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.