Filling Meal with an Obama Feel

It's Tuesday again because guess what?  Suzanne had to go out of town for work on Monday.  John was able to join us (and eat dinner while it was hot) since he wasn't at Big Lick rehearsal tonight.  Suzanne's mom passed along Mrs. Obama's recipe for turkey burgers that she had in Albany a couple weeks ago, and they were great accompanied by the sesame noodles and green beans.

We did a fair amount of substituting this week, which we've noted after each recipe.  This meal was awesome, from start to finish - including the yummy cobbler!

Obama Burgers
From September 2010 Family Circle Magazine.

1 pound uncooked ground turkey breast
1/4 cup Progresso® Bread crumbs Panko crispy bread crumbs - plain
1 egg white
2 Tbsp scallions, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp parsley, minced
1 Tbsp lemon zest, zest of one lemon

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, juice of 1 lemon

1 Tbsp canola oil

In a large bowl, blend turkey with panko, egg white, scallions, garlic , soy sauce, parsley, lemon zest and juice. Shape into 4 equal patties.

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook turkey patties for about 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

Makes 4 burgers with a Points value of 5 each.

Suz: The package of ground turkey was closer to 1.25 pounds, and we ended up with 6 good sized burgers.  These don't need a bun or anything - they're great on the plate.  The lemon added a nice flavor.
April: We like turkey burgers in this house. Now we have a new lemon twist on them. They are fine not on a bun. I'm not sure the lemon flavor would go well with all the normal burger stuff.
John: Very good. I might have liked them served up for burger night with the bun and all.

Elise's Sesame Noodles
From EatingWell.com

1 Box Ronzoni Smart-taste Spaghetti
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp dark sesame oil
2 Tbsp Mazola Canola Oil
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 medium scallions, one bunch, divided
4 cups snow peas, trimmed and sliced on the bias
1 medium sweet red pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until just tender, 9 to 11 minutes or according to package directions. Drain; rinse under cold water.

2. Meanwhile, whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, canola oil, vinegar (or lime juice), crushed red pepper, 1/4 cup scallions and 2 tablespoons cilantro (if using). Add noodles, snow peas and bell pepper; toss to coat.

3. To serve, mix in sesame seeds and garnish with the remaining scallions and cilantro.

Serves 8 with a Points value of 6 each.

* Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2 up to 2 hours in advance.

Suz: When I went to Kroger to pick up some snow peas, I found out that they were $7.99 a pound, so I ended up substituting broccoli for the pea pods.  I had a garlic-flavored rice wine vinegar and only used 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes - if you don't like spicy, make it just a pinch.  These noodles are addictive - once you taste them, it's hard to stop, even if your mouth is on fire!!
April: I ate too much of these the are addictive. I'm a fan of mushrooms and water chestnuts... I think both would add a different kick to this recipe.... not that it wasn't good the way it was. Grilled chicken marinated in soy or worchestershire sauce wouldn't be bad either.
John: The girls talked about them being spicy.... but I could actually use a little more. I could have also gone for some cilantro as well.

Roasted Green Beans and Fresh Tomatoes
from the Weightwatchers Website

3 sprays olive oil cooking spray
4 cups green snap beans, trimmed
2 cups grape tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes, cut in half (or quartered, if large)
1/4 cup basil, fresh, cut into ribbons, divided
2 tsp minced garlic, or less to taste
1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or more to taste

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Coat a large roasting pan with cooking spray.

Place green beans in a single layer in prepared pan and coat with cooking spray. Roast until desired doneness, stirring once or twice, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of basil, garlic, salt and pepper; set aside.

When green beans are finished, remove from oven and spoon tomato mixture into pan; toss thoroughly. Serve hot, room temperature or chilled, topped with remaining 2 tablespoons of basil. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Suz: Delicious - I love green beans, and roasted they were awesome!
April: Green beans are one of my favorite veggies. The roasting was nice. This looked like perfect Christmas colors to me if you are looking for something festive.
John: The basil added a nice flavor and it was very colorful. It's been a while since I had fresh snapped green beans and it was lovely.

Triple-Berry Cobbler Recipe
From http://www.tasteofhome.com/

1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup water
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh blackberries

TOPPING:

1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in berries. Transfer to an 8-in. square baking dish coated with cooking spray.

For topping, in a small bowl, beat sugar and butter until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Beat in milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into butter mixture just until blended. Drop by tablespoonfuls over fruit mixture.

Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until filling is bubbly and a toothpick inserted in topping comes out clean. Serve warm. Yield: 6 servings, 4 points each.
* Altered by using all frozen berries. Strawberries were used in place of cranberries. Served with store brand  frozen yogurt.

Suz: I can't make this one at my house, because I'd eat the whole pan!  I liked the strawberries.  YUMMM!
April: LOVE! I actually sent Suzanne a text cancelling our Victim festivities for this evening, because I didn't want to share my cobbler! It was different than other cobblers I have made before. The topping is literally a topping and very thick. Other toppings I have made before would sink to the bottom some. It turned out great.
John: Very tasty. I liked the topping. I went back for seconds and thirds and then just stood at the dish some more with my spoon.
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