Help With Catering Recipes

I was just chatting (in a very off-topic way) about stuffed capsicums in the POM thread with @rubysmama . It made me think of a retreat I'm running later in the year. We're thinking of self-catering (thus the stuffed capsicums) and I thought the wonderful cooks of TCS may just be able to help.

There will be about 14 people. It's vegetarian and, because it's hard to do something for some people and something else for others, I though may as well just make it gluten-free (there are about 6 people who prefer or require no gluten). There needs to be an option of some vegan, but many really like their dairy. Quite a few aren't vegetarian, so I don't want to make it too limited. But there's an emphasis on good healthy food.
There are two breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners, and snacks for morning and afternoon tea.

We would like to have all the main things cooked, and only prepare the easier things at the place (salads etc).

Just to make it interesting, the retreat is on an island so there'll be no popping down to the corner store to grab something.

If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Texas Caviar is an easy, cheap and vegetarian side dish. Basically it is canned beans, canned corn, some diced bell peppers, onion and jalapeno. You can go simple and mix it with Italian dressing or make your own vinegar dressing. I played with a mixture of suggestions to make a dressing I really like with vinegar, oil and spices. Serve with corn chips and you got a nice dip or just a spoon for a salad type side. But the ingredients tend to travel well and it only gets better after sitting for a few hours which makes the leftovers great for a second day. I can post my dressing mix when I get home if you like.

That's the type of thing ... I'll put it in my recipe bank. Thank you Kieka

I do red and orange for the color contrast but you can do just one or the other. I tend to keep the cilantro on the side because some people don't like it.

Texas Caviar

1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans corn, rinsed and drained
1/2 red bell pepper diced
1/2 orange bell pepper diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, diced (I use a sweet and spicy specialty one)
3-5 tablespoons cilantro, diced

Dressing:
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup oil (olive, grape seed, etc)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Add veggies in bowl. Blend dressing together. Pour dressing over veggies and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Here are some from my Moms recipe folder on her computer, remove cheese as needed to make it vegan. I can't speak to how easy they are other than the cole slaw but they are all ones she likes:

Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained*
1 cup water
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded fresh spinach
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion (1 small)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Spinach leaves
2 ripe avocados, halved, seeded, peeled, and sliced**
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese


Directions
1. In a 1-1/2-quart saucepan combine quinoa and water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
2. Transfer quinoa to a medium bowl. Add tomato, spinach, and onion; stir to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, oil, and salt. Add to quinoa mixture; toss to coat.
3. Place spinach leaves on 4 salad plates. Arrange avocado slices on spinach leaves. Spoon quinoa mixture over avocado slices. Sprinkle with some of the feta. Makes 4 main-dish servings.
4. *Note: Rinse quinoa thoroughly before cooking to remove a bitter substance called saponin that coats the seeds.
5. **Note: Brush avocado slices with additional lemon juice to prevent browning.

Disneyland Cole Slaw (seriously, its the Disneyland cole slaw from a few years back at their old BBQ place in Frontierland. I got the recipe from one of the cooks, its the only coleslaw I like).

Sweet and sour dressing
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup (2/3 cup) sugar
1 1/2 tsp (3/4tsp) coarse salt
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Cabbage mix
1 large head (2 pounds) green cabbage, shredded
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1 medium carrot, shredded, about 1/2 cup

Place vinegar, sugar, salt, celery seed, paprika, black pepper and cayenne pepper in blender. Blend on low speed for about 10 seconds; with blender running add olive oil in a slow, thin stream.

Toss with 1 cup of dressing until evenly coated: add more dressing to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Capers

Canola oil for deep-frying (steemed)
1/2 Serrano chile, seeded and minced
1 1/2 tsp honey (1/2 tsp honey)
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar (balsamic vinegar)
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp capers (2 Tbsp )
1/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted

1. Fill a medium pot two-thirds full of canola oil. heated to 350 ( steem brussels sprouts)
2. While oil is heating whisk together chile, honey vinegar and olive oil in a bowl large enough to toss all brussels sprouts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep bowl near stove top.
3. Fry brussels sprouts until edges begin to curl and bown, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully add capers and stand back ( they tend to splatter). Fry 1 minute. Transfer brussels sprouts and capers to bowl; mix to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss in toasted walnuts.

Orange Tofu and Broccoli

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon warm water
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon hot chili sauce or sriracha
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound firm tofu, weighted, drained, and cubed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound broccoli florets

Directions

• In a bowl, whisk cornstarch and warm water. Add orange juice and zest, soy sauce, rice vinegar and hot chili sauce. Reserve.
• Steam broccoli for 2-3 minutes until broccoli turns bright green but is still very firm.
• Heat oil in a very large nonstick pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add tofu to pan and cook, browning on all sides, about 6-8 minutes total. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add broccoli and orange sauce and stir to combine. Cook until sauce begins to bubble and reduces slightly, an additional 2-3 minutes. Divide among 4 bowls and serve with rice.

Thank you Kieka
The Quinoa Salad and the coleslaw look like they could be easily used. And I'm with you on the colour thing.. it's important.

Tomato Caramelized Onion Tart(s) - from Sara Moulton (Cooking Live)
Tart Dough:
2 sticks butter, very cold, cut into small pieces
1-2/3 cups unbleached flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup ice water, or as needed

Caramelized onion:
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Melted butter
Finely ground cornmeal
8 medium-sized round tomatoes
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded cheddar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large egg white, for egg wash
Basil, sliced thinly, plus extra for garnish

Make tart dough: Put in the work bowl of a food processor, the flour, butter, salt and sugar. Pulse quickly until the butter is the size of peas. Add very cold, ice water in a small stream until the dough just comes together. Empty the work bowl out onto waxed paper and shape into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until ready for use.

Make caramelized onion: In a skillet heat the olive oil until hot and cook the onions, stirring constantly, until golden. Remove from heat and let cool, set aside.

To assemble tarts: The tart can be made in 8 individual pie pans, two smaller tart pans, or one large tart pan. The pan(s) should be brushed with melted butter and liberally sprinkled with corn meal.

Divide dough into equal pieces if using more than one pan. Keep unused dough in the refrigerator (must be kept cold). Roll out the dough into shape suitable for pan. This is a rustic-style tart, so the edges don't have to be perfect. Make the dough large enough so the edges of the dough will fold over the top of the tart an inch or so. Crust will be thick; you don't want it too thin or the tomatoes will bleed through bottom. Place crust in pie plate. Repeat until all are done and place tins on baking sheets.

Preheat oven on to 375°F. Brush bottoms of dough shell with mustard. In the following order place into shell: cheddar cheese, caramelized onion, sliced tomato, salt and pepper, basil, and olive oil. If using more than one tin, divide ingredients equally between them. Fold in the tops of extra dough around the tomatoes and brush dough with egg whites. Bake 30 to 45 minutes. Right before serving, garnish with more slivered basil if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTE: Dough can be placed in pie plates ahead of time and frozen.
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Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables - from Giada De Laurentiis

2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cremini mushrooms, halved
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
1 pound penne pasta
3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
1 cup grated fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

NOTE: These vegetables don't really tend to "roast down" in size so use a large pan to roast them in. Also, have a very large bowl to mix all the ingredients before pouring it into the 9 x 13 pan to bake.

I wondered wether I'd hear from TCS's unofficial chef extraordinaire

Thank you Winchester

What are your feelings about gluten-free pasta, if you've ever used it?

I have not used GF pasta. It's just never interested me enough to try it. Maybe blueyedgirl5946 can offer some advice as she is eating GF pretty much all the time, I think.

FWIW, I've made that baked penne many, many times. It really is quite good. You can leave out the cheeses, if you want, but they do add a little something to the dish. We love this recipe. Easily doubled for two 9 x 13-inch pans.

Winchester said:

FWIW, I've made that baked penne many, many times. It really is quite good. You can leave out the cheeses, if you want, but they do add a little something to the dish. We love this recipe. Easily doubled for two 9 x 13-inch pans.

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I couldn't possibly leave out the cheeses.. That would feel decidedly wrong.

Oh, in the Cole slaw on the sugar and salt it is the original amounts and in parentheses is how much we use. My Mom tends to cut salt and sugar in recipes. Don't do both amounts.

Kieka said:

Oh, in the Cole slaw on the sugar and salt it is the original amounts and in parentheses is how much we use. My Mom tends to cut salt and sugar in recipes. Don't do both amounts.

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ok

mani said:

I wondered wether I'd hear from TCS's unofficial chef extraordinaire

Thank you Winchester

What are your feelings about gluten-free pasta, if you've ever used it?

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I've never really liked gluten free pasta, but I'm not completely gluten free either and like "real" pasta so it's probably a case of my own tastes.
It's not gluten free or wheat free or anything like that, but Einkorn wheat pasta is delicious and is a good strain of wheat that people might be interested in trying. Ancient Einkorn Wheat | Jovial Foods
For a cold pasta dish, could you prepare the veggies and then split it, one going with wheat pasta and one going with GF pasta?

That looks interesing 1 bruce 1 . It's not available in Australia unfortunately.

Yes, good idea with splitting the veggies.

mani said:

That looks interesing 1 bruce 1 . It's not available in Australia unfortunately.

Yes, good idea with splitting the veggies.

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Darn! Sorry it's not available =)
Always consider splitting veggies and using the bulk (meat vs. tofu, various GF pastas, etc.) as two separate dishes, it lessens the work!
Also, with healthy foods, lots of stuff can be bought that's easy to prepare. A HUGE relish tray will be a pleaser no matter what dietary choices/restrictions are there.
What about stuffed peppers? Those can be meat inclusive, meat free, made with gluten free stuffings, and are delicious.

I have stuffed peppers on my list

mani Have you tried the gluten free pasta yet? I eat gluten free all the time and so that is what I always use. It has a different texture and takes a bit of getting used to. But my husband eats it all the time to. He told me to stop cooking two different kinds of pastas because of him. He never mentioned anything about not liking it and ate it readily. So my suggestion would be if you make a pasta dish and want to try it, make a smaller casserole the first time along with your regular dish. I will say this. The gluten free pasta doesn't leave you with the bloated full feeling that a regular pasta meal usually does. That feature makes it worth the change in our books. My husband did notice that too.

Thanks blueyedgirl5946 . I have tasted it and I really didn't mind it, but I'm not huge on wheat pasta. I'll see what I can find at the health food shop and give it another go.

Hummus is always a good option for a snack.

How about a soup?

AbbysMom said:

Hummus is always a good option for a snack.

How about a soup?

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Yes, I was thinking soup in the evenings. Traditionally in yoga retreats the main meal is in the middle of the day and the evening is often soup, a bit of salad and some bread.
Hummus is definitely a goer.