Inspiration for dinner party

[TheSteveMilliband]

I've sorted main course - simple steak but haven't entertained for ages and completely lacking inspiration. Don't want to go overboard, maybe one course that takes a fair bit of effort and the other reasonably simple. Would need to be fairly light though as the steaks are enormous.
Help! Am off shopping in an hour!

Please

Smoked salmon pate on bread or melba toast is incredibly easy. Mix together equal quantities of chopped smoked salmon and cream cheese with a bit of horseradish sauce, sour cream, chives and black pepper.

Always goes down well when I've made it.

Equal quantities of the smoked salmon and cream cheese and the other stuff to taste, in case that wasn't clear

dessert of fresh raspberries/ cream / shortbread biscuits
or antipasti starter - olives/feta/ parma ham/ etc

Roasted asparagus alongside the steak. Yum! Quick and easy too.

Lemon posset for dessert with a few store bought fancy short bread biscuits alongside? Also easy and make ahead.

A help yourself starter always goes down well. Proscuito, salami, olives, humous, tomatoes, balsamic and olive oil dip, decent bread.

Pud, buy one! Profiteroles or a tart citron are favourites.

Spinach, caramelised red onions and mozzeralla on puff pastry (shop bought pastry ofc ;)). 5 mins prep and 15-20 mins in oven. It's delicious and I'm not a huge spinach fan

Smoked salmon pate sounds great mrsminiver, and reminds me I used to sometimes make mackerel pâté too. Melba toast is one of my favourite things, it reminds me of dinner parties my mum prepared, has to be with sliced white bread (no fancy sourdoughs!). Raspberries are always good, and shortbread would fancy it up a bit. Wonder if I could posh it up a bit more and make a kind of shortbread tart or something. Am thinking we probably have enough meat with steak so antipasti might be a bit too much (remembering dp foolishly ordering ham for starter and carpaccio for main on holiday once - 2 plates of meat wih no veg / carbs save a few tiny breadsticks and a salad garnish!). Some non meaty ones would be good though. For ideas!

Thanks everyone, can't keep up! Lemon posset sounds great toomany, is it quite rich?

And glitz, do you need to wilt he spinach before putting it on the puff pastry? Sounds lush
Babs, buying is tempting! I am going to m&s soon so will go in with lots of ideas, thanks all

Here's a Delia Smith lemon posset recipe. So easy, no eggs to curdle, etc. And can be made ahead too. Just cream, sugar and lemon! Sets like magic. Can be tarted up with berries, sprinklings of powdered sugar, etc.

www.deliaonline.com/community/yourrecipes/desserts/Lemon-Posset.html

Thanks toomany, looks fab!