Happy New Year 1940!!!!

Welcome to my first (and possible only, who knows?) week of eating within British WW2 ration limitations, using recipes based mostly on 'We'll eat again"

My first job today was to weigh myself. The argument being, that you will actually be healthier by consuming proper food even if you use full fat than all the highly processed foods we normally eat today, including low fat, low calorie etc.

As usual I missed breakfast and aimed to have lunch ready around 1pm.

For the purposes of frugality to keep in the spirit, my savoury cooking fat will be  the left over oil in a jar of artichokes.. How is that for making do??

Normally I would aim for a soup and bread combo for lunch, but seeing as I haven't made any bread I had to sacrifice my one solitary egg to make some batter...yes, my first dish today was pancakes of all things...

Lunch

All purpose batter recipe

4oz plain flour
pinch of salt
1/2 pint of water and milk mixed
1 dried egg powder (I used 1 fresh egg)

Plain pancakes, can be served sweet also

Mix dry ingredients and then whisk in some of the milk, add egg (if using fresh) than add some more of the liquid until you have a smooth consistency, fry until golden.  Makes about four smaller sized pancakes.

To serve savoury pancakes serve with fried onions, cheese or fried vegetables.

Finished product

I used a small bit of my cheese ration, grating it between pancakes and then topped with two very small onions slices and fried in the same frying pan as there was plenty of fat left in it.


The pancakes are crepes really as plain flour is used, not self raising, but they had a nice taste, but I can't help but feel that it might be because I used a fresh egg instead of dried, if I recall correctly, dried egg leaves quite a bitter aftertaste, at least it used to.

Obviously having to ration my cheese I used a great deal less cheese than I normally would in a dish, however I found that I still liked it and could taste the cheese find (it does help that I buy mature or extra mature cheddar only).  The fried onions were delicious.

 By the way, anyone who is curious to see what one weeks worth of cheese ration looks like this is it

Dinner

Roasted butternut squash (italics means plain veg on side and not not  in book)
Potato salad
1 1/2 potatoes, chopped in smaller pieces and boiled in salted boiling water
1/2 pint milk (or milk and water)
1.5 oz flour
1 tbs vinegar
1tbs chopped parsley (I had none so I omitted it)
1tbs chopped mint
4oz dried cheese (omitted)
 salt and pepper

Mix small portion of milk with flour until it is the consistency of cream, set the rest of milk to boil, when it starts to boil add flour/milk mix.  Reduce heat and keep stirring until sauce thickens, add vinegar, herbs and salt and pepper, add boiled potatoes and then stir to coat them fully in sauce..

Recipe says to leave to get cold, I ate them hot however.

Taste

To be honest I found it a bit plain, you can't get over the fact that it is really a white sauce and not mayonnaise. The recipe does say you can add some mustard powder if available but of course, I do not have any available though I think it would have improved the dish considerably.
I was hesitant to  use any more of my precious cheese ration, I livened mine up by adding raw garlic and red onion but I know that is not to everyone;s taste.

No picture I am afraid, the only vinegar I have is balsamic so it looked like brown sludge  (yes, yes I know all the middle class problems jokes).