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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (March 5, 2009)
Page 6 The INDEPENDENT, March 5, 2009 Food for Thought By Leslie Barnes Here are two dinner choices without meat and two choices with meat, well…the soup can go either way. Any of these selections make for a hearty, satisfying meal. BLACK BEAN PUMPKIN SOUP 3 - 15.5 oz cans black beans (about 4-1/2 cups), rinsed and drained 1 cup drained canned tomatoes, chopped 1-1/4 cups chopped onion 1/2 cup minced shallot 4 garlic cloves minced 1 T plus 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter 4 cups beef broth or vegetable broth 16-oz can pumpkin pureé (about 1-1/2 cups) 1/2 cup dry Sherry 1/2 lb cooked ham, cut into 1/8-inch dice (omit ham for vegetarian option) 3 to 4 T Sherry vinegar Garnish: sour cream and coarsely chopped, lightly toasted pump- kin seeds In a food processor coarsely pureé beans and tomatoes. In a 6-quart heavy kettle cook onion, shallot, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until onion is softened and beginning to brown. Stir in bean pureé. Stir in broth, pumpkin, and Sherry until combined; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Just before serving, add ham and vinegar; let simmer, stirring, until heated through. Season soup with salt and pepper. Serve soup garnished with sour cream and toasted pumpkin seeds. LENTIL LOAF This vegetarian staple features a crunchy bread crumb top- ping. 1-1/8 cups green lentils 2-1/4 cups water 6 slices white bread, torn into small pieces 2 eggs 1 cup vegetable broth 2 T tomato paste 1/2 tsp dried basil 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp dried parsley 1 T olive oil 1 packet dry vegetable soup mix 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs Combine lentils and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, mix together 2 cups cooked lentils, bread, eggs, broth, tomato paste, basil, garlic powder, black pepper, parsley, olive oil and dry soup mix. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle top with dry bread crumbs, and continue baking another 10 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6. MEATLOAF MUFFINS WITH BARBECUE SAUCE Smashed Potatoes and Cream Cheese (see following recipe) is a great side to go with this recipe. 1-2/3 to 1-3/4 lbs ground sirloin 1 medium onion, cut into chunks 2 ribs celery from the heart of the stalk, cut into 2-inch pieces 1 green bell pepper 1 large egg plus a splash of milk, beaten 1 cup plain bread crumbs 2 T grill seasoning (such as McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning) 1 cup smoky barbecue sauce 1/2 cup tomato salsa 1 T Worcestershire sauce Vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Put ground beef into a big bowl. Put onion and celery into a food processor. Cut the bell pepper in half, remove the seeds, cut the pepper into a few pieces and add to the food processor. Pulse the processor blades to finely chop the vegetables into very small pieces then add them to the meat bowl. Add egg beaten with milk, bread crumbs and grill seasoning to the bowl. In another bowl, combine the smoky barbecue sauce, salsa and Worcestershire sauce. Pour half the sauce mixture into the bowl with the meatloaf mix. Mix the meatloaf together with your hands. Brush a 12-muffin tin (1/2-cup each) with vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil. Use an ice cream scoop to help place meat into each tin. Top each meat loaf with a spoonful of extra sauce. Bake about 20 minutes. Cut open 1 muffin to test that the middle is cooked through. Serves 6. SMASHED POTATOES AND CREAM CHEESE 2-1/2 lbs small red or baby Yukon gold potatoes 1/2 cup half-and-half or whole milk 8 oz plain cream cheese or veggie cream cheese, cut into pieces 10 chives or 2 scallions, chopped or snipped with kitchen scissors Salt and pepper to taste Boil potatoes until tender, 15 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, you can be working on the meatloaf recipe (above). When the potatoes are tender, drain and return to the hot pot to let them dry out a bit. Mash po- tatoes with half-and-half or milk using a potato masher. Add cream cheese and smash until the cheese melts into the potatoes. Then add chives and scallions, and season with salt and pepper, to your taste. Serves 6. PULLED PORK FOR SANDWICHES Pulled pork is the perfect slow-cooking winter dish, warm and spicy. 1 large onion, chopped 6 garlic cloves, peeled 1 pickled jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped 1 T tomato paste 2 T Dijon mustard 1 tsp paprika 1/3 cup ketchup 1/4 cup light brown sugar 1 bay leaf 3 lbs pork butt shoulder roast, trimmed of excess fat 2 tsp Chipotle chile powder 3/4 cup distilled white vinegar 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce Salt Hamburger buns Purée all of the sauce ingredients (everything except the bay leaf, pork and buns) in a blender un- til smooth. If you have extra time, marinate the pork in the sauce overnight or for several hours be- fore cooking. Put sauce, bay leaf, and pork into a large pot and add 1 quart of water. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer, covered, turning frequently, for 2 hours or until the meat pulls apart easily with a fork. Remove from heat and cool pork in the sauce. When cool, remove pork and shred into small pieces. Set aside. Reduce the sauce by two thirds. Add pork back into the sauce. Salt to taste. Remove bay leaf be- fore serving. Serve hot over open-face hamburger buns. Serves 6 to 8. Church Directory N EHALEM V ALLEY B IBLE C HURCH S EVENTH D AY A DVENTIST F IRST B APTIST 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. Gary S. Walter, Pastor 2nd Ave. and Nehalem St., Vernonia 503 429-8301 Morning Worship, 11:00 a.m. Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. 359 “A” Street, Vernonia 503 429-4027 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Sunday Worship Service 11:00 a.m. Wednesday Prayer Meeting 7:00 p.m. A SSEMBLY OF G OD S T . M ARY ' S C ATHOLIC C HURCH Wayne and Maureene Marr 662 Jefferson Ave., Vernonia, 503 429-0373 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m Rev. Luan Tran, Administrator 960 Missouri Avenue, Vernonia 503 429-8841 Mass Sunday 12:00 Noon Religious Educ. Sunday 10:30 a.m. V ERNONIA C HRISTIAN C HURCH V ERNONIA C OMMUNITY 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. Grant Williams, Pastor 957 State Avenue, Vernonia 503 429-6790 Sunday Breakfast 9:00 a.m. Morning Worship 9:45 a.m. Children and Nursery 10:00 a.m. Youth Group 6:00 p.m. Preschool Mon. & Wed. 9:00 a.m. Wednesday Prayer 6:00 p.m. Tues. & Fri. Adult Volleyball 7:00 p.m. V ERNONIA F OURSQUARE C HURCH Carl Pense, Pastor 850 Madison Avenue, Vernonia 503 429-1103 Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m. Children’s Sunday School C HURCH OF J ESUS C HRIST OF L ATTER D AY S AINTS Marc Farmer, 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.