Asian Bulgur and Turkey Burgers

What a weekend!  This past weekend one of my best friends in the entire world got married in Yachats, Oregon which is on the coast.  Now the Oregon coast isn't known for its amazing weather by any means but we sure lucked out.  It was 81 degrees which maybe happens about once or twice a summer here in Oregon.  Not only was the weather beautiful but during the ceremony (which was right on the coast line) there was an entire pod of humpback whales that swam by!  It was as if the entire world was in harmony at once.  Not to mention the bride and groom were so beautiful and lovely and awesome.  Another part that I loved about this wedding was the food, it was catered by Yumm Cafe.  Now Yumm Cafe is so so tasty, it seems like a simple idea but it is all about the sauce and the bride and I used to live in Eugene when we went to college and we probably ate Yumm Cafe at least 3 times a week, so not only was it delicious but it was very much nostalgic.  On another note recently I made this wonderful and healthy recipe (from Food  network) on another hot summer night.  It was so very filling and refreshing and different. So eat up!

Serves 3

The Ingredients
1/4 cup bulgur what
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup of seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
12oz lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 whole wheat hamburger buns

The Process
1.  In a medium bowl add bulgur and boiling water and cover with plastic wrap and let stand until bulgur is tender about 45min.-1 hour.

2.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk the vinegar and sugar with a generous seasoning of salt and pepper until dissolved.

3.  Then add the cucumber and onion, toss well and set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes.

4.  In a separate small bowl combine the yogurt and chili garlic sauce. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

5.  Drain the bulgur and put into a large bowl. Add the turkey, hoisin, scallions, ginger, garlic and chopped cilantro and mix until just combined. Form into 3 equal sized patties.

6.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until very hot. Lightly brush both sides of each patty with oil and place in the skillet. Cook, turning once, until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

7.  Drain the pickled vegetables and toss with the cilantro. Spread some spicy yogurt sauce on the top and bottom of each bun and top with a burger patty and some pickles.

Nutritional Facts:
Calories 186; Total Fat 4 g (Sat Fat 0.4g, Mono Fat 0.7g, Poly Fat 1.5g) ; Protein 18g; Carb 23g; Fiber 3g; Cholesterol 23mg; Sodium 421mg