Dinner Party Saturday and cant cook!! Help

cosecretary

Hi all

Need some serious help, cooking for my friend and her partner Saturday night.:eek:

Would love to treat them to fabulous three course meal but I am a newbie cook and I am a little scared!

Any easy dinner party recipes would be much appreciated.

I was thinking maybe roast fillet beef for mains but other than that really have no idea!

All ideas help would be greatly appreciated!:D

handzy

What about a simple melon for starters, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes with some parsley through them and sirloin steak. . Then make cheesecake for afters. You could add watever veg u want and would be lovely. I find if u wrap d steak in tinfoil on 190 for about 40 minutes its delish. Cheescake is simple. No cooking involved. .

iron bru

Why not make a nice pot of veg soup for starters and blend it all up? Soups always nice in this horrid weather¬! If you're having the steak as a main I'd do as the other op suggested but maybe make a nice salad aswell and of course pepper sauce. A roast chicken would be nice and simple to make too. For desert maybe an apple crumble or something simple if your making in yourself. I'd probably chreat and get one fro m&s:D

Davidth88

Ok...... first thing , don't be over ambitious .

Have at least one course that is pre-prepared , so you don't spend the whole time in the kitchen

Suggestion for starters:-

Smoked Salmon or something similar , no prep needed !

Main course , A roast is ok , but beef is actually quite difficult to get ' right ' I like it pink in the middle , but if you served it like that to other people they would be horrified.
I would suggest something like a Beef Bourguignon , it can be cooking away while you are enjoying people's company . Boil some really nice spuds and maybe some green beans , and away you go.

Now dessert , Ill leave that to other people , not my area of speciality. But what about a nice selection of fruit and ice cream , always a winner .....

Minder

The pre-prepared starter is a good idea.

For the main, try Chicken Savoyarde from Tamasin Day Lewis. A cheesey sauce flavoured with french mustard and lots of tarragon - the flavours balance very well and the tarragon doesn't overpower the dish. A layer of breadcrumbs and parmasean as it bakes in the oven gives a great crispy finish, while the chicken stays moist in the sauce. Serve with french beans and boiled spuds.

I recommend this recipe a lot - it could be prepared either in the morning or the day before - just leave the breadcrumb and cheese off until ready to go into the oven.

http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/513665

As David88 suggested, steer away from red meats that can be served in different ways - lamb, beef and duck breast are regularly served rare but not all people like it that way.

A dish with a sauce is a good option, something that won't spoil if not served immediately and can be made in advance. So a thai chicken curry, beef stroganoff, jamie oliver's pork goulash, the chicken savoyarde above....

If you go for the three course meal, watch the portion sizes. Keep the dessert simple, a creme brulee or chocolate fondant has that personal touch but doesn't take ages to make. Chocolate fondant is just underooked chocolate sponge - serve it with a dollop of vanilla icecream and don't worry if it isn't gooey in the middle - everyone loves chocolate.

Staph

How about some stuffed mushrooms portobello for starters-can be easily prepared earlier in the day and just popped in the oven before/when your guests arrive. Serve with a little salad garnish.

For mains -I think if you are comfortable with doing roast beef, then go for it! If you are a little unsure, then maybe a stew/curry/something in sauce would be nice and doesn't need much minding once done. Or a nice steak, with some potatoes and veg!

Again, mirroring someone else's response for dessert -cheese cake is simple to make and can be prepared the night before. Or maybe a chocolate moose with some red berries.

Good luck!

quazzy

Not mentioned above so I'll plump for a starter of prawn cocktail (no cooking - just assemble the ingredients together)

Lasagne for the mains - one pot (dish) wonder that can be pretty much be assembled the night before and the thrown into the over when the guests arrive.

or a nice curry (again with one pot) - make the night before (I think currys get better overnight)
then just boil some rice (heat some Naan bread if you want)

Dessert: summer fruits with either cream or ice cream.

Only actual cooking is either Lasange or curry and rice.

I can post back receipes if you like but just thought I'd give a few ideas.

Good Luck