Chicken and Vegetable Ratatouille

Gluten free gnocchi is a favourite in our house and the Italian Centre Shop has a fantastic selection. Our slow cooker is a life saver on nights when we have activities because dinner cooks itself. I mixed everything up the night before and we turned this on before heading to work for the day. It is always amazing coming home to delicious smells wafting through the air!

In the slow cooker combine:
1 cup chopped broccoli
2 cup chopped peppers
1 cup chopped onion
2 cup sliced mushroom
1.5 cups sliced zucchini
1 796 ml can diced tomatoes
1 398 ml can of tomatoe sauce
1 can tomatoe paste
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tap cayenne
3 chopped chicken breasts

I kept the vegetables chunkier than I normally do for a pasta sauce since I was aiming for more of a Ratatouille. Cook on low for 8 hours and then serve with your favourite pasta or gnocchi. Enjoy!

Banana Oat Bread

I have been optimistic the past few weeks that maybe I can return to my morning training routine, but working late into the night and having a toddler that crawls into your bed in the middle of the night and won’t sleep past your alarm have crushed that dream. This means that by the weekend we have some bananas that have gone beyond what I like to eat and need to be created into something new. Banana pancakes are a staple weekend breakfast, but sometimes you have to get creative and tasty things will happen :)

In a bowl combine: 

• 4 mashed bananas
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 Cup applesauce  
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 Cup nut butter
• 2 TBSP peanut butter powder (or just peanut butter) 
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted) 
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 TBSP brown sugar or honey
• Optional: 1/3 Cup dark or milk chocolate chunks

Pour batter into a greased loaf tin and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove and let sit in pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Protein Poppers

Sometimes you just need a little bit of energy when you are on the go and these delicious little balls make for a perfect bite sized snack (for both adults and kids!) The recipe below is geared at an older audience, but I have included a kid friendly variation below. 

In a bowl combine: 

• 1/2 cup nut butter (almond, cashew, or if all you have on hand is peanut butter that works too. For this recipe I used the nut and seed butter from Costco) 
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2/3 cup quick oats
• 2 TBSP hemp protein powder
• 2 scoops natural flavour protein powder (or protein powder of your choice)  
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks (optional) 
• 1/4 cup raisins (optional) 

For a kid friendly recipe, replace the two protein powders with: 

• 1/3 cup more quick oats
• 3 TBSP ground flax seed

Roll mixture into 1 inch balls and place on parchment paper. Put into freezer of fridge to set. Can be enjoyed freshly made, or frozen for a snack down the road. Enjoy!

Cherry Plum Reduction

Life has been a whirlwind the past few months and one of my goals for 2018 is to do more of what I love and make more time for me. I have been trying my best to slow down more (if only work would listen!) and finally had some time to experiment in the kitchen this weekend with a few new recipes (that I actually remembered to write down afterwards!) I was sad when I logged onto my blog and saw that it has been 3 months since I have posted anything new 😳

There is no better time than the present to turn that around and I hope that I am able to spend more time creating and sharing what we dream up in the Panteluk kitchen. I have a new helper who is keen to do what she can to help mommy in the kitchen, so we could have some interesting experiments this year.  I am excited to share my passion with Z and see what great things we can create in the kitchen together (who knows, maybe soon she’ll be creating a recipe of her own). 

This recipe is simple, but too delicious not to share and it was made 100% from fruit we grew in our yard this year! 

In a saucepan combine: 

• 2.5 cups of pitted Evans cherries (or if you can find a cherry that is a bit more tart than sweet) 
• 2 cups cubed prune plums
• 1 cup gooseberries (blueberries or saskatoons work too) 

All of my fruit was frozen from summer harvest which provide a bit of extra liquid as they thawed. If everything is fresh, you might want to add 1/4 cup of water. Bring the fruit to a boil and let simmer for about an hour (stirring often) until the fruit has reduced and created a nice, thick consistency. Serve hot off the stove on top of a roasted pork tenderloin (or meat of your choice). Also stores well in the fridge and can be used to top pancakes or waffles. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna

We had a potluck at work this week and a Mexican theme bubbled up so I thought I would try something a little different. This recipe was for a small lasagna (loaf pan) which is perfect if you don't want leftovers, but quantities can be increased for a bigger pan. 

In a bowl combine: 

• 1 cup black beans
• 1 cup corn
• 1 cup salsa

In a loaf pan (or pan of choice), layer the following:

• spread a thin layer of salsa on the bottom of the pan
• cover with lasagna noodle (I used green lentil noodles for added protein) 
• spread a thin layer of guacamole  
• top with shredded mozzarella and/or cheddar cheese
• add 1/2 of bean/corn mixture
• If you want sprinkle a thin layer of cheese again, or go back to the noodle layer and repeat again
• after the last layer of bean/corn sprinkle cheese to top it off

If you are putting directly into the oven, bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. If you are making ahead and putting it into the fridge you may need to increase cook time to heat all of the way through.  

I cooked this the night before and served cold in the office, but it could be served fresh out of the oven too. Enjoy!

Homemade Apple Sauce

I have cut up and froze a ton of apples this year and look forward to experimenting with them throughout the winter. Nothing beats getting to use them fresh though so I have had made apple sauce a couple of times now with apples from our tree.  

In a pot combine: 

• 6 cups diced apples (I leave the skin on) 
• 1/2 cup water

Bring to a boil and let simmer, continuely stirring until you have a nice sauce consistency. Add 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/2 tsp cinnamon to the sauce. Cool and enjoy on it's own, in top of pancakes, with oatmeal or any way you like. Enjoy! 

Apple Protein Bars

With all the apples we had on our tree this year, I have been excited to dream up some new recipes. These protein bars are simple and don't have too many ingredients- they also taste good too!

In a bowl combine: 

• 4 scoops vanilla protein powder (I used a plant based one, but whey would work too)
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup apple sauce (I used the homemade sauce I blogged about last week. If you are using store bought, feel free to add in some nutmeg and cinnamon to your mixture

Pour batter into a greased 9 x 9 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut into 16 squares to enjoy fresh or freeze for later. Enjoy! 

Apple Crumble

We had a great year for fruit in our yard and our trees and bushes produced well. With a combination apple tree we get 5 different types and had a ton of the first variety that ripened. With no shortage of apples, we will be having lots of apple dish experiments in our future. This recipe was potentially going to be squares but evolved into more of a crumble - perfect for dessert.

In a bowl combine: 

• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1/4 cup avocado oil
•  1 tsp vanilla
• 1 TBSP cinnamon honey  
• 4 cups chopped apples
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Mix well and press into a greased 8x8 pan.

In another bowl combine the following for the topping:

• 1 cup Mesa Sunrise cereal (or another flake cereal) 
• 2 TBSP apple sauce
• 1 TBSP cinnamon honey
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Sprinkle on top of the oat mixture. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve hot out of the oven with ice cream or refrigerate for later. Enjoy!

Banana Cake

We had a ton of bananas on the counter that were beyond what I like to eat (I admit - I am a bit of a picky banana eater and will take a little bit of green over brown any day), so I thought I would try something new to use them all up. I made a double batch to have two cakes, but this recipe will give you one delicious banana cake.

In a bowl combine: 

• 3 mashed bananas
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
•  1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4-1/3 cup maple syrup (depending on desired sweetness  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 1 cup oat flour   
• 1 cup gluten free flour (or flour of your choice) 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  
• Optional: sprinkle in some chocolate or peanut butter chips  

Pour batter into greased 8x8 pan and bake in 350 degree oven for 25-35 minutes. Serve warm out of the oven. Enjoy!

Zucchini Muffins

I am always surprised at how large of zucchinis can be grown here. While we don't have a garden that produces zucchini yet, I have friends who like to share and have had some rather large ones to work with. In an effort to continually try something new, I dreamed up a new muffin recipe and thankfully it turned out quite well!  I had a lot of zucchini so this is a double batch that could easily be halved.

In a bowl combine: 

• 1 cup coconut flour
• 1 cup oat flour
• 1 cup gluten free or flour of your choice
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp nutmeg
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup apple sauce  
• 1/4 cup agave syrup (or honey) 
• 1 1/3 cup almond milk  
• 4 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups shredded zucchini
• 1 cup crushed walnuts  
• Optional: in 1/2 the batter I added 1/2 cup dried cherries

Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Makes 2 dozen muffins that can be enjoyed fresh out of the oven or frozen to enjoy later. Enjoy! 

Peachy Beet Salad

One thing I love about the changing seasons is the seasonal fruits and vegetables that are available. If you take a trip to any farmer's market you'll find lots of tasty options available. This salad combines a few farmer's market finds and in my mind the combination is quite tasty! 

In a large bowl combine: 

• 1 cup cooked and chopped purple beets
• 1 cup cooked and chopped yellow beets 
•  1 cup halves cherry tomatoes 
• 1 cubed peach
• 1/2 cup diced bell pepper
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1/4 cup walnut pieces

Serve with your favourite balsamic vinegar. Enjoy! 

Zucchini Pancakes

Not sure how it is already mid August, but this summer has been a busy one and this recipe is long overdue! Hoping to find more time to experiment in the kitchen and get back to doing what I love - creating new recipes!

We had a garden fresh zucchini that has been screaming to be made into something delicious so I thought I would mix up our weekend pancake routine with something new. These tasty little bits were a hit all around in the house (especially since mommy made a puppy pancake for a little someone!)

In a bowl combine: 

• 1.5 cups almond flour (1 used whole almonds and ground them up) 
• 0.5 cups oat flour
• 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 0.5 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 TBSP honey or maple syrup
• 1.5 cups shredded zucchini  

Pour batter on a non stick or greased frying pan and cook until golden brown on both sides. We served ours topped with yogurt and fresh berries. Enjoy! 

Banana Cottage Crepes

We had a kid free night this weekend when Zoey went to sleep over at her Nanny and Grandpa's house so I thought I would make breakfast for Dave after I got in from an early morning long run. These used to be a weekend staple, but we haven't made them in awhile so I whipped up a quick batch. Forgot how tasty these are!

Using either a blender or hand mixer combine:

• 1 banana
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup egg whites (or 6 full eggs) 
• 1/2 cup oat flour (or flour of your choice)  
• 2 TBSP almond milk
• 2 TBSP avocado oil
•  1 tsp vanilla 

Pour batter onto greased or non stick pan and cook crepe until golden brown. Roll with yogurt, fruit, syrup or whatever your favourite crepe topping might be. Enjoy! 

6 Layer Dip

Summer is upon us which means BBQs, block parties and gatherings with friends. This weekend we had a block party and the challenge is always what to bring for a pot luck. I was late getting my dish in, so settled on a healthy alternative to the favourite 7 layer dip that is always a hit. I tried to keep this one both healthy and kid friendly so it could be enjoyed by all with minimal guilt :)

Layer 1:

Using a good processor or hand mixer, combine: 

• 2 cans black beans
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup salsa

Spread evenly in a large rectangle dish.  

Layer 2: 

Again using a food processor or hand mixer combine: 

• 3 cups diced avocado  
• 1 TBSP lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Spread over bean mixture.  

Layer 3: 

In a bowl mix together: 

• 1.5 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 1 TBSP chili powder
• 1/4 TSP garlic salt
• 1/4 TSP minced dried onions (or powder)
• 1/4 TSP oregano
• 1/2 TSP paprika
• 1.5 TSP ground cumin

Spread over avocado mixture.  

Layer 4: spread 3 diced tomatoes over yogurt layer

Layer 5: spread 1 bunch of chopped green onions over tomatoes

Layer 6: Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese

I served the dip with beet and rice crackers, but feel free to use a cracker or chip of your choice. Enjoy! 

Peanut Butter Cranberry Energy Balls

We were having a lazy morning because it was cold and rainy outside and I asked Z if she wanted to help mommy make something. She of course said yes as she loves helping in the kitchen so we whipped up a batch of these energy balls. Z helped decide what would go in them and thankfully we ended up with a tasty treat.

Using a hand mixture or food processor combine: 

• 1 Cup dates
• 1 cup crunchy natural peanut butter

Mix in the following by hand:

• 1 TBSP water
• 1/2 cup quinoa puffs
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup skim milk powder
• 1 TBSP ground chia seeds
• 1 TBSP ground flax
• 1 TBSP hemp hearts
• 1 TBSP shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• Optional: 1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks

Form into small balls and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Let set in the fridge for 10 minutes. Can keep in the fridge or freeze for a snack later on. Enjoy!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

With the warm weather upon us, baking will be reserved for cool, rainy days. Lucky we still see a few of these and I had a chance to make these tasty little bites!

in a bowl combine:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 mashed banana
• 1/2 cup applesauce  
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup grated Zucchini  
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 2 TBSP agave syrup
• optional 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Pour batter into greased mini muffin tins. Bake in 350 degree oven for 15-17 minutes. Enjoy!

Banana Split Waffles

Z wanted waffles this morning so her and I did a little experiment and made this delicious recipe. It was like having dessert for breakfast! 

In a bowl combine: 

• 2 mashed bananas
• 2.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg  
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup oats
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 TBSP coconut flakes
• optional 1/4 cup chocolate chips for a special treat  

Warm up waffle maker and pour batter in. Cook until golden brown. Serve topped with vanilla yogurt & strawberries, syrup, or for a dessert waffle...ice cream. Enjoy! 

Mini Sweet Potato Muffins

Rainy weekends are great for refilling the muffin supply in your freezer. These tasty bites are great for kids (and adults) of all ages and use only natural sugars for a slightly sweet flavour. 

In a bowl combine:

• 1 cup oat flour (either ground oats or actual flour) 
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 2 TBSP ground flaxseed
• 1 TBSP ground chia seeds
• 1 tsp cinnamon  
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg  
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 cups mashed sweet potato 
•  1/4 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2/3 cup egg whites
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 TBSP honey  
• 1/2 cup raisins

Pour batter into greased mini muffin tins and bake in 350 degree oven for 15-18 minutes. Makes 36 mini muffins that can be enjoyed fresh out of the oven, or frozen for a quick snack down the road. Enjoy!

Multigrain Banana Bread

I have these adorable mini loaf pans which are fantastic for making small loaves to freeze for snacks later on. This banana bread recipe combines a variety of flours for a different twist on your regular banana bread.  

In a bowl combine:

• 3 mashed bananas
• 1/4 cup egg white
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milj
• 2 TBSP flax seed
• 1/4 cup millet flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1/2 cup flour of your choice (I used an all purpose gluten free one) 
• 1 tsp baking powder
•  1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1 tsp vanilla
• optional - add blueberries or chocolate chips to batter

Pour batter into greased mini loaf tins and bake in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Enjoy! 

Trail Mix Cookies

A great cookie for anytime of day - breakfast on the go, morning, afternoon, pre-workout or night-time snack - this nutrient packed cookie is the perfect tasty treat. With no butter, or added sugar (depending on if you include the dark chocolate chunks or not), this cookie is a healthy alternative to the traditional store-bought variety. 

In a bowl combine:

1 cup oats

1/2 cup flour of your choice (or bran if you don't need gluten free)

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup dried blueberries

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup coconut

1/4 cup skim milk powder

1 TBSP baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup dark chocolate chunks

1/2 cup greek yogurt (0-2% milk fat)

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup apple sauce

1/4 cup egg whites

Bake at 375 degrees for about 12 minutes (depending on your oven). Makes about 2 dozen cookies. Enjoy!