Slice the cucumber, beetroot and shalots, and fry for ten minutes in the butter; add pepper, salt, curry powder and flour, mix well and add water. Simmer for half an hour, stirring frequently.
Boil as many eggs as are required, remove the shells, then with a very sharp knife cut them in half and remove a small portion of the white at each end, so that they will stand yolk upwards; pour over them a curry sauce, and serve hot.
Note.—This dish may be varied by placing a small round of fried bread, or a slice of fried potato, under each half of egg.
Simmer the beans and vegetables sliced for two hours, add seasoning, thicken with the butter and flour, and serve with boiled rice.
Another way.
Place the sauce, curry powder, and lemon juice in a stewpan, and stir over the fire for ten minutes, then add the fried onion and beans, simmer another ten minutes, and serve with boiled rice.
Note.—This is a delicious curry. Cooked lentils may be used in place of haricot beans.
Simmer the lentils with the peppercorns (tied upin a piece of muslin) and mace for one hour, add the salt, remove the peppercorns and strain. In the meantime slice the onion, mince the apple, and fry them together in the butter for ten minutes, place in a stewpan together with two tablespoons of the lentils, the sugar, flour and curry powder, mix well together, add the liquor of the lentils, and simmer for half an hour, stirring frequently; add the vinegar before serving. Serve rice in a separate dish.
Slice the tomatoes without peeling them, and lay in a tin greased with half the butter; divide the rest of the butter into small pieces, and place a piece in the centre of each slice; sprinkle with pepper and salt, and bake for fifteen to twenty minutes. When done, place in a hot dish, pour over them the sauce, which should be rather thick, and serve.
Peel and slice the turnips, and stamp or trim the slices so as to have them as even as possible; fry them a golden brown in a little butter, lay in a hot dish, pour over them the sauce (hot), make a border of the rice, and serve.
Note.—The rice may be omitted.
Wash and peel the artichokes, and boil for twenty minutes in the salt and water. Should any of the water then remain, leave lid off for a few minutes to allow it to evaporate. Turn the artichokes into a hot vegetable dish and pour over them the sauce, which must have been thoroughly heated previously.
(A Breakfast Dish.)
Peel the beetroot, and cut into slices about a quarter of an inch thick. Dissolve the butter in a frying pan, place in the beetroot and fry for twenty minutes, sprinkling each slice on both sides with the pepper and salt. When done, arrange the slices on a hot dish. Reset the frying pan on the fire, stir in the flour, thoroughly mixing it withthe butter, and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring all the time, then pour in the water and vinegar, stir until quite smooth; pour over the beetroot and serve quickly.
Clean the sproutsvery thoroughly, removing all the decayed and outside leaves, and when perfectly free from dirt and insects, place them in plenty of fast-boiling salted water, and boil for about twenty minutes, or until quite tender but not broken. Keep the lid off all the time they are cooking, remove the scum as it rises, and be sure and usenosoda. When they are tender, have ready a colander with a cloth laid in it, lift the sprouts out with an egg slice, and lay them carefully on the cloth to drain, place about a dozen of the best shaped ones on a hot plate or dish, slide the remainder gently off the cloth on to a hot drainer in a vegetable dish, and arrange the reserved ones on the top.
Sprouts are often spoiled in the dishing up, but no vegetable looks and tastes nicer if properly cooked and served.
Slice the shalot, and stew it in the tomato juicefor about half anhour.Strain, add pepper and salt, and thicken the juice with the flour and butter. Lay the French beans in, and thoroughly re-heat.
Note.—Tinned beans may be used, when fresh ones are not obtainable.
Boil the greens (Scotch kale, broccoli tops, etc.) in the usual way. When quite tender, strain and press well, place on a board and chop very finely; dissolve the butter in a stewpan, place in the greens, add a little pepper and more salt if required, and stir briskly over the fire for two or three minutes. Serve in a hot vegetable dish.
Dissolve the butter in a small stewpan, beat up the eggs, add them to the butter, and stir over the fire until the sauce thickens, but on no account allow it to boil; add the greens, which should be finely chopped (seeNo. 147), also seasoning if required, and continue stirring over a gentle heat for two or three minutes.
Boil the beans in the water for half an hour, add salt, and boil again gently for another half or three-quarters of an hour; strain away the liquor, and leave the beans in the colander to dry off. Dissolve the butter in a stewpan, gently toss the beans in it, taking care not to break them, and serve.
Either chopped parsley, grated nutmeg, or lemon juice may be added to the butter, but the beans are extremely good quite plain.
Note.—They may also be served in the liquor. SeeGeneral Hints, page 1.
Peel the mushrooms, removing part of the stalks, and lay them (stalks upwards) in a flat baking tin or dish containing the water; place a small piece of the butter in the centre of each mushroom, pepper and salt them to taste; cover them, and bake in a moderate oven for twenty or thirty minutes. Serve very hot.
Note.—Great care must be taken that the mushrooms are quite free from insects before cooking.
Wash the peas, and place them in a stewpan with the other ingredients, simmer with the lid off until they are quite tender, remove the mint and serve. The small quantity of liquor which remains will be found useful for flavouring sauces, stews, etc.
Note.—This way of cooking peas is greatly superior to that of putting them into a large quantity of water, as there is no waste and the entire flavour and nutriment of the vegetable are retained.
Wash and scrub the potatoes until perfectly free from dirt and mould, bake them, and when done prick with a fork to allow the steam to escape, then wipe with a cloth to remove any charred skin, etc. Have ready a good-sized saucepan (enamelled for preference) in which the milk and butter have been heated, halve the potatoes and squeeze them into it, add salt and pepper (the latter should be omitted when being prepared for children), then with a cook's fork beat backwards and forwards, then round and round, until the whole mass is perfectly smooth and quite free from lumps. Turninto a very hot vegetable dish, arrange in a pile and mark prettily with a fork or knife, then place in the oven for two or three minutes to re-heat.
Note.—Potatoes prepared in this way constitute an ideal diet. All the valuable salts are retained instead of being thrown away in the water, as when peeled before cooking, whilst the butter and milk supply the fatty elements in which the potato is lacking. The colour also is good, which is not the case when they areboiledin their skins, and the taste is delicious.
Boil the potatoes twenty minutes, then drain and remove the skins. Mix well together the salt, pepper, mace, sweet herbs, and bread crumbs. Roll the potatoes first in the egg, then in the savoury bread crumbs, and fry in boiling oil until a golden brown.
Serve withsauce piquante No. 171.
Scrape the salsify, and throw it into cold water,cut into pieces about two inches long, and place in an enamelled stewpan with the water, milk, lemon, salt, and half an ounce of butter. Boil one hour or until quite tender, remove the lemon, lift out the salsify and place in a warm vegetable dish, thicken the liquor with the other half ounce of butter and the flour, pour over the salsify and serve.
Scald the tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them, then place in cold water for half a minute. Remove the skins, which will now come off quite easily, slice the tomatoes into about four pieces with a very sharp knife. Have ready a stewpan in which the butter has been dissolved, place the tomatoes in it, add the seasoning, and stew gently for about twenty minutes, stirring frequently.
Note.—When strained, this constitutes a very choice sauce, and it may be slightly thickened.
Dissolve the butter in a small stewpan, then place in the vegetables sliced, and fry for twenty minutes, but do not allow to burn; add stock, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and simmer for half an hour. Strain before using. May be thickened if required.
Note.—This is a very suitable sauce for pouring over fried beans, lentils, potatoes, etc.
Boil the beans and parsley for two hours, add salt, strain, thicken with the flour and butter well mixed, stir until it boils, add lemon juice.
Peel, core, and slice the apples; dissolve the sugar in the water, using an enamelled stewpan; place in the apples and cloves. Simmer gently until the apples are quite tender. Rub through a hair sieve with a wooden spoon, return to the stewpan, stir in the butter, and continue stirring until thoroughly incorporated, when it is ready for serving.
Cut away the white portion of the asparagus, and tie the green into a bundle; boil in salted water for about thirty minutes or until tender, but not broken; then lift out, and place on a board and cut off the tips, rub the remainder through a hair sieve into the white sauce; then stir in the tips, also a few drops of spinach colouring, and it is ready for use.
Note.—When rubbing the asparagus through the sieve, it will be found that it adheres to the outer side, whence it must be removed with a spoon.
Simmer the seasonings in the milk for three-quarters of an hour, strain, add the butter and flour, which have been previously mixed, stir until the sauce thickens, add the beaten yolks of eggs, and it is ready for use. Care must be taken not to allow the sauce to boil after the eggs have been added.
Slice the vegetables and boil them with the lentils for one hour, add salt and strain; mix the flour, butter, and curry powder well on a plate, place in an enamelled saucepan, pour in the liquor, and stir until it boils.
Note.—This sauce is suitable for curried eggs, savoury rice balls, etc.
Another way.
Slice and fry the onion in butter until nicely brown, then stir in the flour and curry powder, and mix all well together; add water and salt, and boil for ten or fifteen minutes, stirring very frequently. Strain before serving.
Shell the nuts and pound them in a mortar. Fry the onions in one and a half ounces of butter until slightly brown; add the nuts, salt, curry powder, stock, and tomatoes sliced; simmer for one hour. Strain and thicken with half an ounce each of butter and brown flour mixed.
Strain the yolks and add them to the sauce; stir carefully over a moderate heat until it simmers, but on no account must it boil or the eggs will curdle. When it thickens (about one minute) it is done. This is a very rich sauce.
Boil altogether for two hours (excepting salt, which must be added later), the seasonings being tied up in a little piece of muslin so as to be easily removed; strain and thicken with the paste of flour and butter, stirring over the fire until it boils.
Simmer the lentils with the peppercorns, herbs, and onion sliced, for about twenty minutes; add the tomato juice and salt; simmer for another twenty minutes. Strain, and thicken with the flour and butter.
Place the lentils in a stewpan with the water and the onion (cut in four), peppercorns, and mace, tiedup in a small piece of muslin. Boil three-quarters of an hour, remove the flavourings, add salt, and simmer for another quarter of an hour. Strain, rinse the stewpan, pour back the sauce, and thicken with the butter and flour.
Note.—The lentils should not be thrown away, but are just ready for converting into sausages, etc.
Slice the vegetables, and boil with the lentils for two hours. Strain and thicken with the flour and butter.
Wash and pick over the mint, which must be quite fresh, and chop it rather fine; then place in a mortar, add the sugar, and pound well together until thoroughly incorporated; stir in the vinegar, and pour into the sauce-boat or jar.
Note.—A covered receptacle should be used, and the sauce is improved by being made some hours before required.
Take a handful of parsley; and after washing it tie in a bunch and throw into boiling salted water for two or three minutes, then well drain and chop very fine. Have ready the sauce, stir in the parsley, and pour into a hot tureen.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan, and when dissolved shake in the flour, stirring all the time until the paste is quite smooth; add a little salt and pepper, and then pour in gradually the water and vinegar; stir well until the sauce has boiled for a few minutes. It will then be quite ready.
Prepare the vegetables, slice them, and fry in an ounce of butter for five minutes; add water and salt, and simmer gently for one and a half hours. Strain and thicken with one ounce of butter and the flour.
Dissolve the butter in a saucepan, then place in it the haricot beans, onion sliced, mace, lemon peel, peppercorns and water. Boil two hours, rub through a sieve and allow to cool; then strain again to remove scum, add vinegar, and pour over salad.
Dissolve the butter in a small stewpan, place in the onion sliced and fry ten minutes; then add stock and beetroot, and simmer for twenty minutes; add the mustard, sauce, lemon juice, and flour, and simmer five minutes, stirring all the time; rub through a sieve, and when cold stir in the vinegar.
This quantity is only sufficient for a small salad.
Slice the vegetables and fry in the butter for ten minutes; then place in a stewpan with the tomato juice (tinned will answer the purpose), mace, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Boil for half an hour, then place in the beans and simmer for twenty minutes; rub through a sieve, and when cold stir in the vinegar. It is then ready for use.
Drop the yolks into a small enamelled stewpan, add the pepper and salt, and stir well with a wooden spoon; pour in the milk, which should be just at boiling point, then stir briskly over a gentle heat for about ten minutes, or until the sauce thickens, but it must on no account be allowed to boil, or it will curdle. When sufficiently thick, remove from the fire, stir in the vinegar, and stand on one side to get thoroughly cold. It is then ready for use.
Slice the vegetables, except the tomato, and fry in the butter until a nice brown; place in a stewpan together with the water, barley, salt and flavourings, and boil three-quarters of an hour. Add tomato sliced, simmer half an hour, stirring frequently, and strain. If required for masking, thicken with one ounce each of brown flour and butter.
Note.—The vegetables and barley may be served as a stew, or used in various ways.
Scald and peel the tomatoes, and slice them (or half a pint of tinned tomato juice may be used); also slice the carrot, turnip and onion, and fry altogether in one and a half ounces of butter for ten minutes. Add water, peppercorns and salt, and stew gently for half an hour. Strain into a small enamelled saucepan, put in the flour and half an ounce of butter mixed together, and stir over a moderate heat until it boils.
Another way.
Slice the onion, and boil it in the tomato juice with the peppercorns and salt for one hour; strain. Mix the flour and butter on a plate with a knife; when thoroughly incorporated, place in the tomato juice and stir until it boils.
Boil altogether for about two hours; strain, rubbing the beans through a sieve with a wooden spoon. Add to this an equal quantity of cooked tomato liquor, which is already seasoned with butter, pepper and salt. Thicken with the paste of flour and butter, stirring over the fire until it boils. Be sure that the sauce is sufficiently seasoned before sending to table.
Slice the tomatoes, onions, and apples into a small stewpan, add water and vinegar and a little pepper and salt, simmer gently until tender, rub through a hair sieve, re-warm and serve.
Note.—Should the liquor boil away too soon, a little more water may be added as required.
Simmer altogether for half an hour, then strain very carefully. If desired very rich, a dessertspoonful of cream may be placed in the tureen and the sauce poured over gradually, stirring all the time.
Prepare the vegetables, cut them up in small pieces, place in a saucepan with the water, salt andflavourings, simmer for one hour; strain, replace in the saucepan, which should have been rinsed, and thicken with flour and butter, or if a little cold boiled rice is handy it may be substituted for the flour, and should be added with one ounce of butter to the sauce five minutes before it is strained. A teaspoonful of lemon juice added the last thing will give additional piquancy to the sauce.
Note.—This quantity will make about three-quarters of a pint of sauce.
Mix the flour and butter well together on a plate with a knife, place this paste in a small enamelled saucepan, add salt and milk, and stir over the fire until it is perfectly smooth and has boiled for one minute. It is then ready for use.
Prepare sauce same asNo. 184, and stand the saucepan on one side for ten minutes, then drop into it the yolk of an egg, and stir over a gentle heat for a few minutes, but on no account allow it to boil again, or the sauce will curdle.
Peel and slice the beets (about a quarter of an inch thick), and pile the slices in a glass dish or bowl, sprinkle with the watercress and yolk of egg rubbed through a wire sieve, and pour the sauce round the base.
Boil the cabbage in the usual way. When cooked, after thoroughly extracting all the water, stand on one side to get quite cold. Place in a salad bowl or glass dish, and pour over it half a pint ofsalad sauce No. 173.
Scrape the carrots and throw them into cold water; then place them in a saucepan with sufficientwater to cover, with salt and lemon peel. Boil half an hour or until tender, place them on a board, cut into thick slices, which place insalad sauce No. 176; gently toss them in this till each piece is covered with the sauce, then turn them into a dish or bowl, and garnish with sprigs of watercress.
Peel and slice the cucumber (about quarter inch thick), and if not very young remove the seeds, place the slices in a stewpan together with the water, butter, salt and nutmeg. Simmer until tender, leaving the lid off so as to reduce the liquor. Arrange the slices in a dish, taking care not to break them, sprinkle with the pepper, pour over the sauce, and do not serve until perfectly cold.
Dissolve half an ounce of butter in a saucepan, place in the beans and water, and boil one and a half hours; add salt and boil another half hour. When done, strain (saving the liquor), and turn the beans into a basin containing half an ounce of oiled butter and the nutmeg. Stir the beans about carefully,and then place them in a dish or salad bowl; pour the sauce over, and stand on one side to get thoroughly cold.
Peel and quarter the onions, and boil them in salted water with the peppercorns and lemon peel. When quite tender, lift them out and place on one side to drain and get cold. When quite cold, place them in a dish or bowl, pour half the sauce over, and reserve the remainder to pour over just before sending to table.
The potatoes may either be boiled in their skins or peeled; in the first way they will be the better flavoured and more nourishing, in the latter a better colour. They must be taken up carefully directly they are tender, and not allowed to break up at all. Cut into slices about half an inch thick, stamp out into fancy shapes and arrange prettily in a small bowl or dish; sprinkle them with the watercress, which should have been thoroughly washed in salted and rinsed in fresh water; then pour over the sauce.
This salad, which is generally much appreciated, will be found a very useful way of using up cold potatoes.