MNN - Mother Nature Network

First announced back in January, Trisha Yearwood's new cooking series on the Food Network, "Trisha's Southern Kitchen," kicked off its debut episode this weekend. Those sticking around for the full season of six shows can expect to find recipes and tips on whipping up everything from Barbecued Chicken, Uncle Wilson's Grilled Onions, and Sweet and Saltines. 

 

"For me, cooking is very connected to my family and friends," Yearwood says on her website. "Every recipe on the show carries wonderful memories with my loved ones, and I can't wait to share my meals, stories and family photos."

 

Unlike other Food Network shows in which health takes a back seat, Yearwood's series is striving for a more balanced presentation of good nutrition and taste. 

 

"Any time you’re cooking, if you’re cooking at home with fresh ingredients, it’s going to be better for you and for your body than anything you can buy premade in the store," she recently said in an interview. "So even if you’re not cooking the lowest-fat thing, if you’re making it yourself, using fresh ingredients, you’re already doing something better for your family — because you know what’s going into your food. And that’s really the only way to know. But we are in such a fast-paced world now!"

 

One example of this new approach is a recipe called Chickless Pot Pie, devoid of any meat of dairy. "When I make it now, I don’t tell people that it’s vegan and they just love it," she says. "It just tastes good."

 

And speaking of veganism, it appears that Yearwood and her famous husband, Garth Brooks, have recently started incorporating more of a plant-based diet into their lives. 

 

According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, a couple from Washington state recently won a lunch with the superstar husband and wife. "Brooks revealed that he and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, have become vegans and, while ordering, asked the server to bring him Steve Wynn's favorite vegan food," the site revealed.

 

With two best-selling cookbooks under her belt, could a vegetarian/vegan tome be next on the horizon for Trisha? 

 

"Trisha's Southern Kitchen" airs Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. EST on the Food Network.