How to Make Fruit Juice Caviar

 

Any Chopped lovers in the house? To say that I am a fan is an understatement!

A young whipper snapper of a chef was on a couple seasons back and showed off his molecular gastronomy skills. Not many competitors on the show hit the pantry in search of agar-agar. So when he did you can bet I was on the edge of my seat anticipating his next move.

Agar-agar is the seaweed-based gelatin I use to thicken my nondairy yogurt. You can use it to make kanten as well. But what this guy did was pure brilliance! He made Fruit Juice Caviar.

I wouldn't sit down and eat a bowl of the stuff (the texture takes some getting used to), but it makes a pretty garnish for desserts and is a sure-fire conversation starter. I garnished these Passion Fruit Cheesecake Parfaits with it and my kids loved it.

How would you use fruit juice caviar?

Fruit Juice Caviar

Ingredients:

1/2 cup VEGETABLE OIL (flavorless and one that remains liquid when chilled)
1/3 cup pure FRUIT JUICE (I used passion fruit puree)
1/4 teaspoon AGAR AGAR POWDER (not bar or flakes)

Directions:

1. Pour oil into a tall-ish glass and chill (the oil must be cold).
2. In a very small saucepan bring juice and agar agar to a boil. Reduce to gentle simmer and cook 1-2 minutes, or until agar agar is dissolved.
3. Let cool 3-5 minutes.
4. Fill an oral syringe or a straw with the juice. Drop, one drop at a time, into the cold oil. Little caviar orbs will form on contact with the cold oil and fall to the bottom.
5. Strain caviar using a fine mesh strainer. Rinse well with water.
6. Store caviar in water until ready to use.
7. Lay on a paper towel-lined plate and pat dry. 

Notes:

I purchase agar-agar powder locally at our Asian grocer or online at Amazon.

Need a Visual?

Here's a video that will give you the gist of making fruit juice caviar.

Easy Gluten-Free Chicken Tenders

Some of you may have heard what happened to our stove this week. Seriously, no joke, the glass front just up and shattered. Never seen anything like it. Have you?

The whole event has left us with use of the stove top only—and so tonight called for pan-fried Gluten-Free [and Egg-Free] Chicken Tenders. 

This recipe calls for rice Chex cereal; we buy it on rare occasion. Is it the healthiest option? Is it organic? Is it non-GMO? No, no, and no. It's one of those foods that fall into our 90/10 approach to eating right (90% of the time it's all about making the healthiest choices, 10% of the time we ease up a bit). That said, had I had this brand of rice or corn cereal on hand, I probably would have used it instead. 

Easy Gluten-Free and Egg-Free Chicken Tenders

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons high smoke point OIL (I use organic palm shortening)
3/4 cup finely crushed gluten-free RICE CHEX
1/4 cup of this brand of gluten-free SEASONED COATING MIX 
1/4 teaspoon sweet PAPRIKA
1-1/2 pounds CHICKEN TENDERS
1 tablespoon allergen-free MAYONNAISE

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
2. In a medium bowl toss crushed cereal, seasoned coating mix, and paprika. Set aside.
3. Rinse and pat chicken tenders dry. 
4. In another bowl toss chicken with mayonnaise to coat.
5. Roll chicken tenders in crumb coating and fry in batches until golden brown.
6. Serve with barbecue sauce or honey mustard salad dressing for dipping.

Enter to Win a Subscription to Simply Gluten-Free Magazine

There's still time to enter to win a one-year subscription to Simply Gluten-Free Magazine—the "allergen free made simple" magazine that has zoomed up best-seller lists everywhere. Just head on over to this post.

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Simply Gluten Free Magazine Giveaway

Next month Simply Gluten Free Magazine will celebrate the printing of its fourth issue. In six months, the "allergen free made simple" magazine has zoomed up best-seller lists everywhere. Currently it is the 3rd most purchased magazine at Whole Foods across the nation. And in addition to selling like hot cakes at Barnes & Noble, it will be hitting the shelves of Safeway and Target!

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Chocolate Chip Mug Cookie — GF, Vegan

The other night, cruising Pinterest (you can follow me here), I spied an Instant Chocolate Chip Cookie that was to drool for. So I repinned it and left a comment wondering if it could be modified to be gluten-, dairy-, and egg-free.

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One-Pot Asian Noodles

We've been on a one-pot, shabu-shabu-style, Asian noodle kick. The foundation of this warming soup is this recipe which originally printed in an issue of Sunset Magazine from way back.

I've added a few more ingredients for kicks—kombu for an extra dose of iodine and iron, shiitake mushrooms and ginger for an immunity boost, and sriracha for a bit of heat. 

Into the lovely broth go noodles—either rice sticks or mung bean threads.

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