June 16, 2015
One of my most favorite things about being a recipe blogger is getting review copies of cookbooks from publishers. I have a thing for cookbooks – it’s actually getting a bit out of hand. Need more bookshelves. Anyway, Plant-Powered Families by Dreena Burton, one of my favorite vegan authors, is one of the books I get to play with this time and it’s a real treat. I’ve always been a huge fan of Dreena’s but the one thing that bummed me out in the past was that I had to adapt her recipes to not include oil. I was thrilled to find she doesn’t use any in her latest work. Yay! One of the things I like most about Dreena is how considerate and detailed she is with her recipes. She clearly spends a lot of time tweaking and getting the ingredients and methods just right to make things as easy as she can for her readers, and she shares tips, tricks and alternatives for many situations. She adds notes to each recipe with her suggestions for kicking it up, mellowing it out, use this instead of that, or simply adjusting flavors for adults’ or kids’ tastes.
Dreena has 3 young daughters so she understands the challenges involved in getting healthy food into picky kids who are busy and on the go. Her recipes in this book are appealing to kids and adults alike with dishes like Sunday Morning Pancakes, Apple-Spice Hemp Muffins, Red Lentil Hummus, Zippy Chickpea and White Bean Dip, Cream of Cauliflower Soup, Umami Sun-Dried Tomato and Almond Burgers, Home Fries, Lemon-Kissed Blondie Bites and Banana Butter Ice Cream, just to name a few of many. The book includes mouth-watering photos, and is laid out really nicely beginning with a section on priming your pantry with plant-based staples, followed by color coded chapters such as Healthy Mornings; Lunch Fixes; Salad Dressings, Sauces and Toppers; Dinnertime; Sweet Treats. The back of the book has some cool resources like a section on Picky Eaters and how to manage them, School and Lunchbox solutions, Tips for Hosting and Attending Kids’ Parties, Sample Meal Plans and a FAQ’s section. She didn’t miss a beat with this book – everything is covered, and honestly, you could use this book and none other for your family and be set. My only complaint about this book is that it doesn’t include allergen notations for each recipe, which is pretty lame since it’s easy to do and most books have.
Everything I’ve made from the book has been excellent, and today I’m sharing one of the recipes with you – Saucy BBQ Chickpeas and Green Beans. I used broccoli because hubby hates green beans but otherwise I stuck to the recipe and it was delicious – and so simple! I will be doing a drawing to give away a free copy of this awesome book. Tune in to my Facebook page for details on how to win! https://www.facebook.com/PlantifulWellness Enjoy the recipe.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 people | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 35 minutes |
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This flavorful dish by Dreena Burton from her Plant-Powered Families cookbook is as delicious as it is easy. Feel free to use broccoli or another veggie if green beans aren't your thing.
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- 1 1/2 cups green beans cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 cup natural ketchup
- 2 TBS tahini
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 TBS apple cider vinegar
- 1 TBS tamari or other low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp chipotle hot sauce
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup shallot or onion minced
- 2 1/2 cups chickpeas
- First, blanch the green beans. Bring 2-3 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the beans, let cook for just a minute or two until vibrant green, then strain and run under cold water. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400. In a bowl, whisk together the ketchup, tahini, mustard, garlic, vinegar, tamari, Worcestershire sauce, and chioptle hot sauce, and then whisk in the water. Once well incorporated, stir in the shallots/onion.
- Transfer the mixture to a baking dish (8x11 or similar size). Add the chickpeas and stir through. Bake, covered, 25 minutes.
- Add the green beans, stir through, re-cover, and bake for another 4-5 minutes (not much longer, or the beans will turn a gray color). Remove and serve.
