FOR THE IMPROVED CONVALESCENT

New Zealand Listener, Volume 7, Issue 163, 7 August 1942, Page 15

FOR THE IMPROVED CONVALESCENT

the convalescent. Now he (or she) is one week further on towards being normal-may even be going back to work; but still feels a bit weak and shaky. Instead of cooking special separate dishes for him, we must now provide meals which will do for the whole family, yet be suitable for the not quite normal digestion of this nearly recovered one, Grills A grilled meal of steak or chops or fish is always excellent. Have the griller very hot before putting the meat under, in order to seal the outside quickly, and keep in the valuable juices. Turn the meat after three minutes, to seal both sides. Do not stick a fork in to turn it or the juices will escape. Keep the meat moistened by spreading with a little butter; and be sure to sprinkle with salt and pepper too, to give flavour. Dish up on a very hot dish. If the family likes gravy, make it in the usual way in the griller pan from the drippings from the grill, madé up with gravy salt and cornflour (or flour), and vegetable water. Devilled Steak Have good porterhouse steak cut about an inch. thick, score each side criss-cross with a knife. Squeeze over the juice of a lemon, then pour over a "devil" of 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 dessertspoon any dark jam, I large dessertspoon Worcester sauce, 2 tablespoons tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon each of pepper and salt, 1 or 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Soak for two hours, and press steak well into it. Grill then, as usual. Heat any "devil" left, and pour over as sauce. i AST week I suggested dishes for Kidney Soup Mince half an ox kidney, catching all the juice, and put into a small basin or double boiler, with a knob of butter. Steam for an hour, covered with butter paper. Slice a fair sized leek and a medium potato, and cook in a quart of water, or vegetable water. Mix all together; beat well with an egg beater to make smooth. Season, and thicken with cornflour. Casserole of Rabbit Joint the rabbit and soak in salt and water for a little while. Dry the joints, roll them in seasoned flour, and put into a casserole with a couple of onions thickly sliced. Then put in. about 2 cups breadcrumbs, and on top, a few slices of raw bacon. Now just cover the whole with milk, put a butter paper over, and then fit on the lid. Cook in a moderate oven for about two hours. Serve from the casserole. No other thickening but the breadcrumbs is needed. A variation in this dish is made by wrapping each rabbit joint in a rasher of bacon, omitting the onion, and using only one cup of bread-

crumbs. Much less milk, too, is usedonly about a cupful. Remove the cover the last few minutes to crisp the bacon. Lemon Pudding Cream ¥% cup sugar and 1 tablespoon butter. Add 2 tablespoons flour, pinch of salt, grated rind and juice of 1 lemon, 1 cup milk, beaten yolks of 2 eggs, and lastly stir in the two stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into buttered pie-dish. Stand pie-dish in a bigger dish of hot water, and bake in moderate oven about half an hour. Delicious, with crust on top, and lemon mixture underneath. Orange may be used instead of lemon. Harlequin Pudding Two ozs. of butter, 2 ozs. sugar, 3 ozs. flour, 1 small teaspoon baking powder, 1 oz. custard powder, 2 teaspoons cocoa, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 egg, and a few raisins. Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg, sift in flour, baking powder and custard powder. Mix with milk to the right consistency. Place raisins at bottom of well-greased pudding basin, add half the mixture. Mix cocoa with the rest of the mixture, adding a little more milk if too stiff, and put in on top of first half. Steam 14% to 2 hours. Individual Cup Puddings One cup sugar or a little less, onethird cup butter, 2 eggs, % teaspoon lemon flavouring, 1% cups flour, 1% teaspoons baking powder, 42 teaspoon salt, 4% cup milk, stewed fruit or berries. Cream butter and sugar, add beaten egg, flour and baking powder alternately with

milk and flavouring. Butter some cups, put in about one tablespoon sliced peaches or other fruit, then fill twothirds full with the batter, Bake in oven, standing each cup in a dish of water, about half an hour. Turn out, serve with cream or sauce.