Interview Series: Tess Masters

Australian-born Tess Masters is an actor, cook, and author of The Blender Girl cookbook and The Blender Girl Smoothies app. She shares her enthusiasm for healthy living on theblendergirl.com.

I first met Tess Masters at Vida Vegan Con in Portland, OR, last year. She and I were staying in the same hotel, and we ran into each other with mutual friends on the elevator. Because Portland is so far away from home, I was feeling extremely jetlagged. I wasn’t really in any state to meet new people and I all I wanted to do was take a nap. Tess, however, was friendly and full of energy, and I found myself wanting to know her secret. I recently had the opportunity to chat with Tess again, and we talked about food, smoothies, and how she became The Blender Girl.

 

Chic Vegan: How did you become The Blender Girl?
Tess Masters: I’ve always loved by blender. I think the blender is the greatest culinary gift we have been given since fire and spoons! There was a joke in my family that I could live without teeth! I particularly lovely green smoothies and soups. So, when I decided to write a blog, I used my blender for inspiration, and created a blog celebrating blender-inspired cuisine. As I researched blending as a method of food preparation, it quickly became a metaphor for how I live my life. I like to combine different ideas, philosophies, cultures, notes, flavors, work, hobbies, exercise, etc to find my perfect blend for health and happiness. This blend is different for everybody. So, I started asking people, “What’s your perfect blend?” and The Blender Girl was born.

 

CV: Tell me a little bit about your new cookbook The Blender Girl and what inspired you to write it?
TM: I was really excited to write a book and develop recipes that inspired people to use their blenders for more than just smoothies and cocktails. The book contains 100 gluten free, vegan recipes that all use a blender in some aspect of the recipe. There are completely blended dishes like smoothies, drinks, tonics, cocktails, soups, and condiments. But, beyond that, there are snacks, appetizers, salads, main meals, and desserts that be attacked with your trusty knife and fork. I see the book as a celebration of healthy fast food – and the beautiful flavors of fruits and vegetables. Beyond the recipes, there are sections on the benefits of raw, alkaline, and probiotic-rich foods, as well as sections on soaking and sprouting, food combining, making your own nut milks, blender tips, smoothie tips, soup tips, and a fabulous how-to-make-your-own smoothies chart. There is a wonderful interactive version of the book now available through iBooks that has a lot of added features and a full nutritional analysis for every recipe.

 

CV: Do you have any favorite recipes in the book?
TM: Oh, I love them all. But, if I had to pick a few favorites…..they would be the Tastes-Like-Ice-Cream Kale Shake that went viral online and converts the most hardened greenophobe into being a kale lover. I also love the Creamy Cauliflower Soup, which will make anybody look like a gourmet chef in less than 30 minutes. The Gomadofu (sesame tofu) holds a special place in my heart because it has such an incredible texture and exquisite simple flavor; the Creamy and Crunchy Spuds with the homemade raw cashew cauliflower mayo make people swoon; I can’t get enough of the Mushroom Stroganoff; the Raw Chocolate Orange Torte is always a hit; and the Pineapple Vanilla Sangria will transport you to heaven.

 

CV: In addition to the cookbook, you’ve also just released The Blender Girl Smoothies app. What motivated you to create an app?
TM: I just love smoothies, and after being overwhelmed with emails of love from people who had made every smoothie in the cookbook, there clearly demand for more of these full-flavored dimensional shakes. I want to go on a flavor journey with smoothies like I do with a texture meal. So, I wanted to create an app that not only contained incredible recipes, but was also a comprehensive guide for people to make their own unique blends. There are 100 recipes that contain 3 optional boosters that work separately and together. So, you can boost with one, two, or all three choices. Blends get more nutritionally dense and/or more flavorful with each addition. The blender tips, smoothie tips, and detailed glossary show you how to incorporate leafy greens, herbs, spices, superfoods, etc and how to pair flavors. I also love the unique story feature that invites you to search by what you feel, need, and crave at any particular moment. It’s really fun.

 

CV: Do you have a favorite smoothie?
TM: My all-time favorite smoothie is the Pineapple Salsa from the cookbook. It’s also included in the app. This blend is a fabulous blend of sweet, savory, and spicy, and has an incredible depth of flavor that hits on the front end, explodes in the mouth, tickles your throat, and massages your belly. It’s just so incredible!

 

 

CV: What is your diet like? What do you typically eat in a day?
TM: I am a seasonal, intuitive eater, so my diet changes week by week, month, by month, season by season, depending on the climate, my stress and activity levels, and my needs. I eat a large percentage of raw, enzyme-rich, alkaline foods. I eat a lot of raw foods in the warmer weather, and more cooked foods in the colder months. But, I always start the day with a green smoothie or soup, then always have some kind of power salad for lunch or dinner, and some kind of raw or cooked vegetable dish for dinner. I love raw wraps and veggie bowls with delicious raw dressings. I always eat a lot of leafy greens and superfoods (sprouted nuts, seeds, live sprouts, superfood powders etc). I drink lemon water and/or water with liquid chlorophyll, and have cultured vegetables with every meal. I also drink ¼ cup coconut water kefir in the morning and at night.

 

CV: What advice would you give someone who wants to follow a healthy vegan diet but doesn’t know where to start?
Start with a simple green smoothie in the morning, and go from there. Smoothies are so accessible, anybody can make a tasty blend, the flavor possibilities are endless, and you don’t need specialty ingredients. Then read books, blogs, and experiment with other dishes to expand on your repertoire of tasty options. Always make it fun and delicious, then it sticks. Small changes towards big shifts.

 

CV: What is your favorite vegan indulgence?
TM: Raw ice cream in every flavor imaginable. If there was an hour left on earth, I would dive into a vat of it!

 

CV: What vegan product could you not live without?
TM: Bragg Liquid Aminos. It just makes everything taste better.

 

CV: In your wildest dreams what will your life look like in 5 years?
TM: I will have a collection of cookbooks, apps, and a line of products, blenders, and accessories, and a TV show that celebrates people doing amazing things to promote healthy living. I will spend part of my year in America and part of my year in Australia with my family, with lots of fabulous trips all over the world in between. I will have a great balance between work and rest, and will be happy and loved.