An Abbotsford boy headed to Ottawa Sunday after being selected as one of 26 winners of the Kid Food Nation recipe contest.
The contest asked kids aged seven to 13 to share their love of good food by submitting original, healthy recipes that highlight their culture or their Canadian pride.
A total of 26 winners were chosen from among hundreds of entries. They appeared on Sunday, Oct. 21 at the Kid Food Nation Gala at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa.
Their recipes will also be featured in the Kid Food Nation Cookbook, set to be distributed nation-wide in late fall.
Among them will be Isaac Bredeman, 10, from Abbotsford, whose winning recipe was for Fruity Spice Energy Bars.
Isaac loves cooking, reading and playing piano. He also enjoys being active outdoors, has completed several charity runs, and loves camping and hiking.
He got the idea for his winning recipe because he often eats energy bars before he goes running.
“I thought that maybe I could come up with my own healthier version. I tried to think of what ingredients could be in an energy bar and added my own flavours,” he said.
Isaac said he enjoys cooking – his first recipe was an omelet, which turned out well – and likes to experiment with new flavour combinations.
He said he enjoys cooking with his mom, and loves watching cooking shows to learn about new techniques.
Kid Food Nation was created by Corus Entertainment and is supported by PC Children’s Charity and the federal government.
The Kid Food Nation program is run by Boys and Girls Clubs across the country and teaches kids cooking skills, gets them excited about healthy food, and gives them the tools to live a healthier and happier life.
ISAAC’S FRUITY SPICE ENERGY BARS
Prep time: 35 min
Chill time: 4 hrs
Yield: 32 small bars or 16 large bars
2 cups (500 mL) pitted dates
2 cups (500 mL) dried apricots
1 cup (250 mL) large flake oats
⅔ cup (160 mL) unsalted pumpkin seeds
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
¼ tsp (1.25 mL) ground cloves
¼ cup (60 mL) pure maple syrup
1. In a large bowl, soak dates in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain well.
2. Place soaked dates, apricots, oats, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, and cloves in a food processor and pulse until broken up and starting to combine. Drizzle in maple syrup and blend until incorporated and there are still some chunks in the mixture.
3. Line an 8 in. (20 cm) square pan with parchment or wax paper. Scrape date mixture into pan and, using a damp spatula, press down mixture into pan to even out. Freeze for at least 4 hours or until solid. Cut into 32 small bars or 16 large bars. Wrap each bar in plastic wrap and place in a resealable bag or container. Store in freezer.
