HEALTHY SECRETS
F ROM amaranth to zoodles, grocery store aisles are packed with trendy health foods. But once you get such items home, turning them into delicious meals isn’t easy. Here, culinary whizzes share tips for how to make superfoods actually taste good.
Beets
Rich in potassium and vitamin C, these root vegetables are considered a superfood, but they don’t always taste great. Chef Christina Bartoli of Little Italy’s Gelso & Grand likes to boil peeled beets in orange juice instead of water, dress them with vinegar and oil, then top them off with goat cheese and nuts. “It makes the flavor less earthy, and brings a slight pickled and sweet taste to them,” she says. Craig Koketsu, executive chef at Quality Eats, recommends roasting peeled and sliced beets with olive oil and a light mixture of palm sugar and salt. “The caramelized sugar goes really well with the beets’ earthiness,” he says.
Cauliflower rice
“Riced cauliflower can be very satisfying as a rice alternative, but if you overcook it, it’s like eating mash,” says Laurence Edelman, executive chef at Left Bank in the West Village. He recommends cooking it in a sizzling-hot pan with olive oil for just a minute, so it’s barely cooked. Transfer it to a Mason jar and let it continue to steam a little bit. Then dress it with a pesto sauce. “It really brightens up the cauliflower, visually and flavorwise,” says Edelman.
Zoodles
Zucchini noodles can get soggy if you cook too many at once, or if the pan isn’t hot enough, says Carmine’s executive chef Glenn Rolnick. He suggests heating olive oil and butter in an extremely hot pan, adding the zoodles and cooking them for a few minutes, until they’re light brown. Don’t overcrowd the pan or the veggies will create too much steam and get mushy. Top them with more olive oil, cheese and sauteed garlic. “I cook these all the time at home,” says Rolnick. “They look like a pasta but can almost taste even better.”
Kimchi
The probiotic benefits of fermented cabbage are wellestablished, but it can be hard to incorporate this funky condiment into everyday meals. Andrew Corrigan, Bowery Group executive chef, suggests chopping it up like a relish to serve alongside grilled fish or meat. “Kimchi really helps cut the fattiness of meat,” Corrigan says. Chef Hillary Sterling of Vic’s in Noho loves topping off hot dogs and grilled meats with it. “You’re adding this delicious funk that really stands up to those roasted and braised flavors,” she says.
Ancient grains
Freekeh, amaranth, bulgur, wheat berries and the like are rich in fiber and other nutrients, but they can taste like rocks if not cooked enough, or get mushy if overcooked. Ayesha Nurdjaja, executive chef at Soho restaurant Shuka, recommends toasting grains in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes. Then, cook them in a mixture of broth, shallots and garlic until they’re al dente and they’ve absorbed all the liquid. (Look to the basic instructions on the grain’s package to determine the right amount of broth.) Add cooked grains to a bitter green salad with seasonal vegetables dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. “When you’re eating healthy, a carbohydrate like this can give you something to sink your teeth into,” Nurdjaja says.