Ideas for cheap entertaining - fish or veggie options

[starfish4]

Sister-in-law and her husband are coming for a meal at the weekend. They always do something quality and there's plenty of it, but money is really tight at the moment. Has anyone got any ideas for cheap mains/puddings, ideally veggie or fish? I was thinking about doing some crusty bread with a balsamic vinegar dip to start.

Wouldn't bother with a starter tbh.

Big pan of veggie curry or chilli, some rice, some salad, some bread.

Pudding - icecream with coffee chucked over it, or with bashed up Maltesers, or with some apple slices that you've pan fried in butter, or with some plums baked in red wine, maybe?

Thanks for your replies, they have given me something to think about! I was only going to do a starter as my sister-in-law always does three courses with two choices for each course.

I think your s-in-law has too much time on her hands - or really loves cooking. I couldn't do that without being enormously stressed and nobody having a good time. Something communal served at the table - with maybe a bowl of olives, some cheese and some dip for people to pick at first...

If you need a starter, beef tomatoes, mozarella and pesto salad with leaves is quick and good.

Starter - garlic mushrooms on toasted ciabatta, cheap!
Main - spaghetti with tomatoes and prawn sauce or a sauce made with a tin of lobster bisque and prawns. The bisque is a tin of soup so cheap!
Pud - something with plums? 75p a punnet in asda, I'm going to make a frangipani tart with plums that was on the Lorraine show yesterday morning, looked lush.