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Quinoa with Pork, Parsley & Bell Peppers + A Gourmet Garden Giveaway!


In celebration of surpassing 2,000 Facebook fans, let's have an awesome giveaway, shall we?!

I recently met Mary from Gourmet Garden at FoodBlogSouth 2013 back in January.  They were sponsoring the conference, and I got to taste samples of their goodies.  I love the convenience of their products, because I'm not always able to have a big selection of fresh herbs hanging out in my fridge.  That's where Gourmet Garden really comes in handy.  

Their herbs are organically grown, and then washed, chopped, blended, and packed into handy little tubes for everyday use.  They also last months in the fridge, which is another big plus for me.  Some of their varieties include Parsley, Cilantro, Chili Pepper, Basil, Garlic and even Lemon Grass!

Last night, I whipped up their recipe for Quinoa with Parsley & Bell Peppers.  I added some diced, leftover roasted pork loin from the night before, taking it from a simple side dish to a full meal.  This dish was a healthy and easy weeknight recipe, packed with yummy flavors.  In my book, that's a winner!

 First up, here's the recipe (keep scrolling for GIVEAWAY details!):



 
Quinoa with Pork, Parsley & Bell Peppers
Adapted from:  Gourmet Garden

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup wild rice
1 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz. mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup diced green onions
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
1 tsp Gourmet Garden Parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Gourmet Garden Chili Pepper 
2 cups diced, roasted pork loin (see note below)

Directions:
Rinse quinoa.  In a large skillet, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.  Add the quinoa, stir, reduce heat to low and cover.  Continue to  simmer, about 15 min.   

Ina  medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to boil.  Add the rice and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until done, about 40 min.  Drain, if necessary.


In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, green onions, bell peppers, parsley, and chili. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add quinoa and rice.  Stir.  Serve warm.

Note:  I added about 2 cups of diced, leftover roasted pork loin to this dish, which made it a full meal!  Leftover chicken would also be great.

****************************

Now, to the fun part...the GIVEAWAY!   

This giveaway is for a small cooler FULL of Gourmet Garden herbs and spices:


How to  Enter:
Simply leave a comment on this post, which answers the following question:

What is your favorite herb or spice to cook with?

Also, for extra chances to win, simply do the following and leave SEPARATE additional comments letting me know that you did:

The Rules:
  • Entries must be submitted by midnight (CST time) on Tuesday, April 30th
  • A winner will be picked at random (using random.org) and will be announced on Wednesday, May 1st.
  • Please make sure you include your name and email address so that I will have a way to contact you if you win...especially if you leave a comment using the "Anonymous" option.
  • At this time, the contest is open to US residents only.
Good Luck, and THANKS for stopping by!  :)

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Comments

Leslie W said…
I love using garlic! It's so good and can be used in so many dishes :)
mosquints(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Leslie W said…
like Sugar & Spice on FB
mosquints(AY)yahoo(DOT)com
Leslie W said…
follow Sugar & Spice on Pinterest
(ladysquints)
mosquints(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Leslie W said…
follow Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices on FB
mosquints(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Jack Quick said…
Sage - its not just for dressing anymore. Try blackberry sage tea to see what I mean.
Unknown said…
I love cooking with garlic and oregano!!!
Unknown said…
I follow Sugar&Spice on Pinterest!
rachel said…
I use garlic and ginger nearly every day!
Marysue said…
I love to cook with the Chili Paste! Sometimes I have peppers on hand, but when I don't, I always have this so that I can put some spice in my dishes!
FireRunner2379 said…
I make alot of Italian food and use plenty of fresh basil.
jlammers002@woh.rr.com
FireRunner2379 said…
I like your Facebook page.
jlammers002@woh.rr.com
FireRunner2379 said…
I follow you on Twitter.
jlammers002@woh.rr.com
FireRunner2379 said…
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/FireRunner2379/status/325384685347815424
FireRunner2379 said…
I follow you on Pinterest.
jlammers002@woh.rr.com
FireRunner2379 said…
I Like Gourmet Garden on Facebook.
jlammers002@woh.rr.com
FireRunner2379 said…
I Like Gourmet Garden on Twitter.
jlammers002@woh.rr.com
Unknown said…
Our favorite spice to use is cayenne pepper. we like our food spicy.
Susan Christy said…
Garlic, but closely followed by Cilantro
Susan Christy said…
Like Sugar & Spice on Facebook
Stephanie said…
Cilantro. I love the fresh taste it gives.
Stephanie said…
Like Gourmet Garden on FB
Leann said…
One of my favorites is cumin. chefl@swbell.net
Leann said…
Following you on FB. chefl@swbell.net
Leann said…
Like Gourmet Garden on FB. chefl@swbell.net
Leann said…
Following you on Pinterest. chefl@swbell.net
Anonymous said…
I love cooking with Ginger since I make a lot of Asian dishes. I'm also, following you on Pinterest. yardlca@aol.com
Anonymous said…
My favorite herb to cook with is basil. I like to use fresh basil from my garden when in season. I make a fab recipe: chicken in basil cream sauce .
I will be following you on pintrest.
Meryl said…
I love smoked paprika!
Lou said…
Chili powder and smoked black pepper.
Recie said…
Definitely garlic and basil
Recie said…
Following you on pinterest....What a fabulous giveaway. Thanks for a chance to win!
Recie said…
I liked you on facebook.
Recie said…
I liked Gourmet Garden on facebook.
JennyG said…
I love cooking with Cilantro. It's a new found favorite!
JennyG said…
Following Sugar & Spice on Facebook! :)
JennyG said…
I'm a fan (already was!) of Gourmet Garden on Facebook.
JennyG said…
Following Sugar & Spice on Pinterest! :)
Becky said…
Rosemary and Basil are my two most favorite.
Becky said…
I follow you on Facebook.
Becky said…
I follow Gourmet Garden on Facebook.
jackie-tn said…
Love cooking with garlic!
Anonymous said…
I love cooking with garlic! It always spices up a dish!

-Maranne Gainous
bmgainous@crimson.ua.edu
Anonymous said…
I have liked your page on Facebook!

-Maranne Gainous
bmgainous@crimson.ua.edu
Anonymous said…
I follow your board on Pinterest!
:)

-Maranne Gainous
bmgainous@crimson.ua.edu
Anonymous said…
I have liked Gourmet Garden's page on Facebook :)

-Maranne Gainous
bmgainous@crimson.ua.edu
Anonymous said…
i love to use garlic it flavors your dishes.
Amy said…
Basil is my absolute favorite!`
Amy said…
I like your blog on FB!

niftyfoodie at gmail.com
Kerri said…
I am a sucker for Italian Seasoning mix because I am an Italian girl and nothing beats it!
Anonymous said…
My favorite spice to cook with is smoked paprika. It adds so much flavor.
tjw28(at)georgetown(dot)edu
Anonymous said…
I follow you on Twitter
tjw28(at)georgetown(dot)edu
Anonymous said…
I tweeted the giveaway
tjw28(at)georgetown(dot)edu
Anonymous said…
Following you on Pinterest
tjw28(at)georgetown(dot)edu
Anonymous said…
Following Gourmet Garden on Twitter
tjw28(at)georgetown(dot)edu
Deborah said…
One of my favorite herbs is bay leaf. It's so aromatic and it just seems to boost the flavor of whatever dish it's added to. Rats, bad grammar to end a sentance with to. Twice. ;)
Deborah said…
I liked Sugar & Spice by Celeste on Facebook (Deborah Rosen).
Deborah said…
I followed @SugarSpicebyC as @AsTheNight.
Deborah said…
I shared on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AsTheNight/status/328533752324165634.
Deborah said…
I followed you on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/asthenight/ asthenight at gmail dot com
Deborah said…
I liked Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices on Facebook (Deborah Rosen) asthenight at gmail dot com
Deborah said…
I followed @FreshMadeEasy as @AsTheNight asthenight at gmail dot com
I use garlic in EVERYTHING! It's so yummy. I followed you on FB as Ambelleina Warwillow, same for GG's Facebook page and followed your board on Pinterest as Ambelleina. Fingers crossed, I'd LOOOVE this! :)

email is tinaroxursox at yahoo dot com
Anonymous said…
My Favorite spice to cook with is garlic!!
Suzanne
Psgainous@crimson.ua.edu
Anonymous said…
I've liked Sugar & Spice on Facebook
Suzanne
Psgainous@crimson.ua.edu
Anonymous said…
I follow your board on Pintrest
Suzanne
Psgainous@crimson.ua.edu
Anonymous said…
I've liked Gourmet Garden on Facebook! :)
Suzanne
Psgainous@crimson.ua.edu
Unknown said…
I'm a big fan of ground mustard and like to add a touch to cheese dishes. As for herbs, where to start, they are all so wonderful and especially when combined. Oregano and basil are probably my favs. Thanks for the great recipes!
Nadya said…
i love to cook with curry powder
Nadya said…
I Like Sugar & Spice on Facebook
Nadya said…
I Follow Sugar & Spice by Celeste on Twitter
Nadya said…
I Tweeted about the giveaway
Nadya said…
I Follow the Sugar & Spice by Celeste board on Pinterest!
Nadya said…
I Like Gourmet Garden on Facebook
Nadya said…
Like Gourmet Garden on Twitter

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