It’s been just a little over a year that I’ve been writing with True/Slant.  I’ve enjoyed my experience contributing here, and thank all of you that have followed me, and also commented with your own perspectives on my pieces.

Of course, I will continue to write on my cooking blog, as well as magazine publications like alive magazine.   I also plan to funnel more of my energies into my next cookbook.   Please join me on my blog, and we’ll enjoy some vegan food and story telling there!

Thank you again…

Dreena

Truffled Cashew Cheese (with fresh herbs blended in)

This is a new recipe for my next cookbook.  I am sharing it today as a lead into next week’s post about helping picky eaters enjoy more nuts and seeds.

I make this cheese fairly regularly.  Though it can be used as a raw recipe incorporated into other raw dishes, we also use it as a spread for breads and potatoes, a filling for pastas, and also a pizza spread.

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It’s macho to eat meat.  Nothing more manly than throwing that steak on the bbq.  And, men need that animal protein for muscle mass, right?

With Father’s Day approaching, I’m thinking about the men in our lives, and how they have been at a disadvantage for eating healthy. I know most men love eating meat, and think that they could never “give it up”. But, our culture has taught our men that they need to eat meat to be strong, be manly, provide for their family by literally bringing home the bacon. And, with this we train our palates to desire foods like meat and dairy.

We can retrain our tastebuds to enjoy other foods… but, do men need to eat meat and dairy to be big and strong? Do they need these foods to be at peak physical performance? No.

In fact, Bob Harper from “The Biggest Loser” recently made the shift to eating vegan from vegetarian, saying “I enjoy living a plant-based diet because it makes me feel clear headed and strong, not to mention my genetically high cholesterol dropped more than 100 points”. Harper encourages contestants of the reality TV show to eat plant-based diets, offering options like quinoa and legumes as protein sources.

Need more proof that you can be buff on veg? continue »

White Bean Hummus with Fresh Basil and Thyme

One of the questions I am asked often from readers is about feeding picky toddlers and children. I thought it would be useful to do a series of picky eater posts, featuring a food group in each.

So, today, I am going to focus on legumes (or beans), and some practical ways for you to cook and prepare meals for your children (as well as yourself) using different types of beans.

Image via Wikipedia

Beans are a daily staple in our diet.  It’s not a chore for us to eat them, either – we all love them.  Our girls have been eating them since babes, and so they willingly (and often enthusiastically) eat all sorts of beans prepared in different ways.

Unfortunately, I think many children are first introduced to beans in foods that are just unappealing to them – such as in a spicy chili, or a casserole or stew with a lot of onions or peppers.  As a result, they associate beans with unappealing tastes and simply say they “don’t like them”.  Beans in and of themselves are kid-friendly – no strong flavors and squishy soft textures!  There are so many varieties of beans and so many ways to prepare them, that we owe it to our kids (and the lowly bean) to get them in our diet.  They are extremely nutritious, inexpensive, and yes, can be very delicious!

Here are just a few ideas to get started…

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After receiving many requests on my blog, I am publishing my new recipe (for upcoming 4th cookbook) for Strawberry-Goji Muffins (these are wheat-free, but not gluten-free).

Strawberry-Goji Muffins

I created these muffins after blending goji berries into a smoothie one day.   I thought it would be terrific to combine the flavors of strawberries and goji berries in a muffin batter.

Goji berries are not as tender or sweet as other dried fruit, so they can be a bit of an acquired taste.  These muffins will help get you acquainted!   They are tender and lightly sweet, and the brilliant color of the strawberry-goji infused batter might be incentive enough to whip up these muffins.  continue »