I've discovered a couple ways to cook two varieties of veggies that I've always managed to avoid eating. One is cauliflower and the other is brussel sprouts. Both have always been high on my avoid eating list for the simple fact that they have such a strong odour while cooking and always seem to be mushy and overdone once they get to the table.

Recently, I've found that mashed cauliflower is much tastier than plain old boiled cauliflower. Cook the cauliflower heads whichever way you prefer.

You can boil or steam it. Once the florets are cooked to the desired tenderness, instead of dumping them into a bowl and putting them on the table, mash them up like potatoes. Add a creamy salad dressing (Ranch, Peppercorn Ranch or a Three Cheese dressing work well), freshly ground pepper and a pinch of salt. Use just enough dressing to add some flavour, but not so much that you have cauliflower soup! It's a great change and you can substitute the cauliflower for mashed potatoes if you are watching your carbs. I've even seen where you can use it instead of potatoes to top a shepherd's pie.

Brussel sprouts are another veggie that is to be avoided. That is until I watched an episode of Barefoot Contessa and watched her cook them. She fries pancetta (italian bacon) in a small amount of olive oil and butter until crisp and then places it on a paper towel to drain (you can also use regular old breakfast bacon; just slice it into small pieces and eliminate the oil and butter). Drain off a good portion of the bacon grease, but keep enough to saute the sprouts. Wash, trim and halve the brussel sprouts then
add to your frying pan and saute lightly in the bacon drippings. Add chicken stock and simmer until the sprouts are cooked to your liking. Just before you serve them, add salt (if you use it) and freshly ground pepper.

Both of these veggies get a whole new look and a much better taste (in myopinion) when prepared like this.

Give them a try and let me know what you think :)