Vegetarian gluten-free friend coming for bbq on Sunday - help me please?

[HaventSleptForAYear]

So a friend who is semi-vegetarian (prefers not to eat meat if he can avoid it) and who has just been diagnosed wheat intolerant, is coming for lunch on Sunday.

Had been hoping to do a bbq but doesn't seem very feasible. Would like to eat outside though so things like lentil stews/risottos aren't really suitable either.

Can anyone help me with what on earth to serve?

I have 2 DS to feed too, (3.5 & 15mths) - don't really want to do chili stuff they can't eat.

Thanks

You can get gluten-free bread products in most of the supermarkets and some ready made vegeburgers would be gluten free, I think, then you could do your BBQ.

OR ask him to bring some suitable things for himself that you could bbq. I don't mind people asking me to do this .(I'm veggie)

How about kebabs? You could do vege ones and ones with meat on for kids to eat too - mine love them! I put mini toms, pineapple, baby sweetcorn and other child friendly veg on them. You could serve with a green salad (prehaps a greek one with feta?) and potato salad, or even baked potatoes.
Does he eat fish? Big prawns are fab on the bbq and quite good for entertaining.

You can do kebabs on the bbq with veggies and haloumi cheese.

Potato things - potato salad, baked potatoes

Really nice cheeseboard - your friend could have it with salad, ricecakes or (check with him if he's allowed as many coeliacs aren't) Nairns oatcakes are completely wheat free.

Does friend eat fish? You could bbq that

Otherwise, big mushrooms, courgettes and peppers, smother in oil/butter and bbq

meringuey things for pud.

Are vege-burgers actually nice or are they just a pretend substitute for meat?

Not sure whether I should go that route or try to do sth else?

I personally think that pretend meat type vege food is horrid! There's so many nice ways of serving vegetables!

I love pretend meat!

semi-vegetarian?

Personally, I would suggest that he could be semi-veggie on his own cooking time. The wheat intolerance I would cater for.

semi-vegetarian

Thanks Nicky but I've already told him I'll handle it ! Silly me...

Baked potatoes could be good for everyone.

Was going to do some kind of rice salad/couscous salad but the boys won't eat it.

Kebabs good.

Think couscous is a type of wheat? i may be wrong though.

LazyLinePainterJane - he lived in India for a while and doesn't eat meat at home but he said he decided a long while ago to be "sociable" and not "difficult" by eating whatever he was offered when he was out.

He is just out of hospital after 5 weeks because of the gluten thing - they think it's that anyway.

So I want to make a really nice meal for him - he almost died

BBQ halloumi cheese and vegetable kebabs e.g. courgettes/mushroom

Rice salads

Corn -on the cobs

madamy better check that then. Thanks

what is halloumi cheese???

( not in UK, maybe it's really popular with you?)

HSFAY: I get the wanting to be easy thing, it can feel awkward putting your choices onto other people who are catering for you. I see now that you want to do this for him.

hmmm

Can you make some special bread? Do some garlic bread, corn on the cob? vegetarian skewers? Does he eat fish?

personally, I would say if you wanted to do something nice you would be better off thinking around the problem and choosing things that happen not to contain meat or wheat, rather than using quorn or other substitutes.

Yes I agree LazyLine - I think I want to do sth that is naturally without things he doesn't want to/can't eat, rather than trying to replace them.

I think fresh veg from the market on skewers could work; baked potatoes, maybe some kind of yoghurt/cucumber dip.

Should I be doing some pulses to get some protein in there (he lost a lot of weight and isn't putting any back on)?

i have a fish yes/meat no wheat free, dairy free bod for lunch on Sunday.

I am doing a large baked salmon, various salads, oatcakes, warm potato salad.

For everybody btw. It seems to work.

Vegetable and haloumi kebabs are fab on the barbie.

Cous cous is no good for wheat intolerant but a big greek salad would be good and you can get "free from" pittas to stuff it in (just whack them on the barbie for a minute to crisp up a bit before splitting).

Corn on the cob - scrummy.

Little foil packages of bananas and choc for pud!

You could do some kind of bean salad or hoummus if you feel the need for pulses.

Ok. We have corn on the cob already bought (chosen by DS1).

Think rice salad with loads of veggies in (olives, avocado, cucumber, baby toms, eggs, feta) plus herbs from the garden.

Veggie kebabs (do they need dips? or marinating? are they a bit dry?)Will try and get hold of the cheese.

Nuts for apéritif (then I don't have to bother with pulses).

Some sausages or some such for the rest of us in addition.

Baked potatoes as well with yoghurt/cucumber dip? (think he's avoiding dairy too!)

Tomatos are your friend.

Think salsa. om based dips. Vinagrette.

I would check about the cheese and dairy in general tbh.

hummus?

He was a bit vague about the dairy. Said in a roundabout way that he was trying not to eat to much.

Maybe better to keep it separate so he can choose (so no feta in the salad).

Could try a salsa. Didn't think of that. Never done but it can't be that hard, right?

OOh, if you're doing a BBQ and he eats fish, you could marinate some, cover it in foil and cook it over the coals.

Bean salads would work-

Chickpea Salad:

x2 tins chickpeas, rinsed
x1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste with salt
x1 large green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely diced
squeeze of lemon
1tbsp red wine vinegar
4tbsp olive oil
1 medium cucumber, peeled and finely diced
10 cherry tomatoes, halved seeded and finely diced
small bunch of fresh mint + coriander, roughly chopped
salt and pepper.

Put everything but the chickpeas, herbs, cucumber, tomatoes in a bowl and mix. Then add the remaining ingredients and taste for seasoning. You can chill the salad for a fresher taste.

Bugger. This thread has just reminded me that we left the fishcounter woman preparing our seabass in Tesco this afternoon, and forgot to go back and pick it up. Was meant to be for a barbie tomorrow. Oops!

When we BBQ, we do baked new potatoes, and they always go down a storm with everyone -esp with some sour cream.

If you are doing a marinade, check the labels on everything - for instance, soy sauce and english mustard aren't gf.

The only good GF burger buns are the Proceli ones in Waitrose or Tesco - but they must be microwaved for 20s before toasting otherwise they fall apart. The GF pittas are great.

If you are going to bbq non gf stuff for the kids, then set aside an area of the bbq for that, and use separate tools

Make sure you have uncontaminated condiments - we use squeezy mayo and ketchup for BBQs so that no one dips crumby knives in them. You'll need to put some butter aside from a fresh pack for him too, or buy a tub of non dairy spread.

Re: pudding. Not to be ungrateful or anything, but if he is coeliac, he has a lifetime of eating blardy pavlova in front of him (you always get that or fruit salad at functions). If you buy a packet of Doves Farm gf flour, there is a recipe for brownies on the pack, and they are gorgeous for everyone (I make mine with green and blacks choc with sour cherries), and you can serve with cream or ice cream (you can get Swedish glace non dairy ice cream in all supermarkets) and make it really special. Or buy some lush chocolate mousse things (the GU ones are good)