The Naked Foods Cookbook

Pros: all recipes are gluten free, quick glance reference for preparation times and meat inclusion, book includes recipes for normally store bought sauces/dressings

Cons: many recipes require advanced preparations (like homemade sauces, whey, etc.) in order to make them

The book has comprehensive sections on what makes food ‘naked' and what tools/techniques you need to have a ‘naked kitchen' (like sprouting and culturing foods).

The authors break the recipes up into three groups based on the time they take to make (in a rush, everyday and impress the neighbours), though even the faster recipes require some advanced planning with regards to ingredients that need preparation to make them naked. These ingredients are mentioned in the headlines, so they're easy to spot and if you're planning your meals ahead of time, they're easy to incorporate. However, if you're like me and tend to plan dinner on the fly, you'll encounter some problems using this book. The authors also mention if the recipes are vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian or omnivore in the headlines.

There's a broad mix of recipes from sauces and pre-made soup stocks to breakfasts, sides and entrees. With 168 recipes, there are a lot of great foods to try. Of the 12 recipes I tried (including making whey and the Kitchen Scrap Veggie Stock), there was only one recipe I wouldn't do again (the Vegan Hollandaise sauce, which was too lemony for my taste, though the Portabello Eggs Benedict, upon which I ate it, I will definitely make again). In a few cases I would substitute ingredients in the future (like using almonds rather than cashews in the Orange Creamsicle Smoothie and taking out the kale in the Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash). All of which are a matter of personal taste. Other recipes were perfect as presented and I highly recommend both the Roasted Herb Red Potatoes (which tasted fantastic both times I made them) and the super easy and surprisingly flavourful Sauteed Chicken with Lemon and Herbs.

If you're trying to eat healthier and go for more natural foods in your diet, this is a great cookbook.