3 Course Meal for 6 With a £20 Budget?

wssla00

gingin wrote: »

What about a risotto for main course? Better if you have the dining table in the kitchen though, as it's an easy but high maintenance dish to cook.

Unless you bake it. Since i have realised you can bake risotto i have never looked back!

Keeping_Motivated

Its the OP's first post so I hope she has subscribed or realises that the thread has been moved somewhere else?

gingin_2

wssla00 wrote: »

Unless you bake it. Since i have realised you can bake risotto i have never looked back!

I cook a lot but I have never done that! Is it still the same consistency?

wssla00

Yeah it works really well. You just start it the same, but in a casserole dish, so fry the onions garlic etc, then add in the rice and coat it, pour the stock over the rice and onion and garlic and pop a lid on it and put it in the oven. About half an hour on a medium heat but check it to make sure the risotto is done the way you like it
Then I add any extras in after. Particularly like butternut squash mashed with butter and some parmesan folded into it.
I have risotto a couple of times a week because its so easy that way.

poppy-glos

favourite pud of mine,is lemon posset, there's a tamasin day lewis one on the web, where the ingredients are double cream, lemon juice and sugar,
the recipe is to boil the sugar and cream, add in the lemon juice (says to strain but i don't bother), then to set in six wine glasses (this makes six very big portions that are too rich for some), so when i do it, i set it in shot glasses, then if people want a bit they have one, and if they fancy more there are lots still on the table untouched...
could make some shortbread bics to go with it...

http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/536253

oh, and a starter, friends ask me to take it to theirs when we do bring and share,

1 packet of peppered smoked mackeral, pull off the skin, use and blender or mix with a fork with
(diet option) small pot of double cream and about 4 oz of butter or
(full fat option) small pot of greek 0% fat yogurt,
then serve with either ready made melba toasts from a packet, with toast or homemade melba toast (toast thick bread, cut off crusts, slice in half (in between the two cooked sides), cut into triangles then put in a low temp oven to dry out.
I prefer the toast as it is as the hm melba toasts are too fragile to put the pate on..

hex2

another vote for home made pate and crusty bread a starter
then for desert a white chocolate cheesecake. If you stick to value brands then it is cheap but still lovely. I use two tubs of 45p not philadelphia cream cheese, two bars of 27p basics white chocolate (melt very slowly!), and half a pot of double cream all whipped together for the top, 8 or 10 bashed up digestives and a bit of butter for the base. Use half a bag of frozen summer fruits (£1 in Sainsburys) and a bit of sugar to make a fruit coulis and whip the other half of the cream to serve.

Main courses I am less good at!

NJW69

I'd make some kind of warm salad with a dressing for starter, goats cheese, parma ham, scallops in bacon etc etc.

Fish pie or a casserole (beef in beer, coq au vin etc) so you could buy cheaper cuts of meat. Make nice steamed veg to go with whatever you serve, buy whats on offer. Spicy roast potatoes, roasted in chilli oil or just oil with some chilli flakes and salt and pepper, creamy mash (boiled then steamed then mashed with butter, lots of salt and pepper). All nicely arranged/presented.

If I did fish in the starter I'd do meat in the main course and vice versa.

Chocolate mousse and passion fruit or mango coulis or creme brulee, cheats version mix equal amounts of thick greek yoghurt and double cream whip a little and put in little pots topped with dark brown sugar and either grilled or finished with a blow torch to caramelise.

Should be able to do any of those for well under £20.

Reverbe

Sainsburys do a nice Value red wine for about £2.58 - if this fits in with your budget/plans etc..

Reverbe

zarazara wrote: »

Spicy lentil and parsnip HM soup with 2 or 3 types HM bread, eg white, wholemeal with sunflower seeds,herb rolls. :-), followed by a large fruit bowl filled with various fruits, pretty HM parcels of mixed nuts and dried fruits ,even choc chunks, a cafetiere of coffee and good conversation.

Thats only 2 courses Zara??? and I am not sure quite where the egg white fits in??

zippychick

Reverbe wrote: »

Thats only 2 courses Zara??? and I am not sure quite where the egg white fits in??

I think it means "eg (example) white - referring to the bread!

Funny you should post this . I was thinking about something similar last night. Will have a think.....:D