Sunday, May 18, 2014
hypo-allergenic dinner party
OK family, here's the challenge: My old friend Jeremy, his wife Lauren, and their 8-mo old son Caelen are coming for a visit on Wed evening, will stay until Fri morning. On Thursday, there is a good chance that a bunch of other old friends will come over. Dinner party time! Here's the tricky bit, the other old friends have challenging dietary restrictions. One of them is vegetarian (easy!) and one of them is attempting to eliminate all food that may cause allergies from her life at the recommendation of her naturopath. Here's the list: NO soy, meat, sugar, gluten, peanuts, alcohol, or dairy. As this eliminates virtually 100% of my go-to dinner party recipes, I'm looking for suggestions. Also, Jeremy and Lauren are foodies, but very nice about it, and Patrick is allergic to spinach, walnuts, moldy cheeses, and hazelnuts. Sarah and Jasper may be here, too. Thankfully Sarah is done with her paleo diet, which also excluded legumes, grains, and potatoes [the answer is sweet potatoes, avocados, and eggs if you're wondering what is left to eat on that diet]. But Jasper is allergic to shellfish. Samara and Patrick will not consume anything with a hint of spice in it. I'm looking for complete menu suggestions, no need to include a dessert. Something a little fancier than homestyle comfort food is OK, because I am planning to leave work early on Thursday and have a few days lead time. Suggestion for Wed dinner for a family just in from a long drive would be good, too though. It is great to have foodies in the family! Thanks in advance. PS Jo, we have been enjoying tomatillos lately--thanks for the good suggestion.
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Wow! That's definitely a challenge! I'd say BYOF (kidding). I just made this really simple mushroom gravy that I thought was super tasty last night. I guess I used flower as a thickener, so I don't know what to do about the gluten there. But I sauted some sliced mushrooms, onion (or shallot), then added garlic, sprinkled with flour, then added white wine and chicken (could use veggie) broth. We had it with some pan fried chicken cutlets, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. I put the gravy on everything cause I just loved it. But you could do it over tofu (though that doesn't help the no soy). I guess that maybe wasn't much help.
ReplyDeleteYou could also doctor up the stuffed acorn squash recipe I posted a year or so ago. Make up a filling of zucchini, tomatoes, black beans, corn, whatever spices suit your fancy (I tend to like the spice here since the acorn squash is sweet, but make it to suit your crowd). Then throw that filling into half a cooked acorn squash and throw it into the oven to heat it up. I like to put some cheese on top, perhaps you could just have that as an option for people who enjoy dairy?
I'll keep thinking. Good luck!
Oh gosh, flour...not flower. Yikes.
ReplyDeleteburrito/fajita bar? Everyone can do their own thing?
ReplyDeleteOr these quinoa cakes that Maggie introduced me to!! http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Quinoa-Cakes-with-Eggplant-Tomato-Ragu-and-Smoked-Mozzarella-241481
ReplyDeleteJust serve up for the non-dairy folks before adding the smoked mozz. The smoked mozz really makes the dish amazing, but whatever. The recipe is seriously delicious!
You can also make the quinoa cakes ahead of time too to really cut down on time that night.
Thanks to all for the suggestions! After about as much combing-the-internet-for-recipes as I can take (bearing in mind my tolerance is low) I have finally come up with an option I believe will work. The burrito bar suggestion was good, but I don't have any clever vegetarian filling recipes. But I built on that, remembering when Sarah used to bring her own deluxe salads when she was on her anti-inflammatory diet. I have come up with (Drum roll please.... ): The DIY chef salad bar. Kale, lettuce, spinach, HB eggs, avocados, nuts (cheap in the bulk section), dried fruit, cheese, smoked fish, deli meats, olives, beans, tomatoes, garlic, other veggies, dressing, etc all laid out on our breakfast bar with a gluten-free bread and a whole grain bread Patrick says we need something hot, so maybe a hypo allergenic, light soup to go with the salad and bread. Bam.
ReplyDeleteAnybody who thinks I have somehow fallen in with a bunch of nut jobs--remember we get the food trends first. Hypoallergenic elimination diets are coming soon to a household of young adults near you.
I think that sounds like a great idea! But, who needs anything better than black beans and fajita peppers and onions to fill their burritos?!!? Or Andy's tofu taco filling?!!? Eh, doesn't matter, I think a DIY salad with some soup and bread on the side sounds great. Or, as it would be if I were there, some soup and bread with some salad on the side!
ReplyDeleteOh man..I LOVE when someone else sets up a salad bar for me. I hate buying and setting up all that little stuff but I love having it on my salad. Good for you.
ReplyDeleteHere's a simple, vegan, hypo-allergenic soup recipe. It's actually better than it sounds. I always skip the step of curling the zucchini skin and stuff. Not necessary. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Zucchini-Basil-Soup-242831
Ooo, I second Molly's call on that soup. It's amazing. Tastes like you added cream, but it's just zucchini and onions.
ReplyDelete