Adventures in Culinary Bravery

I've never been what you would call an adventurous eater. The list of foods I hate/refuse to eat is embarrassingly long. Sadly, the foods I eat quite regularly tend to be the kinds of things that aren't particularly good for me -- my love affair with cheese alone should be proud of the jiggly thighs. I've always wished I was more adventurous, but then I'm faced with some foreign or "icky" food and I dive right back into the potato chips. Face it -- I often have the appetite of a seven year old, right down to my belief that chicken nuggets just may be the perfect food.

As I've dug into my summer resolution to develop healthier eating habits (and hopefully lose at least a fraction of that thigh jiggle), I've had to face some foods I've always swerved around at the grocery store and give them a whirl. So far, I have to say that the courage has paid off in that I've found myself eating and enjoying some foods I never imagined I would.

Like zucchini. Before this summer, I'd maybe had zucchini once or twice without much enthusiasm. Suddenly, it seems like every recipe I'm making lately calls for zucchini -- and I love the stuff. I put them in fajitas last night with some red pepper, freshly diced tomato, and steak strips, and it was out of this world. They were also good in quesadillas we made over the weekend.

Another "discovery" was an affection for asparagus. Asparagus was a beloved feature of many family meals growing up -- well, beloved by my dad. I always thought that asparagus was disgusting -- until I roasted it over the weekend with some sliced garlic and a little basil balsamic vinaigrette. Delish!

While there will still be foods that will always be outlawed from my plate -- I'm looking at you, pickles -- it's nice to see my culinary repetoire expanding in a healthy direction rather than towards foods that will only add more jiggle. My challenge to you, dear readers, is to find the time this summer to break your own eating ruts and try something healthy and new -- whether it's a new recipe or a new menu item at your favorite restaurant. Your horizons will be expanded, and your tummy just may thank you.