Several ideas to fill the children during school holidays

Press, 25 August 1980, Page 12

Several ideas to fill the children during school holidays

School' holidays can .be great fun for everyone in; the family but they. can put quite a lot of added pressure on mothers. With the thought of relieving some of the strain, in the food line at least, I am making the following suggestions for quickly-made foods of the x, kind that should appeal to most of the holidaymakers and the cook. POCKET-BURGERS Hamburgers seem . to have retained their popularity butesome of them are a bit skinny. -I call these Pocket-Burgers because there is a filling tucked inside two rounds of hamburger enclosed inside a roll. To make six you need:— i cup finely chopped salami 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese ■■. ' • 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion Ikg finely minced steak 2 tablespoons mixed mustard (optional) or tomato sauce 6 large hamburger rolls Salt and pepper Lettuce; tomato. Method:' Combine the salami, cheese and onion and season to taste with salt and pepper: and mustard or tomato sauce; blend well. Shape the minced . steak into 12 thin rounds and season, lightly. Place a spoonful of the cheese and salami mixture in the middle of six of the rounds and enclose with the other six patties, sealing edges well. Cook under the grill or in a z lightly greased hot frypan until done. Enclose in hot's rolls spread with tomato sauce or mustard and serve with lettuce arid sliced tomato. CHEESEBURGERS These Cheeseburgers have also got a filling, but the mixture is different. To make six of these your need:— . ?■ - s", ,< 450 g finely minced steak 1 cup rolled oats , { cup tomato sauce , 2 tablespoons milk \ 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce J cup grated Cheddar cheese 1 tablespoon mayonnaise i teaspoon salt i teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (extra) i teaspoon mixed mustard . . . Method: Combine minced steak with rolled oats, tomato sauce, milk, onion, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste and shape into 12 thin patties. Mix grated cheese with mayonnaise, extra sauce, mustard and salt and spread over the centre of six of the patties. Top with remaining patties and pinch edges together well to seal. Cook about 4in below a grill or in a greased hot frypan for

about smin on each side or until done. Serve in hot ■ -toasted hamburger rolls. TOMATO PIZZA Pizza bases are available from most supermarkets, so a pizza can be quickly ..prepared. Because they deep freeze well, it is sometimes wise to make more than one. The fillings can be left, to the imagination of the cook dependent upon what she has available. But a very ■ simple filling can be made from jtomatoes, .onion and cheese. Where the commercial base is not available,- thinly-rolled scone dough can be quite acceptable as a base. A filling for one 7-Bin pizza can be made from:— 450 g tomatoes 1 onion | teaspoon sweet basil Tomato sauce j- 1 cup grated Cheddar ■ ■ cheese Salt and pepper Method: Line pizza pan with baseband spread fairly thickly with tomato sauce. Fill with alternate layers of thinly-sliced onion and tomato, sprinkling the tomato layers

lightly with a very little sweet basil, salt and pepper. Finish with a generous layer of grated cheese. Bake at :400F for lOmin, reduce heat to 350 F and continue to cook until filling is soft and cheese melted and lightly browned — about 20min. FISH BAKE, ; Fish Scone Bake has a topping of scone crust and is therefore quite a substantial dish. Any tinned fish can be used or fresh fish. For 4 servings you need: 1 large tin fish—3oog--312g. 50g butter 1 onion 4 tomatoes 4 cup flour 2 cups milk Chopped parsley

Salt and pepper Nutmeg Topping: 2 . cups self-raising flour 25g butter 1-1$ cups milk Method: Melt butter and' fry thinly sliced or chopped onion; add skinned and chopped tomatoes and cook until soft. Remove from heat and add flour. Return to heat and stir continually while adding milk gradually until the mixture has thickened. Flake drained fish, or if fresh fish is used cut small; add to. sauce with seasonings to taste; Turn into a. well-greased 8 - 9in pie plate or casserole. Mix sifted flour with a pinch of salt, and rub in butter; add milk to make a soft scone dough. Roll to |in thickness' and cut into small Arrange on top of filling, slightly overlapping. Brush : with a little melted butter and bake at 400 F for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle •>' with chopped parsley before serving. " - 1 SAUSAGEMEAT CRISP If Grandma’s old favourite Toad-in-the-hole is unknown in your family, introduce them to Sausagemeat Crisp.

It’s different from “Toad” but is of the same principle sausages combined with batter, plus other flavourings. These ingredients make four good servings. 1 cup self-raising flour | teaspoon salt 1 egg 1 cup water or milk 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 large onion 2 rashers bacon 450 g sausagemeat' If cups cooked rice 1 teaspoon mixed herbs 2 large tomatoes (optional) Method: Sift flour with salt and stir to a smooth batter with the egg beaten with the water or milk; stir in parsley and leave to stand for 15 minutes. Chop onion finely and saute with the chopped bacon until onion is transparent. Press sausage meat on to the base of a greased, ovenproof dish;

prick well with a fork and cover with a layer of rice then with the onion and bacon. Sprinkle over herbs, salt and pepper and cover with sliced tomato. Bake at 400 F oven for a further 10-15 from oven and pour over the prepared batter. Return to 400 F ovem for a further 10minutes or until the batter has risen to form a crisp, lightly-browned topping. SPAGHETTI SAUSAGE The following Sausage and Spaghetti dish should find lots of approval from both young and old. To serve 6 you will need: < Ikg sausages ' 1 stalk celery (optional) 1 large onion 3-4 tomatoes I cup tomato sauce | cup tomato puree Squeeze lemon Juice 1 dessertspoon chopped parsley 350 g spaghetti | cup grated cheese Salt and pepper Method: Prick sausages well and put into a heavy* based pan with 1 cup water. Cook over medium heat until water has evaporated and sausages begin to cook in their own fat, shaking pan occasionally to brown sausages. Add chopped onion and celery and cook quickly until lightly browned, turning sausages frequently. Add skinned ■ and ? chopped tomatoes and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add sauce, puree, lemon juice, parsley and a seasoning of salt .and pepper. Cover pan and leave to simmer for 15 minutes. Tip freshly cooked and welldrained spaghetti into serving dish, top with the sausage • mixture a»d sprinkle over cheese. Place in hot oven until cheese has melted.

COOKING with Celia Timms