Ffrench - The ultimate blender cookbook : fast, healthy recipes for every meal

COOKBOOKFast, Healthy Recipes for Every MealREBECCA MILLER FFRENCHPhotography by Justin Lanier Copyright 2015 by Rebecca Ffrench Photographs Justin Lanier Design by LeAnna Weller Smith All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages. ISBN: 978-1-581-57295-7 ISBN: 978-1-581-57605-4 (e-book) Published by The Countryman Press, P.O. Box 748, Woodstock, VT 05091 Distributed by W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110 The Ultimate Blender Cookbook To my family, who loves a good laugh and great food And to all blender lovers looking to whir their way to wholesome meals While working on this book, I was often asked questions like, Why the blender? Isnt it easier to mix things by hand? Dont you find it hard to clean? The short answer: No.

The long answer: A blender can greatly assist a home cook with chopping vegetables, mixing marinades for main courses, and literally whipping up a wholesome dessertall in minutes. A blender makes meal prep quick and easy. Its a helpful tool for turning fresh, local ingredients into healthful mealsand not just liquid ones. You can greatly boost your nutritional intake by adding greens, nuts, and superfoods to your diet on a daily basis. And the best part: Nutritious can equal delicious! You see, from the third grade the blender was the one appliance that I didnt have to ask permission to use. I was free to create as I pleased.

And so I did. And have continued to do so for almost 30 years, developing recipes that give bang for their buckcreative combinations of natural foods that are nutrient-dense, enhance energy, and, most important, come together quickly. My first forays into blending involved lots of milk shakes and salsasperfect after-school snacks for the tween years. During my college days, my blender was primarily an ice crusher (and probably saw more alcohol than it should have!). As I matured and got married, my blender took on a more sophisticated role, blending vinaigrettes and pureeing sauces. Then baby made three and the blender worked tirelessly pulverizing vegetables into healthy, preservative-free mush for our new addition.

Along came baby two, and life got even more hectic, but our blender did not give up on us, nor we on it. Its blades still whirred, now accommodating four. We whipped up everything seemingly possible in our blender: crpes, muffins, meatless burgers, and more. When the smoothie phenomenon hit, we were already there, blending away. I found ways to incorporate more foods rich in fiber, antioxidants, and heart-friendly fatty acids into every dish. In these pages, I want to share my love of blending and show how this miraculous machine can effortlessly aid you in the quest for healthier eating.

I admit, Im a food fanatic. I obsess about every bite my family and I ingest. I want each morsel to melt in our mouths, leaving us happy and satisfied. I hope these recipes relay my sense of excitement about food: bright colors, juicy textures, diverse flavors. Eating should make you feel goodphysically and sociallyand the blender can help get you there fast. It minimizes prep time, allows you to easily make large quantities for a crowd, and truly is a cinch to clean.

You, too, can turn your blender into a kitchen workhorse, making meals a time to recharge, relax, and connect.

What is the key to successful blending? Fresh, wholesome ingredients. The fresher the produce, grain, nut, or other foodstuff, the truer the flavor and the more complete the nutrition. You are in control of every ingredient you put in the blender, so the result is up to you. You can replace store-bought foods like muffins and soups with homemade, chemical-free equivalents and swap syrupy bottled salad dressings for sugarless blends. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), only 32.5 percent of Americans eat the recommended two or more servings of fruits per day.

The number drops even lower, to 26.3 percent, for those who eat the recommended three or more servings of vegetables per day. That means a lot of us arent eating our fruits and veggies! Enter the blender. Large amounts of fruits and vegetables can be blended to manageable sizes for easy consumption, and the blenders blades break down cell walls of hard-to-digest raw plant-based foods for better absorption. It may be tempting to load up smoothies with sugar or sauces with cream, but theres no need when blending. Fruits lend sweetness while nuts and healthy oils can create a velvety texture. The goal with these recipes is to use the blender to its fullest potential. The goal with these recipes is to use the blender to its fullest potential.

Its power is uncanny. A vortex is actually created inside the blender jar, which brings me to the second, third, and fourth most crucial elements of blending: Do not overblend, do not overblend, do not overblend. I know Im being repetitive, but this should become your mantra. I will reiterate it throughout the book, but when a recipe says to pulse, really pulse. Its so tempting to go just a little more, but a few extra seconds of blending and a potato soup can go from satiny smooth to gummy glue. You can always blend more, but its difficult to reverse the effects of overblending without starting over, so go slowly.

Believe me, Ive had to start again more than once (my dog is always happy to sop up my mistakes, though; she never seems to mind the texture!). My hope is that this book helps make the blender your buddy, that youll see it as an approachable assistant helping you prepare tasty, healthy meals. I also hope these recipes become part of your daily repertoire, essentials you love and go back to again and again. Use the blender to experiment, put good food on the table, and get things done fast, but most of allhave fun with it!

I use a Vitamix Professional Series 750, and INext page