Cooking tips from the vegan A-list

Remember when Queen Bey and Jay-Z went vegan for 22 days?

And they're not the only ones. From Jennifer Lopez to Gwyneth Paltrow, some of the hottest celebs have jumped onboard the temporary vegan train. So much so that January has now been dubbed by many as Veganuary. Yep, you read that right.

The good news is that you too can make like Beyoncé and dabble in the plant-based diet. Just check out these top tips sourced from some of the biggest veggie lovers around.

Find more amazing vegan recipes in our September issue available here. Vegging out never looked so good...

Actress and activist Alicia Silverstone has been a vegan for more than 15 years and claims the diet can help you lose weight, look younger and feel healthier. Considering that she could still pass for her younger Clueless self, she may be on to something!

Her top tip?

‘I know not everyone's going to go all the way, but I want people to know that making even a few changes does have an impact. They can start just by increasing the amount of whole grains they eat each day—like quinoa, wild rice, and couscous.

Then you can do simple things—like, if you eat chicken and beef four times a week, cut down to just once a week at first. All of these choices can make a significant difference.’ Simple!

It’s no secret that comedian and Oscar host extraordinaire Ellen DeGeneres loves animals.

On her website, she advices newbies to, ‘do some investigating. See if you can find vegan-friendly stores and restaurants in your neighborhood that you didn’t even know existed.'

‘Ask your vegan or vegetarian friends where they shop. If you don’t have any vegan friends, see if you can make some.’

‘Post a new status on Facebook. You might be surprised who comes out of the woodwork. It’s great to be able to share tricks and thoughts with someone.’ Like!

 

Think vegan food can’t make impressive dinner fare? Think again.

Award winning veggie chef Eddie Shepherd has been described as the Heston Blumenthal of the vegetarian world and if this amazing photo for his 'Ginger Sorbet with Orange Glass and a Citrus Mist’ is anything to go by, we'd say that’s an understatement!

‘Cooking sous vide (in a waterbath) can be fantastic for vegetable focused cooking as it helps vegetables retain vitamins and flavour,' says Eddie. 'It's a great way to prepare vegetables and fruit for maximum flavour and the equipment has now become accessible and affordable for home cooks.'

That's us getting our wallets out then...

So you’ve found a vegan recipe you love, and it’s pretty much become a weekly staple. That’s great, but don’t be afraid to experiment, says actress and blonde beauty Kristen Bell.

‘I cook a lot,’ she told Vegetarian Times. ‘Cooking makes me feel calm, makes me feel empowered; it makes me feel like I’m a provider.'

'One of my favorite things to do is to pick a food, like kale, and get some fresh from the farmers’ market, then look up different recipes with it as an ingredient, make all those recipes, and decide which is best.’ Good tip!

Sorbets are great and all but there’s a whole host of (healthy) vegan-friendly desserts out there guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Because forgoing animal products shouldn’t mean no pudding, says actress Daryl Hannah.

‘I grew up on junk food, and for me and millions of other Americans, it’s comfort food,' she told Vegetarian Times. 'Those cravings can be satisfied with real food, food that grows in the ground or from trees. Treats can be good for you when made with whole, organic fruits and vegetables!’

Don’t believe us? Get your five-a-day with these veggie-tastic desserts. Now that's worth making a Splash about (sorry...)

No meat doesn't mean no protein. Buy a block of tofu and use in stir-fries, smoothies, salads and more.

Got leftover tofu? No sweat.

‘If you bought tofu and are not planning to use the entire block in one go, the only thing you have to do is store the remaining tofu in a food container with some water,' says super blogger Vanessa Almeida.

'You can even use the water that comes in the package and leave it in the fridge. Just make sure to use within 5 days.’

Easy-peasy. Just like Vanessa's lentil burger recipe.

 

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Psst, here's a little secret about vegan eating. You can still enjoy many of your favourite dishes by finding vegan-friendly alternatives.

Take everyone's favourite naughty condiment - mayonnaise.

Blogger Eddie Shepherd likes to use soy milk in the place of egg yolk. 'It works fantastically and is super simple to do,' he says. 'The soy milk emulsifies the mayonnaise meaning you can have delicious, fresh mayo without the egg!' Eggsellent.