Veg-phobic DH and DC!

[MrsHende]

I wonder if any of you can recommend recipes to try and some sneaky veg into my family's diet.

DH hates veg but would like to eat more, DD is 2 and has suddenly turned from a baby who would eat everything and anything to a fussy toddler!

I already grate carrot into my spaghetti bolognese, do you food geniuses have any other suggestions I could try?a

have you tried veg purees? Carrot puree is delish, as is parsnip. like mash, the key is butter and seasoning.

Grated courgette is great is bolognaise also, and you can ramp up the leek content too.

cooking veg so it gets sweeter might well help. so caramelised onions, peppers (not green ones).

bubble and squeak.

baking veg in small cubes is lovely and quick.

Try smooth soups for greens

vegetable bakes with creamy cheesy sauce.

I've sneaked all sorts of veg into bolognaise before; carrot, courgette, celery, mushroom, leek. Carrot/courgette grated and the others chopped small. I use the food processor.

Lamb/beef curry (made with mince) gets the grated carrot/courgette treatment.

Grated courgette can be easily hidden in a pesto sauce as they're both green.

I also do a lot of grated carrot and/or courgette into homemade burgers. In fact, very little gets past me these days without a grated carrot thrown at it! Chopped, cooked mushrooms might work well in burgers too, though I haven't tried.

Shepherd's pie. My brilliant childminders make the mince as normal, add extra veg, and then whizz it in the mixer before putting the potato on. Every o.e adores it.

Yes purees. Swede and potato mash or carrot and potato mash are good.

Chicken/turkey and courgette burgers are good
I always starts dishes like bolognaise with a mix of carrot, celery & onion - tastier than onion alone. Another tip, for bolognaise and chilli is to blend it a bit (not completely smooth) which hides some of the lumpy bits too!

Never thought of burgers, great idea.

Do you serve the veg purees as a side or on their own like a soup?

Just reread...like mash, got it!

When you make mash do 1/3 potato and 1/2 cauliflower and mash together

cauliflower puree and turnip puree are also delish.

I gave my veg-phobic DSS the potato/cauli mash and she couldn't tell. Make sure the cauli is quite soft though.

I think you have to separate your DH from your toddler really. There's no need to sneak anything into an adult's food, especially one that says he wants to eat more. A lot of veggies taste lovely raw.... peppers, sugar-snaps, carrots etc..... so some salads with dressings or crudites with grown-up dips with those would be a good start. Lightly steamed green veggies are sweeter and look more appetising than boiled to death ones. Roasted vegetables - squash, parsnips, carrots - are another lovely way to present. He just has to man up :)

Your toddler may need things pureed or mixed in to begin with but, if she sees Mum and Dad happily tucking in to recognisable vegetables, she may be inspired to follow suit.