1704 Vegetarians in Paradise/Blender Girl Smoothies Book Review
Vegetarians in Paradise

Vegan Books


The Blender Girl Smoothies:
100 gluten-free, vegan & paleo-friendly recipes

by Tess Masters

Ten Speed Press, 2015
Paperback, $16


Blending diva Tess Masters has done it again, blending her way into her second book, The Blender Girl Smoothies, a treasury of vegan smoothie recipes from sweet to savory.

Her successful first cook, The Blender Girl Cookbook, paved the way for more adventurous endeavors with the blender and gave Tess the opportunity to offer more tips for creating the best outcomes.

Blender Girl Smoothies While the author encourages people to create their own smoothies, she notes those experiments can sometimes result in a few less-than-pleasing efforts with unappetizing colors most people might reject on looks alone. For those times, she offers suggestions for rescuing the experiment by adding berries or chocolate.

Readers will learn the strategy for turning out a successful smoothie by adding ingredients according to texture, beginning with liquid first, powdered ingredients next, soft foods after, and fibrous ingredients last. The strategy is twofold:

  1. It creates a smoother and creamier blend every time.
  2. Ingredients added in this order work best with the blender blades.

Using frozen fruit offers advantages, says the author, because it helps to thicken and chill the smoothie and doesn't water down the flavor by adding ice. Frozen fruit offers convenience, while buying fresh fruit in season and freezing it saves money.

The book contains a banquet of great tips with pointers one might never have considered.

  • Boost flavor and balance the pH with a pinch of salt.
  • Add probiotics to improve digestion and stimulate immunity.
  • Soak raw nuts, seeds, and cooked grains for creamy texture.
  • Add leafy greens and a small amount of apple and lemon to reduce the sugar spikes from an all-fruit smoothie.
  • Create a flavor lift and alkalize blends by adding lemon or lime.

The recipes focus on natural, wholesome, plant-based ingredients and are super-easy to follow. Because everything goes into the blender, directions are simple and result in no-fail delicious smoothies.

Tess Masters Head-notes are a delight to read because they're packed with nutritional information to assure the smoothie sipper there are health benefits galore in every glass.

Try the Pineapple Salsa on page 118 for a flavor treat that will tickle the tongue with its surprising blend of ingredients. For dessert, feast the eyes on the stunning plum-colored Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake and enjoy the luscious flavor richness.

The Smoothie Pantry at the back end of the book is a richly detailed glossary that not only describes each ingredient, but also provides purchasing information, nutritional benefits, substitutions, and varieties. Tess also describes each herb and spice, noting the flavors, level of bitterness or strength, and how best to pair that ingredient.

Tess Masters is the guru of the blender. In The Blender Girl Smoothies she offers an informative compendium of tips, suggestions, and delicious recipes to make the best smoothies on the planet. The large, clear, unfettered photo of each smoothie recipe shows the home chef exactly how the finished smoothie will look. The book is a blessing for today's fast-paced life and assures readers that anyone can pack a tasty, refreshing, nutrient-dense meal into a glass.


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Vegetarians in Paradise