SAVE THE MINERAL SALTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 February 1940, Page 8

SAVE THE MINERAL SALTS

BE A GOOD VEGETABLE COOK. Well-cooked vegetables are wholesome and easy of digestion if care is taken in the cooking, but unfortunately this branch of the culinary art is apt to be neglected. There are three distinct varieties of vegetables, roots and tubers, pulses (peas, beans, and lentils), and the leaf variety. All vegetables are a composition of water, nitrogenous matter, carbohydrates, mineral matter, cellulose, and a very minute portion of fat. The effect of cooking vegetables in water is this: they gain much more water, lose part of their carbohydrates and protein, much of their mineral matter, and nearly all their non-pro-tein nitrogenous constituents. Now try this method with your vegetables and save those valuable mineral salts. Don’t throw them down the sink and, remember, it takes less time, less gas, and the result is more nutritious. Prepare vegetables in the usual way, only cut them a little smaller. Shred cabbage and spinach and soak in cold water until crisp. Drain well, but do not dry. To cook cabbage and spinach, place in saucepan with whatever water is clinging to them, add a very little salt and loz copha, margarine, or butter to each pound of vegetable. Cover with a tight-fitting lid (this is important). Place on a very low gas, and simmer from 10 to 20 minutes, according to the variety of vegetable. Tubers and roots must have about a quarter cup of water added to them. This amount is to create steam, otherwise they would fry and hecome hard. There will be no need to drain oft’ any liquid, as there will be very little left. Simply empty the contents of the saucepan into a hot dish and serve.

Sweet Potato Pie. , Wash and par-boil 6 large sweet potatoes. Drain well and allow to cool a little; now peel and cut into halfinch slices. Peel and slice thinly 3 good cooking apples. Butter well a casserole dish and sprinkle well with buttered crumbs. Put a layer of potato, then a layer of apple, and so on, until the dish is full. Melt in a saucepan, 1 cup butter, i cup brownsugar, and 1 cup water, bring to boiling point, then thicken with 1 level teaspoon arrowroot. Cook for two minutes, then pour over contents in dish. Sprinkle with more buttered crumbs and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Cabbage Rolls. Mix together 1 cup cooked rice, 1 teaspoon curry-powder, I cup diced cooked celery, 1 cup cooked peas, 1 medium grated onion. J cup cooked and diced carrot, salt and pepper to taste. Clean and flatten the leaves of a large cabbage and soak in hot water for seven minutes to soften them. Place 2 tablespoons prepared mixture on each leaf, roll up and tie with a piece of fine string. Melt 1 tablespoon margarine in fryingpan, add rolls, and fry until coloured. Remove string and place in a casserole dish, cover with slices of tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and any liquid remaining in pan. Place on lid and cook in a moderate oven for 30 minutes.

Vegetable Loaf. i Blitter a square tin well and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Mince 1 cup cooked peas. 1 cup cooked carrots, 1 large cooked onion, then add 1 cup very finely chopped, cooked celery, J cup cooked French beans, cut into very small dice. 2 spring onions uncooked, and also cut into very small pieces. Now add 1 cup fine white breadcrumbs, pepper and salt to taste, a little grated nutmeg, 2 cups milk or stock, 2 beaten eggs. Mix well together and place in prepared tin; cover with buttered crumbs and bake in a moderate oven for half an hour. Turn out and serve with a tomato sauce flavoured with cheese. Stuffed Cucumbers. Cut .3 cucumbers (long) in halves and carefully scoop out the seeds, leaving about half an inch at one end. Cook 1 bunch spinach in the usual way, taking care to squeeze out all the moisture. Add 1 tablespoon white sauce, 1 tablespoon grated cheese, a little ground mace. 1 egg-yolk, and salt and pepper to taste. Fill cucumbers and stand them upright in saucepan. Pour over 1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine, 1 teaspoon chopped parsley. Place a slice of cucumber on each to form a cover. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer very gently for about 20 minutes. Potato and Bacon Loaf. Line a medium-sized round cake-lin with bacon rashers and sprinkle over them 2 tablespoons grated cheese. Have 4 cups potato, mashed well and quite free from lumps, season to taste. 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley. 3 very finely chopped spring onions, 2 tablespoons finely chopped fried bacon, 2 ; egg-yolks, 2 tablespoons cream or milk ] and 1 dessertspoon butter. Mix well | together. Place in prepared fin and bake slowly for one hour. :