Festive food ideas for guest with multiple allergies and intolerances

[Festivefood]

One of our guests has the following issues I’m struggling what to get/make !
Coeliac
shellfish allergy
seed intolerance (sunflower, pumpkin, chia and linseed)
can’t eat any leafy green veg
cashew allergy

I’ve seen a lot of supermarkets have free from ranges are these 100% safe for coeliacs ? I don’t want to take the easy option and say for them to bring their own food as I’d like to make the effort but I’m a bit stuck ! Not least as we always have a lot of seafood which I need to swap out completely as they can’t be anywhere near it.

You need to read the labels to make sure it's gluten free not vegan ad these are sometimes in the free from range but free from food is suitable for coeliacs . I'm coeliac and I avoid wheat , rye barley and oats( even the gluten free oats)

it depends what the “free from” range is free from,
you Need to check labels.

And shellfish isn‘t the same as seafood!

Yes FreeFrom foods contain no gluten, although tbf, most of them are high in UPF ingredients. And may well contain cashew nuts, as they ate often used in place of dairy products.
It really would be best to ask your guest for guidance on what to provide. Many of us prefer to eat foods that are naturally free from whatever we are intolerant/allergic to, to save having to study lists of ingredients only to find that the last thing lusted is something we can't eat.

Cor blimey op, is that the list for just one person?

I think I'd ask them to bring their own. If I had food issues like that then I wouldn't mind either eating first or bringing my own.

It’s probably easier to just make something rather than try and find ready made dishes, as lots will ‘may contain’ which won’t work for the allergies.

Looks like dairy, potato, meat etc is all fine. What about a Christmassy shepherds pie with braised cabbage?

Cheese board
pate
gluten free crackers

Prawns / shrimps / crab / lobster / mussels / oysters etc ? I thought these were all shellfish/seafood ? This is what I was told they can’t eat to me that’s all seafood ? Apparently fine with all types of fish though

You’re right, prawns, crab, lobster, mussels etc are shellfish. Fish like salmon, cod, haddock are a different category, so if they’ve said fish is fine, that gives you some breathing room. Honestly, safest route is simple, naturally GF food. Roast chicken or salmon, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, gravy made with cornflour. Avoid “free from” unless it’s clearly labelled gluten free and nut free.

Yes ! I need to be really careful to check for quite a lot of things

Wow, well fair play to you for giving it a go, I think I'd call the whole thing off in case I accidentally breathe on them

Just check the Free From food you buy is free from gluten. Some of them are just dairy free or egg free, and all keptin the same free from aisle. If it says gluten free then it must comply with the law so it will be safe.
If you are cooking gluten free food make sure (as with the shellfish, as you mentioned) it is kept well away from any food with gluten. Even a breadcrumb of food with gluten can make a coeliac really unwell. Not only when cooking but serving too. Separate spoons, plates far apart. Apologies if you are already aware of this.

Can you ask for a bit of guidance from the guest, like what shop they think might have the best range? Might give you a heads up on where to start.

Best idea must be bring your own suitable food which has to be preferable to high UPF ready meal/any cross contamination causing swelling lips/throat/endless time on loo. Or **ambulance/death. 😳😳😳

(** friends daughter recently called an ambulance as she was experiencing an allergic reaction, struggling to breath. Ambulance call handler called her back after 10 mins to say ambulance would be 2 hrs. Her husband came home totally unexpectedly as he had forgotten something he needed for work, found her on floor, ended up carrying her to car, driving like a looney to hospital - she was taken into rhesus then ITU for two days. 10 mins later & she would have died).

Deffo ask such a ‘high risk’ person to bring their own.

Not worth the risk, especially on Christmas Day when the NHS all but shuts down because obviously people don’t require medical assistance on Christmas Day…….

If they are coeliac, it's difficult to cook for them if you are not used to it. Even a crumb in the butter could make them very poorly.
You need to be very aware of gluten in so many things eg stock cubes, soy sauce etc not just the obvious things like bread, pasta, crackers etc. If you're looking at festive food, things like stuffing and sausages often contain wheat.

I don’t think this is too difficult.

Roast gammon
Dauphinouse potatoes
Green salad

Trifle

Cheeses and gf crackers

I have a guest with similar intolerances. We are doing white fish with ginger, spring onions, honey and gluten-free soy glaze with baby new potatoes , peas and carrots for Christmas Eve, then trad roast on Christmas Day.

They are having gluten free rolls with cream cheese and smoked salmon and bucks fizz for breakfast, home made soup for lunch with cheese board and gluten-free crackers with crudites, grapes and baby tomatoes. We've bough GF mince pies and brownies for puddings, and I make Mary Berry's gluten free chocolate roulade.

Which meals are you replacing to give us an idea.

Remmber to look out for stock cubes and gravy as they often have gluten in. Also vinegar can be tricky.

Yes I think GF crackers and cheese will definitely be ok. I’m seriously considering just trying to make everything for everyone according to these requirements so that there’s not any cross contamination risk. I love cooking and hosting so I’m wondering if I’m a lot of ways it’s easier to cook for all rather than try to accommodate one and potentially cross contaminate ?

I know fish is ok and as we usually have seafood I was thinking I could just do something with smoked salmon instead so there’s still that element.
Definitely cheese and GF crackers.

I think I could still do a traditional roast have to look into cooking oils and make sure I use a safe one I’ll ask her what she uses. I have been googling GF pigs in blankets etc I think I will ask though if certain things are ok. Apparently veg is ok just not cabbage/kale/broccoli etc

For dessert I’m thinking of something lighter maybe meringue / fruit / cream that everyone can have and i have seen you can get GF pastry I could make mince pies if I can find suitable mincemeat (not sure if that has gluten in)

Everyone arriving mid morning so lunch (buffet sort of things) and then Christmas dinner late afternoon , probably snacks in the evening

I’m coeliac. Honestly, don’t worry about having to provide a gf alternative for every food item. As long as there’s something for your guest to eat, nobody (unless they’re a proper cf) expects a ‘like for like’ choice of everything.

The only thing I would say is if it’s a beige buffet then it can be tricky because almost everything will contain gluten. But I’d be happy with cheese and salad.

That’s very manageable.
Melon and Parma Ham/ Red pepper soup
Roast meat (turkey, ham what ever) glazed carrots, parsnips roast potatoes
Fruit salad and/ or isles flottantes/ Eton Mess.
I have a lovely (fortunately!) cousin who is vegetarian and gluten free- that is hard!

We have a Coeliac in the family plus lots of intolerances so we’ve tried lots of GF foods from supermarkets and unfortunately you end up going to lots of different places for the nicest GF products - some are truly horrible!

Your guest should be able to eat most of the roast if you’re making it but not gravy if you use flour as thickener or bisto type gravy. Cook do a lovely gravy that is GF.

Waitrose do nice GF mince pies. After Eights and Quality Street are GF and safe for Coeliacs.

Tesco do nice GF cream cracker type biscuits for cheese. Ask them to bring their own bread as everyone seems to like different brands. Keep their cheese separated incase someone contaminates it with their own knife.

Marks and Spencer do nice GF pork pies and sausage rolls for a buffet plus you could add crudités and dips. Burts and Kettle Chips are GF (mostly depending on flavourings used). Supermarket dips like guacamole, hummus etc are safe.

Being Gluten Free costs a fortune!

You mentioned doing meringue, if you’re doing this in a mixer that has been used to make cakes and bakes with regular flour then your meringue will not be suitable for someone with Coeliac Disease as it will end up cross contaminated. Cook also does some GF puddings.

I’m GF and it really doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Use cornflour instead of regular flour if you need to thicken sauces. There are so many naturally free GF foods! Keep the cheese board GF with GF crackers. They taste the same! If you need to cater for everyone, do a stew. Our whole Christmas dinner is GF as I cook it, but I stick Yorkshires in the air fryer and all other non gluten food in that to not cross contaminate.

You can clean the mixer. I’m celiac, but have made non celiac cakes in the mixer and wash it after.

Wouldn't a roast dinner be ok minus any leafy greens?