Help - need side dishes to go with beef...but for picky eaters

[TheArmadillo]

For once I really don't want to do a traditional roast dinner tomorrow. However Dh's elderly granma is coming to lunch so can't be anything spicy or not particularly 'traditional' style cooking.

I have a joint of beef and some baby potatoes that I will roast but I need some side dishes. I am completely out of inspiration.

However dh and the kids will not eat anything cream based. Also nothing with mushrooms, aubergines and especially nothing bland. 90% of what we eat contains some form of chilli but dh granma doesn't do spicy.

I also want it to be reasonably healthy.

Any ideas would be welcomed gratefully

If an elderly person who likes 'traditional' food is coming to dinner, then I'd go with the meat and veg and yorkshire puds and save my experimental cooking for another week

or there's loads of stuff here

What about stir fried cabbage & onion that's nice. Carrots roasted in a bit of honey. Mmm beef.

Two veg?

I'd go for Chantenay carrots and purple sprouting.

Mushroom, aubergines and chilli aren't exactly suitable accompaniments for roast beef so I can't see that that matters.

You could always ask your guests what they'd like (or better still, get your DH to cook). Picky eaters should be prepared to take some responsbility, not just lay down the law.

Honey mustard carrots & parsnips
Bake the baby potatoes with olive oil, rosemary salt & pepper
Sliced onions soaked overnight in vinegar

Cauliflower cheese? Or leeks in cheese sauce?

Thanks for the help,I think I will have to just do carrots/broccoli/peas. I'd love to do cauliflower cheese but my lot count cheese sauce as creamy and so is on the banned list (tbf its good for my diet to avoid it).

Dh's granma comes every sunday so I've gone through every version of roast dinner I can think of. I might branch out into gammon and pineapple next week or coq au vin but that's about as far as I can go. I think it will be easier come winter when I fancy more comfort/warming style meals.

I know I'm coming across as moaning about her coming, but I do enjoy seeing her (and the kids love seeing her). I just get bored of eating the same foods. She is elderly and I think has a more delicate digestion system now and she's not the kind of person who trys to make things difficult. I just want her to have a good dinner and enjoy it.

And whoever said chilli doesn't go with roast beef - bah! chilli goes with everything. Thinly sliced still bloody roast beef with chimichurri is delicious.

Do a traditonal roas and yorkshires but as well as roast potatoes do potato and parsnip mash with garlic and spices - tell nan it is spicy so she doesn't have any. If mash is too creammy make it into 'cakes' and oven bake with butter on top.

Or, mix some powdered chilli, black pepper and allspice in a bowl and let DH and DC season at the table.