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Old 19-11-2008, 11:26
jessica~rabbit
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hi folks, im looking for a bit of a hand! my best friend and her husband and kids are coming for dinner at the weekend. nothing formal, but i want to impress, as her hubby is a fab cook! im not to shabby myself as i have NO IDEA what to do for my main im doing carrot and orange soup to start, and baked lime cheese cake for desert. we're all going out during the day together, so it cant be too complicated or take too long to prepare.

the kids are having something different, so they dont need to be considered, none of us likes fish, the men dont like veg except carrots and tatties, but apart from that, im open to suggestion!!! please lol !
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Old 19-11-2008, 11:31
indianwells
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Maybe something cooked long and slow like Beef in Guinnesss with Button Mushrooms? You can leave it in the slow cooker or oven and there'll be no issues with timing, just put the whole casserole dish or slow cooker insert straight on the table. Needs nothing to accompany it other than some good mash, possibly Champ or Colcannon?
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Old 19-11-2008, 11:36
jessica~rabbit
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Maybe something cooked long and slow like Beef in Guinnesss with Button Mushrooms? You can leave it in the slow cooker or oven and there'll be no issues with timing, just put the whole casserole dish or slow cooker insert straight on the table. Needs nothing to accompany it other than some good mash, possibly Champ or Colcannon?
oh that sounds lovely - i had been thinking of some kind of casserole or one-pot dish, but as i could only think of sausage casserole or rattatoullie (so?!), i got a bit stuck lol
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Old 19-11-2008, 11:42
kimindex
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Yes or a pie with a potato dish that can be cooked in the oven, with spinach or something. A St David's Pie with chicken, leeks, mushrooms and carrots in a cream sauce, topped with puff pastry, as an example. Or a lasagne or cannelloni with a salad.

Or a goulash, beef bourguignonne, stroganoff
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Old 19-11-2008, 11:43
indianwells
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oh that sounds lovely - i had been thinking of some kind of casserole or one-pot dish, but as i could only think of sausage casserole or rattatoullie (so?!), i got a bit stuck lol
Long and slow cooking is the way to go I think. Gives time for all the flavours to develop so it will taste good whatever it is. And don't worry about someone coming who is a great cook, they are coming for your company, not judging your cooking skills. Just relax and don't try anything you've never done before, it's bound to go wrong! You must have a killer dish that you could do with your eyes closed that everyone always likes?
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Old 19-11-2008, 11:50
jessica~rabbit
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Yes or a pie with a potato dish that can be cooked in the oven, with spinach or something. A St David's Pie with chicken, leeks, mushrooms and carrots in a cream sauce, topped with puff pastry, as an example. Or a lasagne or cannelloni with a salad.
like the st davids pie idea. unfotunatley lasagne would not work as my friend doesnt like bolognese, would you believe! i thought everyone liked it

Long and slow cooking is the way to go I think. Gives time for all the flavours to develop so it will taste good whatever it is. And don't worry about someone coming who is a great cook, they are coming for your company, not judging your cooking skills. Just relax and don't try anything you've never done before, it's bound to go wrong! You must have a killer dish that you could do with your eyes closed that everyone always likes?
fish fingers beans and waffles? lol, i work 5 nights, so generally on the weekend we have something from the freezer. usually when i do cook, i dont do the same thing twice, with the exception of soups and my cheesecake ratta....ratato... that stuff, i can do with the kids running round me, the dog going daft and my husband shouting for the remote, but im the only one who likes it lol, as hubby doesnt like aubergine or corgette, and the kids are going through a fussy phase just now.

i know that they are coming for the company, but im very competitive
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Old 19-11-2008, 11:51
jessica~rabbit
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appologies for all the typos, the kids and dog are sword fighting with the fancy twigs out the vase in the fireplace - they're all going daft today!!!
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Old 19-11-2008, 12:06
kimindex
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like the st davids pie idea. unfotunatley lasagne would not work as my friend doesnt like bolognese, would you believe! i thought everyone liked it


i know that they are coming for the company, but im very competitive
I guess a non-bolognese one (vegetarian!) would be out?

Cassoulet might impress them or they might hate it:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/da...et_76086.shtml

Lamb tagine or similar.

There's lots of mediterranean type stews. I have in a book examples like Italian beef casserole with polenta dumplings, Mediterranean chicken stew (herbs, white wine, olives, lemon), chicken casserole with mustard and tarragon, Spanish-style chicken casserole (red pepper, garlic, tomatoes, sherry, olives), pork and white bean chili, cypriot pork and coriander stew, chicken fricasee.
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Old 19-11-2008, 13:26
jessica~rabbit
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I guess a non-bolognese one (vegetarian!) would be out?

Cassoulet might impress them or they might hate it:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/da...et_76086.shtml

Lamb tagine or similar.

There's lots of mediterranean type stews. I have in a book examples like talian beef casserole with polenta dumplings, Mediterranean chicken stew (herbs, white wine, olives, lemon), chicken casserole with mustard and tarragon, Spanish-style chicken casserole (red pepper, garlic, tomatoes, sherry, olives), pork and white bean chili, cypriot pork and coriander stew, chicken fricasee.
my mouth is wattering!!!
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Old 19-11-2008, 13:32
kimindex
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my mouth is wattering!!!

Do you want the recipe?
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Old 19-11-2008, 13:36
jessica~rabbit
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Do you want the recipe?
would be much obliged
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Old 19-11-2008, 13:53
kimindex
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would be much obliged
Here you go!

Serves 4-6
2 tab olive oil
1 sliced onion
2 crushed cloves of garlic
1 tab all-purpose flour
2 pounds of chuck steak, cubed into 1in cubes
1 and a half cups of beef stock
1 tab oregano
2 14oz cans tomatoes
2 red peppers roasted, peeled and cut into strips
2/3 cup instant polenta
1/3 cup pesto

Preheat ove to 300F. Heat oil in large flameproof casserole, add onion and garlic, cook over medoum heat for 8 mins or until soft but not brown. Sprinkle flour over top and stir well. Add beef, stock, oregano, tomatoes and peppers. Simmer for 15 mins and then bake, covered, for 1 1/2 hours.

Place 1 1/4 cups water in a saucepan, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer. Pour in polenta in thin stream, season and cook, stirring, for 2 mins or until it thickens and comes away from the side of the pan. Remove and cool.

Shape cooked polenta into 12 round dumplings, place on top of casserole and bake, covered, for 1 hour and then uncovered for 20 mins. Garnish with pesto and serve.
Sounds like a lot of time in the oven but what do I know about cooking meat!? Nothing. Sounds nice though!
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Old 19-11-2008, 14:01
jessica~rabbit
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Here you go!



Sounds like a lot of time in the oven but what do I know about cooking meat!? Nothing. Sounds nice though!
thanx!!! that sounds amazing. im hungry just thinking about it lol. just need to figure out how much a cup is - anyone got a good conversion table lol??
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Old 19-11-2008, 14:05
kimindex
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thanx!!! that sounds amazing. im hungry just thinking about it lol. just need to figure out how much a cup is - anyone got a good conversion table lol??
As it happens....

http://www.asknumbers.com/CookingConversion.aspx



One US cup = 1.2 British teacup
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Old 19-11-2008, 14:12
jessica~rabbit
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aren't you just a fountain of knowledge!
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Old 19-11-2008, 14:14
kimindex
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aren't you just a fountain of knowledge!
Information is power!
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Old 19-11-2008, 14:51
weateallthepies
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Maybe something cooked long and slow like Beef in Guinnesss with Button Mushrooms? You can leave it in the slow cooker or oven and there'll be no issues with timing, just put the whole casserole dish or slow cooker insert straight on the table. Needs nothing to accompany it other than some good mash, possibly Champ or Colcannon?
I did beef in beer yesterday. Such an easy dish for the results you get, I'd forgotten how nice it could be.

Spitfire rather than Guinness.

mmmmmmm....
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Old 19-11-2008, 15:22
*alanakins*
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what about carbonara? very yummy. im starving, wish i could have that for tea tonight
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