A November dinner party for six on a budget: The challenge thrown down was to feed a party of six on a rather parsimonious £6 per head. It may seem a little daunting, but even in these financially straitened times, you can still throw a dinner party fit for a king (or at least a prince) on a pauper's budget. If the monetary belt has to be tightened, you still want your guests to depart feeling satisfied that their host/ess has pulled out all the stops to produce a delicious and memorable meal rather than feeling that they have to leave a charitable donation on their way out! The key is not only judicious shopping but presentation - the simplest of dishes can become a dramatic talking point just by using a few presentational tricks and, to this end, I have put together some recipes which you can mix and match as you like depending on the time available to you to prepare and your taste buds. These are all recipes that can be made in advance, leaving you free to enjoy aperitifs with your guests. The recipes do assume that you will already be in possession of certain store cupboard basics. The approximate price of items you may need to buy are given alongside them in italics.

Cheese Gougères

Makes around 30

"Gougères" sound so much more glamorous than "cheesy puffs" but this is essentially what they are! A deliciously light choux pastry flavoured with mature cheddar. A warm pile of these delicious bites served on a large platter is all that is needed by way of an appetiser (or even a starter, if you are really feeling the pinch) and the beauty of them is that they can be made in advance, frozen and then popped in the oven to heat through for 5 minutes as your guests arrive. Please don't be put off by the thought of making choux pastry - these are incredibly easy.

• 100g / 3 1/2oz mature cheddar cheese, grated (£1.78 for 250g)
• 110g / 4oz plain flour
• 175ml cold water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 75g/2 3/4 oz butter (£1.69)
• 3 eggs (69p for 6)

Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4

1 Place the water, salt and butter in a pan over a medium heat. Bring just to the boil, then remove from the heat. Add the flour and stir constantly using a wooden spoon until it is all combined, then beat the mixture until it is smooth and pulls away from the sides. If it doesn't pull away from the sides of the pan, return it to the heat for a minute.

2 Remove from the heat and beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring that each egg is completely incorporated before you add the next. Keep beating until you have a mixture that is smooth, glossy and slightly sticky. Stir in approximately three-quarters of the cheese.

3 Using two dessertspoons to help you form a ball, place small, walnut sized blobs on to two greased baking sheets about 5cm apart. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese and bake until the puffs are golden which should take about 25-30 minutes.

4 You can either serve them straight away or store in an airtight container for up to three days. Warm in the oven at about 200C/400F / Gas Mark 6 for a few minutes. Alternatively, you can freeze them for up to a month and reheat as before, once they have defrosted.

A Soup Ensemble

Serves 6

Soups are a relatively inexpensive choice for your starter and you can take full advantage of all the wonderful seasonal vegetables available. Rather than just serving one soup, I often serve two or three different soups on a large dinner plate in small coffee cups or bowls, which actually requires very little additional effort when it comes to serving (use a warmed jug for ease of pouring). If using coffee cups, your guests don't even need spoons!

This trio, or duet of soups always provides a great wow factor at the beginning of the meal as you get lots of lovely little flavour hits without being awash with an enormous pool of soup. Obviously, you can just serve one of the following if you can't face the thought of making more, as they are all equally tasty. All can be made well in advance and frozen and all the recipes will serve six people.

If you are going for the smaller servings, just measure out in the serving vessels you are proposing to use the exact amount that you will require and freeze that separately. For the garnish, you can just grind a little pepper over or add a sprinkling of chopped parsley or a blob of cream, crème fraîche or natural yoghurt - whatever you prefer.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Garlic Soup

This recipe is easy (you don't even have to peel the potatoes) but relatively lengthy because of roasting the vegetables. It is worth the time - the combination of roasted garlic and tuber is divine.

• 6 medium sweet potatoes (£1.24 per kg)
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil or 25g butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 litre / 1 3/4 pints chicken or vegetable stock, or enough to cover but not drown the vegetables
• a little milk

Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F / Gas Mark 6.

1 Wash the potatoes but don't bother peeling them. Cut them into thin slices or small cubes.

2 Put them in a bowl with the garlic, salt and pepper and mix them altogether. Place in a suitably sized ovenproof dish, cover with foil, place in the oven and cook for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and cook roast for another 10 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, sweat the onions gently in the oil/butter until soft. Remove the potatoes from the oven and add to the onions. Pour over sufficient stock to cover adding a little warmed milk as well (warming the milk prevents curdling). Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool a little, then liquidise and the soup is ready.

Parsnip, Apple and Thyme Soup

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme (79p per pack)
• 4 or 5 parsnips, peeled and chopped (£1.45 per kg)
• 1 large Bramley or 2 medium sized tart eating apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
• 1 litre / 1 3/4 pints chicken or vegetable stock or enough to just cover the vegetables

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook gently until soft. Add the thyme, parsnips and apples and give it all a good stir. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the stock and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 15-20 minutes until the parsnips are soft. Puree the soup and taste. If looking for a creamier flavour, add a little warmed milk (or cream if you happen to have some lurking in the fridge).

Mushroom Soup

• 25g butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 900g mushrooms (£1.15 per family pack)
• 600ml / 1 pint chicken or vegetable stock
• 600ml / 1 pint warm milk
• 25g flour

Melt the butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat and toss in the onions. Cover and sweat until the onions are completely soft. Meanwhile, chop the mushrooms up very finely and add to the pan and cook over a high heat for a few minutes. Lower the heat, sprinkle in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add enough stock and milk to just cover the vegetables, stirring all the time. Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes or for longer if you want a more concentrated mushroomy flavour... and that's it!

Delicious Chicken

(Serve with Mint Couscous)

This is an exotic and warming main dish that I accidentally created one day when a recipe called for the flavour-packed marinade in which my chicken was reclining to be discarded. I ignored the instructions and cooked the chicken in the marinade with such scrumptious results that ever since it has been known simply as 'Delicious Chicken!' Take note that the chilli is a subtle note and does not overpower the dish.

• 1 tsp salt
• 150g / 6oz dark brown muscovado sugar
• 1 red onion, finely chopped (39p lb)
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped (58p for a pack of 3)
• grated zest and juice of an orange (45p)
• 6 chicken legs with skin on (£3.19 for pack of 4)

Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F / Gas Mark 6. In a large, shallow casserole/lasagne dish, mix the salt and sugar with 100ml-150ml cold water until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the onion, garlic, chilli, zest and orange juice. Baste the chicken in the sauce and then lay the chicken on top of the marinade, ensuring that all onion and chilli pieces are pushed back into the marinade (otherwise they can burn), and bake for 35-40 minutes. If the chicken skin is not sufficiently golden then wham it under a hot grill for a few minutes to brown. Skim off any excess chicken oil from the sauce if necessary.

Mint Couscous

This is so easy and can be made up to 3 hours in advance and kept at room temperature. Couscous is very welcoming to lots of flavours - parsley, coriander, harissa, chopped pistachios, lemon juice, dried fruits and pomegranates can all be mixed in with abandon, but I think the simpler the better, particularly when on a budget, and simply stirring in a generous handful of mint makes for a fresh, intense flavour - just add lots!

• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 450g / 1lb couscous (59p for 500g)
• 2-3 tbsps fresh mint, chopped roughly (79p per pack)
• 1 tsp salt
• 500ml / 18fl oz boiling water

In a large bowl, mix the olive oil and salt with the couscous. Pour over 500ml boiling water, cover and set aside for 20 minutes. Fluff up with a fork and add the mint and cover and set aside again for 30 minutes at room temperature.

And now the finale...

Pitch Perfect Chocolate Mousse

Something chocolatey - the following recipe is for one of the most deliciously pitch perfect chocolate mousses that I have tasted. It requires no adornment - not even a blob of cream (although don't hold back if you are a cream fan) but you can present it in such a way that it looks particularly glamorous even though all you have done is splodged a spoonful on the plate. This trick ideally requires white or light coloured crockery which will show it to best effect. Take a fork with large individual prongs and place on one side of the pudding plate. Sprinkle cocoa powder through a sieve the length of the fork, then carefully remove the fork and you will have a lovely impression - it's a great talking point! Use icing sugar, if serving on dark plates. Add a generous dollop of mousse on the other side of the plate and dive in.

• 250g / 9oz dark chocolate, broken into chunks (£1.68 for 200g)
• 3 tbsp strong black instant coffee
• 6 eggs separated (69p for 6)
• 1 1/2 tbsp brandy (or rum, if you prefer)
• cocoa powder for sprinkling

Place the chocolate and coffee in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat gently until the chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes. Beat the yolks and gradually stir them into the chocolate mix. Stir in the alcohol. Beat the egg whites until stiff in a clean bowl with an electric mixer. Carefully fold into the chocolate mix until combined. You can pour the mousse into individual glasses or into a serving bowl. Chill for several hours - preferably overnight, if you can wait that long!

Caroline's passion for cooking was inspired by her mother, a home economist, from whom she acquired most of her cookery skills. She has also trained at cookery schools in France and Italy and Leith's Cookery School in London. Caroline is a Wine Scholar and holds a Diploma in Wines and Spirits. She can be contacted at chefsbananasandcheesecake@gmail.com