Vegetarian, gluten-free, easy but impressive!

[AlbertCampion]

I'm doing a lunch for some friends who are veggie and gluten free. I've had them over several times and have slowly exhausted my repertoire, so I'm looking for ideas!

Nothing too complicated would be ideal, cos I want to spend time hosting, not cooking. Extra points if it can be prepped in advance. 😬

Ideally no pastry cos I am awful at it - particularly the gf kind.

Any ideas gratefully received!

Sushi!

Mexican style with proper masa harina? You can make tortillas or arepas in advance

Get some tofu pieces and a load of mixed stir fry veg and rice noodles. Fry it all up in a big wok and let everyone pick their own sauce to go on it. Sweet chilli is good. Quick, easy and tastes lovely.

You can buy pre-made gluten free puff pastry by Jusrol in the supermarket 😊

I too was going to suggest sushi as can be made beforehand

Vietnamese summer rolls. They are gluten free, vegan and delicious. Can also be made ahead of time. Covered in cling film and they wont dry out.

Make a simple satay sauce to go with them. Just check the soy sauce is GF. In a jar, I add about 4T cunchy peanut butter, 1T sweet chilli sauce, 1T soy sauce, 1/2 T sesame oil and shake. Add a small amount of water- shake and keep adding tiny bits of water till you reach a dipping consistency. Delicious and simple.

There are lots of youtube videos on how to make and roll both sushi and summer rolls

Look up the Happy Pear books.

DH made scarpaccia for some veggie friends recently and they loved it, easy to make in advance but you DO need to like courgette! It's perfect for a lunch and you could do it with a few different salads.

Another idea. Mini quiche/frittata bites.

Mix eggs, tomato, parsley, spring onions- optional to add vegetarian cheese. Pour into cupcake pans and cook till just cooked

You could use any other combo of ingredients- basil leaves/tomatoes/olives etc. Instead of using a cupcake pan, you can pour the mix into a square dish, and once cooked, cut into cubes and serve on toothpicks as an hors d'oeuvre.

What about aubergine parmigiana? Relatively easy and can be made ahead and you just need to put it in the oven when your guests arrive.

Veggie curry. My favourite recipe is in Bish Bash Bosh book. I think it’s sweet potato tikka but I’m not hugely keen on sweet potato so just use other vegetables. Sometimes quorn pieces or chickpeas.
Lentil and vegetable chilli. Served either with rice or with tacos (Tesco own brand is GF and I think Santa Maria too). If using tacos I do a homemade tomato, red onion, sweetcorn and coriander salsa, a mixed salad and lots of grated cheese. Everyone helps themselves.
Gluten free wraps with felafel, hummus and salad if I really wanted an easy option.

I did a veggie chilli for a veggie, gluten free guest recently. Home made guacamole, salted tortilla chips, rice, and soured cream served alongside it. I could make the chilli the night before and then the guacamole only took 10 mins so could make it while boiling the rice.

A vegetable Moussaka with Beluga lentils in a tomato sauce instead of meat. Prepare ahead, pop in the oven and serve with a lovely salad.

Oh I love all of these ideas - thank you! Should have said - I can't eat fish atm, so sushi is out, sadly. But there are so many other lovely ones to try!

I meant veggie sushi as the brief was vegetarian. But understand that might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Oh of course! Gosh - I'm being really thick! 😂 Right - that's a fab idea - am off to do some research. Thank you!

A selection of Mediterranean stuffed vegetables, eg peppers, round courgette, halved aubergine, large tomatoes, use a couple of different stuffings such as rice or lentils and different herbs and spices. You could do some with Moroccan flavours for example.
Serve with a green salad.
Prepare in advance to serve either hot or at room temperature. Served up on a large platter they look really interesting and appetising.

I too was only suggesting veggie sushi- not fish.

Yeah, sorry @CC4712. Cos I am not veggie myself I didn't think clearly on that one. But I do love the idea of veggie sushi!

This time of year when courgettes, peppers and tomatoes are in season, I'd consider a proper layered ratatouille. They look amazing and should taste brilliant at this time of year.

Served with garlic & herb roasted new potatoes, or a quinoa/rice salad and a big green leafy salad.

Cheeseboard to follow maybe to boost the protein.

Stuffed aubergines https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/recipe/rice-stuffed-aubergines-with-feta-and-mint

OP- you might have been thinking of sashimi?

Here is another- more as a side dip, but very morish and filling. You'd need to find rennet free cheese though and check the salsa and refried beans didn't have any gluten in them.

https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/7-layer-bean-dip/

Noodle salad? Basically put any ingredients on top of egg noodles. It's really good. I would leave out pork for my veggie guests, of course :)

https://japanesehomerecipes.com/?p=148

What about a couple of warm salads. Everyone loves them.
One with roasted sweet potato , cherry toms and red onions ; with feta, rocket and a balsamic glaze scattered on top.
One with roasted mini tomatoes, roasted cauliflower, top with heaps of conitinental parsley and olives. ( I add homemade garlic croutons - maybe you could do that with gluten free bread).
Couscous cooked in vege stock with pomegranate seeds , currants and herbs stirred through.

Oh, even more lovely suggestions - thank you! I really love the sound of the stuffed aubergines.