The Healthy Life Cook Book Part 7

These are delicious steamed and mashed with b.u.t.ter.

25. TOMATOES.

These are generally grilled, fried or baked. To fry, cut in slices and flour. Use only just enough fat. Bake with or without fat. Medium-sized tomatoes take about 30 mins.

STUFFED.--Cut a slice off the top like a lid. Scoop out the pulp and mix to a stiff paste with bread-crumbs, a little finely-chopped onion, and a pinch of savoury herbs. Fill tomatoes with the mixture, put on the lids, and bake in a tin with a little water at the bottom.

26. TURNIP.

Steam and serve plain, or mash with b.u.t.ter.

27. VEGETABLE MARROW.

Steam without peeling if they are very young. Otherwise, peel.

VII.--GRAVIES AND SAUCES.

1. BROWN GRAVY.

Fry a chopped onion in a very little nutter until a dark brown. (Do not burn, or the flavour of the gravy will be spoilt.) Drain off the fat and add 1/2 pint water. Boil until the water is brown. Strain. Return to saucepan and add flavouring to taste. A teaspoon of lemon juice and a tomato, skinned and cooked to pulp, are good additions. Or any vegetable stock may be used instead of the water.

THICK.--If thick gravy be desired, mix a dessertspoonful wholemeal flour with a little cold water. Add the boiling stock to this. Return to saucepan and boil for 3 minutes. Add a small piece of b.u.t.ter just before serving.

_Another method_.--Add a little "browning" (see recipe) to any vegetable stock. Thicken.

2. EGG SAUCE.

Make a white sauce (see recipe). Boil an egg for 20 minutes, sh.e.l.l, chop finely, and add to the sauce.

3. PARSLEY SAUCE.

Make a white sauce (see recipe). But if the use of milk be objected to, make the sauce of water and wholemeal flour. Allow 1 tablespoon finely-chopped parsley to each 1/2 pint of sauce. Add to the sauce, and boil up. Add a small piece of b.u.t.ter or nut-b.u.t.ter just before serving.

4. SWEET LEMON SAUCE.

2 ozs. lump sugar, 1 large lemon.

Rub the lemon rind well with the sugar. Put the sugar into a saucepan with as much water as it will just absorb. Boil to a clear syrup. Add the lemon juice. Make hot, but do not boil.

5. TOMATO SAUCE.

Pour boiling water on the tomatoes, allow to stand for 1 minute, after which the skins may be easily removed. Break the tomatoes (do not cut) and put into a closely-covered saucepan. Put on one side of the range, or an asbestos mat over a very low gas ring, and allow to cook slowly to pulp.

Serve.

This simple recipe makes the most delicious sauce for those who appreciate the undiluted flavour of the tomato. But a good sauce may be made by allowing 1 teacup water or carrot stock to each teacup of pulp, boiling up and thickening with wholemeal flour. A little b.u.t.ter may be added just before serving.

6. WHITE SAUCE.

Allow 1 level dessertspoon cornflour to 1/2 pint milk. Mix the cornflour with a very little cold water in a basin. Pour the boiling milk into this, stirring all the time. Return to saucepan and boil 5 minutes. Add a small piece of b.u.t.ter just before serving.

7. BROWNING, FOR GRAVIES AND SAUCES.

Put 2 ozs. lump sugar in saucepan with as much water as it will just absorb. Boil to a clear syrup, and then simmer very gently, stirring all the time, until it is a very dark brown, almost black. It must not burn or the flavour will be spoilt. Then add a pint of water, boil for a few minutes. Put into a tightly-corked bottle and use as required.

VIII.--EGG COOKERY.

Many vegetarians discard the use of eggs and milk for principle's sake, but the majority still find them necessary as a half-way house. But no eggs at all are infinitely to be preferred to any but real new-laid eggs.

The commercial "cooking-egg" is an unwholesome abomination.

1. BOILED EGGS FOR INVALIDS.

Put the egg on in cold water. As soon as it boils take the saucepan off the fire and stand on one side for 5 minutes. At the end of this time the egg will be found to be very lightly, but thoroughly, cooked.

2. b.u.t.tERED EGGS.

3 eggs, 1 tablespoon milk, 1/2 oz. fresh b.u.t.ter.

Beat up the eggs and add the milk. Melt the b.u.t.ter in a small stew-pan.

When hot, pour in the eggs and stir until they begin to set. Have ready some b.u.t.tered toast. Pile on eggs and serve.

3. EGG ON TOMATO.

1 egg, 2 medium tomatoes, b.u.t.ter.

Skin the tomatoes. Break into halves and put them, with a very small piece of b.u.t.ter, into a small stew-pan. Close tightly, and cook slowly until reduced to a pulp. Break the egg into a cup and slide gently on to the tomato. Put on the stew-pan lid. The egg will poach in the steam arising from the tomato.

4. DEVILLED EGGS.

Boil eggs for 20 minutes. Remove sh.e.l.ls. Cut in halves and take out the yolks. Well mash yolks with a very little fresh b.u.t.ter, melted, and curry powder to taste. Stuff the whites with the mixture, join halves together, and arrange in a dish of watercress.