The bestselling cookbook author Dreena Burton from the popular blog Plant-Powered kitchen just launched her fifth cookbook, Plant-Powered Families. I am so happy to be able to review her cookbook, share one of my favourite recipes from it and to give a copy of it to one of you. Yeah, giveaway time!
Plant-Powered Families is a cookbook for everybody who loves healthy food, amazing flavour, simple recipes and delicious meals. I have to admit I would normally not go for a cookbook like this. Many books with kids on the cover are all about banana ghosts, tomato mushrooms and bunny buns. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with those books, it’s just that ‘cute food’ is not something I get excited about…After my false expectations you can’t imagine how super glad I was when I realised Plant-Powered Families is not like that at all. In fact it quickly became one of my new favourite cookbooks! No crazy childish food, just over 100 tasty, vegan recipes. Perfect for kids and adults!
When I started to flip through the recipes in the book, I had to realise that this book contains basically all my favourite childhood foods: Burgers, pizzas, fries, egg salad, cheesy dip, puddings, breakfast pancakes, muffins and many more. And the best part? They are all veganized! Crazy, right? The other thing I love about Dreena’s go-to recipes that they are all simple and quick. You don’t need any special equipment or extrem ingredient. It’s all about having fun in the kitchen!
Other than the over 100 kid-tested, whole-foods vegan recipes, the book also contains topics like how to handle parties and sleepovers with a special diet or how to handle picky eaters. The book comes with amazing meal plans, pantry staples checklist(!!!) and infos like how to cook your grains. The photography is absolutely stunning and makes it easy for your boyfriend kids to choose what to have for dinner.
I can say the book is a perfect addition to your cookbook shelf, it’s full with great allergy-friendly recipes, useful informations, and fantastic vegan inspiration. Even if you or your family doesn’t eat fully plant-based, this is a beautiful book to have at home. Loveable and cruelty-free food, that’s all I’m saying. DELICIOUS!
To get a sneak peak into Plant-Powered Families I wanted to share this deliciousness with you. I am totally in love with this Zesty Raw Almond Sauce. As Dreena writes in the book it’s great as a dip or simply tossed through brown rice or noodles. You’ll love it!
PrintZesty Raw Almond Sauce
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 bowl 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw almond butter (see note)
- 1/2–1 tablespoon peeled and roughly chopped fresh ginger
- 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional; omit if needed for kiddos)
- 1 medium-large clove garlic (use smaller if needed for kiddos)
- 3 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
- 3 tbps freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2–3 tbsp water, plus another 1-3 tablespoons, if desired, to thin (see note)
- 11/2–2 tsp fresh lime zest (zest limes first, then collect juices)
- Extra lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Using a handheld blender and a deep cup, puree the almond butter, ginger, red pepper, garlic, tamari, lime juice, maple syrup, and 2–3 tablespoons water. Add more water to thin as desired. The sauce will also thicken with refrigeration, or if it’s heated with noodles. So, thin either while blending, or simply add a little extra hot/boiled water as you work the sauce into a dish. Note that with thinning, you may want to season with a touch of salt.
- After pureeing, stir in the lime zest. Serve with extra lime wedges to squeeze a pop of extra lime juice on individual servings (see suggestions)!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Category: Sauce
Nut Butter Note: If you don’t have raw almond butter, roasted almond butter can be substituted. Choose an unsalted nut butter; otherwise, you may need to reduce the tamari slightly.
Water Note: If making this for a dip, start with just 1–2 tablespoons of water. You can also substitute coconut water or light coconut milk.
Serving Suggestions: We love this tossed into pad Thai noodles (I use Annie Chun’s brand)—the noodles cook in just minutes! Try adding lightly cooked sliced/chopped veggies, such as sliced red bell peppers, raw ribboned carrots or zucchini (use a vegetable peeler), and/or blanched snow peas, green beans, or broccoli. Another way to enjoy this sauce is as a dip for veggies or rice paper vegetable rolls use less water and adjust to desired consistency.
GIVEAWAY *CLOSED*
Check out BenVella Vegan’s 2015 Spring releases:
- Love Fed, by Christina Ross (March 2015)
- PlantPure Nation Cookbook, by Kim Campbell (March 2015)
- Happy Herbivore Guide to Plant-Based Living, by Lindsay S. Nixon (May 2015)
- China Study Quick & Easy Cookbook, by Del Sroufe (May 2015)
My favorite childhood meal was always cheese ravioli! I don’t eat as much ravioli now that I’m vegan but I still love it when I do get the chance to have vegan ravioli 🙂
I was definitely the biggest cheesy pasta fan too! 😀
I loved pizza! I still do! Favorite meal forever!
I loved this thing called White Sauce Meal. It was shell noodles, white sauce, yes that’s what it’s called, corn, and dried corned beef (rinsed off), with a little bit of pepper. 🙂
Ooh I am excited about this book! That spicy almond sauce looks delish! I have to admit I’m totally guilty of making those bunny buns a while back. lol. My favorite childhood meal was pickles. Yep. Just pickles. Weird, I know.
Hahahaha!!!! I really didn’t wanna say anything bad about ‘cute food’, it’s probably just that I could never manage to make those things look like on pinterest 😀
Like this: http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/epic-pinterest-food-fails-2013?utm_term=.xaypRDEAG&sub=2849392_2193692
And pickles, no, not so weird! I totally love pickles (though I hated them as a child)!
Mac and cheese was my favorite childhood meal.
I always loved my grandmother’s Sunday pot roast.
Grandmother’s food ❤️
One of my favorite childhood meals (and still a favorite as an adult!) was a traditional Hungarian dish my father specialized in making, known to our family as haluska or kaposztas teszta, which consisted of cabbage, noodles, butter, and a dash of paprika. It reminds me of home and love.
Oh my goodness, káposztás tészta!!!! I loved it, I still do! But only without sugar! 😉
BTW I didn’t know haluska is that. I’ve heard that name before, but I always thought it’s something with fish 😀
breakfast for dinner!
Rebellious!
Is a sandwich a meal???? If so, tie between “fried pb&j” (think grilled cheese but with creamy pb and strawberry jam instead of cheese) and “toasted mustard & cheese” (2 slices of bread, each with yellow mustard and cheddar cheese cooked in the toaster oven).
My favorite childhood meal was pizza!
fettuccine alfredo!!!
My favourite meal was probably Shake n Bake chicken. But, now I’m vegetarian so I could use this cookbook!
Fingers crossed 😉
My favourite childhood meal was my grandma’s turkey noodle soup. No one can make it like she did, not for lack of trying! (Especially now that I’m gluten free… egg noodles don’t like gf flour!) A flavorful veggie broth actually does the trick for replacing the turkey stock though!
I loved the dreaded Tuna Casserole
Reading your post I kept wanting to scream, yes! I don’t do the “cute” food thing either and I totally get what you mean. Even when I was a kid I wanted a more sophisticated meal or ethnic comfort food (naan bread yum!!) instead of mac and cheese. You are totally making me want to get this cookbook with this awesome recipe. Great review!
Absolutely! Kids should be taken seriously and be given good food 😉
pizza was my fav
The best meal for me, was when my grandmother would make soft-boiled eggs with buttered bread strips to dunk in the eggs. She would make them anytime I walked down the hill and visited. Still makes me smile to think of it.
I would have to say my favorite child hood food would have to be spaghetti
My favorite childhood meal was always grilled cheese with tomato soup 🙂
I’ve been meaning to order this book Evi. Thanks for the great review and that sauce looks awesome!
I think you would love this book! 😉
Mac and cheese was a hit in my house when I was a kid.
spaghetti and meatballs
My favourite meal was spaghetti!
MY GRANDMAS MEATLOAF IT WAS TO DYE FOR IM STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE IT
I loved tater tot casserole as a kid. It’s very much a Minnesotan staple and I don’t know if many people outside of the Midwest who are familiar with it but they are missing out!
My favorite childhood meal was grilled cheese and tomato soup.
My favorite meal was my mother’s homemade pizza- she still makes it for me sometimes on my birthday! 😀
My favorite childhood meal was pizza.
i saw someone’s post that said shake n bake chicks and mine was shake n bake pork chops with Uncle Ben’s rice with the flavor packets. I can’t believe I ever ate that!
This cookbook sounds amazing! My favourite childhood food (besides popcorn) is oven macaroni that my mom makes (no one else’s is the same haha) Soo good!
Tough question! It was always a huge treat when my mom & dad made what we called stuffed noodles. They’d do the pasta sauce from scratch, and fill the little noodles with some kind of ricotta mixture. I remember we had a big green mixing bowl they’d mix up all the stuffing into, and once all the noodles were filled and lined up in little rows in the casserole dish, our Sheltie would get to lick out the bowl. He always started tap dancing when that bowl came out of the cupboard! A special memory – my parents both worked full time and mostly we had quick convenience meals. I guess memories like this one are a bit rare and why I developed my own love of cooking. And of course, stuffed vegan pasta!!
That’s so lovely! I have some similar childhood memories too. I remember our dog knew the sound of just touching the bowl and ran up to the kitchen from wherever he was. Then waited for an hour until the bowl got (almost) empty so he could finally lick it out….aaa….good times, thanks for reminding me 🙂
Spaghetti and meatballs! I’m still searching for the perfect vegetarian meatball recipe!
I have recently tried a very good version with smokey tempeh, everybody said they tasted just like the original ones 😉
That is seriously a tough question! I would have to say either mac and cheese or Hamburger Helper. I know, I know so sophisticated ;).
My favourite meal was homemade French onion soup. It was my birthday meal every year.
I loved when my mom made spaghetti.
My favorite was chicken hearts, gizzards, and noodles. Real comfort food…
My favorite childhood meal was lasagna. Luckily I’ve found some amazing vegan versions to have now.
I don’t know if it was my favourite meal at the time, but I get nostalgic for tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, which I now make, occasionally, with vegan ingredients. Maybe it’s because I grew up with so many meat dishes, which turn me off in a big way now as an adult.
I’m so glad I found your site. Love it. My favorite childhood meal is macaroni and cheese. Still is
My favorite childhood meal was chicken fried steak. Yikes!
I really loved the taco night. We had the meat, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, cheese. But we also had refried beans with cheese. It was just a great comfort food.
I would probably say roast beef dinner with all the fixings that to me was something I enjoyed having as meals since my mom was such a good cook.
One of my favourite childhood meals was omlettes. I have yet to make a vegan version, although I am hoping to try one soon!
Have you tried the mixture of chickpea flour and silken tofu? I think those together make a pretty awesome vegan omelet 😉
That’s easy… my favorite childhood meal was homemade mac & cheese (my Grandma’s recipe)… I always wanted it for my birthday!
My mom could feed me grilled cheese everyday.
My favorite childhood meal was my dad’s homemade chicken noodle soup, homemade noodles and all.
My favorite childhood meal was tofu pups with mustard and noodles with butter and salt! Very simple but comforting
I went through a hot dog phase for awhile, but for most of my childhood my favorite meal was probably my mother’s homemade tomato sauce and meatballs with spaghetti. I still love the sauce, but I’m about 95% vegan these days so I skip the meatballs.
Rice and beans with sweet plantains and a sunny side up egg on top
My favorite meal way back then was potato salad, sliced tomatoes, baked beans, bread and butter, ham, asparagus with mayo.
Hi there,
My favourite childhood meal/food was a slice of beefsteak tomato (fresh from the garden, usually around August) on a piece of toasted rye bread (that came from my Grandfather’s bakery). The smell and taste of a “real” tomato from that time of year not only delights the senses, but brings back memories of my grandfather lovingly preparing this delicious “feast”.
As a child I loved a soup with pickles in kindergarten (it was in Russia!)
I need to buy this. Thanks for the great review Evi. I’m in the process of reading The Happy Herbivore’s newest book for a review. All of the plant based books are so inspirational. 🙂
I know! So many great books and I wanna have them all!
I loved pot roast when I was a kid.
My favourite childhood meal was tuna casserole.
My favorite childhood meal were tacos…I even named our dog at the time “Taco!”
This question is really tough. If I had to choose, I think I would go with entomatadas or molletes. I grew up in Mexico, so both of these where made from scratch. And them about us consisted of tortillas with fresh tomato and queso fresco. Molletes were I grew up in Mexico, so both of these where made from scratch. Entomatadas consisted of tortillas with fresh tomato purée and queso fresco on top. Molletes are French breads sliced in half, take out the inside bread and fill it with beans, top it off with queso fresco. Delicious!
Growing up my favorite was chicken and rice. Baked chicken with white rice and cream of mushroom soup gravy, although I pretty much passed over the chicken entirely in favor of the rice and gravy. My mom would sprinkle it with seasoning salt and maybe put in a can of sliced mushrooms if she was feeling really fancy!
My favorite meal as a kid was probably my mom’s meatloaf. Which is funny, because I’ve been vegan for years as an adult. Also, as hard as she tried, my mom was not a very gifted cook. I’ve taught myself through Youtube videos and Pinterest.
It’s very simple and some say unappetizing, but cheese rice! My parents used to make it for me as a child, and I think I was the only one out of my siblings who would eat it. It tasted amazing with chicken!
My favorite childhood meal was Zucchini Casserole as my parents had their own garden and grew zucchini.
My favorite meal as a kid was hamburger patties with rice and broccoli and cheese. Comfort food at its finest.
I had a lot of favorites but I did love pizza.
Tacos or pizza
My favorite childhood meal was my Mom’s homemade spaghetti with toasted bread and salad!
I had to call my Mom and ask her because I couldn’t remember. She said I was a terrible eater which, I guess, is my penance because my baby boy won’t eat anything. She said that I loved to eat pasta with butter and cheese. That’s so funny because that’s basically all my son will eat too! I need help getting more veggies in him!
Mac and cheese and hot dogs were my favorite growing up.
Thank You for the giveaway…my favorite childhood meal was my Mom’s beef stew, loaded with vegetables.
i always liked my moms dirty rice.