What can I feed them?

[janeite]

We have guests coming next week, probably for four nights. We'll probably eat out one night, which means I need three potential meals. I'm veggie and would prefer to cook veggie, or with only minor additions for carnivores.

I wondered about -

night one - Morrocan-ish theme - veggie tagine, cous cous, fatoush (pitta bread salad); don't know what to do for pudding though

night two - fajitas - is it easy to have meat on the side with these? Potential pud?

night three - maybe pasta? Icecream and something for pud - but what?

It all needs to feed four adults, two children and a baby.

And how much choice should I offer for breakfasts do you think?

I love cooking but get myself in a flap planning!

janeite, your menu sounds tasty & i wouldn't make any changes whether they are veggie or not tbh.

for brekkies I'd just have some cereal, toast n maybe scrambled eggs available. you can't really be expected to cater like a hotel for each person. Maybe find out what the kids will eat (if not yours) and get that in plus a couple of bits but wouldn't go over the top.

ooh, and your night 3 maybe pasta, how about veggie lasagne? I'm not veggie but still very yummy, or baked risotto with mushrooms/veggies?

enjoy yourself

night one - Morrocan-ish theme - veggie tagine, cous cous, fatoush (pitta bread salad);

Sounds DIVINE.

night two - fajitas -

VERY easy to fry off some chicken breasrs, slice up and serve on the side

night three - maybe pasta?

ALWAYS a winner. Could do a creamy one, use boursin and some fresh mushrooms and onion.

A lemon tart with double cream would go well with this.

Other pudding ideas -

Eaton mess - easy peasy - strawberries, meringues, cram all mushed up together

Fruit salads with cream

Cheesecakes

What about a homemade rice pudding for night 2 or a fruit crumble?

Thanks. Thomcat - mmmmmmmmm to Lemon tart - I love it but have never made one; do you have an idiot-proof recipe at all? And can you tell me more about frying off some chicken pieces please? This means absolutely nothing to me!

Creamy boursin pasta sounds fab - dd1 wouldn't eat it though; I suppose she could always just have her portion with pesto!

Lucysmam - your breakfast advice is very sensible; thank you!

Bellavita - ooh I love rice pudding too, especially with Nigella's baked plums - real autumnal comfort food!

This tart is easy to make & very nice

Frying off chicken.

If you are up for it buy some free range chicken breasts, try and get some mini chicken fillets or ready sliced so you only to do minimum amount of handling. Buy without skins on.

Heat frying pan or a wok. Add oil, olive or vegetable, enough to cover bottom of pan. Heat oil. Add chicken. Push around with a wooden spoon until meat turns white on all sides. Ten continue to cook until meat starts to go a bit golden in colour here and there. Should all take about 15 minutes or so really.

Get some lovely garlic bread to have witht he pasta. Sainsbury's do a garlic bread pizza thing that is soooo nice.

Thank you. That tart looks amazing; I suspect I would want to eat the whole thing myself though and make everybody else have a choc ice instead!

Thanks also for the chicken guidance - it makes me shudder a bit to think of cooking it though (the smell, gah). Would it be terrible of me to buy a packet of ready cooked?

You know what - don't do chicken. I'd never expect meat in a vegetarian household.

do some lovely veggies, peppers, red, yellow & orange, onions, maybe courgette strips, and would aubergine work? and serve with grated cheese, guacamole, salsa, iceberg lettuce, sour cream. Will be fine without meat.

Are the guests the sort to help out in the kitchen? Maybe one of them could cook the chicken?

It would be lovely without the chicken though...

If I went to a veggie house I would think it odd and feel downright UNCOMFORTABLE for them to serve up meat for my benefit

desist immediatley with this pandering!

serve your menu, sounds fab

no meat

Oh you gorgeous people! I LOVE Mumsnet.

We're not a veggie household really, just 50% of us - but the two carnivores manage without meat at least 90% of the time. I am so glad you all think I shouldn't bother with it though.

SO -

I think I'll make the lemon tart to go after the fajitas. What could I do after the tagine, that isn't as fiddly as making baklava? Night three - something easy to go with bought in icecream - would it be really lazy to just do that pud where you pour strong coffee over the icecream?

my favourite house to go to for meals does good plain food

no faffing, no stressing in the kitchen

good food, wine and company

anything else is just garnish imo

we are not professional chefs in a restaurant fgs (well, some on here may be)

if I were you, I would do stuff you normally do, meals you are confident in doing

and for dessert, top dollar ice cream and fab fruit

easy peasy

I'm confident with all of the meals I've suggested (just not the meat!) and we have all of them a lot as a family; but I wouldn't normally do puddings and I would like it to be a bit more of a treat for us than just the usual stuff, hence wanting nice puds.

The tagine thing is one of the easiest things in the world to make and the cous cous is just pour water on and stir stuff in!

Don't know easy these would be to make but I adore these :

Mexican desert

Doesn't get easier than Moroccan Fruit Salad

Or just make your own Uk style rice pudding?

Fruit salad is a really good idea actually.

Those Mexican things look yummy but I'd rather not do deep-frying as it stresses me out!

Yeah I wouldn't want to deep fry the dough thing either, but when they are made for you, ohhh MY... GOD They are soooooooooo good!

I like Clementine cake for pud when I do Morrocan - served with creme fraiche (or ponced up creme fraiche).

If you want to buy a pudding, I recommend Sainsburys tirimasu for after the pasta. Really good (not the Taste The Difference one, just normal.)

Re the veggie issue: I'm veggie. Dp isn't. When we have people to stay or to dinner 99% of the time I do veggie. No one ever complains! I figure if I'm cooking for people I need to be able to taste and enjoy the food with the guests.

janiete, Thomcat's lemon tart suggestion is something i'm going to try for sure . . .looks lovely and scrummy and best of all, oh hates lemon so more for me

I agree with the don't bother with meat thing, if you are veggie and your family eat veggie foods with you then cater veggie for guests & if they desperately want meat suggest that they handle/cook their own that way you don't have to deal with it if you're not comfortable with it.

hey just a thought, if you wanted to serve chicken why not serve quorn pieces they might not even tell the difference. my sil eats it all the time!!!! ps hope it all goes well.

Lucysmam - that sounds my kind of thinking; I like your style!

The clementine cake looks good; I've made a few Nigella things but not tried that one - is it reliable as I do think her recipes are sometimes a bit hit and miss?