Dinner party, gluten free and no fish

[Smarshian]

Hi all,

Looking for some ideas for a meal for 4 this Friday. Gluten free and no fish. Ideally 2-3 courses and something that I can mainly make ahead so I’m not stuck in the kitchen as we are meeting a friends new partner.

any tried and tested recipes? Looking for ideas for all courses!

thanks!

A big pan of chili, with rice?

I've never hosted a dinner party on my life but potatoes and/or rice are gluten free and will fill in carbs. Maybe a hearty salad in the mix?
You can also get gluten free pastry, so whatever you might normally serve should be relatively easily adapted.

Flourless chocolate tart for dessert?

Working backwards, and speaking as a Coeliac, some kind of Eton Mess for dessert is always appreciated and easy to do in advance!

A chilli with rice maybe, for mains - the chilli can be done in advance so you just have to do the rice.

Starter - always the trickiest for me! Maybe soup? Or just nibbles - nachos with some salsa, guacamole and melted cheese on them - love that :)

Have a look at Becky Excell recipes. I used her GF satay curry recipe for 12 people and it worked brilliantly just slow cooking in the oven. There’s loads to choose from on her Facebook page but she’s got books out too.

Chilli and rice was my first thought too!

Second looking at Becky Excell recipes.

If it is for a coeliac be very careful with cross contamination

Tartiflette is gluten free, it is also delicious and you can prep it in advance.

You can buy gluten free puff pastry; we make a lovely goats cheese and caramelised onion tart with it. Really quite simple to make ahead.

Chicken stuffed with Gorgonzola wrapped in pancetta with potatoes parmintiere sauté veg and a cream sauce (I normally use whole grain mustard but check for gf.
Eton mess for dessert

Beef bourguignon can be done in advance and warmed through in the oven. Serve with mash and a green salad.

Melon and Parma ham to start?
can get GF rolls if you want them. Maybe ask the guest which brand they like as they can vary a lot.

loads of pud options- Eton mess, choc pot/mousse, fruit salad, brownie, roulade, rice pudding. Just really nice vanilla ice cream and buy some good GF biscuits to go with it.

As a coeliac my choices would be....

Soup to start (French onion or something like a spiced parsnip. You can get nice GF bread in all the supermarkets so can easily make up little croutons from it or warm through in the oven which definitely makes them taste better. The warburtons range is good, pretty sure sainsburys have those)

Lasagne for main with a side salad. Just double check the dressing if buying premade and use GF lasagne sheets - they taste absolutely fine for all the other diners who prob won't even notice the difference! You can then utilise on if the other Gf bread rolls to make up a mini GF garlic bread if we aren't getting too carb heavy (I flippin love carbs though 😂) just make it all to your usual recipe, be sure to double check any jar stuff and for thickening the white sauce do with cornflour not a traditional roux if making from scratch)

Pudding - Eton mess is a good choice as has been mentioned. I'm sure there are flourless chocolate puddings / melt in the middle type things you can do. Or if you don't mind from a packet you can get GF brownies in most supermarkets that are great. Get everyone a premade brownie, warm through with a scoop of posh vanilla ice cream and you're done!

Don't forget whatever you serve to double check condiments / things you'd not expect as gluten can sneak into things where you don't expect it! DH always forgets soy sauce is a pain!

with gluten free I find recipes that exclude it naturally much more reliable than ones that rely on alternatives. For mains and starters rice and potatoes are gluten free so would aim to base meals around these carbs. I have heard from a GF friend that the best bread is warbutons tiger bread.

Dessert
Nigellas Passionfruit Ice-Cream Cake
Pavlova
Any fridge set cheesecake (GF biscuits make perfectly good base), I love this one

Don't faff with started, just get everyone a drink and put out crisps and olives.

For the main i'd serve pan fried halloumi on lentils and veg. Still kinda summer vibes, but warming enough for this time of year.

In the afternoon roast cubed potatos in rosemary and thyme, then add garlic, peppers and tomatoes about half way.

Add some brown lentils (just cheat and get them in a packet) if not, just cook lentils in water with a stock cube and some fajita seasoning mix. Add to the veg.

This can be done ahead.

Then when you are ready to serve, pan fry halloumi to add to the top, takes 5 mins.

For pud, maybe coconut milk rice pudding? or a flour less brownie with cream? Both done ahead of time and just need serving

Ah thanks everyone for the ideas!
chilli seems like a winner. I might try doing some wraps for the non coeliacs too, to make burritos.
and then a nacho nibble/starter.
then might go for the chocolate brownie option!

I have a ceoliac parent and if I'm doing a dinner party it would be something easy and picky to start, charcuterie or baked camembert with GF bread.

Main course oven baked risotto (Delias risotto carbonara is fab and gf) or cottage pie (use GF flour to thicken sauce)

Desert I do crumble, just make the same with GF flour. Or Eton mess but I see you have a few recommendations for that and think it's a bit summery for October

i would avoid doing something like pie/pastry with GF options, they’re not as nice and if you’re using normal pastry for everyone else the risk of cross contamination is big.

As PP have said meat, potatoes and veg are good options - you do have to careful with gravy/stock cubes but you could do cottage pie for a main using bovril stock cubes and bistro best powder if it needs thickening up after cooking. (double check but fairly sure both are GF), cheese and leeks on the top to make it a bit fancy pants! Served with tenderstem and green beans.

Starters
Garlic mushrooms? Cooked with cream cheese?
Melon and Parma ham as per PP
Oven roasted tomato soup?

Desserts
ice cream with toppings
fruit salad
chocolate mousse

Mary Berries banoffee pie for dessert with GF hobnobs or digestive?
Eton Mess

main - Becky Excell has some great recipes but if you share what you have in mind I’d be happy to tell you how to adapt - honestly be easier than you think. Again, for starters?

It’s easy to do GF lasagne, curries, stews (just use GF stock), pies - Morrisons do a ready rolled shortcrust pastry,

I'd go for a tricolore salad or parma ham salad to start.

Then Jamie Oliver's chicken Cacciatore, served with green salad. www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/chicken-squash-cacciatore/

This could be in the oven when the guests arrive.

Pannacotta with fresh berries for pud. Made the night before.
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/vanilla-panna-cotta

Basically a super easy menu that leaves you nothing much to do after your guests arrive that arrange a few things on a plate and getting something out of the oven. You can swan around looking calm and composed in your tidy kitchen making it all look easy...

For mains you could try pesto chicken - chicken cooked in crème fraiche - add cherry tomatoes and green beans. Add pesto at the end and mix through. If you don't like pesto try lemon juice instead - you need to make sure it's full fat crème fraiche otherwise the lemon will make it split. Serve with rice.

Another idea is to make a very saucy chicken curry and add dried red lentils - really delicious.

My daughter is coeliac and the pesto chicken is one of her favourites.

Enjoy your evening. Xx

Tomato and feta salad , with sourdough and a gluten free alternative
Chicken Marbella with new pots and green beans
www.you.co.uk/ottolenghi-chicken-marbella/
Chocolate mousse , Etonian mess ,or raspberry pavlova ,

You can get gluten free wraps too and gluten free tortilla crisps, just from the supermarket. If they are coelliac, it may be easier to keep everything gluten free, to avoid cross contamination - if a serving spoon was put in the wrong place for example.

Avocado n orange on a bed of leaves, beef stew with carrots,neeps and carrots served with mashed potatoes and broccoli, dessert to be fresh fruits served on a pavlova with cream

If you get GF wraps prepare to be horrified at how expensive they are!!! When I got some a while back was about 3 times the price for 6 gf mini wraps as it was for 8 standard ones. Such a shame traditional corn tortillas don’t seem to be available in U.K.