Ocean Spray Announces $25,000 Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest Grand Prize Winners

Ocean Spray announced the 2008 winners of the second annual Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest who will each receive a $25,000 grand prize. Consumer and foodservice professionals nationwide were challenged with developing innovative cranberry concepts highlighting the versatility of this quintessential American fruit. Michael Cohen of Los Angeles, Calif. is the winner of the consumer contest with his “Roasted Cranberry Quesadillas” recipe and Justin Ward from the Art Institute of Atlanta in Atlanta, Ga. is the foodservice winner with his “Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Mole and Cranberry Salsa” recipe.

The holiday season will be a little more delicious this year for Cohen and Ward. Both grand prize winners were awarded checks yesterday evening by head judge Chef Tyler Florence during a private cocktail function at 620 Loft & Garden in New York’s Rockefeller Center®. The reception was held in conjunction with the debut of Ocean Spray’s “Bogs Across America” tour, which brings more than 2,000 pounds of cranberries to a free-standing bog in Rockefeller Center®.

Home cooks with original cranberry recipes were invited to enter the consumer component of the contest, while the foodservice portion of the contest was open to all food professionals with a passion for cranberries, from established chefs to recent culinary graduates. The contest attracted recipes displaying the fruit’s true versatility including festive drinks, decadent desserts and tasty tarts and tapas.

“Michael Cohen and Justin Ward illustrated the cranberry’s year-round versatility and the fruit’s unique flavor. With more than 2,000 entries in the Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest, the team at Ocean Spray was truly impressed by the variety and originality of the recipes submitted by both home cooks and foodservice professionals,” said Ken Romanzi, chief operating officer of Ocean Spray.

Recipes were judged based on creativity, use of product, taste, overall appearance and ease of preparation. The esteemed panel of judges, including acclaimed Chef Tyler Florence, Associate Food Editor Michael Tyrell from Family Circle and noted Kroger chef, Brian Whisman, narrowed the top four finalists in each category who competed in cook-offs at DeGustibus Cooking School in New York City.

The winning recipes along with the top four finalist recipes from each category are also featured on www.oceanspray.com and www.oceansprayfoodservice.com.

Roasted Cranberry Quesadillas
Recipe by: Michael Cohen

INGREDIENTS

3 cups chopped Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
11/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
11/2 teaspoons finely chopped orange zest
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
6 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 1/2 to 3 tablespoons butter
Maple syrup for drizzling
Mint sprigs
Vanilla ice cream, if desired

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine cranberries, brown sugar, oil, orange zest and cinnamon in 11x7-inch baking dish; toss until mixed. Spread mixture evenly in dish and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until cranberries are tender, stirring occasionally.

To assemble quesadillas, spread 1/4 of the cream cheese over each tortilla almost to edges. Top 3 of the tortillas evenly with roasted cranberry mixture. Place remaining 3 tortillas cheese side down over cranberry mixture.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in large heavy skillet over medium heat. Place 1 of the quesadillas in skillet, pressing down firmly with metal spatula. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown, carefully turning once. Add another tablespoon butter to skillet if necessary. Cook remaining quesadillas.

To serve, cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Place on serving plates and drizzle with desired amount of maple syrup. Garnish with mint and serve with ice cream if you like.

Makes 6 servings


Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Mole and Cranberry Salsa
Recipe by: Justin Ward, Art Institute of Atlanta

INGREDIENTS

Mole
3 ounces Ocean Spray® Cranberry & Chocolate Trail Mix
1/4 cup chopped red onion
3/4 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup Ocean Spray® Jellied Cranberry Sauce
1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Salsa
1/2 cup chopped Ocean Spray® Craisins® Sweetened Dried Cranberries
1/2 cup peeled, seeded, diced cucumber
1/4 cup diced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon Ocean Spray® Jellied Cranberry Sauce
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Pork
2 12- to 14-ounce pork tenderloins, trimmed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
6 fresh cilantro sprigs, to garnish

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To make mole: Place trail mix, onion and chili powder in 6-quart saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes. Add water and cranberry sauce. Increase heat to medium. Simmer, stirring frequently, for 15 to 20 minutes or until mole is thickened. Place sauce in blender. Blend on high speed until smooth. Add salt to taste. Return mole to saucepan to keep warm.

To make salsa: Combine sweetened dried cranberries, cucumber, onion, cilantro, lime juice and cranberry sauce in large bowl. Mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To make pork: Place pork in large bowl. Rub with chili powder, salt and pepper. Place pork on oven rack with baking sheet underneath. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F to 155 degrees F. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Ladle 3 ounces mole in center of each plate. Slice pork into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Shingle 4 to 5 pieces over mole. Spoon salsa over pork, being careful not to cover all of meat. Garnish each plate with a cilantro sprig.

Makes 6 servings.
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