Big Recipes from a little blue book
by Pamela McBride 
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About Pamela McBride Pamela McBride began her career as a dinner lady in 1968. After several years as Head Cook in a primary school she became a weekend chef in a care home. She keeps her recipes in a little blue book: savoury recipes at one end, sweet at the other, plus a whole assortment of clippings, labels and coupons. The recipes cater for large quantities using simple, inexpensive ingredients. Now retired, Pamela has fond memories of her varied career, especially the school trips to Portland Bill. She likes puffins and children, probably in that order.
Published by Astrantium Publishing, Edinburgh, May 2016 Preview Edition. All rights reserved Karon Lorraine McBride is identified as the creator of this work Karon has her mum’s permission to publish these recipes and can get a note if required Copyright Š 2016 Karon Lorraine McBride
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Bacon and Onion Pudding 1 ounce lard or 2 tablespoons oil 1lb thinly sliced potato 1 thinly sliced medium onion 4 ounces strong plain flour ¼ teaspoon salt; black pepper 2 large eggs ¼ pint milk; ¼ pint water 4 rashers of bacon; 1 ounce grated cheese dried sage Heat oil, cook potato for 5 minutes Add onion and cook for another 5 minutes Cover with batter mix Bake for 25 minutes at Gas 7 (220℃) Sprinkle with chopped bacon and cheese Bake for final 10 - 15 minutes
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Potato Madras
4 cloves of garlic 3 tablespoons oil 1½lb potatoes (cut into large dice) 8 ounces cauliflower florets 1 large sliced onion 1 tablespoon curry powder ¼ teaspoon ground ginger 4 ounces red lentils 14 ounce tin of chopped tomatoes ½ pint vegetable stock 2 tablespoons of malt vinegar Seasoning and chopped parsley Heat the oil in a large frying pan Quickly fry the potato, cauliflower, onion and garlic until just starting to brown Stir in curry powder and ginger Continue frying for a few minutes Stir in remaining ingredients except for the parsley Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the veg and lentils are tender Garnish and serve
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Lamb and Lentil Hotpot 2 tablespoons plain flour salt and pepper 2 teaspoons dried rosemary 1¼lb braising lamb (cubed) 12 ounces diced swede 4 ounces lentils 1 large onion, diced 8 ounces sliced carrots 1¼ pints of beef stock, boiling 1½lb potatoes 1 tablespoon oil Toss the lamb in seasoned flour Put in casserole dish Boil lentils fast for 10 minutes Drain lentils - rinse and drain again Add lentils to casserole with swede, carrots, onion and stock Bring to the boil Cover and cook in the oven for 1½ hours Gas 3, 160℃ Peel potatoes and slice thinly Arrange on top of casserole Brush with oil Cook uncovered in oven for 1 hour
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Winter Casserole 1½lb stewing beef 2 ounces seasoned flour 1 ounce beef dripping 4 sliced carrots 2 leeks or onions, sliced 2 sticked chopped celery ½ pint water (needed extra water ½ pint brown ale 4 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce 15 ounce can of butter beans Cut the meat into one inch cubes and toss in the seasoned flour Brown the meat in the dripping Place in a casserole dish Fry the remaining veg for 3 minutes Add the remains flour and blend in the water and ale, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning. Bring to the boil and add butter beans Pour over meat. Cover and cook for 2½ - 3 hours at Gas 3 (160℃)
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Glamorgan Sausages (veggy) Seasoning 8 ounces of white breadcrumbs 6 ounces of caerphilly cheese, grated 1 leek, finely chopped 1 tablespoon of parsley 1 teaspoon of mustard powder 2 eggs 4 tablespoons of milk 2 ounces plain flour oil for frying Mix the seasoning, breadcrumbs, cheese, leek, parsley and mustard powder together Beat in one whole egg and the white of the second with a small amount of milk Divide into 8 sausages Dip the sausages first into the remaining egg yolk and then into the flour Fry gently in shallow oil for 5 - 8 minutes 
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All Bran Fruit Loaf A family favourite that gets a definite tick. 4oz bran cereal 2 ounces sugar 8 - 10 ounces mixed dried fruit ½ pint milk 4 ounces self raising flour (or plain flour plus 1½ level teaspoons baking powder) Put the cereal, sugar and fruit into a basin and mix well. Stir in milk Leave for 30 minutes Sieve in flour and mix well Pour into a greased 2lb loaf tin and bake for about an hour at 180℃.
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Norwegian Apple Cake 5 eggs 1lb caster sugar 8 ounces margarine or butter 5 pints of milk 13 ounces plain flour 1½ ounces baking powder 3lb apples Line and grease two catering tins Whisk eggs with 14 ounces of the sugar until peaked Boil butter and milk in a pan Stir into egg mixture Sieve flour and baking powder and fold into mixture Pour into trays Slice and peel the apples and arrange over the mixture. Sprinkle with sugar Bake for 20-40 minutes at Gas 6 (200℃)
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Quick Choc Squares 1 tablespoon sifted cocoa 2 tablespoons boiling water 8 ounces plain wholemeal flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 6 ounces fat i.e. margarine 3 ounces caster sugar 3 beaten eggs 3 tablespoons milk Sift cocoa powder and mix with boiling water until smooth. Sift flour and baking powder and beat into cocoa with fat, sugar, eggs and milk. Beat until smooth. Pour into a shallow, lined and greased tin. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes
 at Gas 4 (180℃)
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Coconut and Cherry Fingers 6 ounces plain wholemeal flour 2 ounces plain flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 4oz reduced fat margarine 1 ounce caster sugar 2 ounces desiccated coconut 4 ounces glacĂŠ cherries 1 egg beaten 2 tablespoons lemon juice 7 fluid ounces of milk Sift the flours and baking powder Rub the fat into the flour Add the remaining dry ingredients and enough milk to achieve a soft drop consistency Pour into a lined shallow tin Bake at Gas 3 Cut into fingers
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Gingerbread (school recipe) 12 ounces margarine 12 ounces brown sugar 12 ounces syrup 3 eggs 3 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda 15 fluid ounces of water 1lb 2 ounces plain flour 3 ounces milk powder 3 teaspoons ground ginger 4½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Dissolve the sugar and syrup in the margarine but DO NOT BOIL Add all other ingredients to make a wet mix Bake for 50 minutes at Gas 3 (160℃)
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Mock Marzipan Covers an eight inch cake 4 ounces margarine 4 tablespoons of water 8 ounces semolina 8 ounces granulated sugar 2 - 3 teaspoons of almond essence
Melt the margarine with the water and semolina in a pan Bring to the boil, stirring continually until the mixture thickens Stir in sugar and cook over a gentle heat for 1 - 2 minutes to dissolve the sugar Remove from the heat and add the almond essence Cool, wrap in film and chill until you can roll it out 
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Mincemeat Cake A minimalist recipe 5 ounces soft margarine 5 ounces soft brown sugar 8 ounces self raising flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 eggs 1lb mincemeat Bake for 1ž hours 
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Rhubarb and Cinnamon Cobbler
6 ounces plain flour 4 ounces butter 5 ounces caster sugar 1½lb rhubarb or ripe plums 2 level tablespoons cornflour ½ level teaspoon cinnamon milk and sugar for glazing Place the flour, butter and 1 ounce of the sugar into a processor and blend until breadcrumbs Add three tablespoons of cold water Chill the pastry for 20 minutes Roll out and line a deep 9 inch oven proof dish leaving edges ragged Drape pastry over edge Wash rhubarb and chop into chunks Toss the chunks of rhubarb in sugar, cornflour and cinnamon Place fruit in dish and bring rough edges over leaving centre uncovered Glaze with milk, sprinkle with sugar Bake at 160℃ for 50 minutes
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Acknowledgments Thank you to these lovely people who made their photographs available for re-use under Creative Commons licences. Onion (p.3) Colin CC BY-SA 3.0 Lentils in dish (p.7) Jessica Spengler CC BY-SA 2.0 Caerphilly cheese (p.13) Jon Sullivan - http://pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?mat=pdef&pg=8578 Public Domain Apple (p.15) Amada44 Public Domain Coconut (p.19) Horia Varlan CC BY-SA 2.0 Gingerbread (p.21) Johan Bryggare CC BY-SA 2.0 Semolina (p.23) Sanjay Ach CC BY-SA 3.0 Mincemeat (p.25) Stuart Caie - http://www.flickr.com/photos/kyz/4163872309/ CC BY-SA 2.0 Rhubarb (p.27) H. Michael Miley CC BY-SA 2.0 
Big Recipes from a little blue book About Pamela McBride
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Bacon and Onion Pudding
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Potato Madras
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Lamb and Lentil Hotpot
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Winter Casserole
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Glamorgan Sausages (veggy)
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All Bran Fruit Loaf
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Norwegian Apple Cake
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Quick Choc Squares
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Coconut and Cherry Fingers
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Gingerbread (school recipe)
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Mock Marzipan
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Mincemeat Cake
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Rhubarb and Cinnamon Cobbler
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Acknowledgments
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