MEATLESS DISHES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 406, 3 April 1947, Page 19

MEATLESS DISHES

PECIAL non-meat dishes are more ingenious and varied now that rationing has stimulated the concocting’ of meatless dishes all the year round. Although protein (the body-building part of food), is found chiefly in meat, yet fish, eggs, and cheese are all rich in protein too, and make good substitutes. Good, thick, vegetable soups are very usefub too, and if made with peas, potatoes, lentils, or haricots, they contain a good proportion of protein. Baked Fish Pancakes The Batter: Sieve 4oz. flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and a pinch of salt into a basin. Make a well in the middle and break 1 egg into it. Mix the flour gradually to a smooth paste, adding a little milk as needed and beat until you have a smooth batter, full of bubbles; then add more milk, using 1% pint altogether. Leave to stand for about 14 hour. Melt énough fat in a small frying pan to coat it nicely, and put the batter in by tablespoonfuls, just enough to make thin pancakes. about 3 inches across. When cooked, put a spoonful of the following fish mixture on each pancake and roll it up. Lay the pancakes in an oven dish as they are cooked, then sprinkle all lightly with grated cheese and bake for about 8 minutes in a hot oven. Fish Mixture: Mix cooked flaked fish (about 40z,) with the yolk of an egg, pepper and salt and chopped parsley, and make it hot in a small saucepan, adding the juice of a lemon and a tablespoon of grated cheese. Lima Shapes Soak sufficient lima beans in cold water overnight, Cook in the same water till tender, Rub "through coarse sieve, forming 2 cups of thick puree. Melt 2 tablespoons of fat, and 2 tablespoons of chopped onion and cook till yellow. Ade 14% tablespoons of flour, stir until smooth, then add 4% cup milk. Stir constantly until creamy;, add _ the pureed limas, 1 beaten egg, % cup chopped walnuts (or peanuts), 1% teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon: salt, Peck into greased individual moulds (small cups) or one big mould, Stand ina pan of hot water and bake at 350. dey. for about 20 minutes, or until set. Turn out and serve with tomato sauce made by stewing tomatoes with very little water and sieving them; flavour with a little sugar and nutmeg. Fish Surprises Bake as many large unpeeled potatoes as required for the family. While they are cooking, take the same number of fillets of fish (sole or flounder for preference); roll them up and secure, place in small pan with just sufficiefit water to cover; add pepper ‘and salt, a clove or two, a bay leaf, a finely chopped shallot, some chopped parsley, and the juice of a lemon. Bring gently to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Take out the fish rolls, strain the liquid and thicken it with flour and butter, adding a little milk if necessary. Now cut off a slice from each cooked potato laid sideways. Scoop out@most of the cooked potato and

mash it with butter, pepper and salt. Into the potato shell put first a littl sauce, then a folled fillet of fish, an cover with more sauce (which should be rich and smooth). Then arrange the mashed potato nicely all round the edge of the stuffing-it is pretty if piped out through a forcing bag. Grate a little cheese over ‘the top of all, put into hot oven and bake for a few minutes till nicely browned. Serve with green vegetables or a salad. Egg Roll with Cheese Sauce Make a rich white sauce with flour, shortening, milk and salt. Add chopped hard-boiled eggs. Cool. Make a scone dough and pat out into an oblong shape about %%in, thick. Spread egg mixture on this and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Roll up jelly-roll fashion and cut in %%in,-slices. Bake on greased tray about 15 minutes-425 deg. Serve with cheese sauce. Baked Stuffed Fish Steaks Have steaks of fish cut in. to lin. thick (hapuka, schnapper, etc.). Place one on greased baking dish, and cover with ‘a tasty stuffing (breadcrumbs, grated onion, chopped parsley, butter, pepper and salt). Instead of stuffing (or even with it); lay thick slices of ripe tomato on the fish. Put a second thick steak of fish on top of stuffing, brush with lemon juice, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dot with butter. Bake uncovered in moderate hot oven, 375 deg, for about 45 minutes or until fish will flake easily. Serve with your favourite fish sauce. Sauce (very good) Cut up and-cook 1 slice of bacon } slowly in a dry saucepan for-a fe minutes, letting all the fat melt; then add a small chopped onion, and if available (from chemist) a bay leaf. Leave for a:minute or so, then add a breakfast cup of water and boil till the onion is soft, Strain. Return liquid to saucepan, and stir in a paste made by mixing together 1, tablespoon of flour and 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook till smooth; then add a tablespoon of finely chopped parsley, a teaspoon of sugar and the juice of half .a lemon. Macaroni and Fish Croquettes Any cooked fish will do, including crayfish or smoked fish. Cook Ib. of macaroni broken into small pieces in boiling salted water until tender; then drain. Make a cream sauce with 4 tablespoons of fat, 4 tablespoons flour, 1 cup milk and % teaspoon salt. Then add the flaked fish, the cooked macaroni, and a dessertspoonful of grated onion, Chill in refrig&rator or cold safe. This part can be got ready beforehand. At meal time, shape into croquettes, roll them in beaten egg and then breadcrumbs, and fry in hot deep fat. Serve with fresh tomato sauce, /