Dinner party with a pregnant friend

[Ladameauchapeaujaune]

I'm having my friend over for dinner and she's pregnant. It's the first time I'll have cooked for her whilst she's pregnant, so what's a good meal?

It needs to be:

• Vegetarian
• Quick and easy (I don't want to be in the kitchen all evening)
• Yummy

Any help would be welcome, thank you!

What would you cook for her when she isn’t pregnant? As long as you avoid unpasteurised uncooked cheese and undercooked eggs, just cook her usual favourite meal!

As she's vegetarian, I've always used a lot of cheese! So either a feta and cherry tomato pasta, or a tomato tart with cheese (boursin), or a tomato pasta with cream and... cheese! Is feta ok for pregnant ladies?

How many courses?

I would say a lovely mushroom stroganof with rice and a lemony green salad.

And a pudding of ice cream sundaes / banana splits with all the trimmings.

Can't get much simpler than this, and now I want an ice cream sundae!

Cheese is fine if its pasteurised and not a soft cheese.

I think the only cheese to avoid is blue or unpasteurised. But it's been 10 years since I was pg and it might have changed!

If she's vegetarian then most of the food to avoid advice on the NHS website relates to meat or fish so isn't relevant. UK eggs with a lion mark are fine, then it's just avoiding certain uncooked cheese.

www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/foods-to-avoid/

Feta is fine, and just make sure you wash the mushrooms (if you use them) to remove listeria.

Google for a butternut squash and chickpea crumble with caramelised onions. It's amazing. Super tasty. Can be made in advance. All baked off so nothing uncooked. Even meat eaters adore it.

I’d do some sort of pasta, probably home made macaroni cheese with strong cheddar. Side dishes - peas and a green salad. If she is hungry and into carbs maybe some garlic bread or crusty bread and butter with it.

pudding would depend on her usual likes and dislikes.

perhaps ask her if she has any nausea/cravings/food aversions.

Probably won't actually make a pudding to be honest, it's going to be a very casual thing and we usually just do some nibbles before dinner and then the main course and that's it. I like the idea of having a salad and garlic bread as sides, they're both really quick and easy. I do have a butternut squash in the house, as well as chickpeas and curry powders, so I suppose I could do some sort of curry with rice, but then that may not go with the salad!

This is my go to for butternut squash and chickpeas. You don't need to fuss with the pastry, I just lay it a big crumpled up over the top, but I do double the sauce and do season the pastry like it says to in the recipe. I do that on all pies now as it makes such a difference. You don't need to use wine, but it does add a nice flavour and the alcohol is boiled off. I make this dairy free for my dd and we all eat it, even her vegan cheese.

www.nigella.com/recipes/guests/ella-risbridgers-squash-skillet-pie

Or for a curry, this one is excellent

www.mediterrasian.com/delicious_recipes_lentil_curry.htm

The crumble is lovely with salad or a fresh green veg. Garlic bread would be lovely with it if you want the additional carb.

Not that I'm pushing it, I'm just hungry and trapped in a training course and I really fancy that crumble right now!

Look, I even googled it for you

foodblogandthedog.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/butternut-squash-and-chickpea-crumble-with-caramelised-onions-cream-cheese-and-oaty-cheddar-topping/

Ooo I really like the sound of that @ABrotherWhoLooksLikeHellMugYou also pg and my taste buds are shot to pieces so trying lots of different things!

Pasta alla Norma is simple, tomatoes and aubergine, you can make the sauce ahead of time and heat through quickly just before serving. Use fresh pasta or potato gnocchi for extra speedy cooking.
Serve with a grated hard cheese such as pecorino if liked.

Hahaha thank you ABrotherWhoLooksLikeHellMugYou I'm going to have a look at this, it sounds wonderful!!

bear with me on this as it's a lamb dish but use the curry paste / sauce recipe and add butternut squash and chickpeas instead of potato, then when it's nearly cooked add halved chestnut mushrooms and finally stir in the spinach when cooked. www.copymethat.com/r/5b0EyHUfs/hairy-dieters-lamb-spinach-and-potato-cu/