For pretty much all of my life I have hated eating veggies. I was a picky eater as a kid. That trend continued into adulthood. For me it was texture (can’t stand mushy) and the taste. If I had to eat veggies, I would eat them raw and only when my arm was twisted.

Last night I prepared a pre-Game of Thrones simple dinner of Alaskan cod and roasted broccoli. I recently purchased a Cuisinart convection oven, and this was the first time I used it. A convection oven has advantages over a conventional oven in that it can cook food at a lower temperature in less time. This is primarily due to a fan that circulates the air to provide more even cooking. It is also referred to as a toaster oven because of the ability to…you know toast stuff.

I took fresh broccoli and tossed it in olive oil, salt and pepper, and some other spices. The broccoli went in first because it takes a bit longer than the cod. I brushed olive oil on the cod and seasoned with salt and pepper. About fifteen minutes later the food was ready.

For the first time in my life I uttered the phrase, “This broccoli is delicious” to an audience of one (my cat Chewy). I am determined as part of Project Food as Fuel to incorporate more veggies (non-starchy of course) into my meals. Who knew the key was in the preparation. Roasting the broccoli created these crispy burnt ends that had tremendous flavor. 

Maybe it’s a mindset shift. Maybe it’s the preparation. Maybe it’s the detox from all the bad foods that is reconditioning my body to crave real nutrients. It’s probably all of the above, and I’m thrilled that this transition is happening.