What do you make for (adult) fussy-eater guests?

[Aworryingtrend]

I am sick,sick, sick of making stuffed chicken wrapped in parma ham or nursery food like lasagne. Sigh.

What are your adult fussy eater failsafes? For sunday evening so roast-esque perhaps but she doesnt eat beef or lamb and I did pork shoulder last time which did NOT go down well.

Need a starter (could be canapes/nibbles) main, side dishes and dessert although leaning towards Nigella choc pavlova.

TIA

If she's that fussy, I'd just ask her what she would like. Say you're planning on doing a roast, and ask her what she would prefer to have to go with the vegetables. Could you bring yourself to make one wrapped chicken breast? :)

Need an idea of what she doesn't like (or if the list is shorter, what she does like! )

Starter:
Tomato, mozzarella and torn basil salad
Pepper halves stuffed with red onion, feta cheese, chopped tomatoes and capers
crudites and dips, olives and cold meats

Main
Can't think of anything specific, but if she's that fussy with meat, maybe you shuold be looking at some vegetarian options? Like maye a roast vegetable risotto, or a pasta with veg like cherry tomatoes, broccoli and sugar snaps and a pesto sauce

Dessert
The choc pavlova sounds LUSH. Gary Rhodes also does an amazing toffee apple crumble

Thanks both. Noway you have hit the nail on the head, the list of what she does liek is shorter. She likes:

pasta/lasagne
chicken
pizza
goats cheese
burgers
mild curries

She does not like:
pretty much anything else.

This is a 30year old woman BTW!

Yes I think doing a separate chicken breast for her could be an option.

She also likes couscous. That really is it though.

Just make what you want to eat and she can eat whichever bit she likes.

I can't bear adult fussy eaters, I think it's exceptionally rude to turn your nose up at something someone else has spent time making for you.

Personally, I'm quite fussy at home but when I'm eating at other people's houses I eat whatever is put in front me, regardless of whether I like it or not. It's called manners.

Seriously, she's a grown woman, if she doesn't like what you serve up she can feed herself when she gets home. Ridiculous behaviour from an adult, imo.

Like Olihan said - she's old enough to know better!

If she's that bad, don't ask her again.

If she's close enough that you can't get out of it, tell her straight she's being rude!

Dp only found out how vile I find lasagne (school issues) AFTER his Mum had served if for dinner - and I'd eaten it. It was the first time I'd had it in 20 years. I respect my MIL enough to not want to offend her (and she's a bloody awesome cook )

I know a really good recipe for Spanish chicken with couscous and green beans if you think she would go for something like that? The recipe makes it quite spicy, but you can make it as hot or as mild as you like. If you want it, let me know and I'll PM it to you.

you have my sympathy. The only chinese my BIL will eat is chicken balls. People like this are really annoying and silly - i can't believe thats all they don't like.

still i suppose my BIl is like his is because of his mother. only thing she liked at the italian restaurant was breaded scampi. Nothing with sauces, garlic, pasta, pitza or spicy or tasted/looked fishy???!!!

sorry i digress - my point was that you have my sympathy.

That's it dreaming you can't beleive the lack of variety- but she really does live off crisps and that list above. And is a size 10 as well, NowayNoHow please could I have that recipe? Even if I dont make it this weekend it sounds lovely.

No probs, will send it now!

Wow she sounds hard work! You could do a whole stuffed pepper with curried couscous and other veg inside

Oh this drives me mad.
In fact it SO infuriates me that i no longer invite friends like this.

What i DO do, is we have take away, that way i am not stressed, they can choose thier own and it is not an issue.

Why waste time and effort and increase stress levels, really, its just not worth it, no one is worth that. Life is too short.

Wow, I consider myself to be a fussy eater but that is ridiculous! If you know she likes chicken could u do that as a roast? I personally won't eat stuff I hate just because it's been cooked for me, but I will eat anything on the plate that I like (even if it means picking bits out) and would never ask for something different! My biggest hate is vegetables, so I have often ended up with a clean plate except a little pile of veg that I've picked out of whatever sauce I had!

This is lovely....chicken bake with a crispy ciabatta crumb and parma ham topping. This is usually my fail safe that appeals to most people - sometimes needs slightly longer 15-30min to cook than suggested.

uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/516560

Then just garlic bread and salad with it.

How about roast duck? Or chicken with a Jamie O type of stuffing under the skin.

Or do a poussin for her. Or poussin for everyone - or half for everyone? I sometimes do it with red pesto under the skin and pancetta or parma over the top (mind you that's quite chicken wrapped in parma-esque?!)

hmmm, reminds me of my bil, who refuses anything that isn't pizza or burgers or chicken or chips type food.

he even, when offered apple crumble, asked for just the crumble part. i really had to bite my tongue.

You can make pizza topped with curry marinated chicken pieces, red onion, red peppers, goats cheese and topped with fresh rucola?

Do make sure to make your own pizza dough, and tomato sauce made from scratch. Mix of mature cheddar and Mozzarella cheese under the toppings.

Thanks for the recipe NowayNoHow and Pleasenap I really like the sound of that chicken bake. I'm toying with the idea of doing something like pork tenderloin or possibly sausages but I can't decide, grr. it is very dis-spiriting to cook fr someone who won't enjoy anything you amke outside of a very tight remit of 4 or 5 dishes.

Starter: Do a soup or salad, with nice bread. If she is going to be that fussy then she can eat the bread. She won't starve.

For a main, how about the Nigella recipe for sage and onion chicken and sausages (all roasted together) with bread sauce flavoured dauphinoise and some sort of green veg?

For dessert, I would do whatever you fancy. If you're going to be fussy about chocolate/cream/sugary stuff then have a banana out of the fruit bowl.

Or do a cheese board too.

SeriousWispa- we have a winner! That Nigella recipe is absolutely perfect, thank you! And it looks so easy too. And it is perfect for me as I'm low-carbing. Brilliant. I will do a celeriac dauphinois for me and potatoes dauphinoise for the others. Thanks!