108 hearth recipes

Hearty lentil tomato sauce with dried lentils, fresh tomatoes, and Italian herbs simmered into a thick, protein-rich vegetarian pasta sauce. Meaty texture without the meat.

Ham and three-bean soup with navy beans, kidney beans, black beans, and stewed tomatoes in a chili-spiced broth. One pot, no soaking, and ready in 40 minutes.

Takes about 45 min. to make, plus another 12 - 15 minutes to finish cooking. Makes a very chunky, hearty stew. Adding more water will make it a soup.

Rich turkey soup simmered for hours with wild rice, fresh herbs, and vegetables. Turn your Thanksgiving turkey carcass into 12 servings of deeply flavorful homemade stock.

The quintessential Indian-Singaporean meal accompaniment. Unfortunately, all too often it is made using highly processed white flour and margarine. Here, the parathas are made with whole-wheat flour (you could also try using spelt flour) and stuffed with peas and potatoes, for a lighter but more wholesome take on the original. Serve hot with yoghurt and herbs.

A breakfast staple made with organic spelt flour, coconut oil and natural sweetener. Serve with maple syrup on the side and fresh berries or bananas or organic yoghurt. Another option is to soften some apple slices in a little bit of water, vanilla and dash of maple syrup until the liquid reduces and the apples are soft. Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon – reminiscent of apple pie!

Chocolate contains compounds believed to boost serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain. Among them are theobromine and caffeine, which can increase alertness and trigger a pleasurable feeling similar to the natural high after exercise. Another group of compounds, called flavonoids, has been found to benefit heart health. Studies suggest they improve blood flow by relaxing the blood vessels.

Steamed fish fillets drizzled with soy sauce and toasted sesame oil, cooked in a bamboo steamer in under 10 minutes. Three-ingredient dinner that's gluten-free when made with tamari.

Oats are a great source of soluble fibre and have been shown to help lower cholesterol levels. Cinnamon is well regarded for its ability to balance sugar levels, thus keeping hunger at bay for longer. Adding flaxseeds or chia seeds boosts the omega-3 oils and adds even more fibre to the dish. The dish can be assembled the night before and left in the fridge for the oats to soften. All that is required the next morning is to add hot milk.

Very simple cookies made with an almond-meal base. Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats, which have been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. They are also very high in vitamin E (a powerful anti-oxidant), magnesium and potassium (important for maintaining healthy blood pressure).

A fresh take on the traditional banana bread utilizing the widely-available persimmon – the national fruit of Japan. Persimmons are rich in vitamins A and C, and contain high amounts of manganese, a co-factor for the enzyme superoxide dismutase, for healthy mucous membranes and skin, as well as a known protectant against lung and mouth cancers. They are also an excellent source of fibre and B-complex vitamins.

A favourite served at Din Tai Fung gets a healthy make-over. Water spinach, commonly known as kangkong, is rich in fibre, magnesium, vitamins A and C and is very low in calories. Word of caution: do not eat it raw as it may carry parasitic cysts from the waterways that are its natural habitat.

Dry your beans well before cooking. To get the traditional ‘blistered’ look of the beans you will need to shallow-fry them for 5-6 minutes and stir constantly to avoid burning.

The secret to making the cucumbers crunchy is to salt them first and let the salt draw out excess moisture before use.

In Japan, miso soup is a traditional breakfast food–sipped hot, directly from the bowl. It is incredibly simple to prepare and can be put together in roughly the same amount of time it takes to brew a cup of tea. You can transfer the soup to a wide-neck thermos and take it to work for a nourishing mid-morning break as well. Miso has numerous health benefits, but is especially renowned for its probiotics properties, which help balance intestinal flora. It also contains good amounts of vitamin B12.

As we age our bodies' ability to produce digestive enzymes diminishes. Similarly, cooking foods destroys the majority of digestive enzymes found naturally in foods, compromising our ability to absorb nutrients from the foods we consume. This salad contains papaya and pineapple, which are both loaded with powerful digestive enzymes. Kiwi fruit is a very rich source of vitamin C to boost immunity. Adding organic yoghurt (or coconut yoghurt) to the salad is a great way to take in probiotics and further boost the digestion-enhancing properties of this salad.