Starters

KarensKraftyBits

what about mushrooms in a cheese and garlic sauce with a slice of garlic chibatta bread?

lil_me

Prawn cocktail or soup have to be the easiest starters

Bogof_Babe

Say what you like, you can't beat a good old fashioned prawn cocktail. The big advantage is that it can be made in advance and kept in the fridge.

r.mac_2

if you want a cold starter what about brushetta?

lightly toast a slice of ciabatta or french loaf, rub one side with a garlic clove, chop up some cherry tomatoes, mix with some EV olive oil and some chopped basil. Serve tomatoes on bread.

Or cut out a round of puff pastry, draw a smaller circle inside and Poke the pastry all over with a fork inside this circle. smear the inner circle with small amount of pesto and place thin slices of tomato ontop. Cook in oven for about 12 mins or so until outer rim of pastry is golden, crisp and puffed up.

Bogof_Babe

Snap Lil .

Or maybe smoked salmon with crustless brown bread and a segment of lemon to squeeze over it. A couple of cherry tomatoes on the side, and maybe a sprig of parsley for garnish. Yummy.

lil_me

Oh no I can't do Salmon starters, it's not my fave anyway but I find it repeats on me through the next courses. Ewwww!

Bogof_Babe

How about egg mayonnaise then? Hard boiled eggs, halved with the yolk scooped out, mixed with mayo and a bit of curry powder if liked, piled back into the whites and served on a bed of lettuce with a sprinkle of paprika on top. A couple of chives looks nice on this too.

Jet

I've just found a recipe for a starter with scooped out peppers filled with goats cheese, tomatoes, olives, basil and olive oil.

I remember making it once before and it was really nice, so rather than risk inflicting something new on my guests, I'm going to make that.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

jennyjelly

One I do regularly is this - it comes from the Times Cookery Book by Katie Stewart and takes all of 5 minutes to make.

Use a melon baller to make little balls out of a whole melon (or chop it into cubes about 1cm). Mix it with 4oz caster sugar, grated rind and juice of a large orange and juice of half a lemon, leave it to chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

It's really fresh and a great starter that doesn't fill you up too much.

lil_me

http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/food/mealideas/cookingforfriends/stunning_starters/stunning_starters.htm just remembered those, I was having a nosey at it the other day, some nice quick ideas.

PS can I come for tea? Main course and desert would do as they sound fab Hope the meal goes well