Drinks, Dressings and More from Milk’s Little Cookbook III

The last two pages of Milk’s Little Cookbook III are devoted to ‘Delightful Drinkables’; milkshakes and what we would these days call ‘smoothies,’ and some salad dressings made with yogurt.

Basic Milkshakes
Ingredients
2 (or more) scoops of ice cream
3/4 c cold milk
flavouring option (see below)

Method
Combine in blender until smooth.

Flavourings
Vanilla – 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate – 2 Tbsp chocolate syrup
Fruit – 1/3 cup fruit; fresh, frozen, or canned (drained)

Comments
For a chocolate milkshake, you could use chocolate ice cream instead of (or with!) the chocolate syrup.
The original recipe, oddly, also lists “berry” as a separate flavouring option. Perhaps to remind the reader who might not think of using berries under the fruit category?
If using canned fruit, you can use the juice combined with powdered milk instead of fresh milk, for extra fruit flavour.

The next three recipes are fruit smoothies.

Raspberry Frosty
Ingredients
2 c milk, divided
3/4 c raspberries, fresh or frozen
2 Tbsp sugar

Method
Freeze 1 c milk in ice cube tray. Place frozen milk ice cubes in blender with fruit, sugar, and 1 c milk. Blend (1 minute) until smooth. Makes 2–3 servings.
Variations: use other fruits instead.


Pineapple Jog Nog
Ingredients
1 c unsweetened crushed pineapple with juice
2 eggs
1 c cold milk
3 ice cubes

Method
Combine pineapple and eggs in blender; blend until smooth and creamy. Add milk and ice cubes, blending about 30 seconds more, until foamy. Makes 2 servings.

Comments
Ah, those innocent days when raw eggs weren’t considered a teeming fount of salmonella. How to pasteurize eggs at home.


Banana Frappé
Ingredients
1 c cold milk
1/2 c yogurt
2 medium ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
2 whole walnuts, chopped

Method
Combine in blender until smooth. Makes 1–2 servings

Comments
The raw egg again. See above recipe.
I’d judge this to be 2–4 servings. Even with one banana, it should make at least 2 servings, and with two, I’d guess it’s going to be awfully thick. Let me know if you try it.

The last two recipes are some ideas for using yogurt in homemade salad dressings. The recipes don’t say so, but of course the yogurt must be plain and unsweetened. In those days, plain unsweetened yogurt was the default; no need to specify it.

Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients
1 c yogurt
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp lemon juice

Method
Combine ingredients. This is especially nice on spinach salad.

Blue Cheese Dressing
Ingredients
1/4 c crumbled blue cheese
1/2 c yogurt
1 tsp vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Combine ingredients.

Milk’s Little Cookbook, Vol. 3

This is a booklet issued by the Ontario Milk Marketing Board, probably in the late 1970s.

Magic Mix
Ingredients
8 c all-purpose flour
1 c sugar
1/3 c baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 c vegetable shortening

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the shortening until crumbly. Store in a sealed container in a cool dry place or in the refrigerator. Makes 10 cups. Use within 8 weeks.

Comments
I wouldn’t make this, since I prefer to use butter or oil in baked goods; butter because the flavour is better (but you could use butter-flavoured shortening) or oil because it’s generally healthier. (Shortening manufacturers claim to be reducing or eliminating the trans fats in shortenings; for more information see here and here, for example.) Anyway, I wouldn’t want the pressure of having to use it up within 8 weeks.
Here are two sample recipes using Magic Mix. It would be easy to adapt them to other flavours.

Apple’n Spice Muffins
Ingredients
3 c Magic Mix
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp grated orange rind
2 eggs
1 1/4 c milk
1 c grated peeled apple

Method
Stir cinnamon and orange rind into Magic Mix. In another bowl, beat eggs with milk. Stir into dry ingredients, along with the apple. Spoon into 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 400 ºF (200 ºC) 15–20 minutes or until done.

Crunchy Coffee Cake
Ingredients
2 eggs
1 1/2 c milk
3 c Magic Mix
Topping:
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 c chopped walnuts

Method
Beat eggs with milk and stir into Magic Mix. Pour into a greased 8×8-inch (2L) square baking pan. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly over batter. Bake at 350 ºF (180 ºC) for 30–35 minutes or until done. Cool in pan.

And now for the rest of the recipes in the booklet.

Seafood Lasagna
Ingredients
2 10-oz (total 570 g) fresh spinach (or two 12-oz (340 g each) pkgs frozen spinach)
3 Tbsp butter (divided)
salt and pepper to taste
dash nutmeg
3 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 c milk
1 6-oz (170 g) crabmeat
2 Tbsp dry sherry (optional)
1 Tbsp fresh choopped dill
6 oz (170 g) lasagna noodles, cooked
1/2 c grated Swiss cheese

Method
Trim and wash spinach; cook until tender. Drain, chop, and toss with 1 Tbsp butter. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp butter. Add flour and cook, stirring, over medium heat 1 minute. Remove from heat, whisk in milk, return to heat. Stir until smooth and thickened. Drain crab and pick out any bits of shell. Add to sauce with sherry (if used) and dill. Lightly butter an 8×8-inch (2L) square casserole dish. Layer half of spinach, crab mixture, lasagna noodles, and then repeat. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, covered at 400 ºF (200 ºC) 20 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 minutes more to brown the top lightly. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Makes 6 servings.

Comments
No-cook lasagna is a shortcut well worth using, instead of having to wrestle with slippery, floppy cooked lasagna noodles, not to mention that it eliminates the extra time and bother of cooking the lasagna. If I could gauge the amount of extra liquid to use, I’d make this with no-cook lasagna. If you’ve made other recipes with no-cook lasagna, you’ll have a feel for how liquid the sauce needs to be. Extra cooking time may be required as well.
I think this would be good with any seafood, even fish.

Tarragon Chicken (make 1 day ahead, refrigerate overnight)
Ingredients
3 lb (1.5 kg) chicken, cut into four pieces
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 c dry white wine
1 c chicken stock
1 tsp dried tarragon
2 onions, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
3 carrots, cut into strips and cooked
1/2 lb (225 g) asparagus, cooked
1 envelope unflavoured gelatin (1/4 oz; 7 g)
1 c milk

Method
Lightly brown chicken pieces in butter. Add wine, stock, tarragon, onion, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken and strain liquid. Skim fat from surface of liquid, reheat, boil down to 1 cup and reserve. Adjust seasoning if required. Meanwhile, remove meat from skin and bones, and chop coarsely. Rinse an 8½×4½-inch (1.5L) loaf pan with cold water and layer dish with chicken, carrot strips and asparagus. Soak gelatin in the 1 cup reserved cooking liquid, then stir to dissolve. Add milk and pour over the prepared chicken and vegetables in the loaf pan. Refrigerate overnight. Unmould to serve. Accompany with mayonnaise flavoured with a bit of Dijon mustard.

Comments
You could do this with any chicken pieces. I admit that cutting a whole chicken into 4 pieces intimidates me. I think you could just as well cook the chicken with water instead of chicken stock. It will have turned into chicken stock anyway by the time the chicken is cooked.

Super Nachos
Ingredients
3 c grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 c flour
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 tsp dry mustard
a few drops Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c chopped oives
1 pkg plain tortilla or nacho chips
chopped hot pepper, tomato and onion (optional)


Method
Toss flour with grated cheese. Heat milk in saucepan. Gradually add cheese mixture and cook, stirring until smooth. Add dry mustard, Tabasco, seasoning and olives. (Sauce may be prepared ahead to this point and refrigerated. Reheat in double boiler over simmering water.)
Spread chips on large plate. Pour hot cheese mixture over top. Sprinkle with hot peppers, etc. May be placed briefly under broiler to serve piping hot.

Comments
Monterrey Jack or marble cheese would be good alternatives.

Strawberry Delight
Ingredients
1 qt. (about 4 c) fresh strawberries, cleaned
4 eggs, separated
3/4 c sugar (divided)
2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 c milk
1 envelope unflavoured gelatin (1/4 oz; 7 g)
1/4 c lime juice
1/2 c whipping cream, stiffly beaten

Method
Purée strawberries in a blender or force through a sieve. Set aside. Beat egg yolks with 1/2 c sugar until creamy and light. Beat in cornstarch. Heat milk and slowly whisk into egg mixture. Return to saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until sauce is hot and slightly thickened. DO NOT BOIL.
Sprinkle gelatin over lime juice. Stir to combine, then beat the gelatin mixture into the hot sauce. Add 1 cup strawberry purée, refrigerate remainder of purée. Beat egg whites with remaining 1/4 c sugar until stiff and fold into the hot mixture. Refrigerate until cool and starting to set but not yet gelled. Fold in whipped cream and pour into an 8 cup (2L) mold. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight until set. Unmould onto serving plate and surround with remaining strawberry purée flavoured with lime juice and optionally sweetened to taste.

Comments
You can avoid incorporating raw egg whites if you pasteurize the eggs first: Bring eggs to room temperature. Cover amply with water. Heat until the water temperature reaches 140 ºF (60 ºC). Maintain for 4 minutes. The temperature must not exceed 150 ºF (65 ºC), to avoid cooking the eggs. After 4 minutes, remove the eggs and cool them in cold water.

Parmesan Fettuccine
Ingredients
1 1/2 c milk
1 1/2 c water
1/2 tsp salt
4 oz (115 g) fettuccine noodles
1 c grated Parmesan
1 c frozen peas
2 green onions, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Bring milk, water and salt to boil. Add the fettuccine, partially cover, and cook, stirring often until pasta is tender and most of liquid has been absorbed. There should be about 1 cup liquid left. Stir in the remaining ingredients and heat through. Thin with more milk if necessary.

Comments
The takeaway from this recipe is that any creamy pasta can be prepared using the principle of this recipe: half water and half milk, and only enough liquid to cook the pasta, with a little extra to serve as a creamy sauce. It’s a great way to prepare either boxed or homemade macaroni and cheese.

Golden Carrot Soup

Ingredients
1/3 c butter
1/2 c chopped onion
2 c thinly sliced carrots
3 chicken bouillon cubes
3 c boiling water
1/3 c long-grain rice
1/2 tsp salt
2 c milk


Method
Sauté onions in butter until golden. Add carrots and toss until coated with butter. Add bouillon cubes, water and rice; cover and simmer until carrots are tender, and rice is cooked. Add salt. Add to blender one third at a time and blend until smooth. Return to saucepan; add milk and heat.

Makes six 8-oz. (250 mL) servings.

Source
Clipped from a Milk Calendar from the Dairy Bureau of Canada from the late 1970s or early 1980s. You can see this recipe here, where it’s identified as 1979.

Comments

• 1/3 cup of butter! That adds up to 2 tsp per serving. I would make it with about 1—2 Tbsp in total nowadays. 
• I’d also taste the soup before adding the final 1/2 tsp of salt; adding it would depend on how salty the bouillon is.
• Any rice would do, I think; it doesn’t necessarily have to be long grain.
• You can use potato instead of rice.
• Taste of Home has a version that increases the onion (relatively), adds garlic, reduces the butter, and garnishes the finished soup with parsley. It looks good. The recipe contributor is Canadian; my guess is that her version is based on the Milk Calendar’s recipe.
• Make the soup vegetarian by using vegetable broth or bouillon cubes, or vegan by also using olive oil instead of butter and a non-dairy milk (sorry, Dairy Bureau).

Pasta Skillet – Two Ways

Mozzarella Spaghetti Skillet
Ingredients
1 lb (500 g) lean ground beef
2 c (500 mL) sliced mushrooms
1 c (250 mL) chopped onion
1 c (250 mL) chopped green pepper
1 28-oz can (about 3 cups) tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 c (375 mL) broken spaghetti
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 cups (500 mL) shredded mozzarella cheese

Method
Combine beef, mushrooms, onion and green pepper in a large frypan (perferably non-stick). Sauté over medium heat until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain fat. Cut up tomatoes, and add to pan with their liquid. Stir in water, spaghetti, seasoning and salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 to 20 min. or until pasta is cooked and liquid is absorbed. Add cheese, stir until melted. Makes 5–6 servings.


Colby Macaroni Skillet
As above, but use uncooked elbow macaroni instead of spaghetti.
Omit Italian seasoning.
Add 1 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce.
Use colby cheese instead of mozarella.

Comments
Although this recipe was developed to promote cheese (see below), IMO it is also great without the cheese.
Alternatively, use any similar mild cheese instead of the colby; monterrey jack, mild cheddar, etc.

Source

A recipe card by the Dairy Bureau of Canada, probably from the early 1980s. There was no website in those days of course, but these days, the Dairy Bureau’s collection of cheese recipes can be found online here.

The same recipe is still there with the same photo, but updated with the addition of some balsamic or red wine vinegar, Parmesan cheese, and optional fresh basil!

Pasta with Fresh Asparagus

Pasta With Fresh Asparagus

Ingredients
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp salt
8 oz (225 g) spaghetti or fettucini

1 lb (450 g) asparagus
1 c (250 mL) sour cream
1 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1–1½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1/4 c coarsely chopped pimento


Method
Cook the pasta, adding the oil and salt to the water.
Meanwhile, cook the asparagus in a wide frying pan with at least 1 inch water, covered, 5–8 minutes until the asparagus is tender. Drain, cut into bite-sized pieces.
When the pasta is finished cooking and has been drained, put sour cream, cheese, mustard and garlic in the pot. Stir until well mixed. Add pasta, asparagus and pimento, and toss to mix well until most of the cream is absorbed, about 3 minutes.
Makes 2–3 servings.

Comments
Or you can steam the asparagus standing it upright in a tall covered pot. The recipe doesn’t mention first breaking off the woody ends of the asparagus stems, but it’s a good idea to do so before cooking.
It’s unclear whether to heat the dish for the last 3 or so minutes; I’d guess that it should be done over a low flame, stirring constantly.

Source
Unknown. I had copied this recipe from some newspaper, book or magazine probably in the early 1980s.

Ontario’s Summer Vegetables

Source
This is an Ontario Ministry of Food and Agriculture brochure from 1980 or 1981. It has tips on storing vegetables, and three dip recipes, two salad recipes and a dressing recipe.

Creamy Blue Cheese Dip

Ingredients
4 oz. (115 g) blue cheese
1 c sour cream
1 c mayonnaise
1 tsp finely chopped onion
1/4 c minced fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Method
Mash the blue cheese and mix together all the ingredients. Cover and chill.

Comments
I would increase the onion and maybe the Worcestershire sauce. The mayonnaise can be reduced or eliminated, or (partially) substituted by plain unsweetened yogurt.

Bacon and Egg Dip

Ingredients
1 8-oz (225 g) pkg cream cheese, softened 
1/4 c milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
4 slices bacon fried crisp, crumbled
2 hard cooked eggs, chopped
6 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
2 Tbsp finely chopped dill pickle

Method
Beat together the cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and chill.

Herb Cheese Dip

Ingredients
1 c cream-style cottage cheese
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp hot dog relish
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp prepared mustard
1 hard-cooked egg, chopped

Method
Combine, cover and chill.

Comments
I would suggest mashing the cottage cheese through a sieve or at least with a fork, otherwise the dip is likely not going to be attractive.
Strangely named dish. You’d expect something called “herb cheese dip” to contain some herbs.
The relish is an odd touch.

Super Salad
I will just summarize, since a basic garden salad doesn’t really need a recipe:
Iceberg and romaine lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, grated carrot, thinly sliced cucumber, sliced celery, thinly sliced radishes, chopped green onion, tomatoes cut in wedges.

Herbed Dressing

Ingredients
1/2 c vegetable oil
2 green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
1/2 c vinegar
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp basil leaves
1/2 tsp oregano leaves


Method
Combine in blender until smooth and creamy. Store in refrigerator.


Warm Spinach Salad

Ingredients
5 oz (140 g) spinach, washed, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 c thinly sliced mushrooms
6 slices side bacon, cooked until crisp
Parmesan cheese to garnish


Dressing
1/4 c cider vinegar
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp sugar


Method
Combine dressing ingredients in saucepan. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes until sugar dissolved. Pour over salad ingredients while still warm. Toss lightly and sprinkle with cheese.