Easy but nice, cheese free dinner ideas

[StrawberryPi]

Help me brainstorm, hive-mind! For some reason I'm feeling deeply uninspired....

I need a dinner to cook for MIL and her partner on Friday night when she arrives for a weekend visit. I'll be in charge of dinner whilst DP goes to collect her. I want something largely home-made rather than a ready meal or pre-prepared items.

Requirements:

• Delicious! And a bit special or celebratory
• Nothing too spicy or rich as she has stomach issues
• No cheese
• Something I can throw together in less than an hour (and probably pick up the ingredients on the way home from work as very little time between now and then) and not too messy
• Nothing too effortful as....I'm a bit knackered and busy and CBA

None of my usual go-tos seem to fit all my requirements. Risotto = cheese, curry = spicy, roast = time, steak = messy/smokey etc etc ect. Any suggestions would much appreciated!

Can you do a casserole tonight or tomorrow night and reheat it on Friday?

Or, bake a side of salmon, several salmon fillets or salmon en croute with potatoes and green veg?

Unfortunately (or fortunately, they are all nice things!) I am out today and tomorrow evening, and out at work in the daytimes so there isn't really time to be making casseroles or pastry!

You could do a risotto easily without cheese; one of my favourites is to roast a load of veg (could do them the night before), make the risotto and stir them in last minute. I only put onions etc, stock (wine if special) and a can of coconut milk in at the end...

Or you can get 'free-from' pesto; again, add a load of roast veg or fry up some onions, courgettes, peppers etc. and pile on top of pesto stirred through pasta.

Salmon fillets oven cooked in a foil parcel, serve with new potatoes and an asparagus & pea combination cooked in the microwave if you've got one.
Add butter & a dash of white wine to the fish parcel for a light sauce, or serve with mayonnaise.

Risotto without cheese is fine. I would do it as usual and just not add cheese. Make sure you use proper risotto rice and it'll go creamy without cheese added.

I suggest sage & roasted butternut squash.

Agree with risotto without cheese. Topped with pine nuts?

Risotto without cheese is fine, but it’s not delicious. If you can add butter instead that might be ok.

I know you’ve ruled a roast out based on time, but if you spatchcock a chicken it can roast in 45 minutes. Instead of roast potatoes if time is short, you could serve with salad and bread or mashed potatoes and vegetables.

Would something like a chicken shawarma have too much spice?

A traybake with some kind of protein, vegetables and potatoes. Could serve with salsa verde.

Thank you all for your ideas so far!

Hmmmm I think I am looking for something a bit more special than some of these suggestions though. I have tried making cheeseless risotto before and it was deeply underwhelming.... As PP said, "fine". Pesto pasta with roast veg is nice but not quite a celebration!

A traybake type thing could be a good idea, especially with a nice dressing as you suggest.... food for thought! Any any other ideas greatly welcomed 😃And sorry if it seems like I'm poo-pooing ideas, just not quite hit on the right one yet!

Portuguese fish stew.
Use a mix of whatever fish you can pick up. Saffron makes it a bit special but not spicy. We prefer it with bread rather than rice. A spoonful of sour cream at the end is a nice touch.
www.feastingathome.com/portuguese-fish-stew-caldeirada/

Ah ok sorry I didn't see the but about a special meal.

I've had success with Quick Roasting Tin recipes before - try to get from your library or here are some examples www.you.co.uk/the-quick-roasting-tin-recipes/

The baked salmon is a good call, or something involving pastry like a beef wellington? I know you said not a ready meal but really buying some ready-done puff pastry is not a ready meal in my opinion and is perfectly nice?

Or otherwise how about some nice crispy chicken thighs (inspired by the other thread today!), started in a frying pan to crisp the skin then finished in the oven until golden brown. Served with some easy potatos and green veg or salad. I like mine with some chorizo thrown over in the oven and potatos roasting beside it so they absorb some of the oil but might be too spicy for MIL?

Or another fishy option, sole meuniere? Nice thin fillets of sole (lemon or dover) flash fried (only take 2 mins a side) and then a simple sauce of browned butter, lemon, capers and shallots over the top. Again nice with potatos or bread to mop the sauce and green veg (the sauce could be a little rich for MIL but she could just have a little tiny bit or the fish is probably moist enough to have it plain or with some lemon squeezed over). I couldn't find sole in my local supermarket the other day so did same recipe with sea bass and it was perfectly nice.

Or do you like shellfish? Moules marieniere look super impressive but are very easy to make, and you can buy big bags in the supermarket, essentially just wash the mussels, discard any open ones and steam in a big pan with a little stock, white wine and shallots which reduce down to a lovely broth-y sauce. Takes about 15-20 mins so really quick.

Or on a similar note if you want to splash out and can get to a decent butcher or meat counter, a herby rack of lamb? Make a quick paste with chopped garlic, herbs and oil and rub over the meat. Sear to brown the outside then roast in a hot oven for 20 mins for pink in the middle or a bit longer for medium. Like a roast dinner but much quicker?

White wine & pea risotto with lemon and herb salmon and an extra green veg like asparagus or green beans. I hate cheese and this meal would fit your requirements perfectly for me.

Toad in the hole with rustic mash veg and onion and mushroom gravy - add rosemary to the Yorkshire pud mix
Tomato based pasta
Chicken red pepper wraps lettuce mayo etc
Pesto Stuffed chicken breast with rice or wedges and veg
Stew or soup in the slow cooker if you have one

Some of the fish ideas are great, though you would need a lot of mussels as a main course for four adults, so you would have to buy them from somewhere you could depend on them having been thoroughly cleaned, as your time is a factor.

Another thought is stroganoff using fillet steak, very quick to cook and not an everyday dish. Serve with rice or buttered tagliatelle or mashed potatoes.

Buy a fancy pudding, cherry and almond tart served with mascarpone perhaps, to make the meal more celebratory, or serve Champagne cocktails at the start?

Pan fry some pork fillet medallions in butter. A side sauce made of single cream, dijon mustard, freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of sugar (splash of brandy optional).

I would serve that with roasted peppers, mushrooms, onions and cubed potatoes, roasted in olive oil with garlic and Italian herbs (cook the potatoes for a bit before adding the rest of the ingredients). Other options are rice or roast potatoes and veg.

It's easy and people think you've slaved for hours. It's a definite favourite in our house. 😊

Mascarpone cheese?

Ah yes! I'd forgotten the "No Cheese"! Change that to Creme Anglaise!

How about cod wrapped in Parma ham. Pretty simply, not too rich, you can adapt veg to your preferences. Or just do do wrapped in Parma ham and then veg and cous cous or potatoes of your choice.

I take your point re a roast being too much time but what about something like a rib of beef - assuming it's not for a lot of people, it doesn't take much time to cook and can be lovely served with salads or simple side dishes rather than as part of a full roast dinner. I did one a few weeks ago which I then sliced and served on a platter with lots of salsa verda with new potatoes and a tomato salad on the side. It looked lovely (if I do say so myself) and definitely felt like something a bit more special.

Other sides that could work I would think would be garlic bread and a really lovely green salad.

Or if you want warm/hot - roasted veg and couscous could work. (or I'd do griddled green veg and a tahini/yoghurt dressing, topped with feta on the couscous).

Or, still in the hot section, potato dauphinoise (could be sliced etc and semi-prepared night before then just stuck in the oven) and then some simple steamed/wilted greens.

Chicken breasts or cod wrapped in proscuttio and baked with roasted new potatoes, roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh steamed green veg.

Or Spanish chicken is delicious and not necessarily spicy.

Or if you can afford it, steak and home made chips with a homemade sauce

This lemon and oregano chicken traybake tastes a bit fancier than ordinary traybake. Simple to serve just with green beans.

Takes an hour to cook altogether and there's minimal prep.

I am a huge fan of Rukmini Iyer's Roasting Tin books. Her salmon with giant couscous is delicious. Could only find this link on line, which has US measurements.

www.oprah.com/food/salmon-pesto-with-israeli-couscous-watercress-lemon-recipe

Toad in the hole! What a great shout, lovely and warming and something I've not made for ages. Think we've hit on a winner 😃

Thanks for all the input team, much appreciated! DP will definitely be in charge of catering tomorrow.

Never fails really does it.Its simple and quick to put together too.let us know.

Went down a storm! Served with roasted green veg and glazed carrots, and home made onion gravy. And on Saturday DP did a delicious whole-roasted-chicken-on-pilaf dish which was a lovely contrast (delicate and spiced compared with TITH big savoury flavours).