TOMATO GLUTEN NO. 2.—­Prepare the same as the preceding, using five tablespoonfuls of the gluten meal, and seasoning with two tablespoonfuls of rather thick, sweet cream.

MEATS FOR THE SICK.

All meats for the sick should be prepared in the very simplest way, served with the plainest possible dressing, and without the use of condiments other than salt.

RECIPES.

BROILED STEAK.—­Take a half pound of round steak and a slice of tenderloin; wipe well with a clean, wet cloth.  Have a clear fire; place the meat in an open wire broiler or on a gridiron over the coals, and cook, turning as often as you can count ten, for four or five minutes, if the slices are about one inch thick; then with a lemon squeezer squeeze the juice from the round steak over the tenderloin, season with a little salt, and serve at once on a hot plate.

CHICKEN.—­For an invalid, the breast of a tender chicken broiled quickly over hot coals is best.  For directions for broiling chicken see page 406.

CHICKEN JELLY.—­Dress a small chicken.  Disjoint, break or pound the bones, and cut the meat into half-inch pieces.  Remove every particle of fat possible.  Cover with cold water, heat very slowly, and simmer gently until the meat is in rags, and the liquid reduced about one half.  Strain off the liquor, cool, and remove all the fat.  To make the broth more clear, add the shell and white of an egg, then reheat slowly, stirring all the time until hot.  Strain through a fine cloth laid inside of a colander.  Salt and a little lemon may be added as seasoning.  Pour into small cups, and cool.

MINCED CHICKEN.—­Stew the breast of a young chicken until tender; mince fine with a sharp knife.  Thicken the liquor in which it was stewed with a little flour, add salt and a little cream if allowed, then the minced chicken, and serve hot on zwieback, softened with cream as directed in the chapter on Breakfast Dishes.

MUTTON CHOP.—­Select a chop containing a large tenderloin:  cut thick, and broil for eight or ten minutes as directed for beef steak.  Season lightly with salt, and serve hot.

MINCED STEAK.—­Mince some nice, juicy steak with a chopping knife, or in a sausage-cutter, rejecting as much of the fiber as possible; make into small cakes and broil the same as steak.  Salt lightly when done, and for dressing use a little beef juice prepared as directed on page 427.  It may be thickened with a little flour as for gravy, if preferred.

SCRAPED STEAK.—­Take a small piece of nice, juicy steak, and with a blunt case-knife or tablespoon, scrape off all the pulp, being careful to get none of the fibers.  Press the pulp together in the form of patties, and broil quickly over glowing coals.  Salt lightly, and serve hot.  It is better to be as rare as the patient can take it.  Instead of butter, turn a spoonful or two of thick, hot beef juice over the steak, if any dressing other than salt is required.