Dinner Party ideas?!

maman

I cook lamb shanks on a bed of diced carrot, parsnip and sliced leeks with stock, Worcestershire sauce and thyme. It's delish and then I would just do something like tenderstem broccolli with it. If you want even more carb then dice potato in as well. Everything is reaady in advance then except your broccolli. The recipe works equally well with lamb steaks.

If you want beef, I'd do beef in a red wine sauce and add carrots and mushrooms plus shallots. Then you can just do some baby potatoes and perhaps brocolli again to go with it. I'm a great believer in spending as little time in the kitchen as possible once guests arrive.

floss2

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

Do you do a carbohydrate rice/potatoes type dish as well, or just the mashed and green vegetables.

Sounds lovely.

TBH, tend to do without carbs with a meaty meal like that, but will occasionally do mashed potato if we have visitors or the grown-up kids are home!

However, I generally do couscous with a slow-roasted joint of lamb or a tagine-type dish.

Elizamac

My fave dinner-party pudding is quick lemon ice cream and ginger biscuits. Might help with the grease-taste of the lamb

It's soooo simple! Just whip up a large pot of double cream until it's foldy. Then whisk in 3/4 jar of value lemon curd and freeze it for at least four hours. Then make some gingerbread hearts and shove 'em in the top. Sorted.

Careful though, it's sooo rich, you don't need to eat a lot!

maman

This is a dead easy pudding too http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1206516/Jo-Pratts-recipes-Fruity-sloe-gin-jellies-mint-creme-fraiche.html

Counting_Pennies_2

Haven't had a chance to read the replies, but how about mashed potato to serve with the main.

Make it ahead of time, even day before, put in an oven proof dish, suitable to look nice to go on the table and just pop a few nobs of butter and put in oven for 20 mins to reheat. Nice and easy.

I would then serve with some baby carrots and broccoli.

You could see if there are any heart shaped rings you could cook the mashed potato in the oven with and just pop out on the plates?

MrsE_2

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

1) What carbohydrate you would serve with either of these.
.

I saw the hairy bikers do fondant potatos recently, they looked great.

So I tried them & they were

http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/434412/The-Hairy-Bikers--fondant-potatoes

doelani

*Not sure where to post this but if wrong I am sure a nice board guide will move it lol *

We love going out for a meal but it is so expensive. We went out with another couple last night for a meal and it cost us £135+ tip for 4 people. This included 2 bottles of wine at £14 a bottle and we split the bill half and half. This was a one off as we would never pay this much for a meal but got me thinking.

I would like to cook a special meal maybe once a month, the whole works, starter, main course, dessert. I know we could do it for a fraction of the price but wondered if anyone else ever does this? We do have nights where just hubby and I at home so not bother finding a "child free" night to do this.

I wondered if anyone else ever does this and makes a special meal at home rather than going to a restaurant. If you do would you make somethign different and not the normal pie and chips lol

For example last night we had soup, I had steak and chips , hubby had sea bass and mash ( I have never made fish at home ) and I had chocolate cake for dessert. Although it was lovely I could probally have made the same ( apart from the fish )

If you were making a meal at home for just yourself and partner what would you make ?

BitterAndTwisted

I'd get the cookery books out and experiment like mad. It would be an entirely different matter if I was entertaining guests however

doelani

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

I'd get the cookery books out and experiment like mad. It would be an entirely different matter if I was entertaining guests however

Well you may not believe me but I am sitting here looking up recipes and have recipe books beside me lol

BitterAndTwisted

Good for you! You and your husband could be on the cusp of discovering your new favourite dish. You could throw some serendipity into the mix and see what whoopsied meat or fish you can find on the day.

I've just made a brand-new dish myself this evening and I'm just waiting for it to finish cooking before I try it.