Having binge watched three seasons of The Good Place, I’m craving jalapeño poppers. I hope it’s a thing, rather than me being a weirdo: I see something on TV or read in a book and I become obsessed. It goes back to the Tramp’s meatballs when I was a kid (never had them with spaghetti!), through the cherry pie (seemed magical) and the quails in puff pastry from Babette's Feast. Now I can't wait to make jalapeño poppers! Dope, man!
Until that happens, I’m cooking mountains of padron peppers instead which are equally fantastic with a beer and a box set as the poppers (or so I tell myself) – and much healthier. They will make a dinner as well if accompanied by a plate of carne asada, Mexican grilled beef; bulgogi – similar but with Korean flavours; or a simple cast iron steak. Those are all examples of a good use of a cheaper cut of beef. No need to splash out for a weeknight dinner.
If meat is not your choice, how about jumbo pasta shells baked with walnut and ricotta filling? Doesn’t it sound good? Or make a casserole of hasselback gratin: potatoes and cheese are the best comfort food I can think of.
If you feel like a lazy supper, slap up some quesadillas with mushrooms and bacon. And if you have a bit more time on your hands, make the chicken enchiladas cutting corners with a supermarket roasted chicken. Or pivot the meal around a whole head of savoy cabbage, roasted and served with some good grilled sausages.
The cake of the week is the old fashioned poppy seed cake and the biscuits – the black hearted cookies, SERIOUSLY good (and gluten free). And don’t miss any new recipes – join the newsletter subscription.