Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2005)
Page 6 The INDEPENDENT, December 1, 2005 Food for Thought If you’re tired of recipes featuring rich holiday specialties, here are a few alternatives for good meals without a lot of excess fat calories. PUEBLO CORN PIE This layered casserole is adapted from a Native American recipe. Fresh, frozen or canned vegetables may be used, depend- ing on availability. 2 tbs olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 med. green or red bell pepper, 1-1/2 cups cooked corn diced 2-1/4 cups cooked pinto beans 2 cups chopped ripe tomatoes 2 tsp chile powder, or to taste or canned tomatoes, drained 1 tsp dried oregano 1⁄2 tsp ground cumin salt to taste Bottom and Top: 5 cups water 1⁄2 tsp salt 1-1/4 cups cornmeal 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated (optional) Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and sauté until it is translu- cent. Add garlic and bell pepper and continue to sauté until the onion is golden brown. Add corn, pinto beans, tomatoes, and sea- sonings. Stir well and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Remove from the heat. Bring water to a rolling boil in a heavy saucepan or double boil- er. Slowly pour cornmeal into the water in a thin, steady stream, stirring continuously to avoid lumping. Add salt and cook over very low heat, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a shallow, 1-1/2- quart baking dish and line the bottom with half of the cooked cornmeal. Pour over it the skillet mixture and sprinkle with the optional grated cheese. Top with the remaining cornmeal, patting it in smoothly. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the cornmeal is golden brown and crusty. Let stand for 10 minutes; cut into squares to serve. Makes 6 to 8 servings SWEET POTATO BISCUITS Delightfully moist and slightly sweet, these biscuits are an American classic. Serve them hot with the soup that follows. 1-1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour 1⁄2 cup unbleached white flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 3 tbs butter or margarine 1/3 cup apple juice 1 cup well-mashed, cooked 3 tbs honey or other sweetener sweet potato or yam 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flours, bak- ing powder and salt. Work the butter in with a pastry blender or the tines of a fork, until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add ap- ple juice, sweet potato, honey and nuts, and mix them until they form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a well-floured board and knead in just enough extra flour to make the dough lose its stickiness. With floured hands, divide the dough into 16 equal parts. Shape into small balls and arrange on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, patting them down a bit to flatten. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one tests clean. Serve hot. JICAMA COLESLAW WITH CITRUS DRESSING Jicama, with its sweet flavor and crunchy texture, has become an increasingly popular vegetable. If you are unfamiliar with jica- ma, try this refreshing version of coleslaw. 3 cups red cabbage, thinly shredded 3 cups white cabbage, thinly shredded 1 cup peeled, matchstick-cut jicama 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced Dressing 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 tsp prepared 1 tsp honey (or sweetener) mustard Juice of 1/2 orange Juice of 1/2 lime Freshly ground pepper to taste Combine the cabbages, jicama matchsticks, and onions in a bowl and toss together. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, stir until well blended. Pour over vegetables and toss well. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Makes 8 to 10 servings. PEAR AND APPLE CRUMBLE Don’t have time to make pie? Crumbles and crisps are a fine alternative, especially served warm. 4 medium bosc pears, cored and thinly sliced 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced 2 tbs light brown sugar 1/3 cup finely chopped almonds 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 2 tbs rum or rum flavoring 1 tsp vanilla extract Topping: 2-1/2 tbs butter or margarine, melted 1⁄2 cup whole wheat pastry flour 2 tbs light brown sugar 1⁄2 cup oat bran 1/4 tsp cinnamon Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the pears, apples, sugar, almonds, spices and flavorings; stir togeth- er until evenly coated. Pour into a lightly oiled 9 x 13-inch baking pan. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter with the remain- ing topping ingredients and toss to coat. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit mixture. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the fruits are soft and the topping is golden. Serve warm with whipped cream, ice cream or low fat non-dairy substitutes. May also be served cold. Makes 8 servings FBI warning of e-mail scheme pretending to be from Bureau The FBI warned the public, November 21, of an on-going mass e-mail scheme where computer users receive unso- licited e-mails purportedly sent by the FBI. The scam e-mails tell the re- cipients that their Internet use has been monitored by the FBI and that they have accessed il- legal web sites. The e-mails then direct recipients to open an attachment and answer questions. These e-mails were not from the FBI, which does not send unsolicited e-mails to the pub- lic in this manner. If you receive an e-mail of this sort, the FBI recommends that you do not open the attachment; delete it immediately. Opening e-mail attachments from an unknown sender is risky because they frequently contain viruses that can infect your computer. The FBI strong- ly encourages computer users not to open such attachments. l E-Mai g n Warni Church Directory V ERNONIA C OMMUNITY C HURCH Grant Williams, Pastor 957 State Avenue Vernonia, 503 429-6790 Sunday Breakfast 9:00 a.m. Morning Worship 9:45 a.m. *B.L.A.S.T. w/Nursery 10:00 a.m. *Bible Learning and Scripture Training Wednesday Prayer Meeting 7:00 p.m. C HURCH OF J ESUS C HRIST OF L ATTER D AY S AINTS Jeff Cheney, Branch President 1350 E. Knott Street Vernonia, 503 429-7151 Sacrament Meeting, Sunday 10 a.m. Sunday School & Primary 11:20 a.m. Relief Society, Priesthood and Young Women, Sunday 12:10 p.m. V ERNONIA C HRISTIAN C HURCH S T . M ARY ' S C ATHOLIC C HURCH Sam Hough, Evangelist 410 North Street Vernonia, 503 429-6522 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Every Wednesday: Ladies' Bible Study 9:30 a.m. Ladies’ Worship 10:00 a.m. Children’s Choir 3:00 p.m. Family Bible Study 7:00 p.m. Pastoral Associate Juanita Dennis 960 Missouri Avenue Vernonia, 503 429-8841 Mass Schedule Sunday 12:00 Noon Religious Education Sunday 10:30 a.m. A SSEMBLY OF G OD David Jenkins, Pastor 662 Jefferson Ave., Vernonia, 503 816-1989 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. F IRST B APTIST C HURCH John Cahill, Pastor 359 “A” Street Vernonia, 503 429-1161 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Evening Worship Saturday, 6:00 p.m. N EHALEM V ALLEY B IBLE C HURCH Gary Taylor, Pastor Grant & North Streets Vernonia, 503 429-5378 Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Nursery available Wednesday Service 7:00 p.m. V ERNONIA F OURSQUARE C HURCH 850 Madison Avenue Vernonia, 503 429-1103 Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m. Children’s Sunday School S EVENTH D AY A DVENTIST John Aitken II, Pastor, 396-1856 2nd Ave. and Nehalem St. Vernonia, 503 429-8301 Morning Worship, 9:15 a.m. Bible Study 10:30 a.m. S T . A UGUSTINE (C ANTERBURY ) E PISCOPAL C HURCH 375 North St. (Vernonia Grange Hall) Vernonia, 503 705-2173 Please call for service schedule.