Historical Summer 2009 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Our newest Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council president Sean Meara (59XX Pershing) enjoys cooking, but the real chef of the family is his wife Angie. Angie grew up with a mother who always cooked from scratch, but it wasn’t until she moved out of the house that Angie appreciated whole food cooking. “I learned a lot of basic tools while I was living on my own and hundreds of miles away from my mother,” said Angie. “When I lived in Portland, Oregon, everyone in my apartment building either went to the culinary institute, film school or art school.
The culinary students would bring me their experiments.
This is where the fresh and whole foods entered my palate both as a consumer and as the one preparing the foods.” Angie regularly prepares healthy meals for Sean and their two-anda-half-year-old daughter Olive. “I’m particular about the foods I eat, meaning where they are from and how they got to my plate. Plus, I try to make meals that are beneficial to me and my family’s needs.” She was inspired to create turkey burgers during her pregnancy with Olive. “My midwife helped me understand how my nutrition was affecting my body.
I tracked everything I put into my body for six-plus months and this helped me find a balance with intake and well being,” she explained. Angie noted that the burgers are delicious when eaten plain, even without a bun, although the Meara family enjoys them with warm garlic Naan bread that is sliced into small triangles.
Her recipe allows for plenty of leftovers. Normally, Angie serves the burgers with two vegan dishes: a quinoavegetable dish and sautéed greens. “The leafy green recipe was borrowed from a vendor at the Spirit Seeker Expo in ’08, but the quinoa recipe was made up from veggies that were abundant in our garden: zucchini, summer squash, thyme, oregano and basil,” said Angie, who added that the best part about the quinoa dish is that it can be served chilled or warm.
In addition, the combination of the turkey burgers and two side dishes make for a nutritious meal, “full of protein, whole grain and leafy greens.” Sean mentioned that he and his wife typically send this meal to neighbors who have just had a baby or who are in transition and don’t have the time or energy to cook. Considering that the couple is expecting the birth of their second child in late June, it will soon be time for some kind-hearted S-D neighbors to cook up some turkey burgers, grains and greens and send them Angie’s way. Turkey Burgers Servings: 15 burgers 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (or substitute a handful of fresh chives, chopped) 1/4 bell pepper (preferably orange, red or yellow), finely chopped 1-2 cloves crushed garlic 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce 1 tsp. fresh or dried thyme 1 tsp. fresh or dried oregano (or dried marjoram) 1 handful of fresh parsley, chopped (or 15 fresh basil leaves, chopped) 2/3 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated 2 Tbsp. flour 1-2 medium eggs 2/3 cup bread crumbs 1.5 lbs of ground dark meat turkey Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, adding the ground turkey last. Shape into patties, place on a plate, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Cook the patties, a few at a time, in a cast-iron skillet, covered, on med-low temperature for 8-10 minutes per side. Quinoa and Mixed Vegetables Serves 4-6 1 cup quinoa 2 cups water 2 Tbsp. sesame oil 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 stalks carrot, shredded 1 small zucchini, shredded 1 small yellow (summer) squash, shredded 2 stalks asparagus, chopped 10-15 basil leaves, chopped with scissors (may substitute flat leaf parsley or cilantro) 1 tsp. fresh or dried thyme 2 cloves of pressed garlic 1 handful of fresh chives, chopped 2 Tbsp. salt 2-3 pinches of ground pepper Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan. Simmer for 20 minutes and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a wok. Saute the celery, carrot, zucchini, squash, asparagus, basil, thyme, garlic and chives in the wok for about 10 minutes. Stir in quinoa then add salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled or warm. Swiss chard with raisins and pine nuts Serves 4-6 1/4 cup raisins 4 cups water 1 T. salt 2 lbs. Swiss chard, rinsed and chopped 1/8 cup olive oil 1/4 cup pine nuts (may substitute sunflower seeds) Soak raisins in hot water for 1 hour. Drain raisins, press out excess water and set aside. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil, add salt, then add Swiss chard and cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain the chard, press out excess water and set aside. Heat olive oil in a medium-sized saute pan. Add the pine nuts and saute pine nuts for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the Swiss chard and raisins to the pan, and stir to mix. Serve hot.
Original photograph caption
Angie Meara with family meal. Descriptive caption supplied; source has placeholder caption to come?. Photographer not credited.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, Summer 2009.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Source recipe prints 2 stalks carrot and 2 Tbsp salt for quinoa; not silently changed. Photo has literal production placeholder caption to come?; supplied descriptive caption clearly identified.
Original source: SD_Times2009_06.pdf, printed page(s) 5; PDF page(s) 5.
