Cookbook Club: Trisha Yearwood’s Favorite Healthy Family Recipes

In her new cookbook Trisha’s Table, country superstar and Food Network host Trisha Yearwood shares a collection of wholesome recipes she cooks at home that afford her and her family a balanced lifestyle without sacrificing flavor. The book features 224 pages of recipes for breakfast, snacks, quick dinners, desserts, and more, including dairy-free angel hair pasta with avocado pesto, slow cooker Georgia pulled-pork barbecue, and high-protein edamame parmesan.

 

The cookbook, which is studded with photographs of her and her family at home in Oklahoma, is truly a family affair: Trisha’s written the book with her sister, Beth Yearwood Bernard. Chatting with us over the phone, Yearwood shared her thoughts on some the recipes in her book that carry the deepest family memories. One of them was her mother’s Dijon-studded coleslaw.

 

“My mother passed away from breast cancer four years ago. She loved crunch — [food] was about texture as much as flavor for her. She developed this when she was ill; she thought, ‘let’s try this.’ My mom and dad were both really great cooks, and when we make these dishes, it keeps them with us,” she told us.

 

As for husband Garth Brooks — who the family affectionately refers to as “Gartha Stewart,” the recipe from the cookbook that he loves most is a surprising one (shocker: it’s vegan!). “He’s a fan of a black bean lasagna that doesn’t have any dairy or meat in it; the ricotta cheese is made of tofu. I had to taste it to believe it — and so did he.”

 

He also loves her meat-free crispy smashed sweet potato burger. “I finally convinced him to try it, and he loved it. I like mine with a blend of mayonnaise and Tabasco, but he likes his on a bun with tomato and cheese. It’s a really easy thing to put together. It makes eight big burgers, and they’re good the next day. They’re good for a no-meat Monday. I highly recommend that.”

 

Get a sampling of Trisha’s favorite healthy family recipes below.

 

Gwen’s Coleslaw

Dijonnaise adds a subtle kick to this simple cabbage and onion coleslaw.

 

Makes 2 cups

 

2 cups cored and thinly sliced green cabbage (1/4 small head)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup sweet relish

1/4 small onion, sliced in half lengthwise and then crosswise into 1/4-inch slices

1 tablespoon Dijonnaise

1/4 cup mayonnaise

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

In a large bowl, mix together the cabbage, lemon juice, relish, onion, Dijonnaise, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

 

Tofu Ricotta Lasagna

This meat- and dairy-free lasagna replaces beef and cheese with black beans and tofu “ricotta.”

 

Serves 8

 

1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted dicd tomatoes, with their juices

1 (12-ounce) can tomato paste

Salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces lasagna noodles

2 1/2 cups Tofu Ricotta (recipe follows)

 

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. In a large saucepan, combine the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, onion, and black beans. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the oil, then add the lasagna noodles. Cook according to the package directions, drain, and set aside.

 

Spread 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Then make three layers each of noodles, sauce, and tofu ricotta. End with an additional layer of sauce, and be sure the noodles are completely covered so they do not dry out during baking. Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered. Remove from the oven, and allow the dish to stand for 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

 

Tofu Ricotta

This keeps, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to two weeks.

 

1/4 cup raw cashews, finely ground

14 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained

1/4 cup nutritional yeast or grated Parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

Break drained tofu into small pieces. In a food processor, pulse the cashews until fine. Then add the tofu, nutritional yeast, oil, basil, salt, and pepper. Puree until fully combined.

 

Smashed Sweet Pea Burgers

For extra-crispy burgers, cook patties a few minutes longer than the recipe suggests.

 

Makes 8 patties

 

2 large sweet potatoes

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups fine bread crumbs

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

 

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Pierce the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and bake on a fully lined baking sheet until soft, 60 to 75 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.

 

Halve the potatoes, scoop out the flesh into a medium bowl, and mash. Add the chickpeas and continue to mash. Mix in the egg, chili powder, flour, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese until fully combined.

 

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil and butter and swirl together, about 2 minutes. Using your hands, form the sweet potato mixture into 8 patties. Add to the pan and cook until brown and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes per side, working in batches as needed. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

 

If you’re into the recipes you see here, buy the book, and be sure to join us at your local store on Wednesday, July 15 to learn cooking techniques and enjoy a three-course tasting menu of recipes from Trisha’s Table, prepared while you watch. Get in touch with your local store for more details.

 

Reprinted from TRISHA’S TABLE: My Feel-Good Favorites for a Balanced Life. Copyright © 2015 by Trisha Yearwood. Photos by Ben Fink. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.