The annual - What do I feed these people? - thread

In-laws (FIL, MIL, BIL, SIL) coming to visit next weekend.  Steve is planning a salad-y, tapas sort of thing for Saturday lunch.  We are going out for an Italian meal on Saturday night.  Leaving Sunday lunch - which initially we thought about making veggie lasagna for Sunday, but as we're just having Italian Saturday night, so we need to come up with something else.

Things that are definitely out:  meat/poultry/fish (2 veggies), eggs for anything other than baking/binding (2 eggs-are-gross people), aubergine (1 allergy), hot chillies (wussies!), cumin & coriander (2 I-don't-like-cumin-or-coriander people).  So in my mind, that pretty much rules out Tex-Mex (they wouldn't appreciate it) and curry type dishes.

We're doing a Mediterranean spread on Saturday lunch (as stated) and Italian already.  I need something different, quick/easy to prepare, but still kind of special/celebratory.  Usually when MIL or BIL cook for the whole family, they make two separate meals - one for the meat eaters and one for the veggies, but we don't really like to do that (nor do we have the kitchen space!).

 

I would do some kind of filo pastry pie thingy. I made one at Xmas, filled with roasted peppers and aubergines. If I do it again I think I'd add some feta or buffalo mozzarella, roasted tomatoes and fresh basil leaves.  But you could put anything in it really.  Also, I saw a recipe on the BBC food boards for a chickpea thing in puff pastry that sounded good, I have the recipe saved somewhere so let me know if you'd like it.

I was thinking of something along those lines - filo or puff pastry, tart, sort of thing - really just a vague idea.  Do you know if it can be made up in advance and then baked at the last moment?

Other ideas that crossed my mind - maybe a nut roast (but I know 1 or 2 of the meat eaters might balk at that idea) or maybe stuffed peppers...  Steve and I have been trying to brainstorm.  Also I saw something about potato pie, but worried maybe too stodgy?  Then again we'll all be drinking Saturday night...

veggie sheperds pie?  bit of a winter dish though.

stuffed zucchini/squash

So quiche and frittata are out because of the eggs.      How about a meal of delicious soup and some really good bread?  Homemade pizza doesn't have to be Italian...  a creamy garlic sauce, yummy cheese, maybe some veggies everyone likes.  I have a recipe for cottage cheese patties that are delicious, one of my favourite vegetarian dishes.  Are refried beans too spicy?  You could do some mild Mexican dishes using beans instead of meat.  Or Sunday brunch...  pancakes, crepes, waffles with all the toppings. 
Oh dear, now I'm hungry.   

You could prepare the filling in advance then bung it all together at the last minute.

I just looked in my Rose Elliot book which has a "celebrations section" and these are some of her ideas, let me know if you want recipes and I'll type them out later:

Morrocan flavoured Aubergine Wellington
Wild mushroom roulade
Whole baked brie in filo with apricot sauce
Butternut squash with porcini and garlic stuffing & celariac mash
Christmas galette (basically an open pie with veggies)

Some more ideas from Rose Elliot:

http://www.roseelliot.com/recipe_summary.php?catID=23

Maybe something like a corn chowder with (mild) jalapeno cheese bread?

Thoughts of all of these food suggestions are making me hungry!

Can you have a BBQ, that is an easy way to feed both meat eaters and vegatarians.  For the veggies try portabello mushrooms with a garlic herb butter or a bit of parmasan or mozzerella cheese, red pepper 1/2 with goats cheese or a feta herb and bread crumb stuffing.  Butternut squash is great on the BBQ as are many veggies.  We like ours with humous dip which I top with roasted pine nuts.  For an easy garlic bread I use plain nans and put on BBQ at the last minute brushed with melted garlic butter.

Thanks for all of the suggestions, everyone!  Keep 'em coming.  Those Rose Elliot recipes look delish!  DH and I will have to toss these ideas around, and I'm not sure yet if I'm doing the cooking (for Sunday) or if he is.

Can you have a BBQ, that is an easy way to feed both meat eaters and vegatarians. 

I was going to suggest a barbecue! You can do tortillas or pizzas on the barbecue too! You could roast a bunch of veggies ahead of time, then let people assemble their own tortillas, and add their own sour cream, cheese, etc. That way you could also have some grilled meat or chicken for the non-veggies.

A barbie is a great idea! Tofu or halloumi kebabs are delish barbecued.

For some reason, our BBQs just never seem to turn out very well - I think because we bought a cheap-a*s piece of crap BBQ that's now falling apart, and also maybe I need to take over manning the BBQ (maybe) - but really I think it's that the one we have isn't very good.  Was trying to talk DH into buying a new BBQ (a good one!) but I don't think it's going to happen by Saturday/Sunday.   And his argument was (mostly I think cos he didn't want to spend the money) - do you really think the weather is going to be nice enough for us to use it much this summer?  The long-range forecast isn't very good.

Also I saw something about potato pie, but worried maybe too stodgy?  Then again we'll all be drinking Saturday night...

Ooh! A vegetarian friend gave me the best recipe (very loose and non measured) for potato pie which we all love. It's not that stodgy, really. I think it's all in the size of the slice. It goes like this:

Thinly slice enough potatoes to nearly fill a deep pie dish and then parboil them in salted water until they are nearly cooked.
Meanwhile saute two large onions (or more, if you like onion) in olive oil until golden. I usually add some rosemary here because I love it, you can add whatever herbs you want or no herbs at all, definitely use salt and pepper.
Grate about a cup of your favorite cheese, (you can use more if you like). I sometimes toss a little flour through the cheese to make sure it doesn't separate.
Then take one of those shortcrust pastries you can get already rolled at the supermarket and line your pie dish with it and layer the potatoes, onions and cheese, trying for at least two layers of each, top with more shortcrust pastry, cut some nice vents and bake about 30 minutes at 180. It should be golden brown.
Voila! It really looks like more work than it is. Also, it's really nice cold so you could do salady things with it and maybe have a quiches as well... all good prepare ahead type stuff.

What about a veggie chili?  Super easy, and you can add just about anything to it to make a great meal.  Plus, you can have some peppers on the side to spice it up!