Quick help please! How to pad out a meal for unexpected guests?

[stubbyfingers]

We've got an extra two people coming for tea and I need suggestions for padding out the menu. I've got a chicken tagine type stew already in the slow cooker (which was originally to serve four) but have to go to work for a couple of hours.

So, what would go with it? I would like to serve another meat dish but needs to be something fast (so not a stew) and ingredients available from Tesco. I'm thinking couscous and salad too.

Thanks!

A roast veg couscous, cucumber and yoghurt raita, flatbreads, kofte kebabs.

Oh and a simple salad of good tomatoes, chopped red onion and balsamic vinegar.

How about some lamb koftas? Minced lamb, combined with some oregano, cinammon, cumin then squashed onto skewers in sausage shapes, or made into small patties and grilled. They'd be lovely in pitta breads with houmous and TDWP's tomato salad .

If you want a proper recipe for this, I can find one, but am just off to pick up DTs from nursery.

Ok, just bulk out the tagine with a whole load more onions, carrots and caugettes. Also add more liquid (stock, water, or a tin of blended up tomatoes.

The great thing about tGINES IS THEY CAN BE QUICKLY BULKED OUT TO ACCOMODATE MORE PEOPLE.

damn caps lock key

Make lots of couscous

a salad

and maybe some flat bread? or pitta bread

i'd just do loads of couscous plus breads. have you got spuds in the tagine? if not do some spuds too.

Thanks for all your replies

I've taken your advice and padded out the tagine with a tin of chickpeas. I've got some pittas in the freezer, so that's good. Do you think potatoes AND chickpeas is a bit carb heavy?

I really like the idea of koftas too, maybe I'll have to skive off work a bit early? Wish I could stay home and fanny about in the kitchen all day; bliss!

tbk could you post the kofte recipe please? I'll pick up some lamb mince and have a drawer full of spices. Thanks!

I think potatoes and chickpeas is fine - especially for a meal like this.

If you're doing a tagine, can you buy some dips to go with the pittas to make it go further?

Hope it's not too late Stubby, didn't have a moment to check MN earlier and have only just got back from getting car MOT'd. Here's the recipe, they can be made really quickly!

450 minced lamb
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp each mixed spice, ground coriander and ground cumin

Mix together all the ingredients and season well. (The recipe does also call for chopped mint, parsley and rosemary, but in the absence of any fresh herbs, I'd add a teaspoon each of dried oregano and coriander - or chopped fresh coriander if you have it).

Divide mixture into 4 and squeeze it around skewers to make long sausage shapes (or make into smaller patties). Then grill until cooked through (can be served a little pink if you like them that way).

Here's a good dressing for them (if you have time/ingredients!)

Chilli Yogurt
200g carton 0% fat Greek yogurt
2 red chillies seeded and finely chopped
2tbsps chopped coriander
2 garlic clove
juice of 1 lime
pinch caster sugar

Just mix all the ingredients together.

Was going to say chickpeas - always my way of padding out a meal, and even more of a bonus that chickpeas are often found in tagines anyway!

tkb thanks for this. Guests arrived early so didn't get chance to use your recipe but I'm keeping it to use again as the meal went down very well for my first attempt at Moroccan.