The Project Gutenberg eBook ofNew Vegetarian DishesThis ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.Title: New Vegetarian DishesAuthor: Mrs. BowdichAuthor of introduction, etc.: Ernest BellRelease date: December 27, 2008 [eBook #27639]Most recently updated: January 4, 2021Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by Feòrag NicBhrìde, Jana Srna and the OnlineDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NEW VEGETARIAN DISHES ***
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
Title: New Vegetarian DishesAuthor: Mrs. BowdichAuthor of introduction, etc.: Ernest BellRelease date: December 27, 2008 [eBook #27639]Most recently updated: January 4, 2021Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by Feòrag NicBhrìde, Jana Srna and the OnlineDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Title: New Vegetarian Dishes
Author: Mrs. BowdichAuthor of introduction, etc.: Ernest Bell
Author: Mrs. Bowdich
Author of introduction, etc.: Ernest Bell
Release date: December 27, 2008 [eBook #27639]Most recently updated: January 4, 2021
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Feòrag NicBhrìde, Jana Srna and the OnlineDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NEW VEGETARIAN DISHES ***
Transcriber's Note:Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible; changes (corrections of spelling and punctuation) made to the original text are markedlike this. The original text appears when hovering the cursor over the marked text.
Transcriber's Note:
Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible; changes (corrections of spelling and punctuation) made to the original text are markedlike this. The original text appears when hovering the cursor over the marked text.
BYMRS. BOWDICHAUTHOR OF “CONFIDENTIAL CHATS WITH MOTHERS”
WITH PREFACE BYERNEST BELL, M.A.TREASURER OF THE LONDON VEGETARIAN SOCIETY
LONDONGEORGE BELL & SONS, YORK ST., COVENT GARDENAND NEW YORK1892
CHISWICK PRESS:—C. WHITTINGHAM AND CO., TOOKS COURT,CHANCERY LANE.
Thereare already a good many vegetarian cookery books, ranging in price from one penny to half-a-crown, but yet, when I am asked, as not unfrequently happens, to recommend such a book, I know of only one which at all fulfils the requirements, and even that one is, I find, rather severely criticised by ladies who know anything about the matter.
To have to live by some of them would almost make a vegetarian turn meat-eater. Most are compilations from other books with the meat dishes left out, and a little porridge and a few beans and peas thrown in. All of them, I believe, contain a lot of puddings and sweets, which certainly are vegetarian, but which can be found in any ordinary cookery book.
What is required is a book that will enable us to provide something to take the place of meat, which, while nourishing, shall at the same time be palatable. This the present book aims at doing. Of the 221 recipes given, upwards of 200 areabsolutely original, having been carefully thought out and tested by the author herself, and not hitherto published anywhere. Many of them are as nourishing, weight for weight, as ordinary dishes made with meat, those containing beans, peas, eggs, and the various sorts of grain, being the most nourishing. If they are not all found to be palatable, the fault must be in the individual cook, who cannot have put in the important ingredient offeeling, without which no work can be wholly good.
The thorough-going vegetarian, to whom abstinence from meat is part of his ethical code and his religion,—who would as soon think of taking his neighbour's purse as helping himself to a slice of beef,—is by nature a man of frugal habits and simple tastes. Heprefersa plain diet, and knows that the purest enjoyment is to be found in fruits of all kinds as nature supplies them. He needs but little cookery, and that of the simplest. To him this book will be of little use, except when he wishes to entertain his friends.
But there are others who, while not feeling that any moral principle is immediately involved in the matter of diet, yet would like to be relieved from the necessity of eating flesh, possibly on æsthetic grounds, or it may be from hygienic reasons, or in some cases, I hope, because they would willingly diminish the sufferings involved in the transport and slaughter of animals, inevitable as long as they are used for food. To these it is hoped that thislittle book may act as an encouragement and help.
Nor need our carnivorous friends be afraid of it. A good deal of nonsense is talked (by meat-eaters I mean, of course) about the properties of food, and they would have us believe that they eat a beef-steak mainly because it contains 21.5 per cent. of nitrogen. But we know better. They have eaten steaks for many years, but it was only last week, in working up for a debate, that they found out about the nitrogen. It is not the chemical ingredients which determine the diet, but theflavour; and it is quite remarkable, when some tasty vegetarian dishes are on the table, how soon the percentages of nitrogen are forgotten, and how far a small piece of meat will go. If this little book shall succeed in thus weaning away a few from a custom which is bad—bad for the suffering creatures that are butchered—bad for the class set apart to be the slaughterers—bad for the consumers physically, in that it produces disease, and morally, in that it tends to feed the lower and more ferocious qualities of mind, and also for ever prevents our treating the animal creation with thatcourtesy(as Sir Arthur Helps put it) which is their due—then I know that it will not have wholly failed in carrying out the author's benevolent intention.
Ernest Bell.
NEWVEGETARIAN DISHES.
Among the pulses there is none more nourishing, more generally liked, nor more useful to the vegetarian cook than the haricot bean. Whether on account of its refined flavour, its delicate colour, its size, or last, but not least, its cheapness, I do not hesitate to place it first. Like the potato, however, its very simplicity lays it open to careless treatment, and many who would be the first to appreciate its good qualities if it were placed before them well cooked and served, now recoil from the idea of habitually feeding off what they know only under the guise of a stodgy, insipid, or watery mass. A few hints, therefore, respecting the best manner of preparing this vegetable may be useful.
Firstly, the beans should invariably be washedand placed in a basin of cold water the night before they are required for use, and should remain in soak about ten or twelve hours. If left longer than this during hot weather they are apt to turn sour.
They should not be cooked in the same water that they have been soaked in.
Soft water must be used to cook them. If this be not obtainable, Maignen's Ante-Calcaire will be found to render the water soft.
Salt should not be added until they are at least half cooked, as its tendency is to harden them. This applies also to peas, lentils, etc.
They take about two hours to cook, or three if required very soft.
They must not be allowed to boil very fast, for, like potatoes, they are then liable to break before becoming tender.
About two pints of water, one ounce of butter, and one teaspoon of salt to half-pint of soaked beans, may be taken as a fair average.
During soaking they swell to nearly double their original size, and in boiling they double again.
Never throw away the liquor in which they are boiled but reserve it as “stock.”
When they are to be plainly served as a vegetable, it is best to remove the lid of the saucepan a few minutes before dishing up, and so reduce the liquor to the desired strength.
When required for frying they should be strainedas soon as tender, and spread over a plate to dry. They may then be fried in butter or oil.
Always make a point of tasting them before sending to table, for if not sufficiently salted they are very insipid.
All spices, herbs, etc., boiled with the beans for flavouring purposes, should be tied in a small piece of muslin, which may at any moment be easily removed.
Haricot bean pulp, which will be found frequently mentioned in the following recipes, is made by boiling the beans until tender and rather dry, and then rubbing them through a wire sieve with a wooden spoon.
Next in usefulness to the haricot bean comes the German lentil. This must not be confounded with the Egyptian lentil, which closely resembles the split pea; for not only is the former double the price of the latter, but I may add double its worth also, at least from a culinary point of view.
In vegetarian cookery the lentil takes the place of the dark meats of the flesh-eaters' dietary, such as beef and mutton, the haricot bean supplying a substitute for the white, such as veal, chicken, etc.
The liquor in which lentils have been boiled forms a rich foundation for dark sauces, also a delicious and nourishing beverage, in flavour resembling beef-tea, can be obtained from them (seeRecipe No. 12).
Besides being darker in colour, the flavour of lentils is much more pronounced than that of haricots.
Throughout the following recipes the word “lentil” means German lentil, without exception.
Most of the advice given above respecting haricots and lentils applies to the treatment of split peas, dried green peas, and Egyptian lentils.
Pearl barley is invaluable for thickening soups, sauces, etc.
It should be strained away when the required consistency is obtained, for if left in too long the flavour is apt to be found a little too strong for some tastes.
Sago, tapioca, rice, and semolina are all useful for thickening, and it is generally advisable to strain the sauces in which they are used, before sending to table.
If paste of flour and butter be used for thickening, there will be no necessity to use a strainer, unless the sauce becomes lumpy. This can generally be remedied, however, by prolonged stirring over the fire.
The paste is made by placing equal quantities offlour and butter on a plate, and working them together with a knife until the flour is thoroughly incorporated.
Use about one ounce each of flour and butter to one pint of sauce, or to two pints of soup.
For thickening dark sauces, stews, etc., flour which has been baked in the oven until it has turned a very light brown will be found better than white flour. If allowed to become too brown it will acquire a disagreeable flavour.
A medium-sized iron saucepan and a wire basket to fit it easily should be kept for this purpose. Fill about a third of the saucepan with oil (be quite sure that the quality is good), put in the wire basket, and place the saucepan over the fire or gas, and after a few minutes watch it carefully to see when it begins to boil. This will be notified by the oil becoming quite still, and emitting a thin blue vapour. Directly this is observed, drop the articles to be fried gently into the basket, taking care not to overcrowd them, or their shape will be quite spoiled. When they have become a golden brown, lift out the basket, suspend it for one moment over the saucepan to allow the oil to run back, then carefully turn the fritters on to some soft paper, and serve piled on a hot dish, not forgetting to use a fish paper.
When cold, the oil should be strained through afine strainer, lined with a piece of muslin. It is then ready for use again with a little more added.
Should the oil become burnt, it must of course be thrown away.
To procurefinebread crumbs, rub stale bread through a wire sieve. For this the hands should be scrupulously clean.
Should the crumbs be requiredcoarse, rubbing the bread on a grater will answer the purpose.
Peel the artichokes and throw them into cold water. Dissolve the butter in a large enamelled saucepan, slice the artichokes and fry for five minutes in the butter, then add the water, shalots and celery chopped, and the seasonings. Boil for three-quarters of an hour, removing the scum as it rises. Add milk and sago, and stir frequently for twenty minutes. Rub through a hair sieve into a tureen.
Note.—Cream is often recommended for this soup, but when sago and milk are used as above, the result will be found extremely satisfactory, and the expense considerably lessened.
Dissolve the butter in a large saucepan, place in the lettuce finely shredded, the salt, pepper, mint, onions sliced, water, and the green portion of the asparagus, but reserving thirty tops. Boil one hour. Stir in the sago and boil again, stirring frequently for half an hour without the lid. Boil the thirty tops separately in a little salted water until tender. Strain the soup through a hair sieve (rubbing the pulp through with a wooden spoon) into a hot tureen, add the tops and the colouring, and serve.
Note.—If the soup be made some time before required, do not cook the tops until it is being re-heated.
Slice the potatoes and fry them very carefully in the butter, so as to thoroughly brown without burning them. Place them in a saucepan with the stockand simmer five minutes; by this time the brown colour will have boiled off the potatoes into the soup. Strain away the potatoes, return the soup to the saucepan, add onions (each stuck with three cloves), lemon peel, sauce, spices, pepper and salt, and the tomato sliced and fried. Simmer one hour, strain into a hot tureen, place in the forcemeat balls, which have been previously fried, and serve quickly.
Dissolve the butter in a large saucepan. Slice the vegetables, and place them in the saucepan together with the water and peppercorns, and simmer for one hour. Add salt, and simmer for another hour and a half. Strain.
Dissolve one ounce of butter in a good-sized saucepan, then add the vegetables sliced, and all the other ingredients, except flour, milk, and the other ounce of butter. Simmer for one and a half hours. Strain, thicken with flour and butter. Add milk, and serve very hot.
Boil the chestnuts for half an hour. In the meantime dissolve the butter in a stewpan; then fry in it the onion and turnip sliced, add the water flavourings, and chestnuts after removing the shells and skins. Boil one hour. Place the cream or yolk in a basin, strain the soup on to it and stir, then strain it back into the saucepan; re-warm, but do not allow to boil. Pour into the tureen and serve.
Dissolve the butter in a saucepan and fry in it the potatoes and onion sliced for five minutes, then add the haricot beans and water and boil for two hours. Add the salt, rub through a wire sieve, replace in the pan, add the French beans cut fine, and simmer until tender. Tinned beans do equally well, and only require to be made thoroughly hot.
Dissolve the butter in a saucepan, and place in it the onions and potatoes sliced; then add water, salt and flavourings, and boil for one hour. In the meantime prepare the kale by picking off all but the tender middle shoots, trim the stalks and throw the kale into salt and water; rinse well and see that it is all quite free from insects, and boil separately in salted water for ten minutes. When the soup has boiled an hour, thicken with the sago and continue stirring ten minutes, strain, return to the saucepan. Strain also the kale, place it on a chopping board and cut small; add it to the soup, boil up and serve.
Note.—Any kind of greens may be treated in the above manner.
Dissolve the butter in a saucepan, place in the onions sliced and fry five minutes; then add the other vegetables sliced, the beans, and water. Boil one and a half hours, add salt, and simmer half an hour longer. Strain before serving.
Slice the vegetables and fry in the butter for five minutes, place them in a saucepan with the lentils and water and boil one and a half hours; add salt and a little pepper if liked. Strain, replace in the saucepan, add the parsley, boil for three minutes, and serve.
Note.—The solid part which is strained away should on no account be wasted, but will be found excellent for making lentil puddings, pies, stews, etc.
Place altogether in a saucepan with the exception of the salt, which should be added later, and boil gently for two hours, removing the scum as it rises. Strain and serve with sippets of freshly-made toast.
Note.—The above will be found a very excellent substitute for mutton broth, being very nourishing, and tasty; when liked a turnip maybe added, and will give additional flavour. The lentils and barley, which have been strained, may be used in many ways.
(A substitute for Beef Tea.)
Dissolve the butter in a saucepan, place in all the ingredients except salt and pepper. Boil half an hour, removing the scum as it rises. Add salt, boil another half hour. Strain carefully and serve with toast or bread.
Note.—The lentils should be re-boiled, and will make a very useful stock.
Place the beans, water, onion and leek in a large saucepan and place on the fire. Slice the carrots and turnips and fry in one ounce of butter until slightly brown. Add them to the beans and boil altogether for one hour, then add salt and peppercorns. Boil for another hour, strain, return to the saucepan and thicken with the flour, curry powder, and one ounce of butter made into a paste. Stir until it has boiled for three minutes. Strain again ifnecessary before serving. Serve boiled rice in another dish.
Dissolve the butter in a large saucepan, slice the vegetables and fry them for a few minutes in the butter, but do not allow them to brown. Add water, peppercorns and salt, and boil two hours; then add oatmeal (which should have been previously soaked for a few hours), and boil three-quarters of an hour longer. Strain, return to the saucepan, add the parsley, simmer three minutes, and Serve.
Dissolve the butter in a saucepan, then place in the onions sliced, and stand the pan over a gentle heat, shaking frequently. In the meantime peel and slice the potatoes and add them to the onions, together with the water, salt and flavourings. Boil for one and a half hours, lift out the muslin bag, stir in the sago, and continue stirring for ten minutes, then strain.
Dissolve the butter in the saucepan, then place in the vegetables sliced, with the water, salt and peppercorns, and boil for one and a half hours; add sago, stir until it thickens, then rub through a sieve into a tureen and serve hot.
Dissolve the butter in a saucepan, place in it the peas and one pint of water, and boil gently for half-an-hour. In the meantime prepare and slice the vegetables and add them to the peas, together with the seasonings, boil for one and a half hours, and pass through a sieve, rubbing the vegetables through with a wooden spoon.
Dissolve the butter in a large saucepan, place inthe peas (which must have been carefully picked over), the vegetables sliced, and the peppercorns. Boil gently three hours, add salt, and rub through a wire sieve with a wooden spoon. Serve with sippets of toast.
Dissolve the butter in a large saucepan and place in the peas, the onion sliced, the lettuce and mint thoroughly washed, the water, salt, and sugar. Boil for one and a half hours, strain through a wire sieve, rubbing the peas through with a wooden spoon.
(Very suitable for children.)
Peel and slice the potatoes and onions, and fry them for ten minutes in the butter, but without browning them. Place them in a saucepan with the water, salt and pepper (the latter should be omitted if for young children), and boil for an hour; add sago and milk, boil for about ten minutes, stirring all the time, then rub through a wire sieve with a wooden spoon, and serve.
(Very suitable for children.)
Place the butter in a large saucepan, and let it melt so as to grease the whole of the bottom of the pan; wash the rice and place it with the vegetables sliced in the saucepan, and boil for about three-quarters of an hour, stirring frequently; add milk and salt, and simmer carefully for about a quarter of an hour, taking care that it does not burn.
Dissolve the butter in an enamelled saucepan, then add the kale, after thoroughly washing and cutting it into two-inch pieces; place the saucepan over a gentle heat, shaking it frequently. Peel and slice the potato and onion, and place them, together with the salt, water and sugar, with the kale. Boil one hour, strain, return to the saucepan, add milk and sago, replace over the fire and stir for ten minutes. Strain again into a tureen, and serve with sippets of toast.
Slice the vegetables and boil them in the water for about an hour, rub through a wire sieve, replace in the saucepan, add seasoning and shake in the semolina gradually. Boil for ten minutes, stirring all the time.
Dissolve the butter in a large saucepan, place in the lentils, water, and vegetables sliced. Boil one hour, add salt, re-boil until quite done. Strain.
Dissolve the butter in a saucepan, add the beans, vegetables sliced, the seasonings, and water; boil all together for two and a half hours. Strain.
Slice the carrot, turnip and onion, and place them with two ounces of butter in a good-sized saucepan and fry for a few minutes; add water, peppercorns, and one teaspoon of salt, and boil gently. Cook the tomatoes in another stewpan, according toRecipe No. 155, adding to them the other teaspoon of salt and one ounce of butter. When quite tender, pour them into the saucepan containing the vegetables and simmer altogether for about an hour, or until the vegetables are thoroughly tender. Strain, return to the saucepan, and when boiling stir in the sago; simmer gently for half an hour, and the soup may, if liked, be again strained before serving.
Dissolve the butter in a large saucepan, place in the vegetables sliced, salt, peppercorns, and water, and boil gently for two hours. Strain, return to the saucepan, which must be perfectly clean, add milk, simmer a few minutes and serve.
Note.—A tablespoon of cream placed in thetureen, and stirred into the soup as it is poured in, is a great improvement, or it may be thickened with one tablespoon sago.
Dissolve the butter in a saucepan, place in the onions sliced, and fry five minutes; then add all the other ingredients and boil for one and a half hours. Strain before serving. If liked, a carrot and turnip, neatly cut into little strips, may be boiled separately, strained, and added to the soup before serving.
Peel the vegetable marrow, and cut it into rather thin slices, cut the onion in quarters, and put all into a good-sized saucepan in which the butter has been dissolved; add the salt and water, and simmer for one hour. Strain through a sieve, rubbing asmuch of the pulp through as possible; return the soup to the saucepan, shake in the semolina, stir for ten minutes after it boils, and add the milk just before serving.
Clean and slice the vegetables, dissolve the butter in a large saucepan, place in it the vegetables, including the parsley, add water and salt and peppercorns, and boil for one and a half hours, removing the scum as it rises. Strain; return the soup to the saucepan, which should first be rinsed, allow it to simmer, pour in the white of egg, re-strain through a very fine sieve (or a piece of muslin placed in an ordinary sieve will answer the purpose). Return again to the saucepan, which must be thoroughly clean, add the vermicelli, and simmer for half an hour. Add the tomato juice just before serving.
Dissolve the butter in a stewpan, peel and halve the onions and fry them for about ten minutes, but do not allow to brown, stir in the flour, add the peas and stock, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, stirring frequently, then add the beans, lemon juice, and seasonings. Boil the cauliflower separately, break up the white part into neat pieces, add them to the stew, and simmer altogether for a few minutes. Pour into an entrée dish and serve very hot.
Note.—Good tinned peas will answer the purpose when fresh ones are not obtainable.
Slice the carrots and onion, and fry them in the butter for ten minutes, but do not let them brown; add salt and water, and boil for one and a half hours; then stir in the rice, simmer for another half hour, stirring frequently, and serve.
Peel and slice the cucumber, place it in an enamelled stewpan with the shalot finely minced, the butter, pepper, salt and water. Simmer very gently for about half an hour, or until quite tender.
Note.—May be served plain, or withtomato sauce No. 181.
Slice the cucumber and beetroot, and fry them separately in half an ounce of butter for about five minutes. Place them together in a stewpan with the shalot finely minced, the pepper, salt and water, and stew gently for half an hour.
Peel and slice the cucumbers, place them in astewpan with the other ingredients, and simmer for, half or three-quarters of an hour, leaving the lid off the last few minutes in order that none of the liquor may remain. Serve withpiquante sauce No. 171poured over, and sippets of toast.
Dissolve the butter in a small stewpan, peel and slice the cucumber in slices about a quarter of an inch thick, remove the seeds with a pointed knife, dry the slices in a clean cloth and braize them in the butter until tender (about a quarter of an hour), adding a little salt and pepper. When done (they must on no account be allowed to break), remove them carefully with a fork one by one on to a suitable sized dish, and place on one side. To make the sauce, cut up the tomatoes and shalot, and place them with the seeds and any rough pieces of the cucumber in the butter which has just cooked the cucumber, adding water and salt if needed; simmer for half an hour, strain, and thicken with semolina, or flour if preferred. Re-warm the cucumber by placing it in the oven, pour the sauce over, and serve.