Make Your Own Convenience Foods

Today I received a book that I am quite excited about: Make Your Own Convenience Foods. I have a collection of this type of book but I had never seen this one before. I came across it on Ebay quite by accident. It is an oldie but goodie from 1978. Some of the chapters are Cheese, Luncheon Meat ( includes how to make a bacon substitute), Snacks, Starches from scratch and many more.

Quite a few of the recipes call for their version of extended butter. Here is the recipe:

Extended Butter "How would you like a spread that tastes like butter, looks like butter, spreads soft, contains no chemical additives, is high in ploy unsaturated fats, contains less salt, and costs one-third less than butter?"
1 cup vegetable oil (use a good unsaturated one such as safflower or corn oil)

1 teaspoon liquid lecithin

5 ounces (1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) water

1 pound room-temperature butter

Place the steel blade in a food processor. Then cut the butter into chunks and distribute them evenly around the food processor container. Secure the lid in place, turn on the processor, then slowly pour the remaining ingredients down the chute in this order: vegetable oil, liquid lecithin, water. Process until smooth and fluffy.

This is their recipe for Tuna Helper, they call it Tuna Assister.

To make it ahead they suggest this method: "Tear off as many sheets of waxed paper, each about 1-1/2 feet long, as the number you wish to fix of make-ahead packages of assister. Arrange them on a table. Go from sheet to sheet, piling one set of ingredients on each in turn. Then dump each sheet into a separate plastic bag, seal with a twist tie and voila! You're in the food manufacturing business!"

Tuna Assister

8 ounces uncooked egg noodles

1 cup instant nonfat dry milk

1 tablespoon unbleached white flour

1 teaspoon paprika

2 teaspoons dried celery leaves

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

To cook, bring to a boil:
4 cups water
Add: 1 package of mix. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Then add: 1 6-1/2 ounce can tuna. If you use water packed tuna, add: a pat of butter. Let simmer, stirring, for 5 more minutes, or until the noodles are done.

This is their version of Fettuccine Alfredo

8 ounces uncooked fettuccine noodles. Cook until al dente, then drain and set aside in the saucepan.

Place in a blender:

1 egg

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 cup instant nonfat dry milk

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese, get a good brand or grate it yourself

2 tablespoons extended butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon basil

Blend thoroughly, then pour the mixture over the cooked noodles. Stir- and keep stirring over low heat until the noodles are covered with a savory, creamy sauce that would make Alfredo jealous. Serve at once.