We are so pleased to give a year’s supply of Country Choice Organics to Kellie, creator of Powerhouse Poblanos! This was a flavor-packed combination of veggies and protein. The crew here at Country Choice Organic was excited to use steel cut oats for the stuffing — a surprising savory application that many of us had never tried. Delicious!

Thank you again to everyone who participated! The sharing doesn’t stop here — we’re always interested in hearing about how you use oats. Let us know what’s cooking in your kitchen!

Powerhouse Poblanos

10 Poblano peppers, tops removed deseeded and cleaned.
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
12 oz lean pork loin, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup corn
1 cup Country Choice Organic Steel Cut Oats, prepared
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
½ tsp fresh ground pepper
1 jar mild salsa
8 oz shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375F. Over your stove’s burner or under a broiler, char the outside of the peppers until blackened. Promptly place peppers in a brown bag and close to steam –about 5 minutes. Remove skins from the peppers. Meanwhile heat olive oil in a skillet, brown pork and add garlic and onion. Cook on medium until onions are tender. Mix onions, beans, corn, oats, and spices together. Stuff peppers with mixture and place in a baking dish. Pour salsa over top and finish with cheese. Bake until bubbly and cooked through, approximately 30 minutes. Serve!

As you would imagine, we have quite a few oat fanatics around our office. We love our steel cut, rolled, multi-grain… not to mention our Soft Baked Oatmeal Cookies. In fact, we spend a lot of our working hours perfecting new and delicious ways to deliver our organic oats to you. Most recently, we introduced several new products: Quick Cook Steel Cut Oat Pouches, Apple Cinnamon Multigrain Instant Oatmeal and Maple Spice Multigrain Instant Oatmeal. You should see them soon where you buy organic products.

However, we know we aren’t the only ones with “outside the canister” ideas for enjoying Country Choice Organic oats!

So now it’s your turn to get creative! We’d love to hear the delicious ways you make eating organic easy. How do you incorporate organic oats into recipes enjoyed by you and your family? Enter the Outside the Canister Recipe Contest before February 8, 2012, and let us know what you are whipping up in your kitchen. You could win a one-year supply of Country Choice organic products. What better way to start the year?

Access to better-for-you food matters to us.  That’s why last year, with the help of our Facebook friends, we  delivered more than 5,000 bowls of oatmeal to food shelves.  This year, we’d like to double that number and give the gift of breakfast to thousands of people in need.

As part of our commitment to make organic foods accessible to everyone, we’re asking people to “like” us on Facebook and help us send organic oatmeal to food shelves which desperately need the help.  For each new fan between today and January 5, Country Choice Organic will donate five bowls of organic instant oatmeal to Hope for the City.

Become a Country Choice Organic fan on Facebook today and help others start the new year hunger-free.

Happy holidays,

Your Friends at Country Choice Organic

To participate (and earn a chance to win a year’s supply of Country Choice Organic products), oat fans can submit a picture that shows how oats fuel their active lifestyle.  Whether it’s a photo of a power-packed recipe or a pic of you and your friends refueling with an Oatmeal on the Run bar after a long run, we want to know how oats help you stay active and healthy. 

Submit your photo before September 10 for a chance to win. A panel of Country Choice Organic employees will select the winning entry.  To enter, visit: http://www.facebook.com/CountryChoiceOrganic