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Quirky Cooking

Stress-Free Catering for Special Diets

QuirkyJo by QuirkyJo
February 10, 2021
in Christmas, Dairy Free, Dinners, GAPS, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Gut Health, Health, Health Tips, Healthy Living, Holidays, Nut Free, Paleo, Tips, Wholefood
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Quirky Cooking, How to Cater for a Smallish Crowd in the Age of Special Diets

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the prospect of catering for friends on special diets? Like there are so many off-limit ingredients in your usual cooking repertoire that it’d be chaos to invite those particular friends over? Or maybe your family and friends feel like you are just too hard to cook for and you always have to take food along so there’s something you can eat?

Allergies, intolerances and special dietary needs are so common now that falling back on the good old ‘spag bol’ might not cut it anymore. But cooking for a crowd with special diets doesn’t have to be a huge challenge! 

I was recently interviewed by Good Food AU about ‘How to Cater for a Smallish Crowd in the Age of Special Diets’ and have shared some of my tips and tricks in the article, which you can read here. You’ll also find three tasty, easy and flexible recipes that can help take the stress out of a dinner with family or friends on special diets:

  • Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
  • Moroccan Cauliflower ‘Cous Cous’ Salad
  • Chocolate Gingerbread Slice

These three recipes are real ‘crowd-pleasers’ and can be enjoyed by many, without making a big deal about what the meal does or doesn’t have in it. Check out the recipes here.

You will also find plenty of great allergy-friendly, special diet recipe ideas for parties and get togethers here on my blog, and in my cookbooks, Quirky Cooking and Life-Changing Food. 

Moroccan Cauliflower 'Cous Cous' Salad, Quirky Cooking
Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic, Quirky Cooking
Chocolate Gingerbread Slice, Quirky Cooking

“It’s a matter of focusing on what you can have and then being creative with those ingredients.”

In this interview I talk about keeping food simple, focusing on what ingredients you CAN use rather than what you can’t, keeping foods with known allergens separate to minimise cross-contamination, communicating with the guests who have dietary needs, labelling meals with ingredients cards, and adapting your favourite recipes to suit special diets.

Along with the recipes listed above, mentioned in the article are a few of my simple and easy suggestions for snack foods and desserts that can be enjoyed even by the most restricted eaters.

Catering for special diets doesn’t have to be difficult, stressful, or not worth the trouble – just make sure everyone is aware of who can or can’t have certain dishes, and most importantly, keep it simple!

Click the button below to read the article by Good Food.

Read the Good Food article here
Tags: allergy friendlycateringdairy freeEgg FreeeventsgapsGluten FreeGrain FreeNut Freepaleopartiesspecial dietsWhole Food
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Sometimes you just need an afternoon snack to keep Sometimes you just need an afternoon snack to keep you going. Right? 😊 This is my Cashew Honey Custard (starch free) with wild blueberries 🫐🍯 - you can watch me make this in my stories today. 

You will find the recipe on my blog, or tap on this photo via the link in my profile. I swapped the tapioca for gelatine (for a more gut-friendly version), and added an extra egg. Don’t strain out the pulp when you make the cashew milk as it helps to thicken the custard. This custard can also be made egg free, see notes below the recipe. And to make on the stovetop, just whisk all the ingredients in a pan over medium heat until thickened.

Enjoy! 🫐🍯❤️

https://www.quirkycooking.com.au/2012/02/cashew-honey-vanilla-bean-custard/
#cashewmilk #custard #cashewcustard #blueberries #dairyfree #dairyfreecustard #glutenfree #grainfree #starchfree #gutfriendly #gaps #guthealth #paleo #wholefood #snack #thermomix
I’ve been a bit absent here the last few days. F I’ve been a bit absent here the last few days. First we were fighting off colds, then a cyclone hanging around the coast caused power outages and affected phone reception... But despite all that, my sisters and I managed to do a bit of a cook up yesterday - by lantern light! 😄😄 

It was a lot of fun having both my sisters with me yesterday, and we got lots done despite having no electricity all day! (Have you ever tried making a cashew paste with a mortar and pestle?? Harder than it sounds... 😂😂😂) Thankfully my lovely @falconaustralia gas stove made it possible for us to keep cooking, and my Wonderbag worked as a slow-cooker to finish off the lamb curry and keep it hot til dinner time. (It was super soft and delish!)

The cyclone is still hanging around but hopefully it’ll fizz out in the ocean soon! 🌪 

See “Cook Ups” in my story highlights for details of the curry and a glimpse of our day. 😊 And to check out the Wonderbags, just tap on the product tag on the Wonderbag video - or go to quirkycooking.com.au/shop. 🍲

#cyclone #weather #athertontablelands #farnorthqueensland #tropicalnorthqueensland #australia #noelectricity #poweroutage #cooking #cookingbylanternlight #quirkycooking #quirkysisters #cookup #wonderbag #falconoven #gasoven #gascooker
Do you ever crave crispy, crunchy, salty snacks li Do you ever crave crispy, crunchy, salty snacks like potato chips, but prefer a healthier option that’s not drenched in refined oils? I know I do!! Today Joye made us a couple of batches of crackers to satisfy that crunchy craving... YUM!! The ones in the front are the Buckwheat & Almond Crackers from our @lifechangingfoodbook (rolled really thin between two sheets of baking paper to make them super thin and crispy), and the ones behind are the Gluten Free Parmesan Crackers from @sbsfood which are really AMAZING!! 😍 (You can find the recipe on their page.) 

I can see I’m going to have to hide some so that they’ll last longer than a day or so... ha ha!! So delish.

For those of you who are nut free, both of these recipes work well with sunflower or pepita meal instead of almond meal.

#crackers #crispy #crunchy #betterthanchips #buckwheat #almond #glutenfree #grainfree #dairyfree #wholefood #recipe #parmesan #parmesancrackers
{Meet the Quirky team!} Monday morning is team mee {Meet the Quirky team!} Monday morning is team meeting time, yay! I would be so lost without these guys keeping the wheels turning in the background. 🤗 Let me introduce you...

Top left: Magda, admin assistant extraordinaire! Magda joined the team 8 months ago and keeps the online store stocked up 📦 answers your emails with a smile 😀👩🏻‍💻 lives in Melbourne, loves hanging out at the beach with her family 🌞, loves a good laugh 😂 and is always happy to chat about anything food and health related, loves cold showers (even during Melbourne winters 🥶), and says a Sunday without chicken soup simmering on the stove is just not a proper Sunday! 🥣 

Top right: My lovely big sister, Joye, who joined the team 3 years ago. Joye is my cooking & recipe testing assistant, my right hand 🤚 during cookbook photo shoots and local events, and my favourite person to cook with EVER! ❤️ Joye lives near me on the Atherton Tablelands (Far North Queensland), works for me one day a week and teaches music and piano for the rest of the week 🎹 sometimes bursts into song randomly 😵 makes the best sauerkraut you’ve ever tasted 😍 and makes me laugh a LOT with her dry sense of humour and fondness for big words like ‘post-prandial somnolence’ (meaning “after-dinner drowsiness). 😵😂 We have a lot of fun when she’s here cooking with me, and thanks to her my family still eats well when I’m away travelling. 😉 

Last but not least: Emma, Quirky executive assistant and official “shoulder-to-lean-on”! ☺️ For the past 6 years (yes, she’s put up with me for that long!! 😂) Emma has been working tirelessly from her home in Melbourne 👩🏼‍💻 keeping me organised(ish), keeping the website and store ticking along, stocking shelves all around Australia with Quirky cookbooks 📚, answering emails 💌, organising events and retreats and promotions and prizes 🎁, all while being mama to about a million house plants, a crazy dingo x kelpie dog and two noisy boys 🐕 🏃🏻🏃🏻‍♂️... And best of all, Emma has been a ROCK for me when I’m feeling overwhelmed and need to be reminded that the work we do is worthwhile and the ups and downs are normal. ❤️

Love you guys, thank you for all you do 🤗🤗🤗
Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️ I nearly didn’t Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️ I nearly didn’t bother making any chocolate, then at 4.30pm I was like, “What was I thinking???” and I grabbed my @lifechangingfoodbook and had a batch of Nutty Chocolate made within 10 minutes. 😁 Peanut butter swirls on one half and @yungaburra_raspberries freeze-dried raspberries on the other. Bliss! (I may have eaten 4 pieces already.) 🙈😁😂 YUMMMM!! 

#chocolate #valentinesday #treat #refinedsugarfree #wholefood #gaps #dairyfree #quirkycooking #lifechangingfood #freezedriedraspberries #peanutbutter #peanutbutterchocolate #delicious
Just in case you missed it, I sent out some health Just in case you missed it, I sent out some healthy Valentine’s Day treat ideas yesterday! Did you see? 😃

I know emails have a tendency to get lost on the email jungle, so just search for “Quirky Cooking” (including in those folders where the annoying emails go), because it’s worth reading, I promise! 😁😘 #totallynotannoying

PS You can subscribe by tapping on this photo via the link in my profile. ❤️

#valentinesday #treat #treatideas #healthytreats #naturallysweetened #glutenfree #grainfree #dairyfree #wholefood #gaps #paleo #recipes #quirkycooking #treatyourself 

https://quirkycooking.mykajabi.com/newsletter-sign-up
Valentine’s Day recipe idea, by @marianna.saran Valentine’s Day recipe idea, by @marianna.saran ❤️ Plum pie with almond pastry!! 😍😍

This gorgeous pie was made by @marianna.saran and she has generously allowed me to share it! The pastry is made with my Almond Meal Pastry recipe (see @lifechangingfoodbook). Prebake the base for 10-15 mins at 180C, then fill, top and bake til the pastry hearts are lightly browned. 

Marianna says, "For the filling, I blended 3 plums with 1 Tbs cornflour then spread that on the bottom (the plums were sweet, you could add sugar but I didn't), then I just put plum halves on top then sprinkled each plum with a tiny bit of cornflour and rubbed it in." Place the pastry hearts on top and bake at 180C until lightly browned. That's it! 

Another option would be to make roasted plums (halve, deseed, place on baking tray and drizzle with honey and vanilla and sprinkle with a little water, then roast at 180C for about 30 mins). Place the roasted plums into the cooked base with their juices, then top with pastry hearts and bake as above. You could sprinkle the pastry hearts with a little coconut sugar if you wanted to. YUM!

(If you don’t have @lifechangingfoodbook, search ‘quirky cooking chicken pot pies’ and you’ll find the pastry recipe there.)

#valentines #baking #plums #plumpie #pie #simplebaking #baking #glutenfree #grainfree #gaps #paleo #wholefood #treat #grainfreepastry #grainfreebaking
“When the butter chicken is THAT good!!” 🤣🤣🤣 

(Anyone else love Quirky butter chicken this much? 🤤)

Tap on this video via the link in my bio for the recipe!

Thanks for sharing, @_sheridanharris_ 😍🤗❤️

https://www.quirkycooking.com.au/2015/11/my-best-butter-chicken-ever/
#butterchicken #quirkybutterchicken #kidfriendly #familyfavourite #familyfavorite #glutenfree #dairyfree #eggfree #nutfree #grainfree #gaps #paleo #wholefood #healingfood #guthealth #guthealthmatters #dinner #familymeal #quirkycooking #kids #funny #funnyvideos
Guys, my “Gut-Healthy Chocolate Caramel Slice” Guys, my “Gut-Healthy Chocolate Caramel Slice” recipe is now up on the blog! (Finally!! 😂🙈😘) Check it out by tapping on this photo via the link in my bio. 

Have a lovely weekend! ❤️❤️❤️

#quirkycooking #chocolate #caramel #slice #choccaramel #caramelchocolate #dessert #treat #wholefood #healthyfood #snacks #weekendtreat #glutenfree #grainfree #dairyfree #eggfree #nutfree #vegan #variations #recipe 
https://www.quirkycooking.com.au/2021/02/gut-healthy-chocolate-caramel-slice/
{Recipe} I have sooooo much Thai basil in my garde {Recipe} I have sooooo much Thai basil in my garden at the moment - it’s kind of taken over. Pesto time!! Did you know pesto freezes really well? I love having it on hand to use as a dip or to spread on crackers, or on lamb roast for a pesto crust. I make it into a salad dressing, mix it through pumpkin soup, or add to mince and make baked pesto meatballs... there’s so many delicious ways to use it!

What’s your favourite ways to use pesto? 🌿

Here’s my simple pesto recipe - it’s delicious with or without the Parmesan and can be made nut free as well.

(Pictured here with some yummy Kex seed crackers from @sproutnutrition, and the silver “spread love” knife is one I bought years ago on Etsy. 😊)

Macadamia Pesto

1-2 garlic cloves
160g raw macadamia nuts or cashews
60g fresh basil leaves
½ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
60g extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for storage
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
60g Parmesan cheese or 2 tsp savoury yeast flakes (opt)

Thermomix Method
Place all ingredients into TM bowl and pulse 4 times 1 sec/closed lid/Turbo.
Transfer pesto into a glass jar, drizzle some extra olive oil on top to seal from the air, and keep in the fridge.

Conventional Method
Chop garlic and nuts in a food processor until roughly chopped. 
Add remaining ingredients and process until desired texture is achieved.

Storage
Store in a glass jar in the fridge for approximately 1 week, or freeze for 3-4 months.

Variations
Nut free: Swap macadamias for a mixture of pepitas and sunflower seeds.
Salad dressing: To make this into a salad dressing, add 50g more olive oil, and the juice of 1 whole lemon instead of the 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Blend until desired texture is achieved.

#pesto #macadamia #cashew #nutfree #dairyfree #variations #recipe #quirkycooking #homemade #dip #snack
We had a family adventure this weekend - sailing o We had a family adventure this weekend - sailing out to a local island on a 65 year old wooden pearl lugger @fallareef! We were planning to go to the outer reef,  but it was so rough we only made it to Fitzroy Island. That’s ok though, we had an amazing day (despite a few getting seasick from the crazy ride 😂), sailing, swimming, snorkelling, singing... So special to have some bonding time with grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins and friends. ❤️ Covid lockdowns really make you appreciate these times sooooo much more!!

I highly recommend taking time out of your busy life to go on adventures with your family whenever you can. Making memories together is so worth the time and effort. The kids say that was the best Christmas present EVER!! 🎉🎉 (It was a little late because we had to fit it in between wet season storms and cyclones. 😂)

Lots of videos in my stories. 💙 Last photo of @just_acountrygal_  by @_thissmallcorner. 

#makememoriesnotexcuses #adventure #family #mykids #friends #familyadventure #quirkyadventure #farnorthqueensland #australia #discoverqueensland #seeaustralia #seequeensland #visitqueensland #tropicalnorthqueensland #fnqlife #discoveraustralia
How are you going so far this year with reaching y How are you going so far this year with reaching your health goals? If you’re feeling stuck and need some help working out how to improve your health, or how to cook for a healing diet, or what to do when you don’t even know where to BEGIN — we’d love to help! 

The Gut Health Formula is an 8 week coaching program run by myself and @elysenutritionist. We are big believers in taking a gentle, holistic, long-term approach towards healing the gut, beginning with reducing food and lifestyle stress, organising your time, working out your health priorities, and taking steps towards optimising the nutrition of your meals... all in a way that won’t overwhelm you or stress your family out! 

For 8 weeks we work with you, answering all your questions and guiding you towards the most important first steps. Then for the next 12 months you have access to the program so you can soak it all in without rushing, and we stay in contact via our private program community group.

Tomorrow we begin our 4th intake for The Gut Health Formula! We invite you to join us if you need support, encouragement, and practical help on your healing journey. 🤗

Find out more by tapping on this photo via the link in my profile.

PS It’s not about fad diets or hardcore detoxes!!
When trying to optimise the health of yourself and your family, the focus can become very narrow, and you can find yourself spiralling in an approach that is creating unhealthy patterns in other areas of your life (social, emotional etc) and also creating an unhealthy relationship with food. Health was never intended to be this way. We will guide you in an approach that considers EVERY aspect of your health (with nutrition being just one piece of the puzzle), keeping in mind the ultimate goal- which isn’t to do things ‘perfectly’, but rather to optimise health and longevity for yourself and your family. To be the healthiest, happiest most vital humans that you can be. That is the ultimate goal right? ❤️

Visit https://www.wellbellyhealth.com.au/the-gut-health-formula
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I love it when my readers are as excited about my recipes as I am, and want to share them! I only ask that if you do share my recipes on your own blog or on social media, you only share an excerpt or link, not the entire recipe. Full and clear credit must be given to Quirky Cooking with a link back to the original content. If you’d like to share one of my photos, please contact me for permission. Thank you! Jo x

Recent posts

  • Stress-Free Catering for Special Diets February 10, 2021
  • Gut-Healthy Chocolate Caramel Slice February 5, 2021
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