A few days ago Chloe turned 12 and I officially braced myself for the hormonal hurricane of teenage years. So far, she’s mainly a chilled little soul. I’m trying to just enjoy it and keep my fingers crossed that she doesn’t start hating me in 362 days’ time.Aged 8, she went through some kind of preteen drama and it took me a while to recover. Maybe they got it all out of the way then? Or maybe I’m delusional … if you could have the wine ready, that would be great!We celebrated in haste — after school and a late Aerial Yoga practice.I’d fallen through the door twenty minutes before she got home, blew up some balloons and threw glitter all over the dining table — a mistake, as it turns out.She walked in to find music playing, the table laid, champagne glasses at the ready and birthday dinner bubbling away on the stove.Don’t worry, the “champagne” was actually organic Val de France sparkling juice (Miles Market).They do an amazing apple and peach blend that’s much lower in sugar than 100 per cent juice. Best of all, it has a champagne-type cork that you can pop off which is always fun (it’s the little things). Dinner itself was a much more grown-up affair.She’d asked for chicken, broccoli and prosciutto risotto, “the type with the Italian fat rice!”… well, excuse me!Fancy as it sounds, it’s actually incredibly easy, although I’d find it hard to write the recipe down, as it’s very much a little of this, and a little of that! I’ve been trying to nudge the girls towards some more plant-based recipes lately, but they currently remain steadfast carnivores. Whether or not plant-based is any healthier really depends on a number of things.So many people have watched the Game Changers movie (which advocates a vegan diet) and it does present some interesting viewpoints and data.However, we have to remember it was funded by people with a business agenda, and it doesn’t really present a very balanced view.Ultimately, the quality of the animal products you consume is absolutely critical.Most of us put our heads in the sand over mainstream factory farming; the truth is pretty horrifying and it does have health implications as well as serious environmental and ethical issues. However, while I’ve found it difficult for the kids to accept completely vegan meals, there is one little trick that’s helping me massively.Enter (drumroll please) … the amazing cashew cream! It’s so delicious and feels decadent, so drizzled over the top or served on the side of vegan dishes, it really does help boost the taste-factor and that sense of indulgence.We have this on pasta, with black bean tacos and on the side of a vegetable and lentil curry, too.Even if you are not following a vegan diet, you might like to try this as a dairy-free alternative to sour cream.It’s creamy, tangy and delicious. Give it a try!Cashew Cream (makes approx half a cup) ½ cup cashews, ideally soaked overnight and rinsed½ large lemon, juiced1 tsp apple cider vinegar (preferably Braggs) 5 tbsp water, approxDirections:Soaking the cashews helps them to soften and makes them easier to blend. If you do soak them, rinse well.Then throw everything in a blender or processor. The more powerful your equipment, the smoother the result will be.For a thicker sauce just use the 5 tbsp water, but you can increase to your desired consistency.Enjoy! Catherine Burns is a qualified nutritional therapist. For more details: natural.bm, 505-4725, Natural Nutrition Bermuda on Facebook and @naturalbda on Instagram