Ideas please

[JanB]

I'd normally put this on the food board, but need some ideas, fairly soon. A friend is 60 in a couple of weeks and I've booked her in for a reflexology session and then another three friends and us were all going to a restaurant for lunch. Because of the sort of lockdown we're in, the original restaurant is out of bounds.

So I rang a local one and he won't take bookings until after our lockdown, 23 November. All of this is booked for 25 November, not my friends birthday, but the best we can do. And we hav to book, can't just turn up.

As plan b has had to come into effect, I'm looking for ideas for food. I'll be taking her to the reflexology and then waiting for an hour. It's about a 20 minute drive away.

Two of my other friends are rubbish cooks and one is a brilliant person with cakes.

Chicken has been requested, so I'm looking for recipes that can be cooked beforehand and frozen if necessary, in case the restaurant is able to take us.

Starters and mains, if you can come up with something.

My friend is not a whole meal person, she's more than happy to pick, but I need to cater for the rest of us.

Muggins offered

[saundra]

Jan you said the other day you had been to
Tesco and Iceland would you be able to go there again to get party food that are frozen from Iceland or get volavont cases fill with chicken in a sauce no idea really

[JanB]

No, I can't Saundra. Most of the Algarve is on a local lockdown. Only essential travel - doctors, medical stuff is allowed.

[meriad]

Jan, just sent you a recipe via FB.

https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/ch ... th-marsala is also nice; or the board favoiurite https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/sum ... er-chicken
no reason whatsoever that you can't use all the chicken pieces for the above two recipes; doesn't have to be just chicken breast


Otherwise what about just a very regular roast chicken with some yummy veg on the side if it's cold or salads etc if it's warmer weather? With some lovely bread and make it a rustic happy meal?

If the restaurant can take you then you can put the chicken in the freezer and keep it for another day - and if not you'll have a lovely time sitting around the table just chatting

[JanB]

Just seen it, thanks Ria.

The problem with a roast is that I won't be here to supervise, Jan and I are off on a jolly to have reflexology. And as it's a pre-birthday meal, we wanted something different.

We've been chatting all week-end (not Jan, she doesn't know about any of this) and we're having a normal Portuguese starter of bread, olives, butter, cheese, presunto. Main is chicken chasseur and a chocolate roulade for pud.

I'm sorting out the first two, Mandy is doing the pud and Nicola is making a cake. Jane can't cook

We might even sit inside, around two tables.

Grumpy has to stay out of the house, as we're only allowed five people from different households meeting and I'm sure nosy next door will be counting