Please help with buffet dinner menu, with numerous food restrictions.

[ejpnyc]

Need ideas for an easy buffet dinner, with the following guests' food restrictions: no nuts/seeds, corn, anything too sugary, citric acid, tomato sauce, shellfish, fish, beef, berries, nothing spicy. Any ideas? Hoping to make most of it ahead of time, or something quick right before serving. Was thinking maybe of including possibly quiche, or pasta/orzo salad, or asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, or maybe even pork tenderloin? I'm all over the map here with no real focus. Any suggestions much appreciated.

[todao]

Relax ejpnyc, it's not that difficult. You need a protein dish, something from the countless possibilities for a vegetable and a starch. Dessert is the easiest. A simple pork tenderloin with a generic rub, perhaps a rice dish and maybe broccoli, zucchini, etc. is a fairly sound platform upon which to begin building your buffet. How 'bout a nice cheese cake for dessert?

[Miri1]

Cubes of sweet potatoes and apples made with a littl eolive oil, stevia )or splenda) and cinnamon. Roast in a covered pan till tender. It's so good. Or any other roased veggie.

Stuffed mushrooms? Stuffed vegetables make a nice main course. I'm veggie so I do all sorts of things with tempeh (stir frys are good) and seitan. Spaghetti squash with a ragout of veggies or a light cream or garlic sauce. Is dairy OK? What about a white lasagne?

[todao]

I'm in your camp, at least insofar as experiences is concerned. The trend toward catering to special dietary needs seems to have grown out of the encouragement for those with those needs to be open about their conditions and the sensitivity of cooks to honor those special needs. In recent years I've found that friends and associates who might formerly have avoided some dinner parties are now willing to take part in these gatherings when they know that some amount of effort has been extended to enable them to fully participate. I usually find that a couple of nut free dishes, one or two items that are gluten free and a couple of sugar free (or reduced sugar) preparations is all it takes; and it's fun to create new and interesting foods within those limits.
One of my friends called me to thank me for my attempts to meet her needs for gluten free foods. She said that she had never been invited to dinner where she felt absolutely secure in her belief that whatever I identified as edible for her was in fact safe for her consumption. That's a great compliment; and she's someone I'd feel bad about not being included among guests at my home.

[escondido123]

Roast chicken, pesto (without nuts) pasta salad, melon with proscuitto, roasted asparagus with lemon on the side

[Isolda]

Whenever I have guests with that many restrictions, I try to make a few dishes that will accommodate each person, but no one person will be able to eat them all, unless they are one of the lucky ones without allergies/intolerances. For example, if some of your guests would enjoy a spicy beef dish, why not make it, while also offering a pork or vegetarian dish that doesn't have too much heat, acid, sugar, etc? You could simply label each dish. This will be so much easier for you than trying to make every dish suit every need.
We have lots of food allergies and intolerances in my extended family, as well as some general pickiness, and I have learned not to make myself crazy trying to create the perfect menu.

[whinendine]

That is tough. Other options besides a pork tenderloin are turkey breast or a ham or chicken kebabs if you want to grill? Scalloped potatoes or a mushroom risotto? Grilled or roasted veggies. It can be a Mediterranean or Italian theme with pesta salad and the asparagus wrapped prosiutto or with a lentil salad? Just some ideas. I hope this helps. Good luck..

[MellieMag]

Wow, have you got your work cut out for you. Maybe a pork tenderloin, fresh salad,pasta salad and a hot bread.
These people should be grateful you're willing to have them over and cook a meal for them.