So what quick fab thing can I make for guests on a Friday after being out all day?

[ThomCat]

Having mates over to dinner Fri night but am out all day and they are coming straight from owrk.

She doesn't eat seafood and he doesn't eat sea cucumbers (darn it had a great sea cucumber receipe I was going to do as well!!!!! )

Don't want to do a bbq as can't trust this sodding weather.

Any ideas for quick, easy but stunning dishes?

Nigella's Beef Stroganoff recipe is what you need. Very quick but sadly not cheap. Can dig out recipe if you want?

ohh I love stoganoff, that would be great to have receipe if you don't mind.

cheese fondue with rocket/spinich/tomatoes/red onion/grapes salad

dip crusty bread and cut carrots, cucumber etc

fresh berries on crushed digestive biscuits and yogurt

drink white wine.

or

homemade pizza base with yummy topping

salad

cheese cake with raspberries/strawberries

make majhitos (mint drink, lots of ice)

How do do cheese fondue, what specail things might i need? Do I have to have an actual fondu?

buy a fondue kit... and i think the reciepe has white wine, kirsh or is it brandy? and lots of different cheeses.

i'm sure it's on the web....

ahh.. here it is...

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/swissche esefondue_8925.shtml

yum! yum!

can buy most fondue sets in the supermarket.

hth

Thanks

Sorry TC, had to go and change a nappy, back now. Here is the recipe.

Beef Stroganoff

90 g butter and a few drops of oil
1 large onion
225g button mushrooms sliced
fresh nutmeg
750g beef fillet cut into strips
scant half teaspoon of Dijon mustard
200ml creme fraiche
a few pinches ground paprika

Put 30g butter into frying pan with a drop of oil. Put on heat, add the onion and fry gently stirring frequently until soft and beginning to colour. Add 30g more butter and when melted toss in the mushrooms and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Grate some fresh nutmeg and grind some pepper over the onions and mushrooms in the pan. Stir well and remove to a plate. Add the remaining 30g butter to the pan with a drop or two of oil and turn the heat to high. When the butter is hot, stir fry the fillet for a couple of minutes, until it is just cooked but still very tender. Return the onions and mushrooms to the pan, stir well, grate over some more nutmeg and stir in the Dijon mustard, then the creme fraiche. Sprinkle in a pinch of paprika, taste for seasoning and then serve with rice. Dust with a little more paprika when you serve up.

Sorry for typos.

Fondue is a bit faffy.
I say you can't go wrong with a huge spread of cheeses, crackers, breads, dips, antipasti, ie roasted artichokes, roasted peppers (buy the jars, or do it the day before), cold meats, such as good hams, bresaola, salami, chorizo, sticks of carrot cucumber and pepper, Hummous guacamole, salasa etc, pickled beetroot and onions, and so on and so on.
This has always been a winner for us. Takes no time to prepare, and has something for everyone, and no imperative to eat it whilst it's hot so you can just leisurely pick at it.

Devil - you really are my kind of women! That's my staple - 'oh shit have people coming round, quick run to Sainsburys and get something' type meal!

Might just go with that again.

Love a bit of antipasta me!

Well it just is far better than stressing in the kitchen over food and worrying about who likes what. We just (as you say)run to sainsburys , spend a fortune (£82 was the worst, without booze!) get lots of lovely picky bits and a bunch of wine and relax. Thats surely the point of meals with friends!?

£82! Bugger me!

Antipasta it is then, but not 82quids worth!

Orrrr I could just do fillet steak, spinach, portabello mushrroms and chips as I was planning for me anyway till I remembered they were coming over!

Thomcat, that was for 8 people, and on payday so we went a bit mad! lol.
Steak sounds lovely, feck those guys, me and DP wll come !
lol

This is fantastic and a MN recipe to boot!