This thread reminded me of some of the seriously cheap eats I've cooked for my family. I thought it might help someone whose finding themselves in desperate times.
Makes a fine soup
DUMPLINGS (Spaetzle)
1 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
Add milk to flour slowly, stirring constantly to keep mixture smooth. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Salt and mix well. When cooking in boiling salted water or meat broth, pour the batter from a shallow bowl, tilting it over the boiling kettle. With a sharp knife slice off pieces of the batter into the boiling liquid. Dip knife in the liquid before each cut to prevent sticking.
EGG NOODLES
2 eggs
½ tsp. salt
sifted flour
Add salt to the eggs and work in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Knead thoroughly, divide into 2 portions and roll each out as thin as possible, on a floured board. Cover with cloth and let stand until partly dry. Roll up the dough and cut into ¼ inch strips. Spread out on paper to dry a little longer.
MEAT FILLING for NOODLES
1 cup ground beef (can use any ground meat)
2 tblsp. fat
1 small onion
½ cup dry bread crumbs
1 cup bread cubes
salt and pepper
2 tblsp. butter
Make a recipe of noodle dough (see above). Roll thin, let dry and cut into 3 inch squares. Brown meat in hot fat with the onion and seasoning. Soak bread cubes in water and press dry then add to the meat. Spoon mixture on the center of the noodle squares, fold in half and seal edges, like little pillows. Drop the filled squares into salted boiling water and cook 8 to 10 minutes. Lift carefully with draining spoon to a serving dish and top with the half cup of bread crumbs which have been browned in butter.
SPINACH FILLING for NOODLES
2 lbs. raw spinach, chopped
3 tblsp. butter
salt and pepper
1½ cups bread crumbs
2 eggs
Make a recipe of noodle dough (see above). Steam and brown the spinach in melted butter. Add the eggs, 1 cup of dry bread crumbs and the seasoning. Mix well, spoon mixture on noodle dough squares and proceed as above.
EGG BALLS FOR SOUP
Rub the yolks of three or four hard boiled eggs to a smooth paste and salt. To these add two raw ones lightly beaten. Add enough flour to hold the paste together. Make into balls with floured hands and set in cool place until just before your soup comes off. Put the balls carefully into the soup (or broth) and boil one minute.
CORN SOUP with RIVELS
3 cups fresh or canned corn
2 qts. water
1 cup rich milk
1⅓ cups flour
1 egg
3 tblsp. butter
1½ tsp. salt
parsley
Cook corn in water for 10 minutes. Make a batter by mixing egg, flour and milk together. Pour this batter through a colander, letting it drop into the boiling corn. Add butter and salt. Cook slowly in a covered pan for 3 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley. Soup should be eaten immediately after rivels are cooked.
DUTCH NOODLE CHEESE RING
1 cup egg noodles
3 tblsp. butter
3 tblsp. flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. paprika
1½ cups milk
2 eggs, well beaten
Swiss cheese (¼ to ½ lb.)
Boil noodles in salted water until tender. Drain and place in well-greased ring mold. Melt the butter, add flour and blend smooth. Stir in milk and cook, stirring constantly until it thickens. Add seasoning and cheese cut in small pieces. Cook until cheese melts. To ½ of the sauce add the well-beaten eggs and mix well. Pour this over the noodles. Set mold in pan of hot water and bake in moderate (350-f) oven 45 minutes. Unmold on large platter, pour over the remaining hot cheese sauce. Fill center with peas, and carrots or spinach.
POTATO FILLING
2 cups mashed potatoes
1 egg, beaten
1 qt. stale bread, cubed
2 tblsp. butter
1 onion, minced
½ cup celery, diced
1 tblsp. minced parsley
1 tsp. salt
pinch of pepper
Put the beaten egg into the mashed potatoes and mix well. Melt the butter in a large skillet and saute the onion and celery. Stir in the bread crumbs to toast for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add all the other ingredients, combine with the potatoes and mix thoroughly.
SCRAPPLE
½ lb. chopped raw meat (beef or pork)
1¼ teaspoons salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 cup corn meal
1 medium onion chopped
1¼ qts. water
Brown onion slowly in a little fat. Add meat, seasoning and water. Cook at simmering point 20 minutes. Add to corn meal and boil for 1 hour. Turn into a mold, cool, cut in slices and fry in fat until brown. Can serve with gravy or tomato sauce.
*This is a very plain scrapple recipe. It can also be made with spices and served as a breakfast meat.
FRIED TOMATOES
4 tomatoes
3 tblsp. hot fat and butter (we use bacon grease)
2 tblsp. brown sugar (I omit)
Flour
½ cup milk
salt and pepper
Cut large, solid, ripe tomatoes in ½ inch slices. Dredge thickly with flour. Fry quickly in 2 tablespoons of hot drippings or butter, browning well on both sides. Remove to serving platter, sprinkle with salt, pepper and brown sugar. Keep warm. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan fryings and blend in a tablespoon of flour. Add the milk and cook, stirring constantly. It should be about the consistency of thick cream. Pour it over the tomatoes and serve.
CORN PUDDING
1 can golden crushed corn
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tbs. flour
2 tbs. sugar
1 cup milk
salt and pepper
lots of butter
Mix all ingredients together. Place in buttered casserole. Bake in slow oven 300 degrees for one hour.
HOME BAKED BEANS
2 cups navy beans
1½ tsp. salt
1 small onion, minced
4 tblsp. molasses
1 tsp. dry mustard
4 tblsp. catsup
¼ lb. salt pork
or 4 slices bacon
Soak beans over night in cold water. Drain, add 1½ qts. of fresh water, the Onion and cook slowly until skins burst. Drain save the liquid. Mix molasses, seasoning and catsup with 1 cup of the liquid. Put half the salt pork or bacon in bottom of bean pot or baking dish, add the beans and top with remainder of pork or bacon. Pour molasses mixture over beans, add more liquid to cover. Bake covered for 5 hours in slow oven (300-f). Uncover for the last 30 minutes. Add water if necessary, while cooking.
APPLE RING FRITTERS
1 cup sifted flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup milk
1 egg
4 large apples
Sift dry ingredients. Add milk and egg. Beat well. Peel and core apples and slice in rings about ¼ inch thick. Dip rings in batter and drop into skillet containing ½ inch of hot melted shortening. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towel. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over fritters. Makes 16 to 20.
CORN MEAL GRIDDLE CAKES
2 cups corn meal
½ cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 tblsp. butter
1½ tsp. salt
Sift flour, corn meal, baking powder, soda and salt. Sift again. Beat eggs well, add the buttermilk and combine with the dry ingredients. Beat until smooth and add melted butter. Bake on hot griddle. The “dutch” housewife rubbed the griddle with the flat part of a raw turnip cut in half, to prevent sticking. Some used a little cloth bag filled with salt. Serve with brown sugar or syrup.
CORN FRITTERS
2 eggs, separated
2 tblsp. flour
1 tblsp. sugar
2 cups grated fresh corn (I used canned or frozen)
Beat the egg yolks and add the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and a little pepper. Add the corn and fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Drop small spoonfuls on greased griddle or frying pan. Do not cook too fast.
OLD-FASHIONED FLANNEL CAKES
2 cups flour
1 tblsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
2 eggs, separated
2 tblsp. melted butter
Sift together in a bowl the flour, salt and baking powder. Beat the egg yolks and add the milk. Pour milk mixture slowly into the dry ingredients and beat to a smooth batter. Add the melted butter then fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Bake on hot griddle. Makes about 12 cakes.
FRIED CORN MEAL MUSH
1 cup corn meal
2 qts. boiling water
1 tsp. salt
Moisten corn meal with a little cold water and stir into the salted boiling water. Cook over slow fire, stirring often, for 45 minutes. (Most of the corn meal sold today has been processed to cook much faster, so follow the directions.) Pour the hot corn meal into a greased loaf pan or glass baking dish. Let stand, uncovered, until cold and firm. Cut into slices, dip in flour and fry in hot fat until browned. Serve with syrup. Wonderful with sausage.
PEACH FRITTERS
½ cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
⅓ cup butter
2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup milk
½ tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. vanilla
1½ cups chopped peaches, fresh or canned
whipped cream
Cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs and beat thoroughly. Sift dry ingredients together and add the milk slowly. Fold in peaches, lemon juice and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls into hot fat. Fry golden brown. Serve with whipped cream or sprinkle with powdered sugar.
GERMAN EGG PANCAKES
5 eggs, separated
½ cup milk
1 cup flour, sifted
Put the yolks of 5 eggs in a bowl and beat until very light. Add the milk and flour gradually and mix into a smooth batter which is not too thick. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Drop large spoonfuls on a hot greased griddle. Serve hot sprinkled with sugar or spread with currant or other tart jelly or jam.
Doughnuts
POTATO DOUGHNUTS
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed potatoes
½ cup sweet milk
2½ cups flour
1½ tblsp. shortening
½ tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. nutmeg
1 tblsp. baking powder
Beat mashed potatoes, add melted shortening, beaten eggs and milk. Sift dry ingredients together and add to the liquid. Dough should be soft yet firm enough to roll. Separate dough into 2 parts and roll each out to thickness of ¾ inch. Cut with doughnut cutter and cook in deep fat (365-f) fry to golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Dust with powdered sugar or sugar and cinnamon mixture.
JOHNNY CAKE
1½ cups yellow corn meal
¾ cup flour, sifted
1½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tblsp. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1¼ cups sour milk or buttermilk
¼ cup shortening, melted
Sift flour, corn meal, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar together. Combine eggs and sour milk (or buttermilk) and add to the flour mixture. Mix well and stir in the shortening. Bake in greased 8 × 8 × 2-inch pan, in moderately hot oven (375-f) 40 minutes.
FUNNEL CAKES (Drechter Kuche)
3 eggs
2 cups milk
¼ cup sugar
3 to 4 cups flour
½ tsp. salt
2 tsps. baking powder
Beat eggs and add sugar and milk. Sift half the flour, salt and baking powder together and add to milk and egg mixture. Beat the batter smooth and add only as much more flour as needed. Batter should be thin enough to run thru a funnel. Drop from funnel into deep, hot fat (375-f). Spirals and endless intricate shapes can be made by swirling and criss-crossing while controlling the funnel spout with a finger. Serve hot with molasses, tart jelly, jam or sprinkle with powdered sugar.
*We've had funnel cakes for supper more times than I can count.
RIVEL (CRUMB) PIE
1 cup flour
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter and shortening mixed
Mix or “crumb” the above ingredients together with the hands to form small lumps or rivels. Strew the rivels into a prepared pastry shell and bake in a hot oven (400-f) for 30 minutes. Some spread 2 tblsps. of molasses over it before baking.
POTATO SALAD DRESSING
1 beaten egg
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp. flour
½ cup water
½ cup vinegar
2 tbsp. butter
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Combine in the order given, stirring after each addition. Boil until thick. Cool before adding to the salad.
* Can use over macaroni noodles too