Ep 1. Smoothie Operators

In the premiere episode of Chopped Junior season 8, called "Smoothie Operators," four talented young chefs between the ages of 10 and 14 compete against each other in creating delicious and inventive smoothie bowls. The judges for the episode are the tough-to-please chef Maneet Chauhan, television personality Scott Conant, and the queen of Southern cuisine, Damaris Phillips.

Round one starts with an appetizer basket that contains grapefruit, pancetta, gingersnaps, and Piment d'Espelette. The junior chefs need to think outside the box to incorporate these ingredients into their smoothie bowls and impress the judges in just 30 minutes. Some of the competitors decide to use the grapefruit juice as a base for their smoothies, while others choose to make a vinaigrette or dressing to pair with their bowls.

The judges are impressed by the creativity and skill demonstrated by each of the young chefs. Although there are a few minor missteps, such as one chef overcooking the pancetta and another using too much Piment d'Espelette, all of the dishes look tasty and visually stunning.

For the entree basket, the young contestants open up to find lamb chops, bulgur, turnips, and chimichurri sauce. Making a smoothie bowl with these ingredients will prove to be more challenging than the first round, and the junior chefs will have to rely on their culinary skills to succeed.

One of the competitors chooses to marinate the lamb chops in the chimichurri sauce, while others use the sauce as a dressing for the bulgur. Some of the kids have trouble properly cooking the lamb chops, while others struggle to balance the flavors in their smoothie bowls.

As the judging commences, the judges are impressed yet again by the creativity and talent on display. One smoothie bowl that stands out is a colorful and flavorful dish that includes a mix of bulgur, turnips, and earthy spices. Ultimately, however, one contestant is eliminated, and the other three proceed to the final round.

In the dessert basket, the remaining junior chefs must create a smoothie bowl using coconut cream, dragon fruit, saltines, and passion fruit. With only 30 minutes on the clock, the young chefs have to work fast to pull together a visually stunning and flavorful dessert dish.

The contestants get creative with their ingredients during this final round, with one making a dragon fruit granita to top his bowl and another using the saltines to make a crust. The judges are impressed with the flavor combinations in each dish, as well as the impressive knife skills of these young chefs.

In the end, only one junior chef will be named the winner of this episode of Chopped Junior. The competition is fierce, and all of the contestants prove to be skilled and talented in their own right. As always, the judges have a tough decision to make, but they ultimately declare one young chef the winner of "Smoothie Operators."

Overall, this episode of Chopped Junior is a fun and exciting showcase of the talent and creativity of young chefs. The smoothie bowl theme adds a unique twist to the classic Chopped format and challenges the contestants to think creatively and push themselves to their culinary limits. Fans of the show will not be disappointed by this episode, as it is sure to be full of surprises, spectacular dishes, and fierce competition.