How to deal with MIL's dodgy digestion over Xmas...help required please

[homesicktaffy]

My MIL, who is coming for Xmas does not eat
wheat
dairy
onions
tomatoes
potatoes
lemons/vinegar/wine
peppers/courgettes/
(those are the main ones!)

Of the things she DOES eat, my family does NOT EAT
quinoa
wholemeal rice
oatcakes
quorn
eggs (not so much an allergy as a messy intolerance!)
mince without anything interesting in

so our usual fare (eg lob some chicken pieces in pot, with garlic, onions tomatoes, olives & a good slug of wine, then leave to cook whilst walking the dog and dollop the result on a baked potato) is out. Preparatory experiments eg replacing tomatoes with vegetable/chicken stock have been derided as bland.

What can I cook???

Roast chicken pieces with sweet potatos?

Tell her to cook her own, fussy cow !

This slow cooked shoulder shoulder of lamb is delicious, I found the amount of rosemary a bit orr, you can reduce that a lot and it's still very aromatic.
Obviously she can't have some of the vegetables...

Does your mil eat rice?

How about serving a few dishes that she can omit but are there for everybody else, such as potatoes, leeks, broccoli. As long as she can have the roast and there's one side she can eat, she shouldn't mind a few out of bounds dishes...

Whoops

Here's the lamb link
www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/lamb-recipes/incredible-roasted-shoulder-of-lamb-with

Iggly; nice try but have had a major problem getting her to accept that sweet potatoes aren't potatoes!

couldtryharder: very tempting!
metalelly: yes, think you're right. Will cook meat etc as usual and resort to microwave rice for her! Thanks for link...

cook what you normally would for yourselves and do her a ready meal that meats her requirments...assuming you can find one. she should not be so fussy. she's as bad as my IL's.

Does she have diverticulitis? Looking at your list, some of those things (garlic, acid stuff, onions, tomatoes, peppers) are things that give my Gran a horrible time - plus soft fruit like strawberries. I think it's the pips that are the problem

Grilled or baked salmon/trout/bream? One fillet per person, then bowls on the table of couscous, potatoes, various different veggies...

I do sticky rice ( a tray of rice, fish stock, cod, bake for an hour topping up with stock, add veg babycorn, green beans at the end) it goes down well with dodgy tummies.

that Jamie lamb recipe looks lovely....

call the sweet potatoes yams (they do in America ) - you might get away with that?

Ask her what she CAN eat rather than get a list of things she can't handle.
And remember, you don't all have to eat the same food as her.

I have sympathy with your MIL and I don't suppose she is merely being difficult or fussy. Many people have food allergies and/or other health problems which make eating away from home a real worry. (I wonder if your MIL has a gall bladder problem? she may need a low fat diet? )

My suggestion is salmon fillets. You can buy deep frozen fillets from most supermarkets and they are very easy to cook, just a few minutes under the grill straight from the freezer. Depending on what your MIL can eat, they are nice plain, or try topping with lemon, honey, mild curry paste, herbs, flaked almonds (not all at the same time!) Serve with plain rice, boiled potatoes, or couscous (very quick) with green beans or peas.

Eggs are another thing to have on hand, even if the family doesn't eat them usually. An omlette only takes a few minutes. A bag of prepared salad turns that into a light meal.

Whatever you choose to do, I'm sure your MIL will be delighted that you have been considerate and made an effort for her. Good luck :)