The Mingo Republican

By ALICE DENHOFF

THERE'S a lop-sided look to even the most carefully planned table budget about this time, at least, for many of us. And even if such is not the case, it is just as well that simplicity, of a gastronomic order, take over for a spell.

With the commendable idea in mind, we'll be giving you some simple, inexpensive recipes, some of them utilizing left-over dibs and dabs.

If the larder yields some left-over rice and cold meat, serve stuffed turnip cups.

To serve 8, pare 8 turnips of uniform size; cut a slice from the top and scoop out the inside, leaving a rim 1-inch thick (use portions scooped out for mashed or creamed turnips). Cook both shells and cover for 15 min. in boiling, salt water. Then arrange them in a baking pan and fill with a mixture made up of one c. each cooked rice and cold left-over meat, tbsp. minced parsley, tbsp. butter, one minced onion, 1/2 tsp. curry powder, salt and pepper to taste. Cover with tops, fastening each with a toothpick. Pour around them the water in which the turnips were cooked; bake at 350 F. until tender--about 30 min. Pour off the liquid; brown lightly; serve at once.

Any left-over giblets from that holiday turkey? If so, get busy with a tasty dish. Reheat 3 c. cooked rice in 2 c. chicken or turkey gravy (or stock) for about 10 min. Add tsp. salt and mix in one c. giblets, minced. Turn into a hot serving dish and sprinkle with 3 tbsp. grated cheese or very finely chopped celery. 6 servings.

When banana is used in a meat loaf, it becomes pretty exotic fare, and there need be no apologies for serving same. For 4-6 servings mix together one lb. raw ground beef, tbsp. chopped onion, tbsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, one c. soft bread crumbs. Select all-yellow or slightly green-tipped bananas, and prepare 3/4 c. mashed bananas (one to 2). Combine and mix mashed banana with 1/2 tsp. dry mustard; then add to meat mixture, and mix well. Form mixture into a loaf; place in well-greased baking pan. Bake in 350° F. oven for about an hour.

For a delicious sherbet to give an air to a simple meal, heat 3/4 c. sugar and one c. milk until sugar dissolves; cool. Strain 2 tbsp. lemon juice, one c. fresh grapefruit juice into sugar and milk mixture, and stir vigorously while adding fruit juice to avoid curdling. Add one c. fresh grapefruit sections and one c. seedless white grapes. Turn mixture into trays of automatic refrigerator, and freeze, stirring occasionally.