veg/fruit box alien food and yucky things.. help!

pigpen

spinach.. 2 bags
cauliflower .. so you can't actually taste it because it is gross! I tried it in mash a few weeks ago and on cottage pie and it wasn't pleasant.
pineapple
squillions of pears! (about 30)
4 white cabbages .. I wondered about finely slicing and freezing.. is it edible afterwards?

We don't do anything spicy or curries or anything other than bland. ASD's and sensory issues and general disliking.

I have chicken and mince ready to use too.. and a ginormous salmon which I need to use up!

Minimum spending needed.. I have £8.50 for food this week and still bread and milk to buy!

Anne_Marie_2

I love all of what you have!

Cauliflower - make into soup and then blitz. Possibly better mixed with other veg as you don't like the taste. You can quite easily freeze raw cauliflower florets if you think that using the whole one at once will be a bit much.

Cabbage - yes, just chop and freeze in bags, and it will be totally fine. I do this all the time, as a whole cabbage is too much for me.

Spinach, I love it cooked on it's own, in meals like a curry, quiche and raw in salads and instead of lettuce in a sandwich. Nice added to a veggie lasagne.
I make little cheese, spinach and onion pastries, just sauted onion, grated cheese (I usually use feta or halloumi, but any cheese will do) and spinach mixed together, and make little pasties or sausage type rolls with filo, puff or shortcrust pastry.
Suppose you could add it to soup or casseroles if you really don't like the taste on it's own.

Pineapple is just so delicious on it's own, I just eat it, or maybe mixed with other fruit in a fruit salad. Am sure others will be along to help with that one.

Will have to think about the pears, other than eating them. Only thing I can think of is cooking them and freezing if they are ready to eat right now to save on waste. (I'm not much into puddings).

RAS

White cabbage keeps for ages in a cool dry place.

Even when the outer leaves dry completely and are tissue paper thin, you just peel them off and use the main body of the cabbage.

Do any of your household have the bitter gene https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2011/nov/01/brussel-sprout-gene

If so they may not like any brassica.

The idea of cauliflower mash sounds gross to me, but I love it raw.

Spinach - how are people on mouth feel? Chop finely, wilt in butter and add cream? or chop and wilt into mince?

Pineapple and pears - upside down cakes? With chocolate cake if yours like it?

Pears tend to ripen quite quickly but if you peel, core and poach gently in light syrup they would be ok frozen or just kept in the fridge for a few days.

VfM4meplse

If you shred the cauli finely, salt it and drain you can then use it as a pizza base (mixed into a traditional base recipe, if you like). Gives a good crunch and saves on the carbs. Ella does a version, but you could just mix into a scone base if you prefer.

Personally I'd make a giant batch of aloo gobi with the spinach wilted in at the end, then portion up and freeze. Same with pears, we have a glut every September and I stew these down with v little sugar, some cinnamon and freeze. Handy for crumbles during the year, if I find YS pastry I'll sling that in the freezer too and make pies / puffs as a treat when I have a houseful. Eta: I have not found that pears work well in cake, unless the stewed fruit is used to sandwich layers together.

As for the cabbage...can't help you out there, soz! Perhaps donate it to your local breast-feeding clinic?

Anne_Marie_2

http://usapears.org/recipe/savory-roasted-pears/
This would go nicely with your chicken.

What about making pear butter or chutney?

RAS

Proper coleslaw. Very finely shred a quarter cabbage with a sharp knife. Mix with mayonnaise. Not acidic, not runny and does not small of bad eggs because the cabbage is freshly cut. You can add a grated carrot if wished.

wishus

Well done on trying with the veggies you don't like so much!

I used to have food phobia as a child and would only eat sweets. tomatoes and olives were quite late additions to my palate. Now I eat pretty much anything... though not fond of oysters, okra or plaice, none of which are veggies (except the okra), I know, just saying I feel your pain!

Not tried this, but am intrigued by this - pizza with a base made from cauliflower.

Grill rings of pineapple dusted with cinnamon - it's lush!

pigpen

RAS most of us love sprouts, the children will happily eat broccoli, it is just cauliflower.. it just isn't edible! it smells the same as it tastes and then smells the same the other end. Even OH wont eat it and he eats anything!

I've done a potato and bacon bake and used 1/4 of the 400g of spinach!! (we'll eat again book .. first time I have used it so we shall see!)

I will slice and freeze 1 of the cabbages.. the other is going in the pan tonight with carrots..

I really like spinach but even I couldn't eat that much.. I quite like it in stir fry's but I haven't any thing to make stir fry with (noodles/beansprouts)

I've found a swede and 3 broccoli heads now.. lol.. we will get through those easy enough.

Anne-marie, there are some lovely looking pear recipes on there.. ty..

wishus

pigpen wrote: »

RAS most of us love sprouts, the children will happily eat broccoli, it is just cauliflower.. it just isn't edible! it smells the same as it tastes and then smells the same the other end. Even OH wont eat it and he eats anything!

I think that's probably why its fate is usually to get covered in cheese sauce, Pigpen!

pigpen

Wishus.. I've been really careful with my childrens eating, I developed an eating disorder of some sort at 3 when my parents separated and I had a few traumatic years, eating was the only thing I could control so control it I did.. from 3 until about 8/9 I ate tinned garden peas, tinned baby carrots, tinned new potatoes and tinned cocktail hotdogs.. I ended up forcing myself to eat other things and eventually I have reached a point I can eat pretty much anything which hasn't got a strong flavour.. I LOVE plaice.. I've not had it for ages though.. but I hate salmon hence this one languishing in my freezer taking up space.. I did consider slices of lemon and wrap in foil and bung in the oven.. but it might be gross.. might might might.. fear of failure will be my downfall.

I will try the children with grilled pineapple after dinner.. I'm sure the older ones will love it!


RAS.. coleslaw.. of course.. my girls LOVE coleslaw.. I will whizz some up while dinner cooks.

pigpen

wishus wrote: »

I think that's probably why its fate is usually to get covered in cheese sauce, Pigpen!

but.. I don't like cheese!!! hahahaha