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!

Make what I made tonight! Traybake of roast chicken thighs, cauliflower, prunes and potatoes with rose harissa, on the side was a pistachio relish, some Greek yoghurt and a chopped salad of tomato/pepper/cucumber.

Recipe here: www.souschef.co.uk/blogs/the-bureau-of-taste/chicken-with-prunes-potatoes-cauliflower-and-harissa

Sort of tagine flavours but gluten free and only one roasting tin to wash up!

Entree- Prosciutto, fig salad

• Wash and cut stalk off figs, cut an X in the top and add blue cheese such as Roquefort or Stilton inside fig. Wrap in Serrano ham or prosciutto and put into a dish which holds them upright. Sprinkle pine nuts on top and drizzle with balsamic glaze. All this can be prepped the day before, then bake/grill till the ham is crispy and serve on mixed salad leaves/rocket with an extra drizzle of balsamic glaze across the plate

• Vietnamese Summer rolls
• Lots of you tube videos on how to wrap them up. I mix together lots of coriander, mint, grated carrots, bean shoots, vermicelli noodles and wrap with small lettuce leaves and cucumber batons. Can be made ahead if kept tight in a plastic container or wrapped in cling film.
• A simple satay sauce to go with them. Peanut butter in a jar, add soy sauce, sesame oil, sweet chilli sauce and a touch of water. Shake and keep adding water till it makes a thick, but pourable sauce. Can be made days ahead.

Main- Ground almonds can be a good, gluten free substitute for bread crumbs, so could be a swap to make chicken/pork schnitzel or KFC copy chicken thighs with veg and gravy or any other recipe you use with a crumbed coating

• Fajitas- where everyone helps themselves and makes their own. Get gluten free and regular wraps or corn ones if GF for all. Fry onions and peppers. Chicken or beef strips with a chilli/fajita powder mix (just check its GF) with passata. Refried beans, yoghurt, boiled rice, grated cheese and salad bits to add and everyone makes their own.

Dessert- Poached pears with custard or ice cream

• This orange/almond cake with custard or ice cream
• https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/orange-almond-cake/1a7129c0-fbff-4ff8-b3c2-b2caff8e4817

Gluten free is one of the easiest to do so not sure why you'd do something that requires a GF replacement? You do have to be careful with some sauces/flavourings but it's not that hard. First course probably the hardest, but I almost never do starters anyway as they're such a faff! At most, I tend to do substantial nibbles that can be scattered around - tortilla, dips/pates etc. At a push I might do a fancy salad - fig and roquefort perhaps. Pates are my other go to but then you would need a gluten free crisp bread or something to serve with it.

For main, i'd probably do some kind of roasted meat. A rib of beef or rack of lamb is nice. Rib of beef easier and more forgiving. Roast chicken served with a risotto or perhaps a pilaf and some greens is also a lovely dinner party choice and can be made to look really good. .

Otherwise something like a slow cooked pork/lamb shoulder served with mash potatoes and veg.

Dessert I'd go for something like an eton mess as it's easy to do in advance. Or poached pears if I wanted to be a bit fancier.

I'd switch the wrap to hard corn taco shells or tortilla chips (lots are naturally gf).