Need an easy 3-course menu please!

[Laura032004]

I'm hosting my first murder mystery since ds was born. Can't think how I'll cook a meal to be ready at 8ish, when ds is bf to sleep between 7 and 7.30?!?!

Please help with easy recipes that have loads of prior preparation and not much last minute work!

It will be for 8 adults, all meat eaters (I hope!)

Fingers crossed!

[Laura032004]

Anybody?

[mancmum]

OK, I love doing stuff like this so I would go for something like...

starters... something quite plain like smoked salmon served with lime wedges and thin slices of brown bread and butter.. I never do much starters as it fills people up... instead I do hot spicy nuts to serve with G+Ts before dinner...

main course... make a really nice casserole in the morning or day before so that all you have to do is reheat... my current fave is nigella greek lamb stew that had pasta cooked in it and is covered in feta cheese when you serve... totally divine and piece of cake to make..

dessert... for easy, go for an eton mess or pavlova with cream and raspberries and passion fruit... very easy to put together in about 2 mins if you have bought the pav, the cream whipped etc.. also have 2 lumps of decent cheese with oatcakes and celery.... suggest a good sharp cheddar and something blander like a brie or a goats cheese...

hope it goes well -- let me know if you need more ideas!

[mishmash]

Ooh Mancmum that sounds great to me

Laura how do you organise the Murder Mystries - sounds like a great idea

[mishmash]

I did lovely flambeed strawberries last night - pop them or whatever fruit, oranges, pineapple etc.. in the pan, add caster sugar and let simmer for a few mins - add some brandy and light - ready when flame goes out - very easy and quick

[charleepeters]

ive always wanted to go to a murder mystery party, how do you do it what exactly are the rules/gameplay some one do one close to me and invite me please

[spykid]

Agree with manc mum on the eaton mess, it is my all time favourite easy , impressive pudding. I use a frozen bag of mixed berries, just defrost thoroughly though as a solid strawberry is no fun!!!
A good pre prepared starter is ready roll puff pastry cut in circles filled with caramelised onions (just soften in butter and sugar, dead easy), Topped with halved cherry tomatoes and crumbled feta cheese. Just drizzle with olive oil and pop in oven at last min. Lovely served with arocket salad and balsmic vinegar.
For a main course, what about a risotto? Easy to prepare in advance, then reheat and add creme fraiche, butter and parmesan at last minute.

[spykid]

Just a thought, due to lack of meringues I have also made eaton mess with shortbread and it was equally as yummy!

[charleepeters]

a quick starter is melon balls with a nice sobet then you just have to ball the melon and scoop out some sobet!

[spykid]

sobet????
Is that a relation to ie ream???

[charleepeters]

yes it is a kind ice cream but its fruit rather than cream ect much heathyer and v.nice i always have it at resturaunts,

[LGJ]

spykid

[spykid]

[Laura032004]

Thanks for all of your suggestions. The greek lamb stew sounds beautiful mancmum - could you give me the recipe - I won't be able to get hold of the actual book before the weekend as we live miles from any decent shops

The puff pastry sounds nice too spykid. Can you make it all in advance, and then just cook in the oven right at the last minute?

What is an Eton mess? I've never heard of that, but if it's got meringue and cream in it, it must be nice

I haven't really done much organisation for the murder mystery. It's a family thing, and we all take it in turns to host one. It means having three other couples for the wkend though, which is hard work with a 13m old, and one couple has a 5m old baby too. We'll just have to see how it goes. I buy the games from Toys'r'us or somewhere, and it tells you everything that you need to do. Dead easy. I'd love to have one with friends, but it's hard trying to organise babysitters for everybody.

Mind you, even the the game is fun, last time we did say that next time we'd just have a really posh meal and all dress up, and just enjoy the meal, because by the time everybody has had a few too many drinks, nobody can really be bothered working out whodunnit!!!