Want to cook something mind blowingly awesome-HELP

I'm an OKAY cook, but I don't try anything inventive. I want to knock the socks of some people with an awesome dinner, but not sure what to cook.

Anyone got ideas for something that looks good, tastes good, and is easy ?

are you looking for a one dish meal or many dishes????

Lamb shanks. as long as you cook them slow you're fine. Put them in a crockpot,(or oven roast very slowly)bit of red wine, onion, can of tomatoes (drained) , herbs. serve with creamy mashed spuds and green beans.
Dessert:
Berry trifle, or an easy choc. mousse served in well chilled glasses

If You have a hooded BBQ with the rotisserrie then a crackling 5 spiced orange and lemon zest roll of filled pork loin stuffed with a nice prune-leek-bacon-sausage mixture rotisserried and in a roasting dish at the same time - some lovely vegescoated with a little olive oil and some water in bottom of dish with fennel bulbs, garlic cloves and freshly cracked seasoning.

Just the one dish if possible... keep the ideas coming ! Thanks for the ideas so far guys and gals.

Chicken Breast stuffed with Spinach & Feta

I defrosted 3/4 cup spinach in the mircowave, stirred in 50g crumbled feta and 2 teaspoons of basil pesto and a bit've cracked pepper.

Make a pocket in the chicken breast and stuff with spinach stuff

Dip the stuffed breast in egg then breadcrumbs and bake at 180 for about 30 - 35 mins - SO delish!

Serve with salad or stemed veggies or pasta... YUMMO!

oooh hasselback potatoes are also good!

yes sure why not buy some weiner snitchel lay it flat and stuff with a pice of ham some cheese and a slice of tomato add S&p and then fold up to make like a turnover , use three tooth picks to hold it together, then dip in flour, then egg wash , then breadcrumbs wuth seaasonings of parmessioncheese if you have it or just S&P , place in the firdge to rest and then fry in butter & oil, absolutely delishious with cauliflour & cheese and peasor carrots and some hasslebackspuds, which are spuds that you fan, ok you take a knife and then on a angle cut almost down to the bottom so you get like a fan, or a spud that has lots of diaginal crosses, mix together 2 tablespoon of marg with a sprinkle of curry powder dab this over the potaotes and microwave for 12-15 mins basting all the while, serve and man will your guest be impressed.

Tip: stick to something you know and trust, that you can't over or under cook. Nothing worse than serving your guests overcooked dry chicken, or meat that is still running.
What about a lovely pot pie, (or you could do individual ones) with lovely jacket or scalloped potatoes, diced carrots and greens.
A light dessert to follow, maybe a cheesecake or panacotta.

Buy salmon fillets, make or buy a good aoli (one with dill is yum)
Gourmet potato's (skin on, boil and serve with butter s & p & parsley)
Simple lettuce salad (good quality dressing)
Salmon will be the only thing you will have to spend time on in the kitchen,
very easy meal but lovely and salmon is not something you would eat everyday...
Have a wonderful evening with what ever you decide to cook

Bump for more ideas :)

Whatever you do, try and do something that doesn't require you to stand in the kitchen for 20 or 30 minutes at the last minute frying up food. Not only will your guests want to crowd into the kitchen and distract you, but by the time you sit down to the meal you will feel frazzled and hot, not the cool, calm hostess you hope to be. Also the thought that will be in the back of your mind the whole time will be the huge pile of dishes sitting by the sink that you couldn't deal with because you were so busy getting the final cooking done.

On River cottage the other night, he did a slow roasted lamb shoulder. Here are the steps:

1. In a mortar and pestle grind up about a tspn each of coriander, fennel and cumin seeds. Add some fresh rosemary, mint (if you have it) garlic, sea salt, pepper and olive oil. If your guest like it, also some fresh chilli. Grind it a bit more then rub it into the scoured skin of the shoulder.

2. Place in a pre-heated oven approximately 6:15 hours before you plan on eating your main course and sear for 30mins at 180 - 200C for to brown the skin and bring out the spice's flavours.

3. Take out of the oven, add½cup wine or stock. put the lid on your roaster (if it has a lid) or cover with tinfoil and put back in the oven for 5½hrs at 100 - 110C

4. Take out of the oven and let rest. In the meantime you can drain off the stock (usually there is a lot of fat and you may want to drain that off if you don't eat much fat) and reduce it down or make a gravy with it.

While it is cooking you could also throw in a dish with potato, kumara and pumpkin chunks, garlic, baby onions, courgettes, red capsicum, button mushrooms (or whatever your want) rubbed with oil and sprinkled with sea salt. Give them a couple of hours because the oven temp is very low and will take longer to cook.

Decide what green or greens you want to serve your meal with.

I made quick pickled onion and mint sauce as side dishes.

Start your meal with a simple green salad and some nice vinaigrette.

I'm an OKAY cook, but I don't try anything inventive. I want to knock the socks of some people with an awesome dinner, but not sure what to cook.

Anyone got ideas for something that looks good, tastes good, and is easy !

are you looking for a one dish meal or many dishes!

What about a home made cannelloni?If you don't make your own pasta, just buy some fresh lasagne sheets and wrap the filling.Much, much easier that filling tubes - and cannelloni is hard to beat with a lovely crisp salad and some crusty bread.

Lamb shanks. as long as you cook them slow you're fine. Put them in a crockpot,(or oven roast very slowly)bit of red wine, onion, can of tomatoes (drained) , herbs. serve with creamy mashed spuds and green beans.
Dessert:
Berry trifle, or an easy choc. mousse served in well chilled glasses

a chicken cheesecake

Just the one dish if possible. keep the ideas coming ! Thanks for the ideas so far guys and gals.

Chicken Breast stuffed with Spinach & Feta

I defrosted 3/4 cup spinach in the mircowave, stirred in 50g crumbled feta and 2 teaspoons of basil pesto and a bit've cracked pepper.

Make a pocket in the chicken breast and stuff with spinach stuff

Dip the stuffed breast in egg then breadcrumbs and bake at 180 for about 30 - 35 mins - SO delish!

Serve with salad or stemed veggies or pasta. YUMMO!

Tip: stick to something you know and trust, that you can't over or under cook. Nothing worse than serving your guests overcooked dry chicken, or meat that is still running.
What about a lovely pot pie, (or you could do individual ones) with lovely jacket or scalloped potatoes, diced carrots and greens.
A light dessert to follow, maybe a cheesecake or panacotta.

Buy salmon fillets, make or buy a good aoli (one with dill is yum)
Gourmet potato's (skin on, boil and serve with butter s & p & parsley)
Simple lettuce salad (good quality dressing)
Salmon will be the only thing you will have to spend time on in the kitchen,
very easy meal but lovely and salmon is not something you would eat everyday.
Have a wonderful evening with what ever you decide to cook

Whatever you do, try and do something that doesn't require you to stand in the kitchen for 20 or 30 minutes at the last minute frying up food. Not only will your guests want to crowd into the kitchen and distract you, but by the time you sit down to the meal you will feel frazzled and hot, not the cool, calm hostess you hope to be. Also the thought that will be in the back of your mind the whole time will be the huge pile of dishes sitting by the sink that you couldn't deal with because you were so busy getting the final cooking done.

On River cottage the other night, he did a slow roasted lamb shoulder. Here are the steps:

1. In a mortar and pestle grind up about a tspn each of coriander, fennel and cumin seeds. Add some fresh rosemary, mint (if you have it) garlic, sea salt, pepper and olive oil. If your guest like it, also some fresh chilli. Grind it a bit more then rub it into the scoured skin of the shoulder.

2. Place in a pre-heated oven approximately 6:15 hours before you plan on eating your main course and sear for 30mins at 180 - 200C for to brown the skin and bring out the spice's flavours.

3. Take out of the oven, add½cup wine or stock. put the lid on your roaster (if it has a lid) or cover with tinfoil and put back in the oven for 5½hrs at 100 - 110C

4. Take out of the oven and let rest. In the meantime you can drain off the stock (usually there is a lot of fat and you may want to drain that off if you don't eat much fat) and reduce it down or make a gravy with it.

While it is cooking you could also throw in a dish with potato, kumara and pumpkin chunks, garlic, baby onions, courgettes, red capsicum, button mushrooms (or whatever your want) rubbed with oil and sprinkled with sea salt. Give them a couple of hours because the oven temp is very low and will take longer to cook.

Decide what green or greens you want to serve your meal with.

I made quick pickled onion and mint sauce as side dishes.

Start your meal with a simple green salad and some nice vinaigrette.

What about a home made cannelloni!If you don't make your own pasta, just buy some fresh lasagne sheets and wrap the filling.Much, much easier that filling tubes - and cannelloni is hard to beat with a lovely crisp salad and some crusty bread.

Want to cook something mind blowingly awesome-HELP

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