Money-Saving Main Dishes

Eggs ...

Reading edition

Eggs are excellent for main dishes because they contain high-quality protein, and are a good source of several important minerals and vitamins. When you serve eggs as an alternate for meat in a main dish, either allow more than 1 egg per person or add enough milk or cheese, as in cheese omelet, for example, to make up the difference.

Government-graded eggs are sold in cartons labeled with the grade (quality), size (weight), and date of grading. There are four U. S. grades—AA, A, B, and C. Grades AA and A have a large proportion of thick white, a firm high yolk, and a delicate flavor. They are often preferred for cooking in the shell, poaching, and frying. Grades B and C, which are less expensive than the two top grades, are a thrifty choice where appearance and delicate flavor are less important, as in Spanish omelet, gingerbread, or scrambled eggs with bacon.

Sizes of eggs and their minimum weights per dozen are:

Jumbo 30 ounces

Extra large 27 ounces

Large 24 ounces

Medium 21 ounces

Small 18 ounces

Peewee 15 ounces

Within any grade, large eggs usually cost more per dozen than smaller ones. Use the above weights to determine which size gives you the best return for your money. For instance, if medium eggs weighing 21 ounces are 56 cents a dozen (2⅔ cents an ounce) they are a better buy than large eggs weighing 24 ounces at 66 cents a dozen (2¾ cents an ounce).

Eggs are cheaper than meat as a source of main-dish protein when the price of eight large eggs is less than the price of a pound of meat with moderate amounts of bone and fat, such as rump roast. Or when the price of a dozen large eggs is less than the price of a pound of lean meat with little fat and bone, as round steak.

The color of the eggshell depends on the breed of hen and does not indicate the food value of the eggs. So do not pay a higher price for brown eggs than for white ones, or vice versa, with the idea that you are getting more food value.

Hot deviled eggs

2 tablespoons butter, margarine, or oil ½ green pepper, chopped fine ⅓ cup celery, chopped fine 1 small onion, chopped fine 1 tablespoon flour 1⅓ cups cooked or canned tomatoes 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce 2 drops tabasco sauce ⅔ cup cold milk 6 hard-cooked eggs, sliced Crumbs, butter or margarine

Heat butter or margarine and cook chopped vegetables in it until they are tender. Blend in the flour.

Add tomatoes and seasonings and cook until thickened, stirring constantly.

Stir the hot tomato mixture into the milk and carefully add the eggs.

Turn into a greased baking dish and top with crumbs. Dot with butter or margarine and bake at 375° F. (moderate oven) until the crumbs are brown and the mixture is hot, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Menu Suggestion

Serve with asparagus, broccoli, or other green vegetable, mashed potatoes, and cheese with fruit pie for dessert.

For Variety

Instead of adding crumbs and baking the deviled egg mixture, serve it on toast or in patty shells.

Egg and toast special

4 slices bacon, chopped fine 4 thick slices bread, with 2-inch holes in centers 4 eggs Salt and pepper

Cook bacon in a fry pan until half done; push to side of pan. Pour off fat. Brown bread slices in pan while bacon continues to cook.

Break the eggs into the holes, and season. Sprinkle bacon over eggs and bread. Reduce heat, cover pan, and cook until eggs are done.

Serve with creamed onions, sliced tomato and cottage cheese salad for needed protein, and a fruit dessert.

Mexican scrambled eggs

2 tablespoons minced onion ½ clove garlic, chopped fine 1 small green pepper, diced fine 2 tablespoons cooking fat or oil ⅓ cup sieved cooked or canned tomatoes 3 tablespoons water 1 teaspoon salt, pepper 6 eggs, slightly beaten

Fry onion, garlic, and green pepper in fat or oil. Add tomatoes, water, salt, and pepper.

Cook 3 minutes. Add eggs and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

Serve with potatoes, snap beans, green salad with strips of meat and cheese, and upside-down cake made with fresh or stewed dried fruit.

Shirred eggs on spinach

1 to 1½ pounds spinach ½ teaspoon salt 2 slices bacon Salt and pepper 4 eggs

Wash spinach thoroughly, place in pan, and add salt. Cover and cook without added water until wilted—about 5 minutes.

Chop bacon fine; fry until crisp.

Mix bacon and bacon fat with spinach and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place hot spinach in a baking dish. Make four depressions in spinach, and break an egg into each.

Cover dish and bake at 350° F. (moderate oven) 20 to 25 minutes or until eggs are firm. If desired, sprinkle grated cheese over the eggs during the last 10 minutes.

Menu Suggestion

Serve with baked sweetpotatoes, fruit salad, and cheese cake or pie with cheese.

For Variety

Shirred Eggs With Cheese.—Place a tablespoon of top milk in a greased custard cup. Break an egg into the cup, add salt and pepper, and bake at 350° F. (moderate oven) until white is nearly firm. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake until cheese is melted.

Eggs scrambled with luncheon meat

1 cup diced luncheon meat 1 tablespoon cooking fat or oil 4 eggs, beaten ¼ cup milk ¼ teaspoon salt Pepper

Salami, canned cured pork loaf, bologna, frankfurters, or any other spiced or smoked luncheon meat makes a good combination with eggs for this quick dinner dish.

Lightly brown the diced meat in the fat or oil in a fry pan over moderate heat.

Combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper and add to the meat.

Cook, stirring constantly, until eggs are done.

Menu Suggestion

Serve with baked potatoes, carrot and celery sticks, and tomato aspic salad. Have fruit dumplings for dessert.

For Variety

Use chopped cooked chicken, turkey, rabbit, or giblets. With poultry, substitute broth for the milk for more flavor.

Or, instead of meat, use ¾ cup cottage cheese or chopped Cheddar cheese, adding the cheese to the egg mixture before cooking. Serve these scrambled eggs with broiled, fried, or stewed tomatoes, or with tomato sauce.

Eggaroni

4 hard-cooked eggs 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 2 tablespoons flour 1⅔ cups milk 1 teaspoon finely chopped onion ½ tablespoon horseradish, if desired 1½ cups cooked macaroni Salt and pepper 2 tomatoes, cut in quarters Crumbs mixed with melted butter or margarine

Cut eggs in quarters.

Make white sauce: Melt butter or margarine, blend in flour, and add milk slowly. Cook, stirring, until thickened.

Add other ingredients except tomatoes and crumbs. Pour into greased baking dish.

Press tomatoes into top of mixture, leaving skin surface exposed.

Sprinkle crumbs over top and bake at 350° F. (moderate oven) 20 to 30 minutes or until tomatoes are tender.

Menu Suggestion

Serve with spinach or kale, apple and raisin salad, and apricot snow with custard sauce.

For Variety

Cover macaroni mixture with pieces of canned, instead of fresh, tomatoes. Make sauce with juice from tomatoes instead of milk.

Omit tomatoes. Mix ½ cup grated cheese with the crumbs and sprinkle over top during last 15 minutes of baking.

Puffy spanish omelet

1 cup cooked or canned tomatoes, or 1¼ cups chopped raw tomatoes 1 small green pepper, chopped ½ small onion, chopped fine 1 tablespoon chopped parsley ¼ cup chopped celery 8 to 10 stuffed olives, sliced 4 eggs, separated ½ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon cooking fat or oil

Combine tomatoes, green pepper, onion, parsley, celery, and olives. Simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is reduced to a few tablespoonfuls.

Beat egg yolks well. Add salt to egg whites and beat until stiff but not dry.

Gradually fold the beaten egg yolks into the whites and then fold in the cooked vegetables. Add pepper.

Heat the fat or oil in a fry pan and pour in the egg mixture. Cook over low heat until lightly browned on the bottom. Cover and cook until set.

Or, when the omelet is lightly browned on the bottom, finish by baking 10 to 15 minutes at 350° F. (moderate oven).

Menu Suggestion

Serve with slices of broiled ham or fried sausages for more protein, and with baked potatoes, greens, and cooked dried fruit.

Egg and potato scramble

2 slices bacon 4 medium-sized potatoes, sliced thin 1 teaspoon salt 4 eggs, beaten ¼ cup milk Pepper

Fry bacon slices and remove from fry pan.

Fry potatoes in the fat until they are well browned, sprinkling with salt as browning starts.

Cover pan closely. Cook over low heat until potatoes are tender.

Combine eggs, milk, and pepper. Pour over potatoes in pan and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until eggs are set.

Crumble bacon slices and add just before removing pan from heat. Serve at once.

Menu Suggestion

Serve with scalloped tomatoes or eggplant, spinach or kale, pear and cottage cheese salad, cookies.

For Variety

Bits of cooked ham, chipped beef, or any cooked meats may be used in place of the bacon in this recipe. Thin slices of sausages or chopped chicken livers are especially good. Fry the potatoes in bacon fat or other meat drippings when omitting the bacon.

Small cubes of cheese or flakes of smoked fish are other welcome additions with their own distinctive flavors.

Eggs in potato nests

1½ cups leftover mashed potatoes 5 eggs Salt and pepper

Mix potatoes with one of the eggs. Shape mixture into four balls, place on greased baking sheet.

Press centers of balls to make cups. Break an egg into each cup, season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 325° F. (slow oven) 20 to 25 minutes or until eggs are as firm as desired.

Menu Suggestion

Serve with broccoli and cheese sauce, and crisp salad, and spicecake for dessert.

For Variety

Add ¼ cup grated cheese and 1 teaspoon grated onion or onion juice to the potato mixture.

Bake the potato cups and fill with a mixture such as creamed salmon and peas or creamed chicken and celery.

Mix ¾ cup chopped cooked ham with 2 cups mashed potatoes; season. Add the yolk of 1 egg and fold in the stiffly beaten egg white. Line a greased baking dish with this mixture; bake 30 minutes at 350° F. (moderate oven) until potatoes are slightly browned. Fill the potato “nest” with hot creamed ham and eggs: 1½ cups white sauce, 4 hard-cooked eggs sliced, ¼ cup chopped cooked ham.