Peek Into the New Cookbook by My Nguyen of My Healthy Dish

If you follow My Nguyen on TikTok (like 4.7 million others) or Instagram (2.4 million followers), you already know and love all the creative and delicious ways she dresses up familiar foods, and makes less-everyday foods feel approachable. Whether she’s adding truffle salt to mac and cheese or showing us how to make ho-hum green beans into a restaurant worthy dish, she’s always a source of inspo to us. So we were super-excited to get a sneak peek into her new cookbook, Healthy, My Way — and share it with you, along with some exclusive tips.

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Clean Plates: How would you describe your personal approach to healthy eating? 

My Nguyen: My personal approach to healthy eating now, in my 40s, is making choices that make me feel good throughout the day. I find I feel my best and have more energy when I double up on my vegetables, make sure I have a good serving of lean protein with each meal, and keep carbs more minimal. 

CP: What are your top tips for busy women who want to eat healthier but are really short on time?

My Nguyen: My top tips for busy women who still want to eat healthier are:

• Plan ahead when grocery shopping. Have an idea of what you’re making for the week and shop accordingly. I save time by scheduling my instacart orders and basically buying similar items each week. 
• Take 30 minutes once a week to wash and prep all your vegetables so you can grab them as a snack or throw in a stir fry, that’s a life saver. 
• Crockpots and Instant Pots are great for making set-it-and-forget-it kinds of meals for the family. 

CP: What’s your go-to quick meal when you don’t feel like cooking?

My Nguyen: My go-to quick meals are salads. I can air-fry salmon and make a quick salad in less than 20 minutes. 

Here’s a sneak peek at three fantastic recipes from Healthy, My Way.

Seven-Layer Mediterranean Dip

Makes about 6 cups

My Nguyen says: If a Tex-Mex seven-layer dip is your go-to party dish, you’ll want to add this brighter, lighter version to your repertoire ASAP. It makes an ideal game-day snack served with chips or veggies, or serve it with mini pitas so everyone can scoop up their own baby sandwiches. A layer of air-fried crispy chickpeas adds a nice texture reminiscent of a fattoush salad, but if you don’t want to add that extra step, regular chickpeas work just fine.

Mediterranean “Salsa”:

• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into small dice
• 2 Persian cucumbers or ½ hothouse cucumber, seeded and cut into small dice
• ½ small red onion, cut into small dice
• 1 teaspoon za’atar or dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Juice of 1 lemon

Dip:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 garlic clove
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 (8-ounce) container hummus, any flavor
• 2 ripe avocados, mashed (or 1 cup prepared guacamole)
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup air-fried crispy chickpeas, or canned chickpeas, drained
• ½ cup pitted green or black olives, slivered
• Pita chips or crudités, for serving

1. In a small bowl, combine the salsa ingredients and set aside. In a separate small bowl, stir the yogurt until smooth. Grate the garlic clove directly into the yogurt, add the salt, and stir to combine.
2. To assemble the dip, spread the hummus evenly over the bottom of a 1-quart dish or glass bowl. Next, spread a layer of mashed avocado evenly over the hummus and top with the garlicky yogurt. Spoon the salsa over the yogurt, making sure to include some of its lemony juices (this will help season the lower layers of the dip). Top with the crumbled feta, chickpeas, and slivered olives. Serve with the pita chips or crudités. Store the well-covered leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Tip: The next day, after all the flavors have mingled, this dip is delicious spooned onto a piece of toasted sourdough for breakfast or a midafternoon snack.

Warm Roasted Beet Salad with Citrus and Fried Shallots

Serves 4

My Nguyen says: Crunchy, salty, sweet, and tart—what more do you want in a winter side? It will taste just as good the next day, but the colors and textures are best if the salad is assembled right before serving, as the beets will stain the other ingredients. If you have more exotic citrus fruits to use up, like blood oranges or pomelos, go for it, but don’t skip the fried shallots and dill — they really bring the diverse flavors together.

• 2 medium beets, scrubbed
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 8 ounces green beans, trimmed
• 1 navel orange, peeled and cut into segments
• 1 small grapefruit, peeled and cut into segments
• ½ head fennel, cored and thinly sliced 
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ¼ cup Fried Shallots
• ¼ cup chopped fresh dill

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil and roast until they’re tender and very easy to pierce with the tip of a knife, about 50 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper and whisk until emulsified. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel them (their skins should slip right off ) and cut into thin wedges. Add the beets to the dressing, toss well, and set aside.
3. Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and cut into 1-inch pieces. In a large serving bowl, combine the green beans with the orange and grapefruit segments, fennel, and feta. Add the beets and their dressing and toss to combine. Right before serving, top with the fried shallots and dill, toss again, and serve.

Chicken-Veggie Pan Fry with Glass Noodles

Serves 4 generously

My Nguyen says: Korean japchae was the inspiration for this dish, but I’ve supersized the veggie quotient and scaled back the noodles to make it even tastier and better for you. You get a bit of chicken, glass noodles, mushrooms, red bell pepper, bok choy, and snow peas in every bite, all blanketed with a bit of savory sauce. Leftovers make for an A+ school lunch, either warmed or at room temperature.

• 6 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 3 ounces glass noodles
• ⅓ pound (about 20) green beans, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 teaspoons neutral oil, such as avocado or canola
• 1 pound chicken tenders or 2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into thin strips
• ½ medium onion, sliced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 ounces snow peas
• ½ head bok choy, sliced crosswise ½ inch thick
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ cup roasted cashews, coarsely chopped

1. Place the shiitake mushrooms in a bowl with enough hot water to cover them, and set aside to soften for 10 or 15 minutes.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and green beans, return to a boil, and cook until the noodles are nearly cooked through, about 4 minutes. Drain the noodles and beans, rinse under cold water, and set aside. Drain and slice the shiitakes, discarding the stems and reserving the soaking liquid.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the reserved mushroom soaking liquid. Set aside.
4. In a wok or a large skillet, heat 3 teaspoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt, and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil to the pan along with the bell pepper, onion, and carrot and stir-fry until they start to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, snow peas, bok choy, sliced shiitakes, and 2 tablespoons of their soaking liquid. Season with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and the pepper. 
5. Continue cooking and tossing until the vegetables are wilted, another 3 or 4 minutes. Return the chicken, noodles, and green beans to the pan and toss to mix with the vegetables. Stir in the soy sauce mixture and cook until everything is heated through. Add the cashews, toss once more, and serve.

Excerpted from HEALTHY, MY WAY by My Nguyen. Copyright © 2024 by My Nguyen. Used by permission of Rodale Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.  All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. 

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