Wheat & gluten free bar-b-que food for Canada Day
It's bar-b-que time and Canada Day!
The hot sunny weather (in between the rain showers) just makes you want to enjoy the warmth and eat alfresco, but bar-b-que food can be fraught with hidden wheat & gluten dangers, the biggest problem being sausages and the marinades for the meat. However if you follow our tips then you should have as enjoyable a time as everyone else, and no-one but you will know the difference.
tip #1: NEVER be tempted to put any flammable liquid onto the bar-b-que to 'get it going', the burns that can result from this type of accident are horrific, it's stupid to risk your health and spoils everyone elses day. Just stick to charring the meat, not yourself.
bar-b-que food:
- chicken pieces in maple marinade
- chicken pieces without marinade
- turkey burgers
- beef burgers
- sausages (make sure they are wheat & gluten free)
- salmon baked in foil
- prawn kebabs
tip #2: Make sure that everything you cook on the bar-b-que is wheat & gluten free. Don't be tempted to think that you can 'zone' the grill, it won't work. Utensils will cross-contaminate, as will spitting fat.
bar-b-que food extras:
- leek tart (not everyone is a meat
eater)
- selection of cheeses
- jacket potatoes
- new potatoes in herby mayonnaise
- salads - lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions (scallions), bell
peppers, grated
carrot, olives, sweetcorn
- coleslaws (check they are marked wheat or gluten free or make your
own)
- pickles - silverskin onions, cornichons (in white wine vinegar not malt)
- sauces & relishes - tomato, mustard, corn, chilli
- olive oil for drizzling
- balsamic vinegar
- and finally, bread rolls (because not everyone will appreciate gluten
free versions for
their beefburgers - see tip #3)
tip #3: Put wheat containing bread rolls on a separate table away from the rest of the food. If you put the cutlery on the same table then people will go there last, which means that they won't be bringing bread rolls to the buffet table, they'll be taking their full plates to the cutlery table where the bread rolls will also be waiting (and of course reduces the risk of wheat contamination).
bar-b-que desserts:
- fresh fruit salad
- whipped cream (bring the cream out of the fridge when people are ready
to eat dessert and
place the bowl into
a large bowl of ice to keep it cool)
- chocolate torte
- black forest trifle (retro is in)
bar-b-que additional extras:
- bar-b-que & charcoal (or gas bar-b-que)
- utensils for cooking
- oven glove to protect your hands from the heat of the bar-b-que
- food (of course)
- cold beers (or there'll be a
mutiny)
- soft drinks (not everyone's a drinker)
- plates & bowls (if you use paper plates, try to get those plastic
plate holders to go
underneath them for a bit of rigidity,
paper plates go very soft when hot food is put on them)
- plastic glasses, cutlery & paper napkins
- bucket of water for dowsing flames/hot charcoal if there's a problem (NOT
for gas
bar-b-ques)
- suntan cream (if the sun's still out and shining)
- bug candles, to help you keep the biting critters away from your food and your body once the sun's gone down
- and finally, have a GREAT time
