Communication & Advocacy

The Prairie Oat Growers Association of Canada (POGA) is proud to announce the 12 winners of the 5^th Annual Oat Recipe Contest. The announcement took place in advance of Canada Day at the Canadian embassy in Mexico City, on Thursday, June 27, 2019.

The annual oat recipe contest endeavours to celebrate the health benefits and versatility of oats. The contest welcomes recipes from any Mexican citizen, be they a curious home cook or a professional chef. This year, we received as many submissions of sweet recipes as savoury, showing that the Mexican audience is enthusiastically and creatively incorporating oats into dishes far beyond breakfast. 

The 2019 contest is awarding more prizes than in any previous year. This year’s 12 winners are: 

• First place (CAD $500): Oat Chilaquiles with Vegan Sour Cream and Cheese, by Nayeli Reyes
• Second place (CAD $400): Adobo Chicken Mixiotes with Oats, by Brenda Deyanira Corona Candelaria
• Third place (CAD $300): Gluten-Free Oat Dumplings, by Andrea Karina Lagunes
• Honorable Mention (CAD $200): Healthy Mango Blondies, by Mari Cruz Gonzalez Cruz
• Honorable Mention (CAD $200): Oat Pasta with Artichoke Sauce, by Gloria Zabalgoitia
• Honorable Mention (CAD $200): Oat and Vegetable Soup with Oat Croutons, by Lizeth Ortega González 
• Honorable Mention (CAD $200): Zero Sugar Pudding with Chia, Oats, Berries and Superfoods, by María Cristina Riojas Arizpe 
• Honorable Mention (CAD $200): Pear Pie, by Blanca Rosa Virgen Murguia
• Honorable Mention (CAD $200): Grandma Tini’s Chocolate and Oat Babka, by Maria Trinidad Lagunas Flores
• Honorable Mention (CAD $200): Cinnamon Rolls with Oats and Apples, by Lilia Sànchez Romero
• Honorable Mention (CAD $200): Oats with Grilled Tofu and Crunchy Vegetables, by Evelyn Moreno
• Honorable Mention (CAD $200): Red Berry Tart with Choco-Oat Crust, by Ernesto Santillan Arcos

The recipes were judged by a panel consisting of a member of the POGA team, the Mexican Diabetes Federation (la Federación Mexicana de Diabetes), and the Canadian Embassy in Mexico. As in past years, the panel judged recipes based on their creativity, nutritional value, and presentation to select the 12 winners, all of whom were invited to the awards ceremony at the Canadian Embassy. 

At the event, POGA Past President Art Enns shared that “I am so pleased to be here to represent Canadian oats. This recipe contest is a testament to the fact that oats, which are on their own a healthy and versatile product, have amazing potential to make their way into everyday diets far beyond breakfast. I am astonished by the creativity demonstrated by the almost 100 participants in the 2019 contest: they created everything from adobo enchiladas to classic French macarons using oats. Canadian oats are truly being celebrated in Mexico.”

The Canadian Ambassador to Mexico, H.E. Pierre Alarie, was also present to celebrate the winners. He stated, “I want to congratulate the winners of this year’s recipe contest. It is amazing to see the creative ways in which you have incorporated Canadian oats into your recipes. We are delighted to see the many ways in which Mexicans can use this ingredient to create healthy meals and enjoy the benefits to their health.”

A total of 91 recipes were submitted this year. In addition to cash prizes, the nine winners will have their recipes professionally photographed and promoted on the Avena Canadiense website, www.avenacanada.com, and Facebook page, which now has over 210,000 followers. The recipes will also be compiled into an oat recipe booklet, which will be promoted at various events, including cooking classes in celebration of World Diabetes Day in November. One recipe will be selected to be served at the Canada Day celebration at the Canadian Embassy.