6 Healthy Recipes That Don't Taste Like They're Good for You

January is the month where webegin to think about our health and fitness. Achieve your wellness goals this year while still satisfying your taste buds with these six tasty recipes from Naked Nutrition: Whole Foods Revealed by Annie Miller and Amy Choate and The 100% Natural Foods Cookbook by Caleb Warnock.

Makes a 1.5 ­quart round casserole dish | Start to finish: 30 minutes

"Nothing is as cozy as a turkey supper pie on a cold autumn or winter evening. Only one thing can improve the experience: being able to make the pie in 25 minutes. There are two secret ingredients in this pot pie. The first is oatmeal flour, which gives the gravy the old-­fashioned flavor and texture like grandma used to make it. Oatmeal flour is available at health food stores. If you can’t find oatmeal flour, you can use regular rolled oats instead. The second is the phyllo dough crust. I love the flakey layers of crunchy filo, but if the papery texture doesn’t please you, use puff pastry instead. While turkey is my favorite way to make this dish, you can use any protein. If you choose steak or hamburger, use beef stock."

- 1 onion

- 1∕2 teaspoon salt

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- dash of pepper

- 1 tablespoon butter

- 1∕4 teaspoon thyme

- 2 beets or turnips, diced

- 2 cups of stock (turkey, chicken, or vegetable)

- 3 carrots or parsnips, diced

- 1∕4 teaspoon marjoram

- 2 potatoes, diced

- 1∕2 cup Swiss chard ribs or celery, diced

- 1∕2 cup corn kernels

- 1 cup cubed cooked turkey chicken, or vegetable)

- 2 tablespoons oat flour

- 1∕2 cup peas

- 1 roll of prepared filo dough pastry (also called phyllo dough)

1. Chop the onion. In a heavy pan (enameled cast iron works best) soften the onions. Over medium heat in the butter and olive oil. This will take about 5 minutes.

2. Add the vegetables (except the peas), meat, herbs, and spices, to the onions and cook another 3 minutes.

3. Pour the stock into the pan and cook until the stock is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the oat flour. The mixture will quickly thicken. Turn off the heat. Stir in the peas. Pour the mixture into a round 1.5­-quart glass or stoneware baking dish.

5. Cut a square of prepared filo pastry. Cover the casserole dish, allowing the four corners to stick up. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until filo dough is golden brown. Serve warm.

Found in The 100% Natural Foods Cookbook.

Serves: 6–8 | Prep time: 30 minutes | Start to finish: 1 hour

- 2–3 onions, roughly cut

- 2 celery stalks, sliced

- 2–4 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 Tbsp. salt

- 2 Tbsp. olive oil

- 1∕4 cup fresh parsley, or 2 Tbsp. dried parsley

- 1∕2 tsp. turmeric

- 8–10 cups sliced or chopped vegetables of choice (carrots, celery, potatoes, and so on)

- 4–6 fresh sage leaves or 1 tsp. dried sage

- 2–3 bay leaves honey, to taste

- 1 zucchini (for alphabet letters), optional

This is the classic plant­-based version of chicken noodle soup. My children love to cool this soup by adding frozen peas. Steam fry (in 1∕4 cup water) or sauté onions, celery, garlic, and salt in olive oil until onions are translucent, 5–7 minutes. Transfer onion sauté to blender. Add 2 cups water, parsley, and turmeric. Process until smooth. Return stock to the pot. Add 4–6 additional cups water (less for a thicker broth, more for a thinner), prepared vegetables of choice, sage, and bay leaves to the pot. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10–15 minutes.

While soup is simmering, make alphabet letters by thinly slicing zucchini in rounds. With small 1­inch cookie cutter shapes or alphabet letters, cut into each zucchini round. Place on a tray and set aside. Use either or both the alphabet letters and shadow cut. Five minutes before serving, add shapes or alphabet letters to the soup to cook. Salt and pepper soup broth to taste (it will need more salt). If the variety of chosen vegetables leave the soup slightly bitter, add honey 1 teaspoon at a time to reach desired balance. Remove sage and bay leaves. Serve immediately. If not serving immediately, reserve cut letters for when soup is reheated.

Found in Naked Nutrition: Whole Foods Revealed

Serves: 4–6 | Prep time: 25 minutes | Start to finish: 30 minutes

- 2 cups sun­dried tomatoes or 2 (3­oz.) packages

- 2 1∕2 cups water (for soaking tomatoes)

- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced 3 onions, diced

- 2 Tbsp. olive oil

- 1∕2 tsp. salt

- 1 tsp. dried oregano

- 2 tsp. dried basil

- 1∕2 tsp. dried winter savory

- a handful of fresh herbs, optional (thyme, marjoram, basil, oregano)

- pinch of cayenne

- 2–4 roma or small tomatoes, quartered, optional

- 2–6 tsp. honey, to taste salt and pepper, to taste olives, sliced

If you plan to make the lasagna, use less water for a thicker sauce. Sun­ dried tomatoes vary in saltiness, so be sure to wait until the end to salt the sauce. Also, the amount of honey will vary from time to time because sugar content depends on the seasonality and variety of the tomato. Lastly, if adding olives, look for brands like Santa Barbara that don’t use ferrous gluconate as an additive. Soak sun­dried tomatoes in a bowl with water until soft (10–20 minutes). Save the water. Sauté garlic and onions in olive oil and salt. Cook until translucent and soft, about 5–8 minutes. Keep sauté warm until tomato sauce is done. Food processes the soaked tomatoes, dried and fresh herbs, and cayenne until chunky. Add fresh tomatoes and pulse until mostly smooth. Add the tomato soak water 1∕2 cup at a time to reach desired flavor and consistency. Additional water may be necessary if sauce is thick. Combine the tomato sauce with the warm sauté and stir. Salt, pepper, and add honey to taste. Add sliced olives last.

- 1 recipe sun­dried tomato sauce

- 6–8 small zucchinis or 2 spaghetti squashes

For zucchini, spiralize or peel strips with a peeler. For spaghetti squash, cut each squash in half, place on a baking tray and bake at 350 degrees for 45–60 minutes, until a fork easily pierces squash flesh. Scoop squash’s spaghetti strings into a serving bowl after baking. Pour sauce over squash of choice and serve garnished with fresh basil and hemp seed.

- 4–6 small zucchinis

- 1 recipe sun­dried tomato sauce

- 1 handful fresh basil

- 2 tomatoes, sliced

- Cashew basil butter

With a peeler, shave zucchini into long strips. Fold in half and cut in two pieces (each piece will now be 3–4 inches long). Lay 3 strips next to each other, edges slightly overlapping. Spoon tomato sauce over the first layer of zucchini strips. Add another layer of zucchini strips, and then spoon cashew basil butter over the zucchini. Add another layer of zucchini and layer fresh basil leaves and tomato slices. Continue adding layers of zucchini, alternating with tomato sauce and basil butter. Finish with basil butter on top and garnish with fresh basil and hemp seed. Serve immediately.

Found in  Naked Nutrition: Whole Foods Revealed

Serves: 10 | Prep time: 20 minutes | Start to finish: 30 hours

- 2 cups garbanzo beans, sprouted and cooked (see pp. 8–11)

- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar, raw

- 1∕2 cup water

- 1∕4 cup sesame seeds

- 1 Tbsp. olive oil

- 1 Tbsp. lime juice or 1 Tbsp. water with 1 drop lime essential oil

- 3∕4–1 tsp. salt, to taste

- 1∕4 tsp. garlic powder

- 1∕4 tsp. onion powder

- 1∕4 tsp. cumin powder

- 1∕4 tsp. chili powder

- 1–2 handfuls spinach

- 1∕2 cup chopped cilantro

- 1 small avocado

- 1∕2–1 small jalapeño

- 1∕4 red bell pepper, chopped more salt to taste

This hummus is perfect because it is heartier than a dressing dip. I like to prepare large batches of garbanzo beans and freeze them so I have them on hand. Helpful hint: 1 cup dry garbanzo beans = 3 cups cooked. Place garbanzo beans and all other ingredients (basic and variations) in a food processor with the “S” blade. Process until smooth. Adjust salt to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 5 days.

Found in Naked Nutrition: Whole Foods Revealed

Photo from iStock

"After marriage, I discovered that not all men can live on salad. After a few years of trial and error, Josh and I figured out the salad that satisfies a man. There are 3 main components to creating the “Man” Salad: Sprouted lentils/Beans: they are a heavy food and require more work to digest, which creates heat in the body and thus acts similar to meat in the body. The other two components are sprouted or toasted seeds and rich and creamy nut based dressings."

Create a salad base with greens: 4–6 ounces of greens, per plate for an adult.  Add sprouted seasoned lentils or beans (see p. 14). Add a combination of vegetables, ensuring there is at least one root vegetable (carrot, radish, onion, beet, sweet potato). Here are some ideas:

- avocados, dressed in lime juice

- beets, skins off or left on, spiralized

- grated carrots, julienned or spiralized

- chard, cut into ribbons

- collards, cut into ribbons

- corn, raw and cut off cob

-cucumbers

- ginger, freshly grated

- herbs, fresh, chopped fine or cut into small pieces jicama, cubed

- kale, cut into ribbons

- olives (black or green, without ferrous gluconate, a color enhancer)

- onions, thinly sliced

- peas, thawed under warm water and then drained

- peppers, colored

- pickles (raw, fermented)

- sauerkraut (raw, fermented)

- sprouts (radish, alfalfa, buckwheat, pea shoots, sunflower greens, broccoli)

- tomatoes

- zucchini or yellow squash, sliced and quartered or spiralized

Drizzle with a dressing of choice and top with sprouted or baked seeds. Enjoy a hearty salad!

Found in  Naked Nutrition: Whole Foods Revealed

Makes: 40 potstickers | Start to Finish: 30 minutes

Potstickers are crunchy comfort food at our house. Cooked perfectly, they are crisp on one side and delightfully chewy on the other. Served hot and dipped in gyoza sauce, these are easy to fall in love with. Gyoza is one of a handful of Japanese comfort foods that have taken the western world by storm, and with good reason.

- 1∕4 cup water

- 3 tablespoons olive oil

- 1∕2 onion

- 1 carrot or parsnips 1 beet

- 1 potatoes

- 1∕2 lb. ground pork

- 1 egg

- 1 package prepared round wonton wraps

- 2 tablespoons water (additional)

Blanch the vegetables by steaming or boiling. Mince or mash the blanched vegetables. Mix in the meat and egg. Lightly wet one round wrap with water. Put 1 heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of the wrap. Seal the wrap by using a potsticker press or by pressing the edges closed with the tines of a fork. Put a tablespoon of oil into a frying pan. Heat on medium high. Add about 12 potstickers to the pan and cover with a lid. Cook for 4 minutes. Remove the lid and add 2 tablespoons of water. Immediately replace the lid. Cook for 4–5 minutes until the potstickers are puffy and golden brown on the bottom. Serve hot with gyoza sauce.

- 2 teaspoons soy sauce

- 1 teaspoon sesame oil

- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

This recipe is per person. This sauce is usually served in a small dipping bowl (available at Asian food stores) at each place setting at the table. Hot potstickers are typically dipped into the sauce using chop­ sticks. If you are not comfortable using chopsticks, this sauce can be poured over a serving of 10–12 potstickers. The three ingredients in this sauce are not stirred. Simply pour the ingredients into a bowl.

Found in  The 100% Natural Foods Cookbook

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Find more healthy, delicious recipes to try this year in  Naked Nutrition: Whole Foods Revealed by Annie Miller and Amy Choate and The 100% Natural Foods Cookbook by Caleb Warnock.