The Healthy Life Cook Book, 2d ed. | Page 7

a little more.) A little thyme or herb
powder may be cooked with the lentils, if liked. When done, drain off
any superfluous water, add the butter and the lemon juice, shake over
the fire until hot. Serve with baked potatoes and tomato sauce.
9. LENTIL PASTE.

1/2 pint red lentils, 1/2 pint bread-crumbs, 2 ozs. butter or 1-1/2 oz.
nutter, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1/2 a nutmeg.
Well wash the lentils and place on the fire with just enough water to
cover them. Simmer gently until quite soft. Add the butter, lemon juice,
nutmeg, and bread-crumbs. Stir well, heat to boiling point, and cook for
10 minutes. Put in jars, and when cold pour some melted butter or
nutter on the top. Tomato juice may be used in place of the lemon juice
if preferred.
10. LENTIL AND LEEK PIE.
2 cups lentils, 12 small leeks, 4 cups water, short crust.
Put the lentils, water, and leeks, finely shredded, into a covered jar or
basin. Bake in a slow oven until done. Put into a greased pie-dish and
cover with short crust. (If lentils are very dry, add a little more water.)
Bake. Serve with boiled potatoes, brown gravy, and any vegetable in
season, except spinach or artichokes.
11. LENTIL RISSOLES.
1 teacup red lentils, 2 teacups bread-crumbs, or 1 teacup kornules,
cornflour or egg, 1-1/2 teacups water, 4 medium-sized onions, 1 grated
lemon rind, 2 teaspoons mixed herbs.
Cook the lentils slowly in a saucepan with the water until they are soft
and dry. Steam the onions. If Kornules are used, add as much boiling
water to them as they will only just absorb. If bread-crumbs are used,
do not moisten them. Add the grated yellow part of the lemon rind and
the herbs. Mix all the ingredients well together and slightly moisten
with rather less than a tablespoonful of water in which is dissolved a
teaspoonful of raw cornflour. This is important, as it takes the place of
egg for binding purposes. Shape into round, flat rissoles, roll in white
flour, and fry in boiling oil or fat until a golden-brown colour.
A beaten egg may be used for binding in place of the cornflour, and the
rissoles may be dipped in egg and rolled in breadcrumbs before frying.

Serve hot with brown gravy or tomato sauce. Or cold with salad.
12. MACARONI AND TOMATO.
1/4 lb. macaroni, 1 oz. butter, 1/2 lb. tomatoes, parsley.
Use the best quality of macaroni. The smaller kinds are the most
convenient as they cook more quickly. Spargetti is a favourite kind
with most cooks. Break the macaroni into small pieces and drop it into
fast boiling water. Cook with the lid off until quite tender. Be particular
about this, as underdone macaroni is not a pleasant dish. (With a little
practise the cook will be able to calculate how much water is needed
for it all to be absorbed by the time the macaroni is done.) When done,
drain well, add the butter, and shake over the fire until hot.
While the macaroni is cooking, skin the tomatoes, break in halves, and
put into a tightly-covered saucepan. (Do not add water.) Set at the side
of the stove to cook very slowly. They should never boil. When
reduced to pulp they are done.
Pile the macaroni in the middle of a rather deep dish, and sprinkle with
chopped parsley. Pour the tomato round and serve.
13. MUSHROOM AND TOMATO.
Many food reformers consider mushrooms to be unwholesome, and
indeed, in the ordinary way, they are best left alone. But if they can be
obtained quite fresh, and are not the forced, highly-manured kinds, I do
not think they are injurious. But the very large variety, commonly
called horse mushrooms, should not be eaten.
Peel and stalk the mushrooms. Examine them carefully for maggots.
Fry in just enough nutter to prevent them sticking to the pan. Cook until
quite tender. Pile on a warm, deep dish. Slice the tomatoes and fry in
the same pan, taking care not to add more nutter than is absolutely
necessary. When tender, arrange the tomato slices round and on the
mushrooms. Pour a tablespoonful or more, according to the amount
cooked, of hot water into the pan. Stir well and boil up. Pour the gravy

formed over the mushrooms, and serve.
14. NUT COOKERY.
For nut-cookery, a nut mill or food chopper of some kind is necessary.
A tiny food chopper, which can be regulated to chop finely or coarsely
as required, may be bought for 3s. at most food-reform stores. It also
has an attachment which macerates the nuts so as to produce "nut
butter." The larger size at 5s. is the more convenient for ordinary use. If
only one machine can be afforded, the food chopper