POGA Recipe Contest Winners Announced

During the month of May, Emerging worked with the Prairie Oat Growers Association of Canada to run the fourth annual oat recipe contest. This contest, which was open to all residents and citizens of Mexico, served multiple purposes: to celebrate the creativity of Mexican chefs, be they professional or amateur; to promote the incredible versatility of oats as an ingredient to include far beyond a bowl of morning oatmeal; and to raise awareness of the many health benefits of oats. 

In 2018, 82 recipe submissions were received. The original recipes included such creations as superfood tortillas, oat tamales, mushroom soup thickened with oats, double-fudge brownies, oat-based paella, oat falafel wraps, and much more. It was incredibly challenging to pick winners, but a panel of judges, including a POGA representative and representatives of the Mexican Diabetes Federation and the Canadian Embassy in Mexico, ultimately selected 9 recipes that stood out for their creativity, presentation, and nutritional value: 

• First place, Michelle Sandra Puebla Navarrete, Rustic oat ravioli with mushrooms and zucchini blossoms, $500 CAD
• Second place, Dulce Mayumi Alonso Navarrete, Hawaiian Oat Paella, $400 CAD
• Third place, Itzia Elizabeth Cardoso Guzman, Whole wheat profiteroles stuffed with oat pastry cream, $300 CAD
• Honorable mention, Alexis Sebastián Sánchez Vázquez, Black bean chocolate brownies with coconut, $50 CAD
• Honorable mention, Artur Hernández Gastelu, Trio of empanadas with oat fillings, $ 50CAD
• Honorable mention, Catalina Crisóstomo Domínguez, Oatmeal crackers stuffed with spinach and mushrooms, $50 CAD
• Honorable mention, Lynda Anheli Ontiveros Córdova, Vegan orange cake, $50 CAD
• Honorable Mention, Maria Cristina Riojas Arizpe, Falafel wraps with oats and black beans, $50 CAD
• Honorable mention, Nayeli Reyes Morales, Tartlet with oatmeal cream and almonds, $50 CAD

The winners were announced on the Avena Canada Facebook Page, as well as at a ceremony at the Canadian Embassy in Mexico City on June 29th, where winners enjoyed a breakfast together and talked about their culinary inspiration and process. The winning recipes will be posted over the next 9 months on the Avena Canada website.