Just before summer began, I received a review copy of The Blender Girl Smoothies. This is Tess Masters’ second cookbook, releasing just a year after her debut (and hugely successful) The Blender Girl cookbook.
This book is 100% smoothies (all vegan and gluten-free). It’s based on Tess’s recent smoothie app which I posted about last fall. The app is spectacular – super slick, fun, and interactive. I still love an old-school a hard copy book in my hands, though. So I loved getting my plant-powered hands on this one!
And so did our kiddo! I opened the review copy as we were walking in the front door one day after school. As soon as our daughter Charlotte saw it, she gasped and said “mom, can we make one – now?”
Char LOVES smoothies. She loves fruit in general, I have a hard time keeping fresh fruit in the house for how much we eat as a family… and how much she can eat on her own! So, when she saw this book cover with these gorgeous, refreshing smoothies on a hot day after school – she just could not wait to make one!
She had been experimenting with making smoothies the week before for a class project, so wanted to choose one herself and do the prep and blending. She immediately chose the Peach Crumble Smoothie. I know she would have chosen a berry smoothie if she had been making it just for her. But, since she was sharing with her two sisters, this smoothie could not be of the berry persuasion. 🙂
We loved the combination of flavors and textures in this recipe. The use of orange juice with non-dairy milk was reminiscent of a creamsicle. The addition of oats and cashews helped make the smoothie thick and creamy. We didn’t use the optional boosters, and the smoothie was fabulous as-is! With peaches seasonal now, this is such a refreshing, delicious smoothie on a hot day – but I think frozen mangoes would substitute very well in the fall and winter as well!
Tess knew this was a family favorite, and was so kind to allow us to reprint it for you to enjoy as well.
PEACH CRUMBLE SMOOTHIE
The healing power of peaches makes the nasties crumble: vitamin C scavenges free radicals and fights infection, beta-carotene converts to retinol for eye health, fatty acids help maintain healthy mucous membranes and skin elasticity, and potassium helps regulate heart rate and lower blood pressure. Or just enjoy the flavor. Serves 2
1 cup (240ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup (240ml) unsweetened almond milk, rice milk, or hemp milk (strained if homemade)
1⁄2 cup (44g) rolled oats
1⁄2 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
1 tablespoon raw unsalted cashews, soaked (see page 6)
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 medium frozen sliced banana
2 cups (320g) frozen peaches
optional boosters:
1 tablespoon plain or vanilla-flavored vegan yogurt
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
Throw all of the ingredients into your blender and blast on high for 30 to 60 seconds, until smooth and creamy.
Reprinted from THE BLENDER GIRL SMOOTHIES Copyright © 2014, 2015 by Tess Masters. Photographs copyright © 2014 by Erin Kunkel. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House
If you love smoothies, you really need to get your hands on this book! It will inspire you to try new ingredients and flavor combinations in your smoothies to make them exceptionally tasty and nutritious!
I’ll be back soon with another recipe. Don’t forget to enter the Vega giveaway, just a couple of days left.
Enjoy… x Dreena
Rebecca Cody says
Thanks for your breakfast inspiration. In the spirit of using what’s on hand, I just made a version of this, and it’s delicious! I ran a little short of orange juice – used 3/4 cup. I used oat milk and nectarines instead of peaches. Otherwise it’s the same and I like it, though it’s a bit sweet for me. That other quarter cup of OJ might tone down the sweetness.
I hadn’t thought of using rolled oats in my smoothies before. My suspicious husband asked about them being raw. I assured him they are actually steamed in the process of rolling them, so they aren’t raw. I don’t think he believed me, but I’m the nutritionist, so I won that one!
Dreena says
Score! Love it when we win. 😉 Thanks for sharing your feedback, great to hear how others are enjoying it and modifying as well. Thanks Rebecca!
Kyra @ Vie De La Vegan says
Tess’s book looks amazing! I need to get some peaches to make this smoothie. And, I can totally relate about not seeming to be able to keep enough fruit in the house – my kids seem to inhale it, it disappears too fast…
Dreena says
Glad it’s not just me! I’m at the store every other day stocking up. 🙂
Alisa @ Go Dairy Free says
Ooh, I haven’t tried this one yet – it sounds amazing!