SCHOOL HOLIDAY MEALS

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32396, 8 September 1970, Page 4

SCHOOL HOLIDAY MEALS

(By

CELIA TIMMS)

Meals for children on holiday can be quite a problem. By the third week of the secondary schools’ spring vacation many mothers are hard put to know what to serve for extra meals without becoming monotonous.

When children are out of school they are more active than ever and always seem to be hungry. For today’s page I have selected recipes to fill “empty cavities” nutritiously. With a challenge such as this, my mind switches immediately to “stokers” such as suet puddings and dumplings. I do not know if the young of today are accustomed to this type of food, but I hope the novelty of it will appeal to them.

CURRANT DUMPLINGS I wonder how many modem children have tasted Currant Dumplings? Here is Mrs Beaton’s recipe for them, adapted for four servings. You will need: 3oz shredded suet Jib flour 4oz currants | pint milk Lemon Butter Icing sugar Method: Mix suet with flour and add previously cleaned currants. Mix the whole to a limp paste with about i pint of milk (or water). Divide into 4 dumplings, tie them in cloths and boil for about 1| hours. If boiled without a cloth they should be dropped into boiling water, and be moved about at first, to prevent them from sticking to .the bottom. Serve with a cut lemon, cold butter and sifted icing sugar.

JAM ROLY-POLY Jam Roly-Poly is another recipe from Great-Grand-mother’s cookery book, but well worth reviving. Ingredients given here make enough for six servings. You will need: fib flour 11b breadcrumbs lib shredded suet 1 cup cold water Jam or sliced apples 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder Method: Mix the flour, suet, salt, breadcrumbs into a paste with the cold water, roil out and spread with jam or sliced sweetened apples, or treacle will do. Roll up, turning the ends in before the last turn. Dip a pudding cloth into boiling water, sprinkle flour over it, tie the pudding in it and plunge into a large saucepan of boiling water. Boil hard for two hours.

APPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE Apple Chocolate Cake has most of the ingredients to entice young appetites. You will Need: 1 cup unsweetened apple pulp i cup chopped walnuts 1 cup raisins If teaspoons cinnamon 1 dessertspoon cocoa 1 small teaspoon bi-car-bonate of soda i cup milk 1 cup sugar 2 cups plain flour Pinch of salt 6oz butter Method: Cream butter and sugar, add the cold stewed apples and beat very welt Sift flour, salt, cinnamon and cocoa and add to creamed mixture, then add raisins and walnuts. Dissolve the bi-car-bonate in the milk and add this last Pour into paperlined tin and bake at 350 for f-1 hour. When cold ice with chocolate icing and sprinkle with additional walnuts.

PASTITSO Pastitso is another old recipe, probably made by the great-grandmothers of Italy. The quantities given here will make enough for six servings. You will need: 11b macaroni 2oz butter 2 medium-sized onions lib minced steak 1 medium-sized tomato (fresh or preserved) I cup grated cheese Salt and pepper 1 cup white sauce 1 egg Method: Cook macaroni in boiling salted water until tender and drain thoroughly. Melt butter in pan, add the onions finely chopped and the minced steak. Saute these for 2-3 minutes, stirring continually. Add the tomato, peeled and chopped (if fresh), salt and pepper to taste and continue to cook over low heat until the meat has changed colour and is soft Blend in i cup grated cheese. Place half of the drained macaroni in a greased ovenproof dish, cover with the meat’ mixture and add the remaining macaroni. Blend the remaining i cup grated cheese with the white sauce, taste for seasoning and pour this over the top layer of macaroni. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes or until top is nicely browned and crisped.

APPLE SAUCE SLICES Apple sauce slices keep fresh and moist for several days and cut without crumbling. They are well worth making. You will need:

1 cup unsweetened apple pulp Boz self-raising flour 1 teaspoon salt 6oz sugar i teaspoon bi-carbonate of soda -i teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon mixed spice 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts 1 egg 3oz butter

Method: Chop butter roughly and melt in a saucepan over low heat; cool to lukewarm. Sift flour, spices and bi-carbonate of soda together and place half of this in a basin with the sugar, egg and add the melted butter; beat until smooth; add walnuts, the cooled apple pulp and the remainder of the flour mixture. Blend thoroughly and pour into a well-greased and paper lined slab tin. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Turn on to a cake cooler and allow to become thoroughly cold before cutting into slices.

BEEF AND SAUSAGE ROLLS For six you will need: 141 b minced steak Jib liver or lambs fry 1 tablespoon each of grated onion, chopped parsley, chopped chives, chopped shallots 1 teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 eggs 6 pork sausages (chipolatas) or 3 cut in half after cooking Butter or margarine Lemon juice

Method: After soaking liver and removing skin, chop with a knife and mix with the minced steak, onion, parsley, chives and shallots and then put the mixture through a mincer. Season with pepper, salt, add sauce and then the wellbeaten eggs. Divide into 6 parts and form into flat cakes. Prick the sausages well with a fork and fry until well browned on all sides. Lay a cooked sausage or half on each mince cake, roll the meat to cover it. Dip each roll in melted butter or margarine to which has been added a little lemon juice and fry quickly on both sides in butter or margarine for 6-8 minutes. The rolls may be tossed lightly in flour before cooking but this is not necessary.

MEAT CROQUETTES Meat Croquettes are useful because they are made from any kind of cooked meat This recipe yields enough for four. You Will Need 2 cups diced cooked meat i cup chopped fried bacon } cup thick white sauce 1 tablespoon grated onion 1 dessertspoon chopped parsley Salt and pepper 1 egg Fresh breadcrumbs White Sauce 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 1 cup milk Salt Method: Combine the diced meat, fried bacon, onion and parsley with the white sauce and season to taste with pepper and salt Spread on a flat plate until cool. With floured hands shape into small pyramids and brush with the beaten egg (which has been beaten with a little cold water) or roll each pyramid in this, then coat with the fresh breadcrumbs, pressing the crumbs on lightly with a flexible knife. Deep fry in fat or oil until golden brown and serve with boiled carrots and garnish with parsley.