Vegetarian dinner for guests - cooking with baby on hip - help!

[aufaniae]

DP usually does all the cooking. I'm massively out of practice! We have friends coming for dinner tomorrow, they'll be looking forward to one of DP's legendary meals.

But ... DP's been called away for a job at the last minute, he won't get there till it's time to eat!

I'd like to pull something good out of the bag. However I will have with me DS (4.5) and baby DD who likes to be held at all times, pretty much.

Help - I need an easily prepared vegetarian feast for 6, what would you do?

[WilsonFrickett]

Could you do a big veggie curry with a side of dhal? Then you could buy naan, rice, some chutneys and some samosa/pakora. Lay it all out on the table, best of all you could make the curries ahead of time so they just need reheating. Google Vicky Bhogal for some easy recipes.

Or - and I know people usually recoil in horror from this - but a really, really good home made veggie lasagne is hard to beat and again you can do each stage in bits then it's just a case of bunging in the oven. If you use nice summery veg it will feel seasonal but still indulgent enough to impress.

Masses of salad, garlic bread and eton mess for afters.

[aufaniae]

Thanks for the suggestions :)

Curry's definitely out I'm afraid. DP is a master at curry - he starts by making his own paste. Our friends all love his curries, I wouldn't know where to start on the other hand! It'd be too much like a poor substitute for DP's cooking! Ideally I'd like to do something he doesn't usually do.

Lasagne could be an option. Not sure if it will be "really really good" though! My cooking skills are fairly basic!

I'm not looking to do a swanky dish to impress, if I can do something nice it'll be enough. One of our guests used to be our lodger, don't think she saw me ever cook an evening meal for adults in the year and a half she was here, she'll be impressed enough that I've done it at all!

[aufaniae]

I've found some black rice in the cupboard, I know DP was saving it for a special occasion, and this is one. I wonder what you can cook with that?

[aufaniae]

Oh, the other thing is I need to get the ingredients from the Coop, I won't be able to get to the big supermarket tomorrow.

They only have limited veg IIRC, usual staples but nothing particularly interesting.

[aufaniae]

Aah, just remembered my friend who's coming is a nutritionist. No pressure there then

I'm not into this at all. This is why DP does all the cooking, he loves it, and is good at it. I find it stressful - I'm already imagining how it'll go wrong!

It'll need to be something I can prepare ahead of time while juggling the DCs.

[WilsonFrickett]

Ok. Let's go back to basics. Can you make a white/cheese sauce first off?

[WilsonFrickett]

If not, lasagne is out but how about this

[aufaniae]

I could make a cheese sauce. Not the easiest to stir continuously while holding DD but hopefully could do it while she's asleep. I like that it can be done ahead then stuck in the oven.

[aufaniae]

Any more idea gratefully received! :)

I need to decide by the afternoon, then go shop for ingredients.

[noteventhebestdrummer]

Delia Smith roasted veg lasagne is good and you can use whatever veg the coop has in, doesn't need to be specific ones.

[aufaniae]

Just wonderinmg if I could do something with the black rice. This looks lovely but no way can I stir for an hour while looking after the kids!

Black rice risotto

[aufaniae]

Will have a look at Delia Smith Lasagne, thanks :)

[TwentyTinyToes]

Spinach and ricotta lasagna? Make all component parts ahead of time and assemble at the last minute.

[Tweet2tweet]

Easy peasy option here. Serve with a salad and crusty bread.
You could then have baked bananas, adding some rum and sultanas with some vanilla creme?

[Mumbledore]

I did some bean wraps for veggie friends recently which went down well, and you can just chuck everything on the table like wraps, jars of sour cream, grated cheese etc. The only cooking is the bean mix - I just fried some onion, garlic, peppers then added veg stock, a tin of toms, beans (like a bean salad in a tin but you could use whatever the co op have), chilli powder and cumin and simmered. Open a bag of salad, maybe throw in a tray of potato wedges and you have a feast!

[intheshed]

Spinach and ricotta canneloni? Easy peasy especially if you use fresh lasagne sheets to make the canneloni instead of the fiddly tubes. Or my favourite is broadbean and asparagus risotto, easy and delicious.

Alternatively get a takeaway??

[TwentyTinyToes]

Takeaway sounds like an even better plan.

[aufaniae]

Takeaway is so tempting Can't really justify the expense though sadly!

[aufaniae]

Tweet2tweet genius, thanks, I'm going to do that. It's not swanky, but I know I can do a good job of it, and more importantly I can do it this afternoon, and just pop it in the oven when they get here.

I'll do a lovely salad, and get nice bread like you suggest.

Love the baked bananas idea too but DP hates bananas sadly.

[aufaniae]

I hadn't thought of pudding. If I had time, DS and I could make a cake. Not sure I have though - need to tidy (very messy!) house with the two kids in tow this morning.

One of our visitors is American. I remember she loves British puddings and custard. Did you know they don't have custard in the US?!

Maybe I'll just buy something we can have custard with.

[aufaniae]

Oh, hold on, the Coop might not have sweet potatoes. It's a bit boring if it's just normal potatoes isn't it?

[cherrytomato40]

Normal potatoes with plenty of butter in the mash and cheese on top would be fine!

[aufaniae]

DD looks like she's falling asleep (fingers crossed!) she's feeding right now.

Here's my plan - tidy house now till 2:30. DS can play in garden / watch TV / help if he feels inclined

Check I have:

• olive oil
  
• carrots
  
• 800g tinned toms
  
• 2 vegetable stock cubes
  
• 2 large onions
  
• 50g butter
  

2:30 get kids ready to go out:

3pm, go to coop, buy:

• fresh thyme
  
• red wine (yummmm)
  
• 820g can green lentils
  
• 1900g sweet potatoes
  
• nice cheddar
  
• salad ingrediants
  
• nice crusty bread
  
• pudding that goes with custard
  
• custard
  

3pm - cook, put aside. Will give DS some simple cooking jobs to do

4pm - play with DS

4:30pm - tidy DS's room

5pm - tidy house from today's mess

6pm - first guests arrive

Easy peasy, what could possibly go wrong?!

[aufaniae]

That looks like an awful lot of potatoes, is that right? I doubled all amounts in this recipe

[aufaniae]

Oops I've double counted an hour there, this doesn't bode well