Inspire me - I want to cook a 3 course meal for for DB & SIL (DB is excellent cook & SIL is trained chef)

[FoghornLeghorn]

So, in a couple of weeks we have DB & SIL coming around and I wanted to make a real effort. I am a relatively good cook, can follow recipes and haven't had any complaints about anything I have cooked to date, my problem is thinking of something different.

We are going to be out most of the day then returning to put kids to bed and get ready for dinner so I don't want to be standing in the kitchen for hours preparing food whilst they are in company. I don't mind preparing anything in the morning before they arrive though.

I need a starter, main and desert. I am cooking pork loin marinated in olive oil, black pepper and wholegrain mustard with sautee potatoes and veg for DH tonight as a trial so this is maybe an option.
We don't have an endless supply of funds so can't be anything too extravagant like oysters or anything and fish is defo a no go.

Go for it !

I just saw you lurking at hte bottom of active convos, leaped to your rescue and discovered your cheeky bump

I'm quite a plain cook TBH but would prob do:-

roast butternut squash soup

roast dinner with yorkshire puds (drool)

Nigella's choc fudge cake

Its plain homecooking but GOD it tastes good

what about something you can just leave to do its own thing eg lamb shanks in rich red wine sauce with carrots, shallots etc? serve with mash now weather getting cooler.

i tend to do cold nibbles as starter eg melon or figs and prosciutto

i nearly always buy puddings!

click on MAIN COURSES

and hide the cartons

Thanks for the replies - have limited internet access atm so am looking for answers pretty sharpish.

My problem is that DH will not eat veg, not one little piece. It's not a problem as I will bulk DH's plate out with meat and pots but something like the butternut squash soup he would turn his nose up at, although I would love it.
The lamb shanks sound great - what do I do with those ?
As does the nigella choc fudge cake - recipe ?

fl, can you give us a bit more to go on? i think bundle's suggestion of braised lamb shanks is a very good one. for a starter you could try quatered figs with parma ham, a dressed rocket salad with parmesan shavings. this is very easy to do and looks impressive - seasonal too.

for dessert i would do poached pears with choc sauce. the pears can be done the day before and choc sauce takes a few minutes of melting before serving - or you could cheat!

NP .

Quick & simple:

Large shell on tiger prawns quickly pan cooked in chilli oil with garlic and then plonked in big earthenware dish in middle of table with crusty bread to mop up oil - lovely

Or a big platter with torn up buffalo mozzarella, parma ham or proscuttio, fresh basil and figs with loads of olive oil and lemon juice, again with lots of crusty bread

Then a main course you cannot go wrong with a seriously good something in a pot that you could have got in the oven earlier ie moroccan lamb, boeuf bourgignon, coq au vin? Bit retro but bloody lovely. You would then just need to make couscous or mash when you get back

Pudding maybe something like eton mess if not too summary or poached pears with vanilla cream which you can do before going out!

Any use? Dribbling at the thought...!

aaargh - by the time I had finished typing out my thoughts others had got there first!!! Sorry for the repetition!

something like this?

(don't feel you need to do the removing of the shanks from the liquid and roast them separately though, you can just stew the whole lot for hours & hours. and keep veg eg carrots whole if your dh won't eat them, then he can just have the gravy which will have their flavours but not the chunks!)

I know this probably doesn't sound good enough but what about bangers and mash - I made a posh version for a dinner party one night.

Buy some high quality sausages from your local butchers, make mash with cream, spring onion (or leek) and cheese (or maybe cabbage). Then make your own caramalised onion gravy.

It's so simple but is bloody delicious!

Sorry about the delay, school run and internet connection buggering about.

Am loving the stick in the over pot dishes. DH not keen on mangers and mash so that will get vetoed.
Pears in choc sauce sounds great - not too chocolatey for those with a more savoury tooth than I.
Will look at Lamb Shank recipe now.
What am I looking at roughly for lamb shanks cost wise ?

this recipe looks nice

I'd say about a fiver for 2 lamb shanks, maybe a bit less

Oh that's good bundle - I was working on the basis of them being as expensive as a nice piece of steak.
Think I will defo go for this.

Need some more idea's as starters please. Jodie, DH and I would love your prawn recipe but SIL isn't keen on any fish at all

Sorry, I don't have internet connection atm, am having to use my parents.
So have decided on the lamb shank recipe, I brought 3 on Friday so just 1 more to get.
I was thinking of stuffed mushrooms for a starter, what do you think ? Has anyone got any good recipes?

This is what you do, my dear...you cheat