Vegetarian Buffet

[BombayBen]

Hi guys - I am catering a 50th B'day party this weekend and looking for 'different' vege buffet ideas. Would also appreciate any 'chicken nugget' recipes. Thanks Please bear in mind that in UK we do not get some of the ready mixes etc that you can buy in the US (I am originally from LA)

[siduri]

savory squash or pumpkin turnovers with sauteed onion and raisins in an olive oil crust - make long thin turnovers, then slice into one inch diagonals.

Similar turnovers with either blanched swiss chard or escarole with raisins, gaeta olives and pine nuts, sauteed with garlic then baked in olive oil crust

Tabouli/ tabouleh

quiches with
- sauteed onion and artichoke hearts, cheese, egg and milk
- walnuts and gorgonzola with egg and milk
- asparagus, egg and milk

polenta spread into a large, low well-buttered baking sheet, with butter and parmigiano on top, baked low in a hot oven so the bottom gets crispy and the cheese melts on top, then cut into squares

beet salad with string beans and red onions on a bed of rughetta, oil and vinegar dressing with plenty of cracked pepper

squash gnocchi with butter and parmigiano

cut long thin eggplants in half lenghthwise, slice into the rounded part almost to the bottom everyu 1/4 inch, dip in season good tomato slices into a mixture of smashed garlic, parsley and basil, and stick one slice between the slices of eggplant, strew with sliced onion, salt, pepper and lots of olive oil, cover in foil, bake till almost done then uncover and finish baking.

Roast red bell peppers under the grill or on the floor of a hot oven. Peel, slice in strips and strew with garlic slices and fresh parsley, salt, pepper and olive oil

i can go on....

Just avoid all fake meat dishes. The world of vegetarian dishes is so vast you don;t need to make fake meat. It's lousy anyway.

[BombayBen]

Thanks for the ideas!! - I already do a version of the polenta but with fresh rosemary on top. I also like the egg plant ideas and will be trying those out. Really appreciate the ideas. They have specifically asked for vegetarian 'chicken nuggets' for the kids!! - I may just go out and buy some!! Thanks again - and I agree about staying away from 'meat shaped' vegetarian dishes

[BombayBen]

P.S. - really like that last eggplant one - I am going to try it out today - will post customers' opinions later tonight. Thanks again

[siduri]

I got the eggplant recipe from the time life series "The good cook"

For the kids, there are plenty of things they'll like. Anything fried always goes over big - though it can be difficult if you're catering for lots of people. Mine always loved rice croquettes - you start with leftover risotto or pilaf, add an egg, lots of grated parmigiano, you can grate an onion in it, and if it's not holding together, a little flour, make balls or cylinders, and hide a small cube of mozzarella inside (this will melt and when it's broken open will make strings - for which it's called suppli' al telefono - telephone croquettes). Roll in flour then egg, then breadcrumbs and fry.
You can also bake them, at high heat, though i never have, many do. It's not quite as good.

You can also do potato croquettes, mashed potatoes, onion, cheese, egg, chill them then make cylinders, rolling in flour, egg and crumbs.

Or just make some really good well-browned roast potatoes, use parchment paper so they don;t stick with olive oil filmed on it, on a very low-sided oven pan, toss the potatoes in oil, salt and pepper, if you like some thyme, paprika, then back at the bottom of the oven at the maximum heat of the oven - watch that they don;t burn. Turn and finish cooking. They come great, browned and crispy with creamy centers. No preboiling necessary. Just high heat. Almost french fries, but much less work.

good luck. I make a big dinner for 50 people every christmas, with a full meal with about twenty dishes and about 15 deserts. It's a buffet, my house is small (it;s wall-to-wall people) and i make it all myself, down to the bread. My daughter, her husband, and many guests are vegetarian, so i make mostly veg dishes (also chaper by far!) Those i sent were only some of the ones i do.
Try the turnovers, which go very well. especially the pumpkin ones. Easy to eat in the fingers too.

[Mezzaluna]

They have specifically asked for vegetarian 'chicken nuggets' for the kids!!

Isn't a Quorn equivalent available in the UK?

[BombayBen]

Yeah - but it's like eating cardboard!!!

[Mezzaluna]

Then, the secret's in the dipping sauce I guess. Kids will eat anything with the right dipping sauce.

[BombayBen]

I guess I am just going to do some sweet corn fritters with a mango & pineapple dipping salsa, mini cheesy cornmeal muffins, parsnip french fries and some of the croquettes from siduri's post. I will also do some non spicy bite size samosas with a sweet mint dipping sauce - they usually go down well. Unfortunatley they have only given me an adult head count so far but as they put it 'it's just a rough estimate!'

[siduri]

for the kids, what about Kase gebacken (if i remember the name right) - that is, chunks of cheese, like emmenthal or gruyere, battered, breaded and fried? Kids love that. Had it in austria once.

[BombayBen]

Siduri - thanks for your help - the party was fantastic. They decided to leave the kids at home after all!! - there were vegetable samosas with a sweet mint dip, curried onion and apple quiches, your eggplant recipe, feta cheese and flatleaf parsley 'boats', vegetable bhajis, mini pizzas, mixed vegetbale skewers, spring rolls with a sweet chilli dip, onion rings with a spicy chick pea flour and mango powder batter, poppadom cups with a spicy chilli, onion and cilantro relish , fudge brownies, chocolate and orange cake, toffee fudge cake and huge amounts of really good wine. Unfortunately - did not get a chance to take pics!! - thanks any way - I would like to pick your brains on another project - will be posting a new thread soon