Dairy Free Friday: Entertaining GF and DF

Greetings, Happy Friday, and hello from Charlotte, NC!! 

It's been awhile since I've done a Dairy Free post, so I figured it was time for one.  When I hosted the Ambers back in August, I made it my mission to treat them to a dairy free, gluten free vegetarian meal. 

For appetizers, we started off easy with some veggies and roasted red pepper hummus.  Yes, I bought hummus...  I know it's easy to make, but we were out and about all day and I needed something easy!!

I knew I wanted to grill dinner, so I found a veggie burger recipe that turns out great.  I knew it was a hit when my meat-eating family tried and really liked the Black Bean Veggie Burgers I made for them!  It's a really simple recipe - I would suggest doubling the bread crumbs, though, so they will stick together better.  I used GF bread crumbs, so the burgers were safe for me to eat.  (BTW, there is an egg in the recipe, so it is not a vegan recipe...  just an fyi...)

The burgers have a mexican taste to them due to the seasoning, so I decided to serve them with an avocado spread instead of the standard ketchup/mustard condiments.  I used this recipe - which is simple and delicious!  I may or may not have eaten the leftover spread with a spoon...  Hey, it's healthy carbs, right?

Along with the burgers, I grilled rosemary potatoes (sliced baby red/golden yukons, minced garlic, fresh rosemary, olive oil, and salt and pepper - easy!) and also grilled up a bunch of vegetables which were brushed with a balsamic glaze. 

It ws a FULL grill!  It definitely did not look like I was cooking for 3 :)

I was really happy with how the meal turned out, and the girls were very complimentary.  Canadian Amber ended up recreating the meal for her family so I guess that means they weren't just being nice when they said it was good!

Canadian Amber's plate

For dessert, we made banana softserve, which has become my go-to treat!  We mixed in some cocoa to make it a chocolatey softserve.  We rimmed the glasses with gluten free graham crackers, and added in some chocolate chips, marshmallows, and sprinkles!  It was delish!

All in all, it was a successful meal!  I even let the girls pitch in and help (this is a big deal, delegating is NOT my forte).  We had a blast making this meal and really enjoyed our evening.  Of course, the views from the grilling/patio area sure contributed to the wonderful night.

I think I proved that you CAN cook vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free food that is delicious!!

When is the last time you hosted friends for dinner?  What did you make?  I am excited to have a larger place as now I will be able to host dinner parties!