Friday 13 March 2015

Recipe - Jalapeno popper mac ‘n’ cheese


Traditional macaroni and cheese is a casserole baked in the oven; however, as in this recipe, it may be prepared in a sauce pan on top of the stove.

History students might know…

Pasta and cheese casseroles have been recorded in cookbooks as early as the 14th century's Liber de Coquina, one of the oldest medieval cookbooks. It is an Italian dish of parmesan and pasta and was brought to England in the 14th century.

The first modern recipe for the dish was included in cookery writer Elizabeth Raffald's 1769 book The Experienced English Housekeeper.*
Serves: 4 – 6

Ingredients

10g Salt and pepper
500g Macaroni
25ml olive oil, for drizzling
3 Jalapeno chiles, seeded and sliced (veg express)
2g Chilli flakes
2 garlic cloves, chopped
300 ml Whole milk
200g Cream cheese
2 onions, diced
400g Cheddar cheese, grated

To prepare

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the macaroni and cook until just cooked (al dente)
  2. Drain and return to the pot
  3. While the pasta is cooking, in a frying pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over a medium heat. Add the jalapenos, chilli flakes, onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until tender
  4. Add to the pasta
  5. Preheat the grill
  6. In a saucepan, add the milk and cream cheese over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes until smooth
  7. Add to the pasta
  8. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper
  9. Transfer the pasta to a baking dish and grill, until browned, for about 3 minutes.
Recipe by Dan Ostler, Executive Chef at Brookes

* Courtesy of Wikipedia – we assume it’s accurate, but you may want to check – or do some other research!

Monday 2 March 2015

Jacob’s Chop House

Headington

Reviewed by Hannah Holt

Headington is quite often known as the centre of charity shops and medium sized supermarkets, but just off of the London Road, just past the petrol station, is a very well hidden eatery.

Open from breakfast till dinner, and specialising in locally sourced meat, it’s a rose among the thorns. The menu is seasonal, meaning your favourites may disappear for a while but allowing the chefs to do what they do best - taking advantage of high quality, in season produce.

Whilst this establishment is admittedly not a vegetarian’s dream, it makes up for it with their adventurous seafood specials and spirit collection.

With limited tables, I’d advise booking in advance as the wonderfully reclaimed wooden flooring is often bustling with hungry customers in the evenings and at weekends.

A real find, especially if you like your steak cooked a perfect medium-rare or even just a good old fashioned rarebit.

Food type - Mostly meat based British favourites
Food/Drink quality - 4/5
Dietary requirements - 3/5
Service - 4/5
Value - 3/5

Décor - 4/5 (Check out the tables made from old Singer machines)

Find out more - 01865 764486