World War Two Recipes

Rationing in World War Two meant that recipes had to make the most of the food that was more easily available. The government published recipes to convince people that they could still cook good food during the war. As you can see from the following selection of World War Two recipes published by the government, ingredients were used inventively and sparingly.

Lord Woolton’s Vegetable Pie

• 2 lb of potatoes
• 1 lb of cauliflower
• 1 lb of carrots
• ½ lb of suede
• ½ lb of parsnips
• 3 or 4 spring onions
• Water for cooking
• 1 teaspoon vegetable extract
• 1 tablespoon of oatmeal
• Chopped parsley
• 2 oz grated cheese.

Cook half the potatoes, the vegetables, the vegetable extract and oatmeal for 10 minutes in enough water to cover them. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Cool and place in a pie dish. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Boil, then mash the rest of the potatoes; spread then over the vegetables to make a crust. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake at 190C, 375F, gas mark five until lightly browned. Serve with gravy and vegetables. Serves six to eight.

The pie was named after Lord Frederick Woolton who was Minister for Food.

Macaroni and Bacon Dish

• ½ oz of dripping or fat
• 2 oz leek or onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 oz bacon, chopped
• 1 pint vegetable stock, made by dissolving a vegetable stock cube in boiling water
• 6 oz macaroni
• Salt and pepper

Melt the dripping in a pan and fry the leek and bacon until lightly browned. Add the stock, bring to the boil, and add the macaroni and seasoning. Cook for 20 minutes or until the macaroni is tender and the water is absorbed. Garnish with watercress. Serves four.

Marrow Pudding

Boil a small marrow or half a large marrow in water and strain through a colander. Fill a pie dish three-quarters full with the marrow. Add a lump of butter and a little sugar and spice for flavouring. Fill up the dish with milk and bake on an oven tray for 45 minutes at 190C, 375F, gas mark five. Serves four.

Parsnip Pudding

Mash 2 medium-sized cooked cold parsnips with a tablespoon of cocoa. Add a pinch of bicarbonate of soda. Warm ½ pint of milk and sweeten with sugar or a sweetener. Add the milk to the parsnip mixture and mix together. Bake for 30 minutes at 190C, 375F, gas mark 5. Serves 4.

Carrot Cookies

• 1 tablespoon margarine
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• A few drops of vanilla or almond for flavouring
• 4 tablespoons grated raw carrot
• 6 tablespoons self-raising flour or plain flour mixed with ½ teaspoon of baking powder
• Extra sugar to sprinkle on top of the cookies.

Cream the margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the flavouring and grated carrot. Fold in the flour, or flour mixed with baking powder. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into small greased patty pans. Sprinkle the tops with the extra sugar and bake at 220C, 425F, gas mark seven for about 20 minutes. Makes 12 to 15 cookies.

Quick Vegetable Soup

• ½ oz dripping
• 12 oz mixed vegetables, diced
• 1½ pints water or stock
• Salt and pepper
• Chopped parsley

Melt the dripping in a saucepan, add the vegetables and cook gently in the fat for at least five minutes. Add the liquid and simmer slowly for 25 minutes. Season the soup, then rub through a sieve to make a purée. Reheat and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley. Serves four.

Welsh Rarebit using Stale Crusts

• 1½ oz stale crusts, soaked in water and squeezed
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 2 oz grated cheese
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1-2 teaspoons salt
• Pinch of pepper
• ½ oz margarine
• 4 slices of toast

Mix the soaked bread and milk, half the cheese and the seasoning. Beat well. Melt the margarine in a saucepan, then add the bread and cheese mixture and cook until hot and well blended. Spread it on the slices of toast and sprinkle with the remainder of the cheese. Brown gently under the grill. Serve very hot. Serves four.