Sensitive salad or dessert

May 14, 2006 9:26 PM

Need SALAD or DESSERT recipe for a pot luck with a group of friends with lots of different food sensitivities.

It's a small group with some elderly members. Everyone is used to observing these restrictions, so I'd like to also.

Here they are: No lemons or lemon juice. No chocolate. No nuts. No fresh fruit.

Please recommend something that you've made (or eaten) yourself and REALLY liked.

(Apologies for all the CAP's. Can't find the BOLD button.)

posted by marsha56 to Food & Drink (12 answers total)

There are a ton of things that will work for this. Here are things I've had in the last week or so:

pineapple upside down cake with whipped cream

rhubarb pie a la mode

green salad with vinegrette dressing and goat cheese

arugula, manderine orange, baked beets, and goat cheese salad

potato salad (or mixed root-vegetable salad, with a vinegrette-y dressing)

Other ideas:

I'd say cheesecake but there is usually a squeeze of lemon in it. Possible to make it without it?

creme brulee

banana pudding

angel food cake (though it's best with fresh strawberries imo)
posted by small_ruminant at 10:10 PM on May 14, 2006

Pasta salad is very easy! I have used this recipe for Greek pasta salad before. If your grocery store has a salad bar, you can cruise by there for the veggies and pepperoni.

For dessert, maybe cheesecake? Here's one for mini cheesecakes. You could leave off the topping on some of them.
posted by Ostara at 10:13 PM on May 14, 2006

angel food cake with a sauce made of sour cream and honey is damn tasty.

spinach, red onion, bacon, garlic, and a honey balsamic vingerette is also damn tasty.
posted by mmascolino at 10:14 PM on May 14, 2006

Ham Salad

8 oz dry macaroni
8 oz package vacuum packed cubed ham
4.25 oz can chopped black olives
14 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup cup chopped celery
1 small sweet onion, chopped fine
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
3 Tbl Olive oil (extra virgin)
1 Tbl red wine vinegar
Salt, pepper to taste


Cook macaroni according to package directions, rinse and cool. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well. Toss with oil and vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
posted by paulsc at 10:24 PM on May 14, 2006

Just did this for a judging this weekend.

3 cups Wild Rice, cooked and cooled
1 cup Jasmine Rice, steamed and cooled
1 Red Onion, diced
1 Green Onion, sliced
1 Red Pepper, julienned
Cashews (optional obviously)

Mix of dried fruit, roughly chopped (I used dried cherries, cranberries, aprictos, and figs)

Dressing made from Olive oil, mustard, white wine vinegar, a little salt, pepper.

Combine the ingredients in a big bowl, whisk the dressing and then toss everything and let sit over nihght.

The salad takes anything you can throw at it. Makes good fodder for clearing the fridge.

---------------------------------------------------

Panna Cotta (Italian Milk Gelatin, effectively)

It's a non standard form of the dessert.

1/4 c. tepid water
1 packet unfalvored gelatin

1-1/4 c Heavy cream or milk, etc
1/4 c Sugar

1-1/2 c Yogurt
3/4 tsp Almond (or Vanilla) extract

Dissolve the gelatin in the water

Bring the cream to a simmer with the sugar, stir to make sure the sugar dissolves.

Quickly whisk the milk/cream into the gelatin and once throughly mixed, add the yogurt and extract until smooth. Pour into your favorite mold and set overnight in the fridge.
posted by drewbage1847 at 12:34 AM on May 15, 2006

slice tomatoes.
slice rounds of boccocini cheese.
single basil leaves
place in an alternating diagonal pile.
Drizzle with olive oil. And perhaps some balsamic.
Add pepper/salt if you like, to taste. A touch of lemon, if you wish.

Voila, a simple salad. Simple clean presentation, luxurious taste and a light plate for as this warm weather season is progressing.
posted by Radio7 at 12:54 AM on May 15, 2006

I made this black bean salad over the weekend for a potluck, and everyone loved it! It has lime juice in it, though.
posted by bluefly at 5:52 AM on May 15, 2006

Best answer: You say dessert or salad for (among others) elderly people at a potluck, and I think ambrosia. It's a classic - reminds me of my childhood.
posted by amro at 8:01 AM on May 15, 2006

Response by poster: Great ideas everyone. Next week, I'll update you with what I made. THANKS !!
posted by marsha56 at 10:07 AM on May 15, 2006

late to the party, but here is my easy, take to everything dish.

4 cucumbers sliced thinly
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt.

mix all except cucumbers until the sugar dissolves. pour of cukes and chill for several hours. can add red onions if you would like.

very good. very cheap. very fast.
posted by domino at 10:53 AM on May 15, 2006

This spring salad is incredibly tasty - after making it once, it's now my go-to salad for any occasion. It does have avocados in it, but even if you did treat them as a verboten fresh fruit (I see Google confirms my fear that avocado = fruit, though I disagree), the remaining ingredients are lovely and the vinaigrette she serves it with contains no lemon juice.
posted by deliriouscool at 1:29 PM on May 16, 2006

Response by poster: Made a pasta salad, and I think it went over fairly well.

Wish I had done the ambrosia though. The retro-ness would have been more fun. Oh well, next time.

Thanks for all the ideas everyone !!
posted by marsha56 at 11:22 AM on May 22, 2006