MORE: What One Nutritionist Ate for an Entire Week (in Pictures) What’s Bringardner’s secret? Thanks to his culinary training, he knows exactly how to balance out or mellow unpleasant flavors—and play up the good ones lurking in the ingredient. Here are some of his top tips for turning healthy foods you’ve always just tried to choke down into something you actually crave: The prune-based sauce is great on chicken (Bringardner likes to make it with port, cloves, ginger, black pepper, and star anise if you have it). Here are some other helpful hints from the chef: MORE: 10 3-Minute DIY Salad Dressings You’ll LOVE When roasting beets, line your baking sheet with parchment paper (so you don’t stain it). Bake at 400ºF for half an hour to an hour, depending on the size of the beets. Then peel and serve with a grainy mustard. Make sure to soak chia seeds over night so they absorb enough liquid. MORE: 12 Foods You Used to Think Were Healthy We gave you the simple version above, but for really flavorful lentils, put a little bit of oil in a pan, then sauté minced onions and/or garlic in it until they’re translucent. Then add the amount of liquid called for on the lentils’ package instructions (a 50-50 mix of vegetable stock and water is best), and cook until it evaporates. Toward the end, add a sprig of thyme, a bay leaf, and some salt and pepper. Kale and prunes, here you come! The article “A Chef Explains How to Make Kale and Other Healthy Foods Not Taste Awful” originally ran on WomensHealth.com.
