Katie Cafferelli, 11, won the 2017 Walk On! Cooking Challenge with her dish, Totally Ave-Some, featuring avocados, red peppers, black beans and mangos. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona has launched the 8th annual Walk On! Cooking Challenge for children ages 9-12.

The contest runs through Wednesday, Jan. 24, and the five finalists will get a chance to demonstrate their cooking creation at a Phoenix Suns home game in February.

Children ages 9-12 living anywhere in Arizona are encouraged to submit their healthy and tasty side dish creations at www.walkonaz.com through Jan. 24. Submissions must be:

• An original recipe for a hot or cold side dish.
• Include at least one fruit and/or vegetable.
• Be able to be cooked within 20 minutes (not including prep time).

“Every year of the Walk On! Kids Cooking Challenge, we are so amazed with the sophisticated palates participants have demonstrated — from quinoa and avocado to mango, beets and zucchini, the participants always impress us with their use of nutrition-rich ingredients,” said Myrna Collins, health promotion executive, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. “I love that the contest provides a great platform for parents to impress upon kids that nutritious food can also be great tasting.”

The top five recipes will be selected by a panel of experts based on nutritional value, taste and originality, according to a release from event organizers.

Finalists will be invited to present their creations at the Feb. 10 baseketball game at the Talking Stick Resort Arena. After the cooking demonstrations, recipes will be posted at www.walkonaz.com for a public vote. Voting will be open from Feb. 10-21. Prizes, including a bicycle, will be awarded.

Last year’s contest winner was Katie Cafferelli, an 11-year-old from Scottsdale. Her winning dish was called Totally Ave-Some and combined a number of colorful and healthy ingredients, including avocado, red peppers, black beans and mangos, the release stated.

“I love to cook and eating healthy is really important because that’s how you stay healthy when you’re older, and it makes you happier,” she said.

“One of my favorite things is avocado, and the rest of the ingredients are colorful and full of antioxidants.”

Visit www.walkonaz.com for complete contest details and to submit a recipe.