Any meal suggestions for gluten-free, vegetarian, nut-free family?

[Anonymous]

My SIL is visiting in a week us with her 7-year-old son. They are coming from Scandinavia. My SIL is a vegetarian (who eats fish/seafood) and gluten-free. Her son is allergic to nuts and is very finicky - he will probably be resistant to foods he hasn't been exposed to in his country. They typically eat things like potatoes, salmon, herring, mushroom soup, beets, sausages (for the kids), carrots, cabbage, etc.

I am Afro-Caribbean and I normally cook spicy and tropical foods: curries, flavorful stews, rice and beans, yams, plantains, etc. My family normally eats everything. I don't have many recipes that don't include a ton of spices or ingredients that are not typical in Scandinavia.

I have no idea what to cook for them! I have no problem making one meat dish and one veggie dish.

Can anyone help me?

[Anonymous]

Do you have a grill? Its easy to grill some meat or fish and some vegetables and serve with rice. You can buy some hot dogs or sausages for the kids. Make a vegetable stir fry with gluten free soy sauce.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I think you should buy foods at the market that you think they would like, and then invite them to cook for themselves. As a parent of a kid with food allergies, I wouldn't really want someone else cooking for my kid anyway. Many people don't know how to read labels, or apply them to my kid's particular circumstances. And throw in the picky eater and the mother's own dietary restrictions, and it's just not fair for this to fall on you.

[Anonymous]

Vegetarian chili

[Anonymous]

Fish, a bunch of it, simply prepared.

[Anonymous]

FYI. She's not vegetarian if she eats fish.

[Anonymous]

Grilling

[Anonymous]

OP, I want you to come cook for me. My kids are picky and have food allergies, and I am so sick of eating foods they like and can eat. I want your food.

[Anonymous]

Omlettes, brown rice, smoked salmon, berries, yogurt (Greek style, don't offer them that syrupy yoplait/aspartame stuff), real butter, hummus...steamed veggies. Most everyone will enjoy rice and beans.

[Anonymous]

Greek yogurt is such an annoying fad.

If you don't want to shell out extra for the Greek-style yogurt, you can buy the plain "regular" yogurt. Just check the label to make sure there are no funky ingredients.

[Anonymous]

Op here. Thank you everyone. Great suggestions.

[Anonymous]

I love the taste of Greek yogurt!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love the taste of Greek yogurt!

So does my MIL and I hate it (DW doesn't eat any kind of yogurt). So, she comes and always wants me to get a big container and we throw about 3/4 of it away. Blecht!

[Anonymous]

Tacos! You need to carefully read the ingredient labels to make sure there is no gluten or nuts, but usually hard corn taco shells will not have those ingredients. Ditto for soft corn (not flour) tortillas. Then you could brown some meat, as spicy as you want, and bake white fish like tilapia (I'd just baste it in olive oil with S/P to accommodate the in-laws). Lots of fresh sides like shredded cabbage and carrots, black beans (make them toned down version of the usual level of spiciness - the in-laws may want to try them), corn, white rice, diced peppers, sliced avocado, shredded cheese, etc.! Your SIL could make her tacos vegetarian or fish, and everyone else makes theirs just as they like.

[Anonymous]

This recipe from America's Test Kitchen is very good. If you use a GF soy sauce, you can make this for them. Serve with rice.

http://www.mealsmatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/33066

Also, if there are omnivores eating, you can make chicken or beef and stir fry it in a second batch of the glaze and serve on the side. Those who eat meat can add the meat to their dishes and those who are vegetarian can leave it out.