asking for recipe ideas for meal!

[weaselwatcher]

Cooking for someone I'm seeing tomorrow evening ready for when he gets home from work. All I've decided on is steak and mushroom sauce as I know that's a favourite of his. Can't decide what to put with it, also want starter ideas! So any suggestions much appreciated, thank you!

Proper chips with steak and mushroom sauce would be heaven to me. Ideally with onion rings and peas.

Probably a light starter as steak and chips is quite filling. Smoked salmon? Home made pate and toast? Roasted carrots and pomegranate with scattered crumbs of goats or feta cheese? Cheese soufflé?

Forgot to say, I wouldn't bother with a proper starter. I'd do olives and fancy nuts with cocktails instead.

yes what Purple said - I would do nibbly bits

nice chips, corn on the cob and onion rings with the stake?

Olives is good! They're a favourite of his :-)

Aldi do lovely stuffed olives and stuffed small peppers if you want something a bit more special without paying through the nose.

If you want to make a very impressive dessert with three ingredients, which is very simple use James martins lemon posset, half the ingredients and forget about the short bread. Lemon posset would be lovely after steak

sounds lovely. Can I come round? Steak is a treat for me!

Don't think you need to stress too much, because what you've planned sounds gorgeous, and agree with the nibbles suggestions. Also agree with corn on the cob with the steak (delicious, healthy and easy) I would do mash rather than chips personally (soaks up the juices and easy, plus I hate oven chips and don't have a fryer to do proper chips).

If you want to do more than nibbles (although, why would you!) I'd do goat's cheese with salad. If you do the nibbles, then cheese is a lovely desert (but obv not if you're doing cheese as a starter). Poached pears are easy and look quite special (and are vaguely healthy). Or just buy a good ice cream.

Make it special by getting in some wine.

Mash is far easier to make than chips and will give you time to spend with him. You can cook it in advance and reheat it in a pan with a little water or milk. Use white instead of black pepper to ensure no bits between your teeth. A lovely mashed potato is delicious anyway.

Serve with a salad for freshness - a nice acidic (non-oily) dressing.

Don't do what many are tempted and get an enormous steak. Avoid heartburn and gluttony; assuming you're after an amorous end to the meal :) Thicker steak is a little more flexible re. cooking times.

Sauce on the side (in a hot gravy boat / jug) as it gives you a little more time to plate the dish without a horrible congealed mass on top.

How about green beans, steam before hand, then you can quickly fry in a little garlic butter?? Lovely with steak...

Or, add some wholegrain mustard to the mash and top it with some cheese (Gruyere or Cheddar) and bake it in the oven before serving. You can also add some gently cooked garlic instead of the mustard, but that might not be what's required on this particular evening!