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!

How about making a three non-gluten ingredient salad and labelling it well, dressing on the side? Would that work for someone unable to eat gluten?

My Dh needs gluten free and dairy free food and one dish that i do make is that keeps for a couple of days is sweet potato and lentil curry, just take some chopped coriander in a paper bag to sprinkle on top and that will make it look really fresh

The ride paper will probably get a bit soggy after 48 hours, boo.

How about Arancini balls (but you'd have to use gluten free breadcrumbs).
And then instead of meat and mushrooms you could do some cheese and basil ones or goats cheese and pumpkin etc.

**rice

could you do crustless quiche for those who are gf?

Vegetable samosas?

I think a frittata/Spanish omelette, or dips+crudites sound like the best options so far.

You couldn’t pay me to eat an unrefrigerated omelette made by a non professional with my fingers, sorry!

It’s a really tough one. I’d probably go for a couple of these:
Crudités and hummus
Selection of nice breads
Falafel
Cheese, chutney and crackers

I’m either much more trusting or much more greedy than you, @wilmalovescake , because I think it sounds lovely.

The samosa idea made me think of onion bhajis (sp?). They use gram flour which I think is just ground chickpeas. Could be served with mango chutney or a raita to dip.

Bags of spinach, leaves as large as possible - these are to be used like little wraps so bigger is better. Chop up very finely a range of different toppings: fresh ginger, lemon, red chilli, fresh lemongrass, peanuts, dessicated coconut, garlic (if you want - I usually leave this one out). Make a palm sugar syrup (heat palm sugar with water - one tbsp less water than sugar) and take in a bottle.

Guests pick up a spinach leaf, top with a pinch of two or three toppings, add a drop of syrup and eat. It's lovely - far nicer than it sounds - and is addictive.

Beetroot, lentil and goats cheese salad www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/beetroot_lentil_and_03289

Just make sure the mustard doesn't have gluten in (most wholegrain ones don't).

As well as spinach, romaine or cos lettuce leaves are a useful base to carry salad, coronation tofu, hummus mixed with eg chopped red pepper and grated carrot etc

Cauliflower and blue cheese dip
Chicken lettuce wraps
Cheese and crackers with a nice chutney

I was thinking you'd get the gluten free pastry!

Have a look at the lentil and cheddar bake that lots of people on slimming world make, its easy to find if you Google. It is gluten free and suitable for vegetarians, and easy to cut up into slices and eat with fingers, still tasty cold and doesn't have as much egg as a frittata. Maybe also something like stuffed vine leaves they can easily be gluten free and suitable for vegetarians, and also easily shop bought in a tin if needed.

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.

I think it must be very difficult for true coeliacs. Which is why I'd try harder to produce something properly gluten-free if there were people with actual coeliac disease attending.

You see, I don't know if they are true for loads. But I agree with you and I do want to bring something gluten-free and really tasty for any potential coeliacs. What I meant is that I accept they might not feel comfortable eating it, as understandably they might worry it's not truly gluten-free.

Sorry!! I meant try coeliacs. Silly phone...

True coeliacs!

I would buy food for the event

I wouldn't go to the effort to try and do gluten free for people that might be coeliac. As a coeliac myself these types of arrangement are a nightmare because people have gone to great lengths to try and accommodate me but I don't take the risk by eating it. For a coeliac , just a tiny bit of gluten or trace contamination causes lasting gut damage , can make you ill for weeks, develop secondary lactose intolerance, etc.
If they're coeliac they will be much happier with packaged food labelled gluten free with a list of ingredients.

Gluten free sausages in honey and sesame

Ari lankan curry

Cheese and pineapple on sticks. Heaven.