Help me devise a BBQ menu for people with special dietary needs

[littleEDfamily]

Having a BBQ Sunday with newish friends. Among the people needing to eat are 1x coeliac, 1x vege and trickiest of all 1x person allergic to garlic. Ideally I'd want us all to be able to eat the same thing (as opposed to different options for the different 'special' people).

Help!! I thought this would be easy to suss, but my brain has turned to mush. Hummous and pesto are out even!!

[Fly]

Barbequed veg. Can also find gluten frree buns from Sainsburys. The health food shop in crystal palace sells 'dragonfly' burgers which are vegetarian and gluten free (amd do not contain dragonflies). Not sure about garlic. You'll have to look at the ingredients. You may be able to find out online. Cheese OK too.

You could do meringue, cream and fruit for desert.

[candj]

Potato salad? (aren't potatoes gluten free?)

veg burgers/sausages, (but I'd make regular ones for those who do eat meat)

grilled veg (courgette, peppers, corn on cob, etc) just done with olive oil, salt and pepper on BBQ

Just don't add garlic to anything.

[Fuschia]

Kebabs of veg and either halloumi or lamb

Dressing with mint and yoghurt

Salads

Optional wraps

[Senor Chevalier]

Inflicting a veggie BBQ on non-veggie attendees is a big call. I hope you have managed expectations and told your guests that it is a "veggie BBQ" and not just a "BBQ".

[sylviamaria]

Does the veggie eat fish?

Vegetable skewers (courgete, aubergine, peppers and onions)

salmon skewers

jacket potatoes on the bbq

yoghurt dip with cucumber and dill

Enjoy the sun

[Ellie78]

Good idea re having hallumi and veg kebabs as a veggie alternative.

You'll find the meat eaters want them too- they BBQ well. Best to grill slabs of it tho- and then put on the plate with the veggie stuff-they fall apart on a kebab.

Coeliac not hard- as people say there are gluten free buns (I prefer gluten free pittas that sainsburys have) but watch out for sausages. 99% are not gluten free, go for 100% meat products. Potatoes and rice all fine.

Yottam Otttolenghi does a really good salad we've adapted for brown rice: brown rice, shelled broad beans, avocado, radishes mixed together in olive oil, tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp chilli flakes, lemon juice. Really tasty. Shelling broad beans is time consuming 20 mins but worth it.

Hummus not out- make your own. Buy the big chickpeas (in foods of the world section), get tahini (no garlic in that) creme freche and oil....

[Ellie78]

This is the recipe:

http://www.thebroadbean.com/2010/07/avocado-broad-bean-and-quinoa-salad.html

Forget quinoa (expensive) - get the easy cook sainsburys brown rice. Cook whatever quantity you need until its reasonably soft (c. 30 mins) and then allow to cool. I love this salad and everyone I've made it for has really enjoyed it. It'll go nicely with BBQ'd meat.

[Fly]

A vegetarian won't eat off a barbeque which has had meat on. Also most veggie burgers contain gluten.

[Beany]

As a coeliac vegetarian (!! I know!!) I second the haloumi idea, and you can get gluten free vegie sausages etc (usually from a health store). Maybe a rice salad would be good too - with raisins/ cashews/ veg?

If you do end up cooking other stuff too, just ensure you cook the gluten free (and vegie) stuff on a clean part of the BBQ to prevent cross contamination (not to be fussy, it's just another inconvenient fact unfortunately). Lots of dips will fit the bill too, but not sure which will not contain garlic.

Re the dessert - fruit is lovely, but don't assume the love of chocolate is any less in this group of people (I speak for myself ;) - if you would usually go for a sweet desert, then maybe a flour-less chocolate cake (check ingredients)?

I think it's great you're thinking/ planning this so well - people with special dietary needs are often made to feel like 'fussy eaters' or that they have to take their own food everywhere (often our own choice based on experience!), so it's nice they'll be able to come to your place relaxed in the knowledge you've done your research! Also - alcohol is a safe bet as being gluten/ meat and garlic free :)

[candj]

then do the veg burgers first then meat ones!

[littleEDfamily]

Well done forum - to the rescue as ever.

I'm actually the coeliac (but quite a 'new' one so still learning).

We are having:

The rice salad from ellie78 and a few variations

vege kebabs with halloumi and yoghurt dip

some meat for the non-veges

sausages for the non-coeliacs

Lardy gluten-free brownies (the nigella ones - thanks for reminding me of the wonders of brownies)for all!