Six steps to spectacular smoothies A basic smoothie contains three essential components: liquid, base, and the chill factor (ice, frozen fruit, or chilled liquid). The Pink Cooler (page 18) is a great example of a simple smoothie with just two ingredients. In this blend, watermelon provides the liquid and frozen strawberries combine with the melon to provide the base flavor as well as the chill factor. step 1: start with a liquid A 32-ounce (960ml; 2 servings) smoothie typically requires about 2 cups (480ml) of liquid (choose one type or a combination of types, depending on your other ingredients). If your blend contains high-water-content foods like watermelon, cucumber, orange, or other types of melon, you may need little or no liquid. step 2: choose your base Add 2 to 3 cups (320 to 480g) of base ingredients to the liquid. Your base can be a single flavor or a combination of several ingredients. step 3: get creamy or frosty I think a creamy or frosty texture is a nonnegotiable element of a great smoothie. Select one item (or sometimes two) from the Cream list (page 10) in the quantities specified, then turn to The Smoothie Pantry on page 219 to choose complementary ingredients. If your base ingredients already deliver a creamy or frosty texture (for example, banana, mashed vegetables, or frozen fruits), you may not need to add anything from the Cream list. step 4: go green For maximum nutrition and to alkalize blends, I highly recommend adding some leafy greens. The greens section of The Smoothie Pantry will help you incorporate these with great success. steps 5 and 6: boost your nutrition and add the magic Boosters and what I call magic ingredients are optional, but they really increase the nutritional profile of any smoothie and amp up the wow factor. You could pick several items each from the Boosters and Magic lists (page 11) and get incredible results. Again, use The Smoothie Pantry as a guide for pairing flavors. Once you've tried the recipes in this book, and used the boosters and magic ingredients suggested, I bet they'll become must-haves for you, too. After all, these aren't six steps to basic smoothies--they're six steps to spectacular smoothies. Excerpted from The Blender Girl Smoothies by Tess Masters All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
