Wartime cookbooks

[Mad Scientist]

Looked up a simple recipe on internet there are several and just substitute GF flour. You can use left over mashed potato or even Smash or something. I cook this by eye, so if you’ll forgive the bucket chemistry my recipe/method :
About 1small coffee cupful of plain flour, two tablespoons of cold mashed potato, a bit of beaten egg, herbs to taste. Method: bring a large pan of water to a good boil. Mix together flour, potato and egg and knead go a dough. Add a dash of milk/water if it’s too dry snd roll into a sausage shape about 1cm wide and chop into cubes about equal size. Carefully pour into the boiling water and boil for about 5 mins until they start to swell and snd float to the top. Scoop out with a slatted spoon and add the next lot (it’s good to cook it in smallish batches to stop the gnocchi from sticking together). When they’ve all been boiled, fry the cubes up in butter/oil in batches until golden brown. Happy cooking!

[GillyBee]

Thanks for that. I'll give it a go.

[steptoe]

Thank you all for all the great ideas it is just when i say to people oh we tried this or that a wartime recipie they think your mad , but i will say i love a trotter ot braun that is my downfall if i can find a good maker most of it is just rubbish i use to love real butchers braun

[Kiwififer]

I’m up for trying tripe again, just not with milk and onions like my grandfather used to have it.

I believe the Catalans have a tapas dish that uses tripe, I would be up for that.

[jennyjj01]

About 1small coffee cupful of plain flour, two tablespoons of cold mashed potato, a bit of beaten egg, herbs to taste. Method: bring a large pan of water to a good boil. Mix together flour, potato and egg and knead go a dough. Add a dash of milk/water if it’s too dry snd roll into a sausage shape about 1cm wide and chop into cubes about equal size. Carefully pour into the boiling water and boil for about 5 mins until they start to swell and snd float to the top. Scoop out with a slatted spoon and add the next lot (it’s good to cook it in smallish batches to stop the gnocchi from sticking together). When they’ve all been boiled, fry the cubes up in butter/oil in batches until golden brown. Happy cooking!

Thanks, I will try that. I never knew gnocchi swelled up. I'll give this a go. sounds like a fair substitute for roasted spuds done in the (expensive) oven.

[steptoe]

I have a few wartime recipies for tripe , i could never eat it i use to have to prepare it for my dog and well when you have had a hole tripe and had to wash and clean yup it turns the stomach really bad lol .

I this we need a channel instead of listen with mother we could have "Cook with Jen" the woman knows to try anything out on her family lol

Well i made sweet and sour chicken tonigth and we could only get uncle bens sauce i can tell you terrible stuff less flavour than and old sock lol it is terrible , nothing compared to our usual hubbards from saiunsburys

[GillyBee]

We have not bought store made sweet & sour or BBQ sauce in years.
You can make your own quickly & easily from store cupboard ingredients.

Sweet & Sour sauce
200ml pineapple juice (i.e one packed lunch carton)
100g light brown soft sugar
4 tbsp tomato ketchup or puree
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp cornflour

Use a stick blender to mix all the ingredients together with no lumps and bring to the boil to thicken.
You can use canned pineapple instead of the juice. Strain the chunks out and add after blending.


BBQ Sauce.
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp dried garlic powder (or a clove of chopped fresh garlic)
150ml apple juice (another packed lunch drink here.)
2Tbs vinegar
2 tbs tomato puree
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 heaped Tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp mustard powder (optional)

Blend the lot together and marinade meat before cooking. You can also add a tablespoon of cornflour, blend and bring to the boil if you wanted a thicker dipping sauce rather than a marinade.

For both: Not thick enough? Add some more cornflour and buzz with the stick blender and reboil. Too thick? Thin with half a cup of juice or water.

No stick blender? Add liquid a little at a time to the cornflour. Thrash well with a fork and use a sieve to remove the lumps if necessary.

[Kiwififer]

I have a few wartime recipies for tripe , i could never eat it i use to have to prepare it for my dog and well when you have had a hole tripe and had to wash and clean yup it turns the stomach really bad lol .

I this we need a channel instead of listen with mother we could have "Cook with Jen" the woman knows to try anything out on her family lol

Well i made sweet and sour chicken tonigth and we could only get uncle bens sauce i can tell you terrible stuff less flavour than and old sock lol it is terrible , nothing compared to our usual hubbards from saiunsburys

Mum used to make liver curry when I was a nipper…

[steptoe]

I have a few wartime recipies for tripe , i could never eat it i use to have to prepare it for my dog and well when you have had a hole tripe and had to wash and clean yup it turns the stomach really bad lol .

I this we need a channel instead of listen with mother we could have "Cook with Jen" the woman knows to try anything out on her family lol

Well i made sweet and sour chicken tonigth and we could only get uncle bens sauce i can tell you terrible stuff less flavour than and old sock lol it is terrible , nothing compared to our usual hubbards from saiunsburys

Mum used to make liver curry when I was a nipper…

Wow i am not a fan of curry i will say that but liver has 2 uses , it has to be liver , bacon ,fried onion and creamy mash and a thick gravy or the best one for me lol ,a liver cassorole , i frythe liver and bacon again lighty then make a thick gravy in a pyrex dish then in goes the liver bacon and onions then sometimes some carrots but then i will pop the lid on and then either do mash topping or my fac is sliced spuds par boiled laid on top with a little butter on omg yummy real belly filling comfort food for me .

@gilly thank you i am coping those and saving i will try making my own as said that one tonight yuck i mean no flavour to it at all just like orange dish water even after i let it bubble lid off to thickern it did nothing for it

[jennyjj01]

Well i made sweet and sour chicken tonigth and we could only get uncle bens sauce i can tell you terrible stuff less flavour than and old sock lol it is terrible , nothing compared to our usual hubbards from saiunsburys

Funny you should say that. Uncle Bens Sweet and sour is our GoTo with chicken, but I'm getting us migrated over to Lidl's own brand which is a close second 55p! (Aldis is a bit rubbish) I see Uncle Ben at Sainsburys is £2 which is ridiculous. I'll try Hubbards (75p)
I augment a 500g jar of Uncle Ben with half a small onion, a couple of sliced tomatoes and a few bits of re-hydrated carrot sticks and red peppers. Then add a level Tsp of sugar and an extra splash of vinegar. The same additions to other brands.
At the price of those Lidl and Hubbards sauces, it's well worth using them as a base.
There's a world of difference between Sweet & Sour sauce for chicken and one for fried pork or for dipping. It's actually extremely easy to make an Uncle Ben equivalent. I can feel a batch cook coming up
(1 part sugar, 1 part vinegar, 3 parts sauce/ketchup + a few bits of pineapple and carrot)