Dinner Party Diaries – Volume 2 Issue 18 – Dairy Free Dinner Party
If you’ve been following along on this site, you are probably well aware of just how much I love cheese and heavy cream. Unfortunately, those aren’t viable ingredients for many people. That said, there are so many delicious recipes out there that don’t require dairy. Spoiler: they can even be creamy. As you’ll see in this Dairy Free Dinner Party menu, there are many applications of creamy texture with no dairy required.
To start, we have some creamy cashew dips with vegetable dippers. The Creamy Za’atar Cashew Dip gets a nice tangy note from some unseasoned rice vinegar, while the Garlicky Spinach Cashew Dip oozes garlicky flavor with bright notes from some lemon juice and spinach.
For the main course we have some super simple Cilantro Chutney Marinated Tuna Steaks that are perfect for a last minute cook with minimal planning required.
In the side dish category, we’ve got Za’atar Roasted Broccoli (or you could use broccolini instead) and a creamy tasting Leek and Cauliflower Soup.
Finally, we’ll wrap things up with these Dairy Free Mango Almond Flour Scones. Who knew that scones could be easy? Let me tell you, these ones are.
The Details
Number of People: 6 – 8
Serving Style: Appetizers on the table, Main and Sides Plated, Dessert Family-Style
Guest Arrival Time: 7:00 pm-ish
The Menu
Appetizers
As a lover of cheesy dips, cheese-filled stuffed mushrooms, and cream cheese laden canapés, I find appetizers an area of this Dairy Free Dinner Party Menu that required some out of the box thinking.
Incredibly easy to whip up and full of flavor, I love this dip but sometimes just eat it with a spoon.
This is a delicious dip with some nice bright flavors, but I’ve also used it as a sauce with some sausage and shirataki noodles.
Entrée
Personally, I find entrées to be the easiest area in which to avoid dairy. Unless, of course, I’m making a creamy casserole, but that’s not this story. For this Dairy Free Dinner Party menu adventure, we’re going with simple and flavorful.
Cilantro Chutney Blend Marinated Tuna Steaks
I love the ease of simply prepared tuna steaks. Combining this Cilantro Chutney Spice Blend* from Satya with some Almond Milk Yogurt makes a delicious (and still really easy) marinade that kicks up the flavor.
*Disclaimer: This is an affiliate link, so I earn a small commission on any purchases with no additional cost to you. Use promotional code “LORI” for a discount!
Sides
For the sides, this menu has one that is dead simple and one that takes a little more work. As always, I suggest you pick and choose recipes to suit the time you have.
While this soup requires a few more steps than the other side I have listed, it’s well worth the effort AND can be made ahead of time.
So easy to make, this side makes an appearance on many weeknights as well. I’d also suggest swapping out the broccoli for some broccolini for a little change of pace.
Dessert
Dessert is another place that I can find myself challenged when avoiding dairy. However, in modern times, dairy alternatives abound. My advice and approach is to not try to replace a “dairy” flavor, but rather to look at the functional effect of the traditional dairy ingredient and choose an alternative that achieves the same end goal.
Mango Almond Flour Scones (Dairy Free)
Okay, I could kind of wax poetic on these Mango Scones. I use Satya’s Mango Sutra Blend* and fresh mango. Yum!
*Disclaimer: This is an affiliate link, so I earn a small commission on any purchases with no additional cost to you. Use promotional code “LORI” for a discount!
Wine Pairing Suggestions
- Sparkling Wine
- Schramsberg Vineyards J. Schram Noirs (2013)
- Schramsberg Vineyards Blanc de Blancs Green Valley of Russian River Valley (2016)
- Red Wine
- Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Rector Creek Vineyard (2017)
- Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon Lamoreaux Vineyards (2017)
- Dessert Wine
- Peju Province Winery Delicias Zinfandel (NV)
Dairy Free Dinner Party Recipe Ideas
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