Chanukah Menu suggestion needed.

[CharlieD]

We are planning a community event for Chanukah. About 150 people. There will no kitchen for the event it self, though we could cook ahead, freeze and use the wormers for the party. It will not be a seatdown party, buffet style, kind of. So finger foods are good. Here is the catch No Dairy. Salads are good, but what else?

 

[keltin]

Chicken wings!

Pigs in a blanket.

Quiche cut in slices.

Sausage cornbread bake.

Cheese balls.

Little smokies in the crock-pot with BBQ sauce.

Mini-Sandwiches (take a French loaf and cut it into mini-slices for the sandwiches). You can do Tuna Salad, Chicken salad, ham, turkey, veggie, etc.

Swedish Meatballs in a crock-pot (just serve on a paper plate with toothpicks).

Can you have a spot for an Outdoor DO and charcoal cooking? If so, chili!

Can you grill at this thing? Shish kabobs would be good!

 

[Katie H]

Chicken wings!

Pigs in a blanket.

Quiche cut in slices.

Sausage cornbread bake.

Cheese balls.

Little smokies in the crock-pot with BBQ sauce.

Mini-Sandwiches (take a French loaf and cut it into mini-slices for the sandwiches). You can do Tuna Salad, Chicken salad, ham, turkey, veggie, etc.

Swedish Meatballs in a crock-pot (just serve on a paper plate with toothpicks).

Can you have a spot for an Outdoor DO and charcoal cooking? If so, chili!

Can you grill at this thing? Shish kabobs would be good!

While many of your ideas are good, keltin, a lot of them use some form of dairy product to make. No dairy is allowed at this function.

I would also assume that no pork products are allowed either.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

What about a make-your-own fruit filled crepe station. Here's a recipe for non-dairy crepes Vegan Crepes With “Cream” Filling and Tart Cherry Sauce Recipe | ChooseVeg.com You could make them ahead of time and have them with a variety of jams and marmalades. Also some chopped and pureed fresh fruits and maybe some powdered sugar. People could choose the filling and roll them up like a little soft taco. Children especially love this.

 

[Bilby]

Dolmades filled with rice and sometimes pinenuts or sultanas are easy finger food and are pretty cheap to make. Wonton wrappers made into tartlets and filled with your preferred fillings. Mini unleavened breads topped with smoked fish, lettuce and tomato or topped with a slice of cold beef and mustard. Spring rolls or samosas - if you don't want to make them they can usually be bought super cheap. Little patty pans filled with (cold) Thai beef salad. Little san choy bows if you can keep the filling warm. Sticky lamb ribs or beef ribs (I prefer the lamb ones myself). Fish cakes can be made without dairy and can be served cold or warm. Mini rissoles with tomato chilli relish.

Does filo pastry use any dairy? If not, use can make vegetable tarts with it.

Can you perhaps also use soy milk in place of cow/goat's milk in cooking to stretch the menu a bit more? Something where the taste of soy milk isn't distinctive to those unfamiliar with the flavour.

 

[miniman]

We have in past done
marinated mushrooms
stuffed cucumber - hollowed out half cucumber (lengthways) you could use a varitey of fillings to suit. Actually you stuff almost anything - eggs, peppers, tomatos, aubergine etc.
crudite
a side of smoked salmon and/or gravadlax
Voluvents

On the hot side you could have parcels using a dairy free pastry,
porcupine balls - meatballs rolled in rice and then steamed.

 

[ChefJune]

While many of your ideas are good, keltin, a lot of them use some form of dairy product to make. No dairy is allowed at this function.

I would also assume that no pork products are allowed either.

...AND, no shellfish.

 

[Bilby]

Hey how bout sushi? and Arancini balls?

 

[ChefJune]

We are planning a community event for Chanukah. About 150 people. There will no kitchen for the event it self, though we could cook ahead, freeze and use the wormers for the party. It will not be a seatdown party, buffet style, kind of. So finger foods are good. Here is the catch No Dairy. Salads are good, but what else?

Are you wanting to do some kind of Latke? I have a recipe I'm going to use this year for a large potato and carrot latke that is baked! and then cut into wedges. If that interests you, I could pm you the recipe. It isn't mine, and since it's copyrighted, I can't post it here.

A huge crowd pleaser, tho hardly "gourmet," is meatballs served in a chafing dish or crockpot in a sauce made of half and half bottled chili sauce and grape jelly. Can we talk about "easy-peasy?"

Are you going to make Sufganiyot ahead? or rugulach?

 

[ChefJune]

Mini unleavened breads topped with smoked fish,

Bilby, we pretty much only use matzoh for Passover.

 

[Bilby]

I was trying to think of an alternative to the damper or savoury scone we would have served that with. We also use pita bread cut into triangles, baked and then served with toppings like the fish.

 

[ChefJune]

Toasted pitas are great! so are bagel chips. nice alternatives to crackers!

Hummus and Baba Ghanouj are great non-dairy additions to any party table, imo.

 

[kitchenelf]

For a salad you can finely chop (without turning to mush) some lettuce and other ingredients found in salad. Toss with an approved dressing. Obviously go light on the dressing but a bit of salt and pepper add much flavor. Place a dollop of the salad in a hollowed out cherry tomato.

 

[Constance]

Has anyone suggested chopped liver? Chicken salad? Hot wings?

 

[CharlieD]

Thank you every one. The problem with the even is "no kitchen" situation. Otherwise many of you sugestions sound good, very good. Need to run them by boss-man. See what he wants to do. Thank you again everybody.

 

[Jeff G.]

I would avoid Latke's. Warmed over I find them less than appetizing...

OK, no dairy, no pork, no shellfish.

How about beef carpaccio? A little green salad with a balsamic dressing. You could even roll them up and skewer with a toothpick. Use a good piece of meat, perhaps thin sliced flat iron steak...better would be kosher beef..

Lox, halved cherry tomatoes, seasoned olive oil, serve on a bit of toasted pita bread or matzo crackers..

fruit salad

All above served cold.

Chicken soup..

Would Chicken and noodles count as kosher??

 

[CharlieD]

Chicken and noodles are very much so kosher, if they are made from kosher ingreedients.
I like the lox idea, mostly because i simply like lox.
I am beginig to think that maybe we should do everythin uncooked, and then we can do dairy.

 

[keltin]

While many of your ideas are good, keltin, a lot of them use some form of dairy product to make. No dairy is allowed at this function.

Use Soy Milk!

 

[GotGarlic]

While many of your ideas are good, keltin, a lot of them use some form of dairy product to make. No dairy is allowed at this function.

I would also assume that no pork products are allowed either.

A lot of the items Keltin listed could be made with turkey versions of the pork.

 

[keltin]

A lot of the items Keltin listed could be made with turkey versions of the pork.

Great idea. To be honest though, I really goofed on this one. I’m not used to it being spelled Chanukah but am more accustomed to it spelled as Hanukkah.

For some reason, I completely overlooked that this was a Jewish event and thought Kwanzaa instead!

Oops.