Mothering Sunday Meal Ideas Please

tootoo

Hi All
My mum is working this year, but I feel if I don't arrange dinner for MIL, hubby will end up taking us out and spending a small fortune as well as buying her a pressie. (We end up paying for us, MIL, her partner, also drinks as they like to almost make an afternoon of being out, etc!!)
I would prefer to do something other than a roast as I would like to enjoy Mothers Day too and not have to spend too much time in the kitchen cooking and washing up. Any suggestions.
MIL is quite fussy (no pasta, rice, spices etc).
Also, any easy-ish desserts would be great!
Thank you
Tootoo

fiscalfreckles

A casserole that you could prepare in advance perhaps, then you just need to heat it up on the day & do some potatoes? If you did say steak or beef in red wine, that's quite "posh" or chicken in white wine & herbs.

I have an easy Tiramisu recipe here that always goes down well & looks impressive (I make it in individual glass dishes or wine glasses);
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/9652/bestever-tiramisu?countView=false

In fact that website is very good for easy recipes.

Good Luck!

purpleheather2810

Hi Tootoo, what did you decide on? Just thought I'd share my frugal-yet-hopefully-yummy menu plan for Mother's Day, for 5 adults and 2 children:

HM Lentil and bacon soup with bread rolls

Roast leg of lamb with slivers of garlic and rosemary inserted
Stuffing balls
Boiled potatoes
Roast potatoes
Carrots
Cauli
Sauteed spring greens (Dunno what to add to these)
Home made lamb gravy with marsala wine or port (I think)
Redcurrant, orange and mint sauce - Delia recipe

Rhubarb fool with HM ginger biscuits - BBC food website recipe

Does this sound ok?

Lazy_Liz

I think a posh casserole is the easiest way to go. Make a cold starter you can plate up before hand, smoked salmon with a dill mustard sauce, retro prawn cocktails, slices of good quality bought terrine etc. garnish with some salad and make HM bread/ rolls to go with. Individual deserts look really good in wine glasses etc. Or little chocolate pots in coffee cups. Easiest desert in the world Easton Mess, partly mash some strawberries or raspberries with caster sugger and put in fridge to maccerate for a while (couple of hours) whip up double cream to soft peaks then just before serving stir in broken up maringues and the fruit (don't mix it too much, aim for a rippled effect) serve in individual glasses, you can sprinkle over some grated dark chocolate to finish it off. (don't put the maringue in too soon, it will desolve!)

LJM

We are having a full roast beef dinner

fedupandskint

We're having Ham/Gammon cooked in cola (£10 for 3kg joint on offer in Mr S a while ago)
Potatoes
Leeks in white sauce and some other veg eg cabbage and carrots or cauli

Marmalade pudding and custard (nigella - looks easy and cheap to make - serves 6-8) could open a couple of tins of custard or cream to go with it and any leftovers can reheat or eat cold

Ham will have lots of leftovers too for the rest of the week eg leek and ham pie, ham with peas and pasta and cream

Then for later on we're having one or all of the following - scones and jam, ham sandwhiches

just made the breadrolls in the BM and also Nigella's maple and pecan bundt cake which isn't the cheapest cake to make but should get 12 slices out of it

If you have any baking tins how about a cake to bake - should go down well and there're plenty of recipes on the good food website or bbc food

Anyway HTH

sistercas

they all sound lovely

if you dont really want to cook have you thought about the M+S dine for £15 for 4 people? you could add extra veg to it to eak it out a bit
it would be a lot cheaper than going out and i think it has wine with it

HERE is the link

Kitchenbunny

I'm cooking for my MiL this year, and while I know a roast would go down lovely, I have a feeling she will love anything I have cooked for her. I'm going to do meatballs (which I'd made previously and frozen) and tomato sauce, with pasta. There'll be a big pile of garlic bread in the middle of the table and it'll be cosy and informal.

HTH

KB xx

Rummer

We are having a casual lunch of sweet potato and ginger soup served with cheese and spring onion scones. Then there will be cake and twinks for nibbling!

happy35

you could do something that sounds fancy like beef bourgignon (sp) but is actually easy and can be prepared earlier in the day.

I make this recipe with cheaper cuts of beef and it is lovely apparently, i am veggie so have never actually tried it

Fitzio

I am having my parents for dinner tomorrow too (not to eat them, just to cook for them!) I want a stress free day as it's my Mother's Day too so decided to go for an easy, laid back option. I am making a Chicken Curry, Rice & Naan Bread, followed by individual Raspberry Cheesecakes. Basically I can do all of it in advance at my leisure. Or at least that's the plan!

Hope you all have a lovely day.