GF vegan main meal ideas!

entropicbeauty · April 2012

For our reception we are able to bring in our own food and drink and we plan to take advantage of that, the only problem is we have more than 1 guest who is Gluten Free, vegan or both.

The rest of our menu is going to be casual BBQ (Pulled pork, mac & cheese, corn bread, an extensive salad bar etc), but I want to make sure that these special food considerations are taken into account so that our friends with food allergies can enjoy a filling main course.

Does anyone have experience with GF/Vegan? What are some main courses I could include on our menu to cater to these specific needs?

Please help me out

adktd2boots · April 2012

Go to Tasty Kitchen.com and look up recipes that are GF or Vegan.

Vegetables are a good way to ensure both. Also, IMO those people need to realize they are not in the norm and that not everything can be catered to their needs/preferences. If they can only eat the potatoes ans the green beans, well then that's all they eat.

entropicbeauty · April 2012

If it was only 1 or 2 guests of mine that had these dietary concerns I would probably say that as well, but being that multiple people have these food issues I want to make sure they're equally as fed as any other guest.

I know that a vegan fried rice might work if tofu is in it, but I'm hoping to find a good alternative to this that might actually go with the rest of the food a little better.

Thanks for the link!

artbyallie · April 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_gf-vegan-main-meal-ideas?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:13336967-a818-4832-b04a-ce05d63bd114Post:14648138-098f-44b8-b1f1-11981ec10479">Re: GF vegan main meal ideas!</a>:
[QUOTE]Go to Tasty Kitchen.com and look up recipes that are GF or Vegan. Vegetables are a good way to ensure both. <strong>Also, IMO those people need to realize they are not in the norm and that not everything can be catered to their needs/preferences.</strong> If they can only eat the potatoes ans the green beans, well then that's all they eat.
Posted by adktd2boots[/QUOTE]

<div style="text-align:left;">I disagree, at least for the GF folks. Celiac kind of sucks, you know? And anyway, providing a vegan option when you <em>know</em> you have vegan guests is just common courtesy. You wouldn't invite them for dinner at your house and serve pot roast, would you? It's not nice to offer someone a dinner they can't eat. And beliefs/choices aside--though you should certainly be considerate of them--eating meat when you haven't for a long time generally doesn't agree with the stomach very well, so it would be a choice of discomfort or hunger. Not what you want people to remember about attending your wedding.</div>

JaxInBlue · April 2012

Ditto artbyallie. GF is not necessarily a choice - my mom has Celiacs and gets terribly sick if she eats something with gluten or prepared near foods containing gluten. OP, for GF you need to not only look at main ingredients obvious but also sauces, dressing, marinades, etc. Gluten crops up in weird places - like some brands of soy sauce, mayo, or hot tea. You might be able to adapt some of your menu items. For example, homemade mac and cheese might be prepared with corn or rice pasta and the cheese sauce thickened with cornstarch not flour. You also need to have separate serving dishes and utensils, in addition to a prep space and tools. Depending on your numbers and set up ability, you might want to prep specific GF plates to help reduce contamination.

jessicabessica · April 2012

What about a lentil salad? Rice and beans (either as a salad or a side)? I recently picked up some liquid smoke, I think that would be great with the beans. Veg chili? You can also make sure that all the non-meat sides are kept vegan and GF as much as possible--like the corn shouldn't be pre-buttered.

Are you self-catering? Make sure you don't cross-contaminate the GF items.

dewingedpixie · April 2012

I am a celiac. Try to offer salads with no croutons, check the sauce for the bbq and the dressings as well for gluten. Let the celiacs know there will be bbq so if they want to bring their own roll they can. You could also offer the BBQ dry with the sauce on the side and let them bring their own sauce. Talk to your caterer let them know you will have celiac guests and find out if they can set a plate aside for these guests as well since their are cross contamination issues. Offer a fruit plate, and veggies that arent laden with sauce as part of your meal.

In the past I've been accomodated, or I've brought my own food. No one was offended when they found out why I came packing my own food or didnt eat at all. I've had friends bring me my own cupcakes too which was a nice gesture since it wasnt my wedding.

My entire wedding next year will be gluten free. Me, my mother, my maid of honor, and the possible 4th brides maid all have celiac! Soon to be fiance and I have discussed this and though the cake will cost a premium we've decided to taste several vendors to find one that cant be distinguished from real cake. We're offering no fried foods, no croutons in salads, no crackers, and possibly we wont offer bread. We will offer a gluten free pasta or rice dish possibly I'm leaning towards rissotto since it holds up better than gf pasta. Carved meat, veggies, fruit. I like whole foods personally better than battered fried, pastry laden ones, which is probably due to having to be that way from celiac.

Most celiacs wont expect you to cater to them, so let them know if you're making dining plans that will include them and what they can and cant have etc. Your guests with this disease will be touched and thankful that you considered them on your big day.

B

dewingedpixie · April 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_gf-vegan-main-meal-ideas?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:5Discussion:13336967-a818-4832-b04a-ce05d63bd114Post:14648138-098f-44b8-b1f1-11981ec10479">Re: GF vegan main meal ideas!</a>:
[QUOTE]Go to Tasty Kitchen.com and look up recipes that are GF or Vegan. Vegetables are a good way to ensure both. Also, IMO those people need to realize they are not in the norm and that not everything can be catered to their needs/preferences. If they can only eat the potatoes ans the green beans, well then that's all they eat.
Posted by adktd2boots[/QUOTE]

Celiac disease is a serious condition, and vegans typically do it for deep ethical/religious view points. I'm a celiac not a vegan. Though we with celiac do not expect for others to cater their events towards us this woman is being kind enough to consider those in her guest list that have medical and ethical eating preferences. I commend her for her good heart and consideration of these people on a day that celebrates her life.

Belle0000 · April 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_gf-vegan-main-meal-ideas?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:5Discussion:13336967-a818-4832-b04a-ce05d63bd114Post:72cbecea-6d82-4fc6-8394-c445809699fe">GF vegan main meal ideas!</a>:
[QUOTE]For our reception we are able to bring in our own food and drink and we plan to take advantage of that, the only problem is we have more than 1 guest who is Gluten Free, vegan or both. The rest of our menu is going to be casual BBQ (Pulled pork, mac & cheese, corn bread, an extensive salad bar etc), but I want to make sure that these special food considerations are taken into account so that our friends with food allergies can enjoy a filling main course. Does anyone have experience with GF/Vegan? What are some main courses I could include on our menu to cater to these specific needs? Please help me out :)
Posted by entropicbeauty[/QUOTE]

We are doing a quinoa stuffed pepper as our non-meat option, and it should satisfy a number of our guests with special diets. Quinoa is a seed, not a grain, so it's gluten-free, and the quinoa stuffed pepper is also vegan.

If the quinoa is processed in the factory on the same machines at wheat, etc., there could be some cross-contamination, but this is typically an issue with quinoa flour or quinoa flakes, not quinoa in it's standard form.

So quinoa as a side or as a component in a dish could work for both vegan and GF guests.

entropicbeauty · April 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_gf-vegan-main-meal-ideas?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:13336967-a818-4832-b04a-ce05d63bd114Post:8c8fd44d-e871-4b4b-b5b5-53a779de961e">Re: GF vegan main meal ideas!</a>:
[QUOTE]I am a celiac. Try to offer salads with no croutons, check the sauce for the bbq and the dressings as well for gluten. Let the celiacs know there will be bbq so if they want to bring their own roll they can. You could also offer the BBQ dry with the sauce on the side and let them bring their own sauce. Talk to your caterer let them know you will have celiac guests and find out if they can set a plate aside for these guests as well since their are cross contamination issues. Offer a fruit plate, and veggies that arent laden with sauce as part of your meal. In the past I've been accomodated, or I've brought my own food. No one was offended when they found out why I came packing my own food or didnt eat at all. I've had friends bring me my own cupcakes too which was a nice gesture since it wasnt my wedding. My entire wedding next year will be gluten free. Me, my mother, my maid of honor, and the possible 4th brides maid all have celiac! Soon to be fiance and I have discussed this and though the cake will cost a premium we've decided to taste several vendors to find one that cant be distinguished from real cake. We're offering no fried foods, no croutons in salads, no crackers, and possibly we wont offer bread. We will offer a gluten free pasta or rice dish possibly I'm leaning towards rissotto since it holds up better than gf pasta. Carved meat, veggies, fruit. I like whole foods personally better than battered fried, pastry laden ones, which is probably due to having to be that way from celiac.<strong> Most celiacs wont expect you to cater to them, so let them know if you're making dining plans that will include them and what they can and cant have etc. </strong>Your guests with this disease will be touched and thankful that you considered them on your big day. B
Posted by dewingedpixie[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>I plan to clearly label each dish with the ingredients and the dishes that are Vegan will be marked vegan, if the dish is just vegetarian it will be marked that, if it is vegan and GF it will be marked as such.</div><div>
</div><div>No matter what I'm going to have an AWESOME salad bar that has all the ingredients seperated so people will be able to build their own salad. I'm a picky salad eater and I want people to be able to cater to their own likings (I personally hate weddings where I'm served a pre-made salad that has fruit on it and a vinagarette...can't stand them, so it ends up being a wasted salad).</div><div>
</div><div>Thanks for the tip on checking the dressings - I actually wouldn't have thought of that. Are there any particular brands of dressing that you could recommend?

</div>

dewingedpixie · April 2012

Kraft lists all gluten as does Newmans. If it says barley, malt, or lists wheat it has gluten from either of these companies

. I think Annies has the same policy as well.

Get real bacon bits too fake ones have gluten, as does fake crab. Watch for cross contamination issues, maybe put the croutons in the last bin at the end spaced by the dressings or something.

emiliasuzanna · April 2012

I think that it is really sweet and thoughtful of you to try to accomodate your guests dietary needs. I am sure that your guests will greatly appreciate it.

We have multiple food allergies in my family (including milk) and also family members who are vegan/vegetarian...so I've got some experience tailoring meals to your description. You mentioned that the rest of your guests will be eating BBQ, right? I've made BBQ TVP several times and people seem to really like it. TVP (textured vegetable protein) sounds a little odd, but it's really a great go-to item that would be inexpensive, filling, tasty and extremely easy to prepare. Bob's Red Mill brand is certified gluten-free.

TVP prep:

1 C TVP + 7/8 C warm water (or vegan broth, which is tastier

).

Allow TVP to soak 10 minutes.

To make BBQ sauce:

Mix 3/4 C tomato paste + 2 Tbsp molasses + 1 Tbsp Olive Oil + 1/2 C water + Black pepper to taste.

After the TVP has absorbed all liquid, stir in sauce. All done!

That will make 4 servings but you can just scale up the ingredients to suit the number of portions you need. Hope that helps! Best wishes and congratulations!

irishangieb · April 2012

[QUOTE] <strong>those people need to realize they are not in the norm and that not everything can be catered to their needs/preferences. If they can only eat the potatoes ans the green beans, well then that's all they eat.</strong>
Posted by adktd2boots[/QUOTE]

HORRIBLE.

My FI's brother, two of his cousins and his sister all can't have gluten.

The PP's hit the nail on the head with their ideas, I just had to say something. :)

emiliasuzanna · April 2012

irishangieb - you hit the nail on the head! My Mom is allergic to milk and gluten-intolerant...it's very hard on her already and I would hate to imagine a friend or family member saying something unkind like adktd2boots 's comment to her.

random4180 · April 2012

You can make a chili with TVP/beans/veggies or do some type of kabob which would fit your BBQ theme pretty well and can easily be tailored to meet your vegan and GF needs. I'm vegan and I seriously appreciate when someone considers me in their menu planning. Yes, I realize I'm an adult and the world doesn't revolve around me and my diet but it is awfully, awfully nice to be able to eat something from the buffet, y'know? Yes, I have been the person who only eats the green salad while everyone else gets to eat hamburgers or pizza or lasagna so I usually eat beforehand anyway, just in case. I have one guest who has Celiacs, one who is allergic to dairy, wheat, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts, among other things, my FI's father follows and Atkins-type of diet so tries to stay away from starches, my father is diabetic, and I'm vegan. I want them all to enjoy themselves so I plan to try my best to have something they can eat. It won't be easy but it also won't be impossible to try to take all of my guests comfort into account. I applaud anyone who tries to empathise with a guest on a special diet.

GF vegan main meal ideas!

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