Humble Stomach Soup

As you prepare meals, wash all sound scraps of vegetables (skin and tops of carrots, ribs and stems of green peppers, etc.), place in plastic bag, close with rubber band, and pop in freezer. Do the same with meat trimmings and bones. When both bags are full, boil up a saucepan of water, add a teaspoon of salt and one of vinegar, put in meat scraps and bones, boil rapidly for 20 minutes, remove from heat, and allow to cool. Reheat, strain, cool, remove fat, bring back to boil, add vegetable scraps, and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain. You now have the base of any one of the "Humble Stomach" soups my family enjoy, and it really hasn't cost you anything. Don't forget to add scraps of left-over salads to the vegetable bag - lettuce in particular gives a lift to soup flavour.

Source: contributed by Mrs. A. V. Eszenyi, Clarence Park, S.A. in Cook-Along with the Autistic Children's Association of South Australia Inc. (Adelaide: Allied Publishing Co., n.d. [1971-1972]), p.5.

Economical Fruit Loaf

(Eggless and butterless).

Soak 1 Cup All-Bran in 1 Cup of Milk for 1 hour.

Then add 1 Cup of Mixed Fruit; 1 Cup of Brown Sugar; 1 Cup SR Flour. Grease tin well and bake in moderate oven.

Source: contributed by Mrs. H. F. B. Haynes in The Best of Everything. Compiled by the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Naracoorte Hospital (Naracoorte, 1970), p.65.

A Dinner Cooked with Claret

Soup: To give your pea soup a lift, add 1 soup spoon of claret per person when serving.

Beef Steak Special: This is particularly good with gravy beef. Cut beef in 3/4 inch slices and lay in oven-proof dish; slice onion or leeks over the top and pour over enough claret to just cover. Put in refrigerator for 24 hours. Drain beef and coat well with seasoned flour and return to claret in dish with onions. Add any other vegetables in season, e.g. peppers, tomatoes, and celery. Cook slowly in oven for approx. 4 hours. Cheap and wholesome.

Spiced Pears: Heat a pint of claret in a saucepan and then put in 3 or 4 peeled (but not cored) pears, together with 1/2 cup sugar, a little nutmeg, and stick cinnamon, and 1 clove. Cook slowly and serve with fruit together with the liquor, hot or cold, with cream.

Source: contributed by Mrs. Alan Archer in The Walford Recipe Book. Compiled by the Parent-Teacher Association of the Walford Church of England Girls' School. (Adelaide: Messenger Press; October 1966), p.25.

Fish in Casserole

Cheap fresh fish, or even fish that has been previously cooked may be used in this recipe.

Method: Line oven-proof dish with 1 cup breadcrumbs. Place fish on crumbs and pour over sauce made from 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon prepared mustard, and 1/2 cup melted butter. Bake 20 minutes in hot oven.

Source: contributed by N. J. Magarey in The Walford Recipe Book. Compiled by the Parent-Teacher Association of the Walford Church of England Girls' School. (Adelaide: Messenger Press; October 1966), p.11.

Frankham Beans

potatoes, peeled, washed, sliced
LF [low-fat]-cheese slices
baked beans, 750g can, or suitable size
1 onion, sliced

Method: Cover the base of a large ovenproof dish with potato slices, then a layer of onion. Add the entire contents of the baked beans. Repeat a layer of potato slices and top with cheese and freshly ground pepper. Bake in moderate oven until potatoes feel tender to skewer test. Serve with fresh green salad. Quick, easy, economical and nutritious.

Variations: add a little granulated garlic, or chopped parsley or perhaps top with breadcrumbs.

Source: Rumbles Cookbook: low fat, low cholesterol, low salt and high fibre recipes edited by Judy Read (Adelaide: Royal Adelaide Hospital Health Promotion Unit, n.d. [1980s]), p.30.

Potato and Cheese Flan - Economical

Potato Pastry

2 oz flour

2 oz cooked potatoes

1 oz fat

pinch salt

Filling

2-3 oz cooked potatoes

1/2 egg

1&1/2 oz grated cheese

salt and pepper

1/2 gill milk

Method: Pastry - Cream mashed potatoes and fat thoroughly together. Work in flour and salt making a fairly stiff dough. No liquid should be necessary. Knead, roll out and line a sandwich tin or plate.

Filling - Mix all ingredients together, pour into pastry case and bake in a hot oven for 25-30 minutes. (Filling can be varied - sardines or mullet in place of cheese, tomatoes and chopped boiled eggs instead of, or as well as, cheese, etc.)

Source: The Embroiderers' Recipe Book. Compiled by members of The Embroiderers' Guild of South Australia Incorporated ([Adelaide], n.d.), p.9.

Austerity Date Cake

1 tbspn. butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 dsp. golden syrup, 1 cup water or milk, 1 egg, 1&1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. soda, 1 cup dates.

Method: Put butter, dates, water or milk, golden syrup, in saucepan and warm, add soda, egg, sugar, flour. Bake 3/4 hour in moderate oven.

Source: contributed by Mrs. M. Smart in Urania Methodist Guild Jubilee Cookery Book (Kadina/Moonta: The South Australian Farmer Print, 1963), p.55.

Hare Haselet

A very economical dish, for districts where hares are plentiful.

Cut meat off the bones and mince; add 1/4 loaf of bread, 1/2lb. bacon, onion -- all minced; 1 cup flour and season well with dried herbs; pepper and salt. Mix well together and form into 2 big rolls; put into greased meat dish with a slice of bacon on each roll, and cover with another dish; bake in moderate oven about 2 hours. Eaten cold, this is delicious.

Source: contributed by Mrs. O. Brettig, Lobethal in The Golden Wattle Cookery Book. Compiled by Ladies of the Kindergarten Committee. In aid of Kindergarten Funds. (Lobethal: 1948), p.5.

Economical Plum Pudding

2 large cups fresh breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 cup mixed fruit, 1 tsp mixed spice, 1 tsp carb. soda, 1/2 cup milk, 1 Tbls butter, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp lemon essence, 1 Tbls sweet sherry.

Method: Combined dry ingredients other than carb. soda which is dissolved in milk, then added. Melt butter and add to mixture. Beat eggs and mix in with all ingredients. Place in a greased steamer, cover and steam for 1&1/2 hours.

Source: contributed by A. Arthur in Booleroo Centre Primary School 1885-1985 Centenary Recipe Book (Revised edition 1985 of 1970 edition), p.57.

Economical Potato Cake

3/4 cup mashed cold potato, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup cold milk, 2 cups SR flour, 1 cup chopped raisins, grated rind of 1 orange.

Method: Mix ingredients well together and tip into small baking dish. Bake 40 mins. in moderate oven. When cold slice and butter.

Source: contributed by G. Woolford in Booleroo Centre Primary School 1885-1985 Centenary Recipe Book (Revised edition 1985 of 1970 edition, p.79.

Economy Meat Loaf

1 lb. finely minced beef steak

1/4 lb. diced bacon

1 cup rolled oats

1 egg

1/4 chopped onion

1 cup cooked tomatoes (can use tinned ones with juice drained off)

1 tspn. salt

1/4 tspn. pepper

1 tspn. mixed mustard

Method: Beat the egg and combine with all the other ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Pack into greased and crumbed ovenware dish and bake in a moderate oven 1 hour. Eat hot or cold.

Source: Mantle of Safety Cookbook 2 (The Port Augusta Women's Air Branch Auxillary of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, c1987), p.94.

Batter Rissoles

Batter using 2 eggs. 1 small finely chopped onion, 1 cup finely chopped cold meat.

Mix meat and onion, dip in batter, fry in a small amount of fat in a hot pan. It takes only a few minutes to brown and cook. Makes a little meat go a long way.

Source: contributed by Elaine Jericho in Blyth Recipe Book: Favourite Tested Recipes of the Blyth Trinity Lutheran Ladies Guild (Blyth Womens Guild, 1972), p.10

Breakfast Economy

1/2 lb. sausages

mashed, cooked potatoes

breadcrumbs

Method: Cut sausages in halves and cover each piece with mashed potatoes. Roll in breadcrumbs and fry in hot fat.

Source: Mantle of Safety Cookbook 2 (The Port Augusta Women's Air Branch Auxillary of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, c1987), p.91.