The Healthy Life Cook Book Part 8

5. SCRAMBLED EGG AND TOMATO.

Skin the tomatoes and cook to pulp as in the preceding recipe. Beat the egg and stir it in to the hot tomato. Cook until just beginning to set.

6. OMELET, PLAIN.

Whisk the egg or eggs lightly to a froth. Put enough b.u.t.ter in the frying-pan to just cover when melted. When this is hot, pour the eggs into it, and stir gently with a wooden spoon until it begins to set. Fold over and serve.

7. SAVOURY OMELET.

2 eggs, 2 tablespoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon finely-chopped parsley or mixed herbs, 1/2 a very small onion (finely minced), 1 teaspoon fresh b.u.t.ter.

Put b.u.t.ter in the omelet pan. Beat the eggs to a fine froth, stir in the milk and parsley, and pour into the hot pan. Stir quickly to prevent sticking. As soon as it sets, fold over and serve.

8. SWEET OMELET.

Proceed as in recipe for Savoury Omelet, but subst.i.tute a dessertspoon castor sugar for the onion and parsley. When set, put warm jam in the middle. Fold over and serve.

9. SOUFFLe OMELET.

2 eggs, 1 dessertspoon castor sugar, grated yellow part of rind of 1/2 lemon, b.u.t.ter.

Separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs. Beat the yolks and add sugar and lemon. Whisk the whites to a stiff froth. Mix very gently with the yolks. Pour into hot b.u.t.tered pan. Fold over and serve when set. Put jam in middle or not, as preferred.

IX.--PASTRY, SWEET PUDDINGS, &c.

1. PASTRY.

Pastry should usually be made with a very fine wholemeal flour, such as the "Nu-Era." There are times, however, when concessions to guests, etc., demand the use of white flour. In such an event, use a good brand of household flour. The more refined the kind, the less nutriment it contains. Never add baking-powders of any kind.

The secret of making good pastry lies in lightly mixing with a cool hand.

If a spoon must be used, let it be a wooden one. Roll in one direction only, away from the person. If you must give a backward roll, let it be only once. Above all, roll lightly and little. The quicker the pastry is made the better.

2. PUFF PASTE.

1/2 lb. fresh-b.u.t.ter or 6 ozs. Mapleton's nutter, 1 yolk of egg or 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/2 lb. flour.

If b.u.t.ter is used, wrap it in a clean cloth and squeeze well to get rid of water. Beat the yolk of egg slightly. Put the flour on the paste board in a heap. Make a hole in the centre and put in the yolk of egg or lemon juice, and about 1 tablespoon of water. The amount of water will vary slightly according to the kind of flour, and less will be required if egg is used instead of lemon juice, but add enough to make a rather stiff paste. Mix lightly with the fingers and knead until the paste is nice and workable. But do it quickly!

Next, roll out the paste to about 1/4 inch thickness. Put all the b.u.t.ter or nutter in the centre of this paste and wrap it up neatly therein. Stand in a cool place for 15 minutes. Next, roll it out once, and fold it over, roll it out again and fold it over. Do this lightly. Put it away again for 15 minutes. Repeat this seven times! (I do not think many food-reformers will have the time or inclination to repeat the above performance often.

Speaking for myself, I have only done it once. But as no instructions about pastry are supposed to be complete without a recipe for puff-paste, I include it.) It is now ready for use.

Do not forget to keep the board and pin well floured, or the pastry will stick. If wholemeal flour is used, it is well to have white flour for the board and pin. See also that the nutter is the same consistency as ordinary b.u.t.ter when kept in a medium temperature. If too hard, it must be cut up and slightly warmed. If oily, it must be cooled by standing tin in very cold water.

3. SHORT CRUST.

1/2 lb. flour, 3 ozs. nutter or b.u.t.ter.

Rub the nutter or b.u.t.ter lightly into the flour. Add enough cold water to make a fairly stiff paste. Roll it out to a 1/4 inch thickness. It is now ready for use.

4. APPLE CHARLOTTE.

Apples, castor sugar, grated lemon rind, b.u.t.ter or nutter, bread-crumbs or Granose flakes.

Bread-crumbs make the more substantial, granose flakes the more dainty, charlotte. Use juicy apples. "Mealy" apples make a bad charlotte. If they must be used, a tablespoon or more, according to size, of water must be poured over the charlotte. Peel, core, and slice apples. Grease a pie-dish. Put in a thin layer of crumbs. On this dot a few small pieces nutter. Over this put a generous layer of chopped apple. Sprinkle with sugar and grated lemon rind. Repeat the process until the dish is full.

Top with crumbs. Bake from 20 minutes to half an hour. When done, turn out on to dish, being careful not to break. Sprinkle a little castor sugar over. Serve hot or cold. Boiled custard may be served with it.

5. APPLE DUMPLINGS.

Peel and core some good cooking apples, but keep them whole. If you have no apple-corer, take out as much of the core as possible with a pointed knife-blade. Fill the hole with sugar and a clove. Make short paste and cut into squares. Fold neatly round and over apple. Bake from 30 to 45 minutes. If preferred boiled, tie each dumpling loosely in a cloth, put into boiling water and cook from 45 minutes to 1 hour.

6. APPLE AND TAPIOCA.

1/4 pint tapioca, 1 lb. apples, 1 pint water, sugar, lemon peel.

Soak the tapioca in the water overnight. Peel and core the apples, cut into quarters, stew, and put in a pie-dish. Sprinkle with sugar to taste, and the grated yellow part of a fresh lemon rind. Mix in the soaked tapioca and water. Bake about 1 hour. Serve cold, with or without boiled custard.

7. BATTER PUDDING.

2 eggs, 1 teacup flour, milk.

Well whisk the eggs. Sprinkle in the flour a spoonful at a time. Stir gently. When the batter becomes too thick to stir, thin it with a little milk. Then add more flour until it is again too thick, and again thin with the milk. Proceed in this way until all the flour is added, and then add sufficient milk to bring the batter to the consistency of rather thick cream. Have ready a very hot greased tin, pour in and bake in a hot oven until golden brown. By mixing in the way indicated above, a batter perfectly free from lumps is easily obtained.

8. BOMBAY PUDDING.

Cook a heaped tablespoon of semolina in 1/2 pint of milk to a stiff paste.

Spread it on a plate to cool. (Smooth it neatly with a knife). When quite cold, cut it into four. Dip in a beaten egg and fry brown. Serve hot with lemon sauce. This may also be served as a savoury dish with parsley sauce.

The quant.i.ty given above is sufficient for two people.

9. BREAD AND FRUIT PUDDING.

Line a pudding-basin with slices of bread from which the crust has been removed. Take care to fit the slices together as closely and neatly as possible. Stew any juicy fruit in season with sugar to taste. Do not add water. (Blackcurrants or raspberries and redcurrants are best for this dish.) When done, fill up the basin with the boiling fruit. Top with slices of bread fitted well in. Leave until cold. Turn out and serve.