HOME MAKERS CORNER

White Ribbon, Volume 19, Issue 9, 1 October 1947, Page 8

HOME MAKERS CORNER

By "Lynette" LEFT-OVER MEAT DISHES

There is a chorus frequently sung at Bible Class camps and similar gatherings which is made up of various hymn titles, the main one being “Tell me the Old Old Story.” American servicemen knew this chorus and affectionately called it “Hash.” My dictionary defines hash as “any second preparation of old matter" and Americans usually call re-cooked food by this name. A less romantic title would be hard to find, and yet left-overs can and should lie interesting additions to the family menu. With meat rationing and power cuts, it is good economy to cook large amounts of food at one time, but in order to keep the family, particularly the children, interested in their food, left-overs should he considered with care. It is not wise to serve the same thing twice running; for example, a hot roast followed by several days of cold roast, for if this is the usual practice, the interest in tomorrow’s dinner bears a direct relationship to the size of today’s roast.

With a little thought and time, recooked dishes can be made most tempting, but certain things should always l>e home in mind. ~

I.—Do not overcook left-over meat as it quickly loses its flavour. Rissoles, meat balls, shepherd’s pie, etc., should merely be cooked to reheat, and if vegetables are to be added, cook them first and add the meat ten minuies before serving.

2. —Re-cooked meat demands plenty of seasoning, and it is as well to add something to give extra flavour, such as onions, bacon, mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, etc.

3. —Serve attractively. If possible, introduce colour either in the serving dish or in an accompanying vegetable on the dish.

Here are some dishes suitable for dinners: —

Open Meat Pie: Cut approximately 1 lb. of mutton into small pieces, dip in seasoned flour and brown in a little

fat. Remove the meat and brown 8 small onions in the fat. Cover with water and simmer for 1 hour, adding for the last half hour 1 cup sliced celery, 1 cup sliced carrots and 2 cups large squares of potato. When cooked, add a tin of tomato soup. Pour mixture, w r ith the meat, into a 9-inch pie plate lined with pastry. Arrange strips latticefashion on top and bake in a moderate oven about 20 minutes.

Stuffed Marrow: Cut the marrow in half lengthwise, remove seeds and stem, take out pulp and mince it. To 1 cup of pulp add 1 cup of minced meat, 1 onion minced, i teaspoon salt, shake of ]>ep!>er, i teaspoon celery salt, pinch of mixed herbs, 1 cup stale breadcrumbs, and 1 egg slightly beaten. Fill shell level with this mixture and cover with a layer of breadcrumbs dotted with butter. Bake in a moderate oven for 30 to 45 minutes. Tea or luncheon dishes:—

Onion Surprise: Boil 4 large onions in salted water for 20 minutes. Drain, cool and cut in halves crosswise Remove inner layers of each half, leaving a shell two or three layers thick. Place onion shells in a shallow' baking dish. Fill with a mixture of minced, seasoned meat, and some of the inner parts of the onions. Bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes and serve on cooked spinach leaves.

Baked Dumplings: Make a scone mixture using extra seasoning of celery salt, mustard and pepi)er. Season 1} cups of cubed beef, add a small onion minced or grated, and some left-over gravy. Put mixture on 6 inch squares of dough. Pinch edges of dough together and bake in a moderate oven 20 minutes. Arrange green peas around c jmplings to serve.