We’re entering the second week of The Virtual Potluck ‘Tasty and Healthy New Year Challenge’ sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill and California Olive Ranch, and if you missed last weeks recipe, you will want to click here to get it! Each week in the month of January, all twelve bloggers are giving away BRM and COR products, so you have 48 opportunities to win!

Here is what Linda S. winner of last weeks challenge had to say! “This is the most informative post I’ve seen on olive oil in general, and Arbequina olive oil in particular; Thanks!

This week in our challenge, most will be cooking a side-dish with Grand Grains and using Miller’s blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which we were supplied with. I however will be doing something different, as I left town last weekend and forgot to bring my grains! How could that happen, right?

I visited the specialty market Evermans in Pensacola (Florida), and they told me that they did carry the product, but were out. I decided at that moment to use another grain we were sent, which they did have, the Whole Grain Quinoa! Fortunately I grabbed all of my oils, (you never know!) and will be using the Arbosana in this weeks post. I just love Evermans friendly staff and how they go about educating our public on good health and good food!

I then headed over to Apple Market, another place I like to stop when I am in town. They carry the BRM label, and have so many wonderful items in stock, I feel like a kid in a candy shop when there! I picked up some home-made beignets from Jack who sells them in his cart at the front of the store, and munched on them while I shopped for local produce. I shared them with the staff, and my husband ate most, so I’m still on track with my challenge!

I also picked up my Tigertator Zapp’s Chips for good luck in last Sunday’s game (everything in moderation, right?), but you saw how far that got me in winning the BCS Championships! If you don’t know what I am talking about, or don’t care, then I will just say, The LSU Tigers did a incredible job and took home the trophy! If my Bama daughter comments on this…ignore her.

When I arrived back to our house and unpacked the groceries, I began to sweat (work-out)! Here it is, the beginning of January, and people are in bikinis’ on the beach, and running by without shirts on (the men, unless you are in NOLA as it’s currently Mardi Gras season!). I felt at that moment I wanted a refreshing dish best served room temperature, or even better, slightly chilled. I decided on Tabbouleh, also known as tabouli!

 

Tabbouleh is an Arabic word, and is a Levantine Arab salad traditionally made of bulgur, tomato, cucumber, and finely chopped parsley and mint,  seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice and salt. It has become a popular ethnic food in the United States, and I like the fact that you can choose whatever ingredients you like, in order to meet your tastes needs, as in the USA we are a melting pot cultures. Onions, artichokes, black olives, peppers, and garlic are just a few ingredients you can try.

My tabouleh recipe is different. Instead of using the traditional bulgur, this recipe uses quinoa. To me, It looks and tastes better than bulgur, and since I introduced the grain to my husband, it has become one of his favorites! This is a great meal for a hot summer day, or a warm January afternoon! It is an excellent side dish, which is what this weeks challenge is, but can be a main meal. As with many dishes (jambalaya for example) the longer it sits the better it tastes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Quinoa, cooked according to package and cooled
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• 3/4 cup chopped onions or scallions
• 1/2 (small) each red, orange, yellow and green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed with flat end of chef’s knife, then chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup California Olive Ranch Olive Oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground salt and white pepper

Preparation:

1. Toss the quinoa and fresh herbs together.
2. Mix in all other ingredients, coating with olive oil last.
3. Chill for at least 40 minutes

Note: Remember to buy your olive oil from a source you can trust, and make relationships with your local purveyors and markets like California Olive Ranch, Evermans, & Apple Market.

Taste Buds:

• Attend extra-virgin olive oil tastings to become familiar with all the different olive oil varietals.
• Learn about the three different styles of extra-virgin olive oil – Delicate, Medium, and Robust.
• Get to know the Positive Attributes of extra-virgin olive oil – Fruity, Bitter, Pungent
• A GOOD THING: Taste that burning sensation in extra-virgin olive oil, it’s a compound in oils which creates this sensation in the throat, and it has similar properties to anti-inflammatory compounds such as ibuprofen.

This Contest has ended—-

Want to enter to win great products? Then you must visit either Bob’s Red Mill or California Olive Ranch on Facebook to retrieve this weeks Virtual Potluck code word! Each week will be different as we giveaway new and good for you products!

Next, come back here to to www.30AEATS.com and use that code word in a sentence! That’s it, and you are entered!

If you want to visit the twelve other bloggers in Virtual Potluck for twelve more chances to win, go to our host blog by clicking  here now! By following all twelve each week, you not only get 48 super new healthy recipes, you have 48 chances to win! I know I would!

For even More entries, Follow 30A EATS, Bobs Red Mill, California Olive Ranch and Virtual Potluck on Twitter!Tweet a link to the contest by using the hashtag #virtualpotluck! Make sure you come back here to www.30AEATS.com and leave a comment to let me know you tweeted!

A gift for you! California Olive Ranch is offering you a 10% discount by entering ‘BLOGFRIENDS’ upon check-out online!

This contest will end on Sunday, January 15th at midnight, and is open to US residents only. The winner will selected by random.org. Good Luck!