Morning aber's! Tuesday's Menu with Vegetarian Option for those interested

[merciasounds]

Starters today we have: Baked in the box Camembert with grissini
OR
Avocado vinaigrette
OR
Potted beef with horseradish, melba toasts, salad garnish

Mains:
Chicken, ham and Mushroom Pasta Bake
OR
Greek Style Lamb Moussaka
OR
Salmon fillet with ginger, garlic, lime and sweet chili prawns

Vegetarian Option
Spanakopta - Greek style spinach and feta cheese pie with filo pastry
OR
Wild Mushroom risotto
OR
New Potato and Broad bean salad with green and yellow courgette ribbons, sundried tomatoes, hazelnuts and a citrus herb dressing

Puds
Caramelised apple Pie with cinnamon ice cream
OR
White chocolate and Raspberry fresh cream Roulade
OR
Limoncello Liqueur and Lime cheesecake

19 cheeses, crackers, grapes and celery

Plenty of cold wines, beer, stout, ciders and lagers juice and water

[rowanwitch]

Not west country...Born in Surrey before it got swallowed up by the GLC... can do buxom wench though....I was asked if I was an opera singer once....before they all started looking like Katherine Jenkins

[merciasounds]

Oh Red, it was the 'belly-buster wot dunnit!

[merciasounds]

Have a lovely time doc, always a very large rum and coke waiting for you!!

[20SilkCut]

Hi Mercia, i'll have the Salmon and the Lemon & Lime Cheesecake please...

[B00]

I'm puzzled why there's a clickable linky thing up there ^ which is "all Mercia's Recipes", because techincally they aren't recipes are they?

They're just musings and fantastial food suggestions ,which frankly the vast majority of us can't afford to make.

[joggerjayne]

Not many opera singers look like Katherine Jenkins !!

She's on my "I would for her" list, LOL

Most female opera singers seem to look like Pavarotti in a wig !

[merciasounds]

B00, says all mercia's menus not recipes.

[ethandron]

it gives us ideas for meals though boo.
we never have a starter but if i'm making the effort and have guests coming then some of the things on mercias menu i'll have a go at, or something similar.
like today for instance, chicken, ham and mushroom pasta bake, not difficult and not pricey. then apple pie and ice cream. job done, dinner sorter :)

[ethandron]

doh - 'sorted'

[merciasounds]

Thanks Ethandron, I've had quite a few disagreements on here about my menu's. I use the best stuff, doesn't mean to say everybody else HAS to - I do what I think is basic everyday stuff like pies, pasties, curry's, lasagne etc - take the lasagne for instance, i use best minced steak - you could use supermarket ordinary mince, or even economy stuff (although the amount of fat that comes out of that stuff to me it's false economy!)
the last three weeks there has been a programme on cable/sky with Hugh Fernley Whittingstall, who got together a bunch of people each week who didn't cook, and mostly lived on take aways and processed ready meals, and showed them, even using organic meat it was cheaper and tastier than what they were buying - he's converted quite a few to cooking now!
The chicken and ham dish is a lovely tasty 'leftover' dish, add a few mushrooms and a fried onion, clove of garlic and /or some herbs to the white sauce and you've got a really tasty dish, if no pasta i've put cooked halved new potatoes on top sprinkled with cheese and popped back into the oven to make it go golden and crispy. Served with a salad and you've got a filling nutritious dish!

[beattie819]

Please can we have low fat options as well

[merciasounds]

Sure beattie - anything i particular? when I make a roux based sauce, I always use skimmed milk, and low fat olive spread can be used instead of butter, and I'm afraid I haven't found anything as tasty as cream! but to serve you could always use fat free plain yoghurt, or virtually fat free creme fraiche

[beattie819]

Its the whole eating plan Mercia. I could do with new ideas. I have quite a few tips but
my mind goes blank sometimes....senior moments!!!

[cazzz1975]

I literally could not eat any of that

[painterman32]

Good - nobody is asking you to, me especially as I don't like you - you seem to want to have a go at me every chance you get

[cazzz1975]

interesting..

[merciasounds]

sorry that was me that wrote that, i didn't know my father had logged in

[cazzz1975]

I was going to mention it was because of my many food allergies, but fair enough..