When did it get so complicated?

You're welcome.

Thank you Kate

I once made a Red Bean & Tomato curry for the vegetarians/vegans at a party and all the meat-eaters ate it! It was from Mary Berry's Complete Cook Book, very simple to do and covered most bases.

I love the sound of the onion tart ...

Aldom. It's £2.25 for 250g in our Tesco.

Quorn mince isn’t vegan though as it contains rehydrated egg white.

You're right of course, vegansrock, my apologies. Thinking back I would have used soya mince for my vegan son.

My husband and I used to eat the Quorn, purely as a meat alternative when the family carnivores came to visit, so I think I've remembered that occasion wrong 🤦

Yes of course Aldom. I'll post a pic. Please bear in mind it's only DH's opinion! However he is a fusspot so I'm assuming it's nice. It's not a Tesco brand but I found it in Tesco.

Kate49 would you be prepared to share the name of the Tesco lactose free spread please?

Foxygloves

There’s intolerant and there’s allergic though isn’t there?
I wish I was catering today, I’d happily cook 6 different meals for 6 different people if necessary, to have their company.
I have amassed a collection of “favourites” to suit most dietary requirements and can wholeheartedly recommend this book.

Many with intolerances will also have allergies. Yes, allergies can kill quickly, but intolerances can kill just as dead, but more slowly over the years. They can also add to or create other disabilities. Someone with an allergy may be unable to eat food cooked in the same place where their allergen is used. They are the best person to advise. Comparing allergies and disease to intolerances is often comparing a quick death with a slower, painful one.

My worst dread is having to be in our hospital. I have seen a brilliant menu from one hospital a "fodmap" friend was in. She has much the same issues as I do. I am guessing not many hospitals offer the same service. Our local one certainly doesn't.

Both the puff and shortcrust Just-roll pastry is actually suitable for Vegans and you can even get a gluten free version too.
I have many different diets I need to cater for within my family but this certainly helps with most!

I think people did have the problems Grantanow, my mum certainly did but the connection to what you ate wasn't always made, she was told it was IBS but actually it was coeliac. A nice slice of bread and butter seemed a safe choice - disaster.
I would be happy to bring a gluten free small quiche along Daisymae I buy mine from Sainsburys Free From section as GF pastry is difficult to handle.
Good luck with dishing up for so many, always a challenge.

vegansrock

Quorn mince isn’t vegan though as it contains rehydrated egg white. A good vegan chilli recipe is the Bosh one which uses black beans and mushrooms and many meat eaters prefer it to the mince meat option. It is much easier now for those who want to cut down on meat or go fully plant based so no need to get stressed , You can buy vegan quiches in the supermarket. However, a pastry based main course followed by a pastry based dessert may not suit everyone, just dish up fruit and some non dairy ice cream ( the Swedish glacé vanilla one is lovely ) or even buy a couple of packets of vegan mini magnums which both adults and children like. Gluten free is easier to cater for these days as well. What I’ve found more difficult is onion and garlic free.

Indeed. We tried quorn, tasty - then we discovered it had eggs.

Everybody loves the Chili I make, no meat, 3 sorts of beans and 2 sorts of mushrooms. In fact people like it much better than Chili made with mince.

My husband is lactose intolerant. He absolutely loves butter but can't have it. He's tried all the lactose free spreads etc but says they are nowhere near the taste of butter. I found one in Tesco and he reluctantly tried it. He is chuffed to bits and says it's just like butter.

We never had these problems when I was growing up in the 1950s.

Dd and family went through a vegan phase - well, nearly - only exception was eggs from their own chickens (rescues from a battery farm.)

I did find cooking for them a trial, though one great success for dd’s birthday was a wholly vegan lasagne, the ‘meat’ of which was an awful lot of mushrooms. Surprisingly very tasty.

Young Gds never did really embrace the vegan bit - at maybe 5, when one of their chickens was ill, he said, ‘If she dies, can we eat her?’ 😂 and once ate with relish 6 chicken drumsticks at a friend’s barbecue! (Dd was not remotely evangelical about enforcing it when out.)

Right, everyone, here's a nice undressed salad, I've all labelled the ingredients on everything else, help yourself!!

I make my own dressing - suitable for (virtually) everyone.

Moderation in all things is my approach, including pandering to the n'th degree for each and every taste or diet choice. Obviously, where health issues/allergies are concerned, provided I'm told about them I'll make the necessary adjustment. Other than that, I'll happily provide a vegetarian/vegan choice if I'm entertaining a large group, but that's as far as it goes.

hollysteers

I wouldn’t ask and if they didn’t like it, they could lump it and not eat.

That’s the easy option! 🤣

There’s intolerant and there’s allergic though isn’t there?
I wish I was catering today, I’d happily cook 6 different meals for 6 different people if necessary, to have their company.
I have amassed a collection of “favourites” to suit most dietary requirements and can wholeheartedly recommend this book.

Callistemon21

Fleurpepper

Callistemon21

I think butter is ok, at least my lactose-intolerant DD eats butter without a problem.
So a good old crumble with gf flour, not too much sugar in case anyone is diabetic, no nuts just in case .....

Butter is not OK for vegans, for sure, or plant based.

We have one GC who is severely allergic to egg, and this makes things complicated enough. But they eat everything as long as no trace of egg.

No, I wouldn't give butter to a vegan!
But it contains very little lactose so is usually ok for lactose-intolerant people.

Oh yes - eggs!

Right, everyone, here's a nice undressed salad, I've all labelled the ingredients on everything else, help yourself!!

Wow I had NO idea that Quorn contains

'Rehydrated Free Range Egg White,' thanks for that. So not vegan at all.

Always make my own salad dressing- mustard, good quality vinegar and olive oil, salt and pepper. Pretty safe for all.

I’m cooking for 9 tomorrow. Two vegetarians, one allergic to fish, one dairy- and gluten- free, a couple of DGC who’ll pick out any veg and eat next to nothing anyway. It took a long time to decide, but it’s going to be pies. Just the two - a chicken and ham one made without dairy or gluten and a cheese and spinach one, which should cover all bases. Unless of course I’ve overlooked something….

Can I throw in, I am intolerant to beans! I have a friend who gives suppers but as I can't eat after 6 p.m. and have all sorts of intolerances, she invites me and I drink nettle tea while everyone else scoffs delicious food. None of us mind.

Quorn mince isn’t vegan though as it contains rehydrated egg white. A good vegan chilli recipe is the Bosh one which uses black beans and mushrooms and many meat eaters prefer it to the mince meat option. It is much easier now for those who want to cut down on meat or go fully plant based so no need to get stressed , You can buy vegan quiches in the supermarket. However, a pastry based main course followed by a pastry based dessert may not suit everyone, just dish up fruit and some non dairy ice cream ( the Swedish glacé vanilla one is lovely ) or even buy a couple of packets of vegan mini magnums which both adults and children like. Gluten free is easier to cater for these days as well. What I’ve found more difficult is onion and garlic free.

Luckily my family catering is pretty straightforward.

For friends I often do a 'build your own' gluten-free wrap with a selection of fillings for people to help themselves, Seems to work out well.

Hope your meal goes well.

My vegan son is always happy with a selection of Tesco's offerings, plus the usual salads and fruit.

On occasion I've made two pots of chilli: identical apart from one was with beef mince and one was with Quorn mince.

No wonder people have stopped giving dinner parties.