COME HOME FOR LUNCH

New Zealand Listener, Volume 25, Issue 632, 10 August 1951, Page 22

COME HOME FOR LUNCH

HEN it is possible for the members of a family to dash home for a quick lunch, that is a great relief to overcrowded restaurants. Very often, too, one or two friends are only too glad to join in with someone who lives near enough, and-make a contribution in some way towards the costperhaps by bringing a pound of butter, or some tea, at agreed intervals. It makes quite a pleasant social interlude in the day’s routine, too. Just a light snack is all that is needed. It need not always be a burden on the housewife either, if she wants to go out, for she can often leave a tasty, yet fairly substantial salad meal all ready on individual plates, with soup in a saucepan Feady for heating; or coffee, made with ‘milk, all ready. Here are some suggestions for inexpensive, quick lunches. Baked Corned Beef Loaf This can be made with tinned corned beef, or with left overs. Cut up about ¥% Ib. corned beef into small pieces. Soak 1% cups breadcrumbs in 1 cup milk. Chop up a small onion and fry it in a little dripping. Mix together the sbeef, breadcrumbs, and fried onion, working in 1 tablespoon mustard and 1 ‘tablespoon tomato sauce. Bind with ‘beaten egg (or two if you have plenty) and bake in a loaf tin in moderate oven about 45 minutes. Barbecued Corned Beef Chop finely a medium-sized onion and fry it in a little dripping till brown and cooked. Use a shallow stewpan, Add nearly 1 Ib. canned or left-over corned beef cut into neat cubes, and about 42 cup tomato sauce. Stir well as it heats for about 15 minutes. Have ready some hot boiled rice, and serve the hash upon it; or on’ hot toast. Alternative: Have a curry sauce ready, and pour it over the corned beef hash on the rice. Corned Beef Hash ' Remove skin and gristle from cooked corned beef, then chop into dice. Add an equal -quantity of cold boiled, chopped potatoes (not mashed). Season with salt and pepper, moisten with good top milk, mix well, and spread evenly in hot buttered frying pan. Place over low heat to brown underneath. May be turned carefully and browned on other side; or simply cut out in individual portions, and put browned side upwards on hot plates. "New Jersey Goulash . This is good and, oh, so inexpensive: 1% 1b. round steak or lean beef (minced), salt and pepper, % cup celery cut in small pieces, 1 tin tomatoes, 1 ‘small onion, 1 green pepper chopped. Brown onion and pepper in small amount of fat in skillet. Add meat just as it is. When meat is slightly browned, mix in the celery. Season with salt and ‘pepper. Then, add tomatoes and let it ‘simmer over low flame for 1 hour. Serve over rice, boiled or mashed potatoes. ‘Serves 4 or 5 persons, Fish Fritters Any left-over fish, smoked or fresh, flaked, may be put into batter and fried as fritters. Have ready a batter made

from 1 beaten egg, small cup milk, salt, 1 teaspoon chopped parsley (be sure to chop the parsley very fine), 14% tablespoons flour, 4% teaspoon baking powder. Flake fish and mix into batter. Now grease a pan as you would for pikelets, the drier the better, and cook as ordinary fritters. Shirley Fritters One cup flotir, 1% teaspoons baking powder, 4% teaspoon salt, 1 well-beaten egg, % cup milk, 4% cup cold minced meat, 2 teaspoons chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon grated onion, pinch mixed herbs if liked. Use any left-over cold meat, or cooked mince. Chicken is nice, or bacon and kidney may be added. Meat must be cooked. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Add milk to egg and mix with dry ingredients only until flour is moist. Then add other ingredients. Fry in fairly deep fat in dessertspoon lots. about 2 minutes each side. Serve with gravy and vegetables. Or thick slices of grilled tomatoes. — Fish and Ham Fritters Mince together any left-over fish, and remnants of cooked ham, Season to taste. Put into batter, fry in apeey lots in hot fat, as usual. Mock Oyster Sauce Make a white sauce with 14 pint milk, knob. of butter, pepper and salt, and _ thicken with cornflour. Mash contents of a tin of sardines, and put into the white sauce. Serve on hot buttered toast. Fish Pie Flake any left-over fish, season with pepper and salt. Mix in any left-over white sauce. Line piedish with left-over mashed potatoes, or cold boiled rice. Fill with fish and cover with more mashed potatoes. Dot with butter and bake, or top may be sprinkled with breadcrumbs, or wheat flakes, or fish mixture may be seasoned with chopped chives or grated onion. Fish Balls About double the amount of cooked, flaked-up fish to mashed potatoes. Mix together with plenty of chopped parsley and chives, a little thyme also makes a change. Mix well, roll into balls, dip in ‘flour, and then in beaten egg (milk will do if eggs are scarce), and fry in hot fat until brown. Tinned fish will do