“My family has to be creative when it comes to preparing tasty and healthy food. I have celiac disease, and one of my sisters is allergic to eggs, dairy, nuts, and more!” says Goldie. “I wanted to make a dish that used ingredients from Hawaii because the President was born there and the Obamas like to visit there. My dad doesn’t like red meat, so we use ground turkey instead. Served with a smoothie, this ‘burger and shake’ lunch fits perfectly within the MyPlate guidelines.” - Goldie Siegel, age 8, New Jersey

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

For the mango-pineapple salsa:

• 1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
• 1 cup diced fresh (or canned in own juice) pineapple
• 1 to 2 small jalapeños, finely diced (optional)
• 3 tablespoons diced Bermuda or Vidalia onion
• Juice of 1 medium lime
• Pinch of sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Hawaiian turkey sliders:

• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dried cilantro
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 12 romaine or Bibb lettuce leaves
• 12 gluten-free rolls or wholegrain
  dinner rolls

Preparation:

Make the mango-pineapple salsa:

1. In medium, non-metallic bowl, stir together the mango, pineapple, jalapeños, onion, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use. (The salsa is best when made several hours to one day in advance.)

Make the Hawaiian turkey sliders:

1. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, garlic, ketchup, olive oil, soy sauce, cilantro, onion powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Gently mix the ingredients until they are thoroughly combined. Divide the mixture into 12 equal parts and shape each one into a ball that is slightly smaller than a tennis ball. Using the palm of your hand, gently flatten each into a patty.
2. Heat a grill or barbecue to medium-high heat. Grill the turkey sliders until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Place one lettuce leaf on the bottom of each roll. Serve the sliders on the rolls, topped with a dollop of mango-pineapple salsa.

194 calories; 22g protein; 21g carbohydrates; 4g fat (1g saturated fat); 401mg sodium

More information about the Kids' State Dinner:

• Check out the other winning 2013 Kids' State Dinner Recipes here.
• Learn more about Kids' State Dinner here.