It’s my pleasure to have Tess Masters as my guest today! Australian-born Tess Masters is an actor, voiceover artist, and author of The Blender Girl cookbook and The Blender Girl Smoothies app. As a presenter and a recipe developer, Tess collaborates with leading food, culinary, and lifestyle brands. She has been featured in Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Prevention, Real Simple, Thrive, Vegetarian Times, Living Without, Allergic Living, and New Idea; as well as online for Today, Prevention, Shape, Glamour, Food Network, Parents, and Chow, among other publications and websites. Away from the blender, Tess enjoys a diverse performance career. She has toured internationally with stage productions, worked in film and television, and lent her voice to commercial campaigns, audiobooks, and popular videogame characters. Tess and her partner, Scott Brick, live in Los Angeles. You can follow Tess on Twitter and Instagram at @theblendergirl and check out her Pinterestpage and Facebookpage too!
What inspired you to write your new book?
I think smoothies are the ultimate healthy fast food. I wanted to create an app and book that showed people how to take their smoothies to the next level by adding leafy greens, vegetables, herbs, spices, oils, and superfoods to make dimensional drinks that take you on a flavor journey like a textured dish. The Blender Girl Smoothies app was nominated for best non-fiction app of the year last year, and so we decided to turn it into a book. Tell us about your plant-based journey. I was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr virus as a teenager, and a naturopath suggested I give up gluten and dairy. I felt so much better that I became intoxicated with the concept of food as medicine. The more vegetables and plant-based foods I ate, the better I felt. I then became very conscious of environmental and sustainability issues, and plant-based living became a passion, and one that I wanted to share to encourage others to eat more fruits and vegetables and live a more conscious life.
How can smoothies contribute to a delicious, wholesome plant-based diet?
Blending up a quick smoothie is a great way to get your daily dose of fruits and vegetables in a fun and easy way. The flavor combinations are endless, and smoothies are so forgiving. You can always rescue a seemingly undrinkable concoction with some juice, zest, sweetener, or chocolate! Smoothies level the playing field in the kitchen, making it easy for anybody with limited skills and even less time to eat healthy.
What are your five favorite foods that you just can’t live without?
Lemon, Avocado, Cucumber, Spinach, Salt.
Tell us a few tips for making the perfect smoothie.
• Add a pinch of Celtic Sea Salt to every blend to bring out the natural flavors of fruits and vegetables.
• Add fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, and rosemary, and spices like ginger, cayenne, cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom, and curry powder for crazy-good flavor and medicinal support.
• Always drink smoothies really cold to mask the flavor of earthy greens and pungent ingredients. I share a ton more tips in my book, The Blender Girl, in bookstores now!
This is a cold-and-flu buster and potent detoxifier, all in one zesty cocktail! The bromelain in pineapple suppresses coughs and loosens mucus, while mint clears respiratory congestion, soothes sore throats, and alleviates nausea. The vitamin C in limes has antibiotic power, anti-inflammatories in kale and pineapple combat arthritis, and ginger boosts immunity, aids digestion, and adds a powerful zing.
Ingredients
Scale
1 cup (240ml) coconut water or water
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
3 limes, peeled and quartered
1 cup (25g) torn-up curly green kale leaves (1 or 2 large leaves with stalk removed)
1⁄2 cup (18g) firmly packed mint
2 cups (320g) frozen pineapple
5 drops alcohol-free liquid stevia, plus more to taste
Optional boosters:
1 teaspoon wheatgrass powder
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
Throw all of the ingredients into your blender and blast on high for 30 to 60 seconds, until smooth and creamy.
Notes
Nutritional facts (per serving):
118 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 14 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 17 g sugar, 2 g protein, 83 mg calcium, 1 mg iron
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