VARYING THE MENU

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 August 1939, Page 8

VARYING THE MENU

SAVOURY LITTLE DINNERS. There is noihing more difficult than to ring the changes successfully and provide a really appetising little dinner for a small family consisting of only two or three people. More especially is it hard to achieve variety in 1 the winter time, for hot joints are often wasteful and expensive for two because they either do not get eaten up or else they reappear so often in various disguises that one is heartily tired of them. Here are a few suggestions that may help. Beef Olives en Casserole. Cut some steak into pieces about 4 inches long, and if the steak is thick cut it through. Put some flour, pepper and salt into a plate and dip each piece of steak into the mixture, flouring it on both sides. Next cut some olives off the stones, roll each piece of steak up with an olive and a small piece of fat in the centre, and tie with string. Put them into a frying pah with a tablespoon of butter and brown them, then place them in a casserole with a breakfastcup of cold water, and cook slowly for 2 hours. The olives may be omitted and a little fried onion or other stuffing substituted. Liver Balls. For this recipe you need 2oz boiled liver, 2oz breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon herbs. 1 onion, and pepper and salt. Parboil the onion and then mince it. Next mince the meat, and mix, binding with an egg. Form into balls or flat cakes. Dip in the egg and fry in boiling fat. Make a thick gravy from the liquor in which the liver was boiled. If desired, part liver and part bacon or ham may be used instead of the liver alone. Meat Pie with Baked Batter. Cut either mutton or beef into small pieces, then put in a saucepan with sufficient water to cover and stew gently, add pepper and salt. Cut a potato, onion, carrot, parsnip, and turnip into small pieces and stew with the meat until all are tender. Make a batter, put the meat in the dish, pour the batter over and bake. Kidney Saute and Mushrooms. Cut some beef or mutton kidneys into very small pieces, sprinkle with pepper and salt and flour, put butter into a pan until it boils, then place in the kidneys, shake the pan well and cook for five minutes. Cut the mushrooms each into four pieces and put in the pan, add some finely chopped up parsley and allow all to fry gently for 10 minutes. Place in a hot entree dish, serve hot with any kind of vegetables.