I have my utterly lovely MIL coming for dinner this Monday....

[FrankSpenser]

and I'd love to cook something very nice. Not amazing because I can't cook very well, but very nice at least.

She has to cut salt out from her diet as much as is possible (medication).

I know in theory any meal can be cooked and served minus seasoning, but I want for a recipe that won't be Just Another Bland Meal.

Any ideas? Tried and tested, of course .

What sort of things does she like to eat? good old fashioned British food or does she prefer something more spicy, Indian, Chinese, Mexican?

This is delicious and really easy Greek Lamb casserole not too spicy just flavoursome. Could just have a side salad, green veg or even just crusty bread with.

She's East Asian. She'll eat anything!

Funny I did think something Lamby. And a salad with loads of fresh herbs or something equivalent to boost the taste. Still scratching my bonce over what to do though.

No idea what you should cook, but just wanted to say that your title made me

So nice to see a happy MIL/DIL relationship for a change

Well that's really nice of you to say so, Uncomfortably.

I'm closer to my MIL than my own mother actually. Very sad, but brutally true.

I've spotted a meal on BBCGoodfood in the low salt section which has good ratings. That'll be what I'll go for if nothing else surfaces. Still hoping for more MN recomendations though!

Do you have a slow cooker?

Pan fried salmon with butter and garlic, green beans boiled and warmed with butter ( unsalted) and either green salad or new potatoes with unsalted butter ( get the tiny ones)

Then chocolate fondant:) you can but nice ones but they are easy to make.

Would she like that? The salmon wouldn't need salt, the salad might be a but bland but you could flavour with a flavoured olive oil? I think balsamic might be too salty.

I have a slow cooker, yes. It's not my most used kitchen gadget but I dig it out when the need calls for it.

There's nothing wrong with your recipe, Lavender, but salmon, new pots and veg is quite safe and inoffensive. I know this, because I've cooked it for her all too many times! It's my fail safe

A recipe i have my eye on is a Moroccan spiced chicken stew. Maybe served with some sort of exotic slag with pomegranate and pine nuts, so I'll need to pootle through recipes to find something similar.

TBH MIL would be happy to have egg n chips for a dinner but i want to give her a good meal when she here.

Cor blimey, that's a corker of a typo!!

exotic slag [grin[

Its mine too:) salmon is great

I like your typo!

Its the salt though- Persian recipes might be good, like lamb roasted with figs ( delicious) and aubergines peeled, diced very very small and fried in non salted butter and olive oil?

I'm on my phone, that's why! Hovering over DD whilst she finishes some homework and MNing mean I'm not keeping track as well as I normally do. Arf!

I seriously love the aubergine idea.

:) don't bother to salt them or prep in any way, apart from washing them. Very very small is the key- they get very soft very fast. Make sure the oil/ butter is smoking hot:)

Lovely. It'll be a side dish appointment.

For pity sake..

ACCOMPNIMENT!!!

Are you after ChaosTrulyReigns's crown as the queen of typos?

Oh no no no no, I can assure you I don't wish to step on anybodies toes, let alone the toes of the Typo Queen Chaos!

I'm paying very close attention to my screen. Very close.

how about a morroccan style dish? Lamb tagine with jewelled couscous is lovely and dead easy. Lemon juice is brilliant as a flavour enhancer instead of salt. (in fact, zest the lemon first, and add the zest too, as well as orange zest and juice.

We are thinking along the same lines, Madame , although chicken is going to be the meat of choice. I want something like jewelled cous cous/bulgar wheat to go with it. Happen to have a good recipe to hand?

Oh yes. at my fingertips.I prefer bulgar to couscous. It has heaps more flavour and texture. I cook it like couscous, pouring on boiling water (or veg stock) olive oil, salt and pepper, lemon juice. let it plump up as per usual. fluff. add orange juice, zest of lemon and orange, pinch of cinnemon, ginger, any nice spices really. chop up dried apricots and maybe a some dried cranberries/ sultanas. Add chopped fresh herbs like parsley, mint, coriander. not dill or tarragon!

Actually, I just remembered, I used to fry chopped onion and garlic, and add the spices plus cumin and coriander, cook out a bit then mix into bulgar wheat. You can do this and the tagine the night before.

Remember to serve the salad at room temperature, and refresh the seasoning before serving and a bit more of fresh chopped herbs.

If you are near a turkish supermarket, sumac is fabulous in this salad (a purply spice which has a gorgeous lemony taste.

Oh oh forgot the pomegranate seeds!

If you have harissa paste, then marinate the chicken in it, and add a teasspoon to the salad as well.

Oh you lovely bunch o'vipers, you! I'm feeling positively raring to go Off to the shops in the morning.

Quite cost effective actually. I have nearly all the spices already.

Just need the meat, bulgar wheat and fresh herbs. I have the Asian supermarkets here so everything I need to buy will be far less pricey than the Supermarkets. I feel excited. I hope I don't balls it up.

yay!!!!