Dinner for two: easy but impressive(ish) ideas?

[expatkat]

Just remembered I'm having a (new) friend over for dinner tonight. I'm living somewhere temporarily & don't have my cookbooks or my usual kitchen paraphenalia.

Any ideas? Just the two of us girls. No fish becausethough I live by the seasideall fish here is frozen

Meat OK, but quality in this small town also not great. . .

Something which will be tasty, look nice and heavy on the vegetables. . .?

Thank you!

Ratatouille? Lots of yummy veg and you can have it with rice / jacket pot / mixed in with pasta?

And its v easy and yummy.

DH would say its boring but I love it!

Roast red onion, peppers (lots diff colours), garlic and towards the end cheery toms in oven for 45 mins. 5 mins from end at splash of balsamic vinegar.

Fry some cut up chicken (maybe with egg if you like it)Mix with roasted veg.

Make some couscous with stock cube and maybe some peanuts.

Dressing - white wine vinegar/olive oil/lemon

I'm not a good cook but even I can do this and its ace...in fact you don't even need the chicken if you don't want to.

roast veg plait? Frozen puff pastry, roll out, roast off some mixed veg and garlic, put in middle of pastry, fold over, brush with egg and make some slashes in the top, delish!! or kebabs, veg and chicken or lamb? Marinate meat in paprika, oregano and veg oil for 15 mins then thread onto skewers interspersed with courgette, red pepper and onion, serve with pepper sauce and rice/potato wedges..... oh and some big flat mushrooms with garlic butter

There's a sort of veg Tarte Tatin:
Put oil and butter in the bottom of a shallow casserole dish that can go on top and in oven.
Sprinkle on a bit of brown sugar.
Arrange beautifully 'mediterranean' caramalisable veg (red onions, courgettes - zucchini to you - aubergines, aka eggplant, toms, red, orange, yellow peppers, various squashes would be ok, arrange very pretttily, they will end up on top. Pack more of same veg on top, herbs, a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar, black pepper.
Fry gently until caramelised and soft
Roll out some ready-made puff pastry (I use shop bought),
Put on top
Put in oven and cook as pasrty packet decrees.
Run knife round casserole and gently turn out.

Could serve with lamb chunks on skewers, or lamb chops and a crisp dark green salad.

Helsbels, great minds....

Chop peppers, onions & courgettes - fry off in a little olive oil and add a jar of Lloyd Grossman's Putanesca Sauce

Cook 2 chicken breasts - if with skin on griddle so they look posh!!

Cook enough Tagiatelle for 2 and layer pasta at bottom topped with the vegetable & sauce mix and then the chicken breast.

Is really yummy - PROMISE!!

I cannot thank you all enough.

Am going to shop to buy ingredients for all recommended dishes. Haven't decided which I'll make tonight (it's only 10.35 am here, so I have some time still), but whatever I don't make tonight I will make another night this week. (Am having guests over in the later part of the week, too.) You mumsnetters are terrific.