green beans, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn
1 19oz can chick peas, rinsed and drained
2 cups vegetable stock
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tbsp goats cheese

Add all ingredients but goats cheese to the slowcooker. Cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 3 hours. Add goats cheese, and continue to cook for 30 minutes.
I served it with toasted pita bread, but you can also put it on top of rice or pasta.

Breakfast Bars

You know those cereal bars that you see in the grocery store that claim to have whole grains. Well, what they fail to mention is that they are only partially whole grain. They are mostly made with "enriched wheat flour", which is a fancy term for white flour, a.k.a. empty calories. This recipe is truly whole grain, and full of fruit.
Trying to get everyone out the door in the morning with a good breakfast is a challenge on the best of days. This recipe simplifies the question "what's should we have for breakfast?" Since I premake them, I don't have to worry about preparing something every morning. We usually eat a banana with it, and find it keeps us full for at least a few hours.

Fruit filling
3 cups frozen mixed berries
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp organic sugar cane

Crumble topping
1 ¼ cup oats
1 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
½ cup organic sugar cane
¼ tsp each cinnamon, baking soda and salt

In a pot on medium high heat, combine fruit, water and sugar cane. Cook for a few minutes, and then set aside for another few minutes, until it slightly thickens. It will still be quite liquidy.

In a medium bowl, mix together oats, flour, butter, sugar cane, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

Using a muffin tin, place a layer of the oat mixture on the bottom of each cup, using only half of the entire mixture. Pour a layer of berries over top of the oats. Top with the rest of the oat mixture.

Bake on 350 for 20 minutes. Let cool completely in muffin tin before removing.

Banana Chocolate Chip cookies

The dates in these cookies provide the perfect amount of sweetness, without overpowering the flavour. I used a mini-muffin tin, but if you don't have one, just use a cookie tray like you would for a normal cookie recipe.

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup chopped dates
1/3 cup chocolate chips
½ cup coconut
1 ½ cup oats, not instant
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
¼ cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir until evenly mixed. Evenly distribute batter into a mini muffin tin (one that fits 24 muffins) that has been greased. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool before removing from the pan.

Laziest of Lazy Man Cabbage Rolls (Slowcooker)

Since I love cabbage rolls, but hate the work that goes into them, I decided to try out this recipe in the slowcooker. It really can't get any easier than this! Both my husband and daughter had seconds, so I'm going to take that as a strong hint that this was a good recipe.

1 litre vegetable stock
1 24oz can diced tomatoes, including liquid
1 5.5oz can tomato paste
¾ cup brown rice
½ cup dried red lentils
1 340g bag of cole slaw, or 6-8 cups sliced cabbage
1 onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a slowcooker, and cook for 6 hours on low. Then, add about 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and continue to cook for another half an hour on high, or until the cheese is melted. See, I told you it was easy!