Dinner party menu

[champagnesupernouveaux]

Hi,

I'm planning a dinner party for next weekend. There will be four of us, and unusually (for me anyway) there are absolutely no dietary requirements. So I can cook what I like. Which is a rare treat, but now I can't choose what to cook! What are your guaranteed success, easy, dinner party recipes? I'll have to be looking after my three kids at the same time as doing some of the prep, so quick and easy is a must! I want to do three courses.

Or, anybody been served anything really impressive at a dinner party?

Thanks!

Ice cold vichyssoise

Delia Smith Individual Beef en Croute with roasted asparagus another veg and maybe some new potatoes (but the pastry might be enough)

Delia Smith chocolate pot au creme

All very reliable receipes

Do they like fish? How about a baked side of salmon (there's a great recipe online with honey, thyme and white wine vinegar) with roasted jersey royals and purple sprouting broccoli?

Grilled asparagus with Parmesan as a starter.

There's a great recipe I think on BBC for these divine white chocolate and basil pots with balsamic strawberries.

Pomegranate lamb from good food website with Cous Cous salad and flatbreads

Eton mess or a big pavlova

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2837673/pulled-lamb-shoulder-with-sticky-pomegranate-glaze

I'm dying to say Pom Bears

I'd definitely do an ice cream cake for pud because you can make it as far in advance as you wish and just whip it out of the freezer before serving. Plus, they're so darn easy but look stunning. This website has loads for inspiration www.taste.com.au/search-recipes/?q=Ice+cream+cake

A watermelon and feta salad or a peach caprese salad makes a good make-ahead summery starter. Jamie has a good recipe for the watermelon salad.

For mains, do something which you can just get out of the oven and serve, such as a tart. This is my favourite as it's fail-safe but tastes amazing! www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/6295/roasted-tomato-basil-and-parmesan-quiche You could make individual ones if you want something more formal.

Ooh, lovely ideas, thanks! We've been told that anything goes, no big dislikes, so maybe fish would be good as I rarely get to serve it (DH is a bit fussy, but I'm ignoring his fussiness on this occasion.)

Actually, I'd love a plate of pom bears. Or two. I'm convinced they put crack in them.

Last dinner party I did quail egg salad, chicken breast on the bone stuffed with black pudding and wrapped in parma ham with green veg and fondant potatoes followed by chocolate meringue stack. Lush.

Salmon sounds lovely though and I also love monkfish if you're thinking of fish.

Last week I did figs with a balsamic and honey glaze with Serrano ham, warm chicken breast stuffed with garlic, sun dried tomatoes and black olives with veg couscous salad and then Mary Berry's raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake. All done in advance and didn't take long.

The figs sound lovely for a starter, as does the watermelon salad. It's going to be hot, so definitely something cold.

As for dessert, cold again I think. I'm thinking something fruity, or meringuey. I love making cheesecake, so definitely an option. Never done an ice cream cake before.

Lemon meringue ice cream cake. Takes 20 minutes www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2982/lemon-meringue-ice-cream-cake

I totally forgot my mum used to make lemon meringue icecream! It's so good.

Delia's salmon coulibiac would be perfect.
Serve it with asparagus drizzled with lemon oil.

In this weather id do a prosciutto, goats cheese, fig and pine nut salad, with a balsamic dressing for starters. Very quick but tasty.

For main I'd do lamb chops, cous cous with spring onion, almonds, pomegranate, apricots put through it, some shop bought flat bread, and tzatziki on the side.

For pudding, I'd just have ice cream bought from the shop!

My killer desert is the Moro almond and orange cake, add grated ginger and rhubarb, just cut the rhubarb into 1 inch pieces then stand them up in the batter before baking.

Make the syrup with the juice of the orange plus a tablespoon of honey, add orange flower water, if you can find it, if not don't worry. Pierce the cooked cake and soak with the syrup. Serve with whipped cream with sugar and vanilla.

This may sound complicated, but it is actually really quick to make, and always appreciated.

Pavlova! Super easy to make days in advance and put in Tupperware. Dollop of whipped cream or creame frais covered in mixed berries with a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Looks and tastes fab!

Grilled Hallumi with water melon and capers salad.
Cod with chilli and pea puree or Blacked cajun salmon with your choice of veg sides & oven baked thick cut chips (coat with olive oil and tossed with salt, pepper, parmeasan & 2/3 cloves of garlic and a sprig or 2 of rosemary)
Grilled pineapple with brown bread icecream and fresh berries.

Don’t serve asparagus - the English season is over and any you buy now will have been flown in from Peru so will be tasteless.