Easy but impressive dinner ideas?

[Tommo]

My in-laws, who hate me, are coming over for dinner tomorrow night and I'm stressed about what to make them. One is a vegetarian and the other is impossible to please.
They LOATHE me and constantly go on about how people on benefits and non-workers are a drain on their taxes, and how they're sick of paying for lazy mothers to sit at home all day and watch tv rather than get out and work, and contribute to the tax pool. Blah blah blah

So I want to make something delicious, nutritious and a bit dazzling to say, my job is a housewife and I'm good at it.

Any ideas? I'm so stressed, they'll complain no matter what it is!

 

[MrsR]

Starter-Greek Style Tomato-Courgette Fritters with fresh herbs, serve with hummus

Main-Lasagne Marinara with Spinach, garlic bread and salad or Spinach Linguine with Basil-Coriander Pesto and Artichokes.

Dessert-Vegan chocolate cake

This is what I would serve, it's all vegan and absolute awesomely delicious. I have the recipes if you fancy any of this. Just PM me x

 

[Tommo]

Hmmm that all sounds delicious, especially the fritters with hummus although one of my food aversions is onion so I have to be careful.

I hadn't considered doing a pasta dish, that's opened up a while range of ideas thank you. Definitely inspired, thanks

 

[MrsR]

There's vegan risotto dishes too or veggie burgers. This http://www.theveganhousehold.com/mains/roasted-broccoli-and-chickpea-burgers/ is my favourite burger recipe. I'd just take out any onions in the recipes. There's loads of options out there. My two favourite sites are The Gourmet Vegan and Mouthwatering Vegan. Good luck.

 

[Tommo]

I take it you're vegan then??? Lol
My husband and I went vegan for about a week. We built up to it by becoming pescitarian, then veg, then swapped dairy for soya but we moved house that week and got caught off guard! Lol ended up falling for Chinese food, although we rarely eat meat, mostly milk and cheese hold us back.

 

[redbear]

.... I was going to suggest steak! don't serve that!! xx

 

[MrsR]

I take it you're vegan then??? Lol
My husband and I went vegan for about a week. We built up to it by becoming pescitarian, then veg, then swapped dairy for soya but we moved house that week and got caught off guard! Lol ended up falling for Chinese food, although we rarely eat meat, mostly milk and cheese hold us back.

Yes, been vegan since Boxing Day last year I use oat milk and hazelnut milk for the children and me respectively as they didn't take to soya I've not found a vegan cheese I like yet so I just haven't ate it, but this week I'm doing the vegan lasagne which uses a tofu 'ricotta' which I'm really excited about I'm constantly surprised at how easy it is to substitute things in recipes!!!

 

[Tommo]

I was lactose intolerant for most of my life up until recently where I seem to have become less sensitive, so we use a lot of hazelnut and almond milk too, it's so good.

Anyway, the dinner was a disaster and I'm never cooking for guests again! X

 

[HopesDreams]

What did you cook? And what happened? I'm sure it wasn't as bad as you imagined.

 

[Tommo]

It probably wasn't bad at all! My husband doesn't know what I'm talking about when I say it was disaster lol
I made spinach and ricotta giant pasta bits with mushroom and garlic sauce but the pasta was a little undercooked. It wasn't too bad, it was really filling so nobody ate much. But they might not have ate much cause it was partially raw.

But for starter I made a selection of tapas things an various breads to sample but didn't know they were on a "bread diet" didn't even know such things existed. So they just discussed how much they disliked all the food on the table and didn't actually eat any of it.. it was really awkward. :/

They didn't like the cake I baked cause it was too sweet and when we told them we were having a baby, MiL said "hopefully this one will work out, now that you're mentally stable". Ummmmm?
And referred to my previous miscarriages as "a bit of bother".
And FiL didn't speak a single word to me except "when will food be ready" and "that cakes too sweet".

No worse than expected but was hoping for dazzling effect. Oh well, they'll be at my sons birthday party in a few weeks and that'll be dazzling fo sho!

 

[Tommo]

Oh also, when we said we had news they said "yeah we guessed. You're pregnant?" And I was like, did my fat stomach give it away lololol?
And she said, "you have the look of pregnancy".

My husband tried to be like, oh you mean her beautiful glossy hair. But I'm pretty sure it was a fat dig.

 

[mylullaby]

I'm not suggesting that you're being over-sensitive here, but if you're OH can't work out what the problem is, then I reckon the best thing to do is to listen to his view, write it off as a particularly horrible evening that you won't be doing again in a hurry and focus on your pregnancy, your family and all the positives in your life. I find that critical people are often the most insecure when you peel away the layers, so I bet the digs are just to make themselves feel better. Rise above it xxx

 

[Tommo]

Thanks, I know you're right! I don't even care now I just really wanted the night to be magical lol
Also, my sons birthday party was the other day and they arrived 3 hours late, refused to eat anything but made dinner reservations then left an hour later lol husband is seriously not wanting ANYthing to do with them ATM.

 

[mylullaby]

Hahaha! Well I'm guessing that was best for everyone - they didn't have to stay long and you didn't have to endure them for long either. Everyone's a winner. Very hard to completely cut ties with family, but maybe just keep it to Christmas and birthdays with them from now on? Hopefully they'll keep the visiting time as short on every visit

 

[Tommo]

Yeah I don't want him to cut ties completely, in fact I've made arrangements for lunch tomorrow with M-I-L to try and relate to her 1on1. Good luck me!

Husband has already had enough of them even before this. After he had been a bit badly behaved a few years ago and we decided to sort through things, he went to his dad to tell him about the changes he was going to make and how he was going to be good and honest, his dad told him "you don't have to change, just learn to lie better".

Things have been a bit strained from them. He's a horrible man, to be honest I like MIL, she's only the way she is because her husband has her nerves shred! She'd do much better without him, he doesn't deserve her at all.

 

[mylullaby]

You seem so lovely. It takes a lot to see things from a different perspective when you're on the receiving end of their sh1tty comments. Feel sorry for MIL. Good luck talking to her on a 1-on-1 tomorrow!

 

[HopesDreams]

How did it go Tommo?

 

[Tommo]

/[

 

[LindaClark]

I hope the dinner turned out well.