Dish for event with many requirements

[TR888]

Hi, I need ideas for a dish to take to a training event. We're all bringing some food or drink, which should help us all get to know each other. I'm quite a competent cook but can't think of any ideas, can you suggest anything?

• It needs be be easy to carry (I'll be travelling on the bus).
• I need to make it on a Wednesday night for the Friday, as I'm very busy on the Thursday and won't have time to cook. So it needs to keep well.
• I want to make it vegetarian as more than half of the attendees are veggie.
• There are various allergies to consider: tomatoes, mushroom and gluten.

Fire away!

Does it have to be savoury?

Yes, that's what I've committed to...

A frittata cut into bitesize pieces, with potato, onion and pepper inside would travel OK and meet your allergy requirements that you've listed

Quiche fits the bill.

You could do pumpkin and sage, good old cheese and onion, spinach and ricotta

Or a cous cous salad with roasted veg.

Or tabbouleh. Well, I boil the buck wheat with stock. Once cooked and cooked add diced cucumber, spring onions and chopped mint, salt and pepper. Take a block of diced feta to add as you serve.

Quiche & cous cous aren’t gluten free.

Sorry pressed send to soon

What about making a standard quiche & then making a couple that are gluten free, if only a few people are gf?

Vietnamese spring rolls?
Just check the rice paper roll doesn't have wheat flour (but it should be naturally gluten free).

Then you can make the inside mix easily to fit any allergies.

what about several nice dips and veg to dip

Can you heat things up there or is it a cold meal?

I forgot another requirement! It needs to be the kind of thing you don't need cutlery for, so either finger food or the frittata/quiche ideas suggested here.

Quiche is not gluten-free though... Frittata could work, but would it be safe to eat nearly 48 hours after it's been cooked? All that egg could potentially spell disaster.

Hummus and crudités (twenty points for imagination!!!)

Was also coming on to say Spanish tortilla / frittata. Travels excellently. Or something like a roasted veg salad with toasted nuts - broccoli and butternut squash with hazelnuts works well. Carry French dressing separately in a little jar.

You can buy gluten free pastry for the quiche.

I can't heatanything up, unfortunately. I like the idea of the spring rolls, but won't they go soggy if I make them so long in advance? Dips + veg sounds good, thanks.

Cheese board? With some gluten free crackers?
A lentil salad - you can chop and add the herbs and baby spinach last minute?

48 hours?? No fridge? That's food poisoning waiting to happen or at best unappetising lukewarm food. Falafels and hummus might hold up ok.

Chick Pea Salad. With Peppers (red & yellow) Cucumber and Olives all topped with feta cheese. Made with a lemon , olive oil and oregano dressing.

If the person you are cooking for is a coeliac (rather than intolerant / sensitive to gluten) be aware they probably won't be able to eat anything from a kitchen that prepares gluten as it will all be contaminated.

I need to cook the dish 48 hours in advance but then it can be kept in my fridge. It will then be taken to a venue of the day of the event, but there aren't any cooking facilities there.

Personally I would buy something in these circumstances !

Thanks for the many suggestions!

Tabbouleh isn't necessarily gluten-free either. You'd need to make sure you used gluten-free stock.
Are they expecting you to cook rather than just buy something? None of the gluten-free people in my family would eat something made by a stranger who might inadvertently use gluten.

No, It All really informal and I could bring some shop-bought stuff. It's just that I like cooking and would enjoy bring a homemade dish, but if it's not practical I'll just buy something.

None of the gluten-free people in my family would eat something made by a stranger who might inadvertently use gluten

Yep, I'd never eat at a buffet that was provided by multiple people who I didn't know. Wheat/gluten is in too many things where you wouldn't necessarily expect it.

That's fine, I appreciate it's difficult for coeliacs. I'm just trying to think of a dish that most people can eat, but accept that some might not be able to eat it.