Friday night with friends, needs meal ideas please

[sashmum]

having some friends over on friday evening, they have suggested getting a take away but to be honest i really don't fancy that, i honestly don't mind cooking, if fact as im trying to be good at the moment (diet wise) i would prefer to cook.

I would like to do something along the lines of a chilli, but not a chilli if you see what i mean, basically a pot job, with salad, crusty bread sort of thing.

Don't want to do lasagna as he is italian and this is one of 'his dishes'.

So any bright ideas?

I thought maybe a morrocan tagine type of thing, but don't have any recipes.
Help!!

all this wintery weather I would do a lovely big beef casserole wih veg/pots in and a generous splash of red. Some nice baguette/crysty bread and butter on teh side and you are sorted!

i think what i want is something i haven't cooked for them before, as we haven't seen them for a while i want something easy yet impressive.

My dh doesn't cook, but hers does and when ever we go to theirs he always comes out with something he's just thrown together!!!Which always tastes fab

thats why i wanted to do something slightly different

coq au vin, yummy with frenh bread and green beans. nigella has a good recipe

I do thai baked rice a lot for friends. Quick and easy but tastes lovely. Just serve with thai prawn crackers. Not great for the calories counting though

Also do a lovely sausage, chorizo and bean hot pot

easy peasy recipe

I use frozen spinach (have used fresh also) but it is easier to have a bag of frozen on standy. Doubles up no problem. The only thing I do is up the anti on the spices eg, if it says 1tsp I put 2 in.

or do a chilli but do it with chunks of beef rather than minced beef - seems "posher" somehow and tastes fantastic. I've used this recipe

Serve with cheese, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, nachos, rice and/or wedges and chopped coriander

Tillyscoutsmum - that does look nice, will try that out myself.

It is lovely - I add an extra pepper and two cans of coconut milk instead of one. Also be careful with how much paste you use because the different brands vary massively. 3-4 teaspoons of Blue Dragon on for example, will blow your heads off ! 1-2 is about right

thanks for the tips Tillyscoutsmum.