Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussel sprouts are often overcooked, resulting in soft, smelly food - a bad combination.
Try microwaving in a mere tablespoon of water for two minutes, then toss with two tablespoons of sesame oil and a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 10 minutes for a vegetable that has a slightly crunchy consistency with loads of flavor.
While we don't need more mayonnaise in our life, mixing it with a spicy mustard will lower the fat content and up the flavor to most sandwiches.
Mushrooms can provide a near meaty quality to a dish when sliced up with onions and roasted slowly. If you allow some time for both to get brown and caramelized, they are delicious.
Add kalamata olives and chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the mixture, and use on top of pasta, protein or even mixed into another hated food - eggs.
Many turn their nose up to eggs for a good reason - the smell when cooked. Try scrambling a few with the mushroom mixture, a dash of Tabasco and Worcestershire and a sprinkling of low-fat cheese for a meal that is protein- and nutrient-packed.
To give beans a go, try them blended in soups and chili as a filling way to lower fat content and up the protein and fiber without knowing they're there.
Garbanzo beans can also be blended with roasted peppers, oil and spices to make hummus, or create an easy heat-and-eat side dish with beans, olive oil, spices and tomatoes.
