Better Meals for Less Money Part 5

1-1/2 squares chocolate 2 cups boiling water 1/4 cup sugar 2 cups hot milk 1/8 teaspoon salt

Melt chocolate in a saucepan over hot water; add sugar, salt, and boiling water; stir well, and boil five minutes; add hot milk, and beat with egg beater until frothy. Evaporated milk makes excellent chocolate or cocoa. For marshmallow chocolate put two marshmallows in each cup and pour hot chocolate over them.

CHAPTER V

SOUPS WITHOUT MEAT

34.--ASPARAGUS SOUP

When fresh asparagus is served as a vegetable, cook the tough ends in the same water, which should be lightly salted. Press through a sieve, add the water, and for each three cups add one-half teaspoon of onion juice and one cup of hot milk. Thicken with one tablespoon of b.u.t.ter and two tablespoons of flour blended together. Add pepper, and salt if necessary.

35.--PUReE OF BLACK BEANS

1 cup black beans 1/4 teaspoon mustard 1 quart cold water 1 tablespoon bacon fat 1 slice bacon 1 tablespoon flour 1/2 onion 1 hard-cooked egg 1 teaspoon salt Lemon slices 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Soak beans over night in cold water; drain; add one quart of water, bacon, and onion, and cook three hours or until beans are soft, replacing water which cooks away; press through a sieve; add seasonings, and thicken with bacon fat and flour blended together. Serve with a thin slice of egg and lemon in each plate. Corned beef stock is an excellent subst.i.tute for water, but if it is used salt should be omitted.

36.--BAKED BEAN SOUP

2 cups cold baked beans 2 tablespoons flour 1-1/2 cups tomatoes 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 slices onion 1/8 teaspoon pepper 4 cups cold water 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup 1 tablespoon b.u.t.ter

Simmer beans, tomatoes, onion, and water for half an hour, and press through a sieve; thicken with b.u.t.ter and flour blended together; add seasonings, and serve with fried croutons.

37.--PUReE OF RED KIDNEY BEANS

Follow recipe for Puree of Black Beans (see No. 35), using red kidney beans in place of black beans.

38.--DRIED LIMA BEAN SOUP

1 cup lima beans 1 cup milk 6 cups cold water 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 onion sliced 1 teaspoon Worcesters.h.i.+re sauce 1/2 carrot sliced 1 tablespoon bacon fat 1/2 bay leaf 2 tablespoons flour

Soak beans over night; drain; add cold water, onion, carrot, and bay leaf, and simmer an hour and a half or until beans are soft; press through a sieve, add milk and seasonings, and thicken with bacon fat and flour blended together. Serve with croutons.

39.--CAULIFLOWER SOUP

To three cups of the water in which cauliflower has been cooked add one-half teaspoon of onion juice and one cup of hot milk. Thicken with one tablespoon of b.u.t.ter and two tablespoons of flour blended together.

Season with cayenne, and salt if necessary. Add a few left-over bits of cauliflower, and serve with croutons or crisp crackers.

40.--CREAM OF CELERY SOUP

1 cup celery tops 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup chopped celery 3-1/2 cups boiling water 2 slices onion 1-1/2 cups hot milk 1/4 cup rice 1/2 tablespoon b.u.t.ter 1-1/2 teaspoons salt

Cook celery, onion, rice, seasonings, and boiling water for half an hour; press through a sieve; add hot milk and b.u.t.ter, and serve with crisp crackers.

41.--CREAM OF CORN SOUP

1 can corn 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 onion 1/4 teaspoon paprika 2 cups boiling water 1 tablespoon b.u.t.ter 2 cups hot milk 2 tablespoons flour

Chop corn and onion, add water, and simmer twenty minutes; press through a sieve, forcing through all the corn possible; add milk and seasonings, and thicken with b.u.t.ter and flour blended together.

42.--CHEESE SOUP

2 cups milk 2 tablespoons flour 2 cups boiling water 1/2 cup grated cheese 1 onion sliced 1 egg well beaten 1/2 bay leaf 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon b.u.t.ter Dash of cayenne

Scald milk, water, onion, and bay leaf twenty minutes; skim out onion and bay leaf, thicken milk with b.u.t.ter and flour cooked together; add cheese, egg, and seasonings, and stir until cheese melts.

43.--FRUIT SOUP

3 pears Juice of 1/2 lemon 3 apples 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 4 cups boiling water 3 tablespoons honey or sugar 1 tablespoon granulated tapioca

Chop fruit, add water, cook until tender, and press through a sieve; add tapioca, and cook until clear; add lemon juice, cinnamon, and honey.

Serve hot or cold with toast sticks.

44.--OATMEAL SOUP

3/4 cup cooked oatmeal 2 cups hot milk 1/2 onion sliced 1 teaspoon salt 2 cloves 1/8 teaspoon celery salt 1/2 bay leaf 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2 cups boiling water 1/2 tablespoon b.u.t.ter

Cook oatmeal, onion, cloves, and bay leaf in boiling water for twenty minutes, and press through a sieve; add milk, seasonings, and b.u.t.ter, and serve with croutons.

45.--POTATO SOUP

3 potatoes sliced 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup celery tops 2 cups hot milk 1/2 onion 1 tablespoon b.u.t.ter 2 cups boiling water 2 tablespoons flour 1-1/4 teaspoons salt

Cook potatoes, celery, onion, and water twenty minutes; press through a sieve; add seasonings and hot milk, and thicken with b.u.t.ter and flour blended together.

46.--CREAM OF PEA SOUP

1 can peas 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 slice onion 2 cups boiling water Bit of bay leaf 2 cups hot milk Sprig of parsley 1 tablespoon b.u.t.ter 1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons flour 1-1/4 teaspoons salt

Rinse the peas with cold water, and reserve one-fourth cup; simmer the remainder with seasonings and hot water for twenty minutes, and press through a sieve; thicken the milk with b.u.t.ter and flour blended together, and add to peas. Add the whole peas just before serving.

47.--PUReE OF SPLIT PEAS