Help need dinner party recipe for fussy friends

[mumof2monsters]

I have two friends coming over for dinner on friday and have never cooked for them before. One of them is particularly fussy does not really like prawns or shellfish and is constantly asking what i am cooking. He even printed off a recipe from his wifes james martin cookbook that I could make as a starter and seemed put out when i said I would not make it.
Anyway problem being that my hubby is a non-meat eater so it has to be fish based for the main meal really. Wife of couple coming is not keen on vegetables!
I was thinking of maybe a starter involving tomatoes and basil with maybe mozzarella but cannot find good recipe. Also thought maybe halloumi
Main meal I did think maybe Jamie Olivers fish pie and for pud Delias choc bread and butter pudding but really not sure.
Feel like I have royalty coming to dinner but want to get it right as wife of couple is a good cook.
Please does anyone have any simple but good recipes that can be made in advance so that I do not have to spend all night in the kitchen.
Thanks

How cheeky. You should have said, "What a great idea. Why don't you be in charge of starters and bring that with you?"

Fish Pie sounds great. Veggie lasagne/ canneloni would be easy to do in advance.

And the tomatoey thing usually goes down well. If you get some good tomatoes, just slice them and arrange on a plate alternating with the mozzarella (tomato, mozz, tomato, mozz etc) so it looks pretty. You can put a dressing on, if you like, but not long before you want to eat otherwise it goes soggy. I have had it either with a pesto-type one or balsamic vinegar & olive oil. Put basil leaves on top. Yum. (I like a bowl of olives too)

This is my dinner party staple, I think it's a Jamie Oliver one. I think it looks impressive for very little effort.

7oz green beans top & tail & blanche until tender.
20 cherry toms or more!
1-2 handfuls pitted olives (I prefer green ones)
2 tbs olive oil
salt &pepper
4 salmon steaks or fillets
2 lemons
1 handful fresh basil
1 tin anchovy fillets

pre heat oven 220c
I cook this in a large metal roasting tray. Lightly oil tray
In a bowl toss the beans, toms, olives & torn basil leaves together with juice of 1lemon & the remaining olive oil.
Put salmon at one end of roasting tray, sprinkle liberally with lemon juice. Salt & pepper (I only use black pepper, don?t cook with salt)
At the other end put the beans & toms mix put the anchovies on top of this.
Cover with foil; cook for 10-15 mins.
I serve this in a dish with the bean mix topped with the salmon , and with new potatotes & nice bread.put the anchovies over this.
For puddings I usually do something like a lemon or strawberry mousse type thing.

That Jamie Oliver salmon thing is gorgeous - have made it and been served it many times and it's always well received.

I can't get over the rudeness of the husband though. If they have "issues" they shouldn't have accepted the invite. As far as I'm concerned, unless you actually have allergies, if you've accepted an invite you smile nicely, try to eat as much as possible and look grateful.

Bloody cheek!

Something I occasionally make as a good and unusual veggie starter:

Avocado and Rocquefort Puffs

Mash up ripe avocado with the cheese (don't know about quantities but probably 1 large/2 small avocados and a packet of Rocquefort)

season with pepper only (cheese is salty)

Buy ready rolled puff pastry, roll out and cut out a circle (use a side plate to cut round), put a dollop of the avocado/cheese mixture in the centre and then fold over and seal the edges and crimp a little

Brush with milk or egg wash and bake until golden - around 20 mins probably

Serve on a bed of shredded lettuce with a wedge of lemon.

Goes really well with Gewurtzraminer (sp?) if you want a wine suggestion as well!

Jamie's fish pie is always a winner here ... i also do a Fish Lasagna which is quite nice for a change

Does everyone eat mushrooms ? I have some nice mushroom starters.. Or maybe even skip starter and do some canapes\nibbles with drinks

if you're looking to do haloumi how about the fried haloumi with red chilli/lemon thing that nigella does? Can find recipe if u want.... looks nice on a big whte plate with nice bread to mop ou juices and is piddlingly easy for a starter...

Why are you even bothering?
They sound awful and not worthy of yuor time and energy.

Oh I've done it before but I'm going to say it again. He was tactless giving you the recipe but it can be VERY stressful being a 'fussy' (HATE, HATE, HATE that term) eater and going to dinner at a friend's. I'm much better than I was as as child but my dad still has a VERY limited repertoire of food and is quite shy so find's it hard to say he doesn't like things, he dreads going to other people's to eat and I do understand it.
Anyway, it sounds like there are lots of great ideas on here (delia's pud is FAB, I've had that!) We went to a friend's for dinner a few weeks ago and she made a beautiful Wild Mushroom Risotto but it depends if it's the sort of dinner where you don't mind hanging around in the kitchen stirring whilst having a glass of wine...

GRrrrrrrrrr Moondog. Read my post!