The big meal challenge

[Jeannine]

You are to cook a  formal dinner for 8

You work full time all through the week and the week of the dinner you work Sat till 2 pm. Dinner is at 7pm.

You need a starter, a fish course,a main course, and a dessert. Oh and a salad and bread, plus salad dressing

All has to be made from scratch

You are on a tight budget

Two guests are vegetarian and 1 doesn't eat veggies at all

Alcohol in recipes is acceptable

You can use a bread machine

You  have no room left in your freezer so can't make ahead and freeze.

Only veggies and fruits in season(or home preserved) and it is last week in May.

You have no house work to do and the table has been set for you.

XX Jeannine

[Jeannine]

[tim]

No - you are doing it!!

[cleo]

The veggies are happy with others eating meat?


Starter-deep fried tofu with a chilli dipping sauce


Fish course-Mackeral,steamed on a bed of wild seasonal leaves or for the veggies a soft bean cake decorated with radishes carved as fish

Main course-Slowly stewed shoulder of lamb with haricot beans,herbs and dried apricots-for the veggies. A Nut and bean loaf with miso gravy.

That`s enough for now-I can only think on the hoof so far  xx

[valmarg]

If life's too short to stuff a mushroom, its far too short to bother with that lot!!

valmarg

[Tin Shed]

Starter - spaghetti ali olio
Fish - dabs, asparagus and new pots [working on the veggie version]
Meat - beef/mushroom  stroganov with rice
Dessert - fresh orange jelly.

Phew, glad I have sorted that out or else I would have woken up in the middle of the night worrying!!!

[cambourne7]

This was a simular problem for new year dinner for 10 and a child this is what we did with most being made night before and it cost maybe £40 and £10 for cheese course

Starter : warm beetroot salad with goats cheese; Smoked Salmon on scotch pancakes with horseradish cream; Cheese triangles and Carrot sticks for child

Main : baked sweet potato with stilton; normady chicken with a chive sauce on a bed of mash (no veg); Sausage and Mash

Desert : Bannana Bailies Cream Brulee; Mincemeat and Apricot crumble; Angel Delight

Coffee and Cheese Board

I will post some of these recipies when i finish typing them.

Cambourne7