Dinner for ‘boss’

[ForeverAndEverCheese]

I am cooking for the equivalent of my boss and his husband next week. Also two other friends. I don’t know any of these people very well. The issue is that I’m in a wheelchair. My good friends usually just muck-in, getting stuff out of the oven, serving up etc. I don’t feel comfortable to ask these people, or at least not yet, so I need something that can be essentially all prepared in advance.

(i think taking out of the oven is fine but no last minute prep or cooking.)
It’s Friday night - how many courses would you do?

Any menu ideas, please? I would like something that looks a bit fancy (!) but is minimal last-minute effort.
needs one gluten-free (me) and one vegan.

I would keep it fairly simple by cooking something that is naturally gluten free and vegan tbh. You don't have to cook or make everything you serve. Think things like vegetable crudites, corn tortillas and houmous, baba ganoush, etc. to start. For the main course something like a vegetable stew with chickpeas or potatoes and protein cooked separately. Dessert could be shop bought sorbet served with a cake or pudding.

Smoked mackerel pate and melba toast or leek and potato soup for starters
Beef in ale or red wine with a potato gratin and a green veg for mains
Nigella's passionfruit ice cream cake and sauce for pudding
90% can be done in advance with a little lifting from helpful guests

Given dietary considerations, I would go all vegan, all gluten free to avoid cross contamination anxiety. South Asian/ Thai is a great bet (check any sauce ingredients super carefully). A tom yum soup starter maybe followed by tofu pad Thai main course. Dessert - fresh pineapple and coconut ice cream with a drizzle of rum. 👌👌👌

A big lamb biryani. As it's an assembly job it's easy to make a small pan of vegan alongside as all of the components would be prepped then layered. Easy and impressive. Raita, a salad, maybe even a chutney? Oven sanosas from freezer section of supermarket on table too.
I'd like gulab jamuns and ice cream after that but I think anything would work!

I’d do 3 courses but:

make the starters sharing platters of tapas style food, keeping one vegan/ gluten free (maybe hummus, stuffed peppers, olives etc plus some good breads inc gluten free.

main course maybe some sort of Mediterranean veg pasta bake/ lasagne using gluten free pasta and plant based milk for the sauce. Plus a green salad.

dessert of fruit, cheese and some nuts to crack. Separate gluten free/ vegan crackers and some plant based cheese.

This is a prep ahead thing.

Parboil chunks of pumpkin. When cooled a bit, slice.

Layer the slices with your favourite Italian tomato sauce like lasagne. (Scatter here crumbled, crisped bacon or crumbled Greek feta). On the top, scatter breadcrumbs (I use gf) and cheese (I don’t normally). Into the oven until bubbling. Serve with salad, garlic bread and, for the table, crumbled Greek feta in a bowl.

Use Greek feta as goat/sheep cheese is sharp in flavour and texture. Danish cows milk feta won’t give such a good effect. Add a little chilli blend or other spice to the tomato sauce. Pumpkin can take that.

Happy to be made ahead.

Tomato salad starter.

Slice beefsteak tomatoes, arrange on individual plates, finely chop a couple of spring onions and sprinkle over, just before serving pour over a salad dressing, home made or shop bought.

Tomato and aubergine casserole with a side salad and some crusty bread, obviously not for you unless you have a favourite gf bread.

For pudding I normally buy something from a supermarket or I make a cheese cake, but that normally isn't gf.

I like this idea. Middle Eastern and Italian are amongst the cuisines that lend themselves well to this type of meal.

You could start with hummus and baba or another aubergine dip, with crudites and gf pita. Perhaps some nuts or something also. Or an antipasto platter, with the animal products served separately. You can buy nice antipasto platters but they can be expensive.

For the main, perhaps a vegetable tagine or similar stew served over a gf grain or with potatoes? I do think some will appreciate the animal protein. Is this for four people? You could roast a large-ish chicken, stuffed flavourfully, or a leg of lamb ditto or just do a beautiful roast sirloin. Sauces optional but can be made ahead with roasting juices added as they are reheated.

There are some lovely polenta-based olive oil and citrus cakes, loads of recipes online. They are naturally gf and vegan. They benefit from being made ahead and briefly warmed (the microwave is fine) and can be served with cream, creme fraiche, or ice cream - traditional or vegan versions.

Anyway, good luck and I hope you have a marvellous evening.

PS I agree with all the PP who emphasise that you can buy good puddings, also! In my home country that is a way of honouring guests.

Sorry, OP: I just realised that the polenta cakes I know contain eggs (I was focused pn providing a nondairy pudding). I think there are techniques for subbing the eggs but honestly I would confine those to a separate cake for the vegan(s).

Or do something else.

There are a lot of responses on this thread where the poster hasn't considered there will a vegan guest!

I would do nibbles instead of formal starter that are simply assembled - plate of hummus and a plate of smoked mackerel pate on mini toasts (crosta Molica or whatever it’s called do good ones) topping with a slither of roasted pepper (from a jar) no cooking and ready to assemble easy to do from seated.

for a main I would do rice (do you have a rice cooker or multi cooker as much easier)? As gluten free and I would opt for a vegetable and chickpea tagine then cook lamb koftas separately which can be bought ready made (check for gf) or made easily the day before put on the oven tray, cover with cling film and put in fridge overnight. For a dessert how about fresh fruit and ice cream, you could get a dairy free option though most vegans will be happy with fruit. Again prep can be done earlier and put in fridge, no issues with gluten and healthy ish too.

Prepping veg for the tagine can be done the day before and cover in the fridge or buy veg ready prepared or frozen. I know you mentioned a wheelchair but not sure if your upper body is affected at all, chopping harder veg eg a butternut squash isn’t the easiest without any disability, but I did realise you do not need to peel them, game changer!

Far too many tomatoes.

Where possible I would serve food acceptable to everyone eating - very few people who aren't veggie or vegan would object to something like houmous so take the pressure off and don't prep something separate for each dietary requirement. When I mentioned serving protein separately, you could do chicken kebabs on skewers for the meat eaters and crispy tofu for the veggie and vegan. Things like chimichurri/salsa verde/gremolata are naturally vegan, contain no gluten and are really tasty. Make the meal as inclusive/universal as possible and it will be easier for you to prepare and cook.

For entree I'd go vegan , so everyone is covered.
I'd make Escalivada
Roast large red peppers , green as well if you find the fleshy ones , but totally optional, a couple of aubergines , add a couple of tomatoes and onions , I use a red and a white ,also if you like a bulb of garlic .Just put in a roasting pan and into the oven with a drizzle of oil. Check after a while and turn vegetables to roast evenly . Remove the ones which roast quicker
When all are roasted remove from oven and let cool enough to handle , then remove skin from peppers and tear into strips , do the same with the aubergines, tomatoes and onions, arrange each vegetable on a platter side by side , sprinkle with sea salt cristals , add a good olive oil and that's It. To serve just accompany with good rustic bread which can be sliced and toasted. It's made ahead and best served at room temperature . A drizzle of balsamic vinegar can be added

A lot of this seems very faffy to me.

I think go with a vegan one pot main that can be made in advance- a tagine, a curry, a goulash, black pepper tofu or something.

One you’ve decided on that, decide if rice, bread, couscous or potatoes would work best with it and then add an appropriate salad.

Starters could then be bought to go with the vibe - falafel, bhajis, spring rolls, dumplings as fitting. Some of these could be meat, for those who couldn’t do without for one meal. Or skip starters and just have olives, nuts on arrival.

And dessert could be something simple like sorbet and fruit or a bought tart, or simply made like a crumble or brownies and ice cream - would need to be vegan.

Except the OP would be able to eat very little of the meal she created.

Which is why I gave a range of suggestions as a starting point for thinking, rather than setting in stone.

This sounds delicious as far as it goes, and good for OP. But I think that many will find peppers and bread an incomplete main course.

Grain (possibly GF) and/or animal protein could alleviate that.

One possibility would be to start or follow this dish with a vegan salad which stands on its own or to which meat, fish or seafood could be added. The two courses would be equals in the Italian manner instead of a starter and a main.

Yes , I meant as starter or appertizer , not a main course .
There would be something more substantial to follow , perhaps a nut roast or stuffed baked butternut squash or a vegetable curry , vegetable paella or a vegan cottage pie
All vegan so OP doesn't have to make something different for the vegan guest.