Can I have your best starter ideas please?

[JanineStHubbins]

My parents are coming to stay next week, and my dad is obsessed with starters. Does anyone have some tasty but easy starters I can quickly throw together? I was thinking of doing a crab thing one evening (crab meat, breadcrumbs, mustard, cream, parmesan, baked in ramekins), but am sort of stumped after that. Thanks!

poached eggs on wilted spinach with hollondaise sauce. serve on sourdough toast.

Creamy garlic mushrooms I toasted brioche.

Oooohhhhhh!!!!!!

This recipe for spicy chicken in pitta bread with peppers and yoghurt would also work as a starter tyne-teas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/chicken-kebabs.html

Good luck!

Have bookmarked this, I am rubbish at starters!
My limited repertoire is garlic mushrooms on toast with egg (use wild mushrooms and duck egg if feeling flush, but normal ones work too); bruschetta with tomatoes; tapenade (whizz up black olives with oil, garlic, herbs); pea and bacon soup.

I've decided on my menu (almost, anyway)!

Day 1
Starter Caramelised chicory with parma ham and breadcrumbs
Main Slow-roasted shoulder of lamb, butternut squash with tahini & pine-nuts, saffron & lemon orzo
Dessert Nigella's Chocolate Guinness cake

Day 2
Starter Mezze (flatbreads, olives, baba ganoush, falafel, cinnamon mushrooms)
Main Chicken thighs with sumac & za'atar, spiced sauteed cauliflower, bulgar wheat pilaff
Dessert Lemon syllabub with white chocolate, pink peppercorn & rosewater shortbread

Day 3
Starter Salt & szechuan pepper squid, salad
Main Roast guinea-fowl, sweet potato & spring onion mash, steamed greens
Dessert Coconut & passionfruit tart

Thanks to everyone for suggestions . Now to tidy my house...

Wow, that sounds amazing! I hope you enjoy cooking? You must do to plan that

Ooh that menu is amazing!

Scallops with back pudding and caramelized red onions.

Smoked mackerel pate (as suggested upthread) - one pack 180g (or so) - take the skins off!, half pack (100g) of Philadelphia light, 1 squeezed lime and one/two tablespoons of horseradish sauce. Mix well and serve with melba toast or brown bread and lime wedges.
Asparagus wrapped in parma ham - as it says, and then roasted til cookes - (drizzle with olive oil) good with garlic mayo but not necessary
Blue cheese and pear salad. Cashel blue cheese, tinned pears and french dressed leaves plus a grinding of black pepper.
Delia Smiths anchoiade

Smoked salmon paté - whizz a pack of trimmings with cream, a squirt of lemon juice and a few drops of tabasco. Similar to the m+s one.

Roquefort salad - crush some Roquefort cheese with a fork. Mix with fromage frais. Make some croutons. Just before serving, dunk the croutons in the cheese mix and plonk artistically on a bed of lettuce.

If you do it too long before serving, the croutons go soggy, which spoils it.