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'Tis the season to make a lifestyle change!
While there are many celebs who do fad diets, extensive juicing or meal delivery plans to drop a few pounds (which, as you can guess, doesn't always lead to a body transformation), there are also lifestyle-oriented stars who keep healthy and balanced with vegan or vegetarian diets.
In honor of the month where people's mental, physical and emotional health come into focus as a major priority, we've rounded up these easy-to-make, celeb-loved dishes so you can start the New Year on a nutritious, homemade and yummy note.
1. Tofu Scramble, Carrie Underwood
From Bon Appétit
Ingredients
Servings: 4-6
2 14-ounce blocks extra-firm tofu
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
4-6 whole wheat tortillas, warmed
Garnishes: salsa, chopped avocado, grated cheddar, sliced scallions, and hot pepper sauce (optional)
Directions
1. Place tofu on a plate lined with several layers of paper towels (to absorb liquid). Using a fork or potato masher, smash tofu.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and peppers; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir in coriander and cumin; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tofu, then turmeric. Add beans; cook, stirring often, until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve scramble with tortillas and garnishes, as desired.
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2. Kale and Coconut Smoothie, Gwyneth Paltrow
From Goop
Ingredients
1 large handful curly kale, cleaned and ribs removed
7 or so raw almonds
1 cup frozen mango
½ of a frozen banana
1 ½ cups coconut water
1 packet sugar in the raw
Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a powerful blender.
2. Blend 1 minute, or until smooth.
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3. Lemony Roasted Potatoes, Emily Deschanel
From Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskiwitz and Terry Hope Romero
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes (medium to small potatoes work best)
1/3 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp salt
1 tsp tomato paste
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley or dried oregano (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel the potatoes, slice in half lengthwise, and slice each half into wedges no more then 3/4″ thick.
2. In a large, deep baking pan or casserole dish (at least 10 17-inches or bigger), combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, vegetable broth, oregano, salt, and tomato paste. Add the peeled, sliced potatoes. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and toss the potatoes to cover with the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with foil (or use lid of casserole dish), place in the oven, and bake for 30-35 minutes until the potatoes are almost done. Several times during the baking process, remove the pan from the oven, uncover, stir the potatoes, place the cover back, and return the pan to the oven.
3. Uncover the pan one last time, stir the potatoes again, and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15-20 minutes, until most of the sauce has evaporated and some of the potatoes have just started to brown on their edges. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and/or more dried oregano before serving.
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4. Vegan Enchiladas, Paul McCartney
From PETA's Celebrity Cookbook
Ingredients
For sauce:
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
For filling:
1 lb. firm tofu, drained and mashed
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/3 cups picante sauce
3 cups steamed spinach
12 tortillas
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all the sauce ingredients, except for the cornstarch, in a small pot and cook over low heat, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch and cook until the sauce thickens.
2. In the meantime, prepare the filling: Mix the tofu, onion, chili powder, cumin, garlic, pepper, and picante sauce. Put some of the spinach in the middle of each tortilla, then add 3 to 4 heaping teaspoons of the tofu mixture, and roll up the tortillas. Top with vegan sour cream (or make your own, see below). Lay the enchiladas in a baking dish, cover with sauce, and bake for 20-25 minutes.
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Getty Images, Kevin Winter/WireImage
5. Quinoa Salad, Ellen DeGeneres
By Roberto Martin, from Ellen DeGeneres
Ingredients
For quinoa:
2 cups of Cooked red quinoa, about 1.5 cups raw
2-3 slices of ginger
1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon of sliced scallions
1 tablespoon of torn mint leaves
1/4 cups of winter squash, diced into small pieces
For nuoccham sauce:
3 tablespoons of vegan fish sauce
1/4 cups of lime juice
2 1/2 tablespoons of vegan brown sugar or 1 teaspoon agave nectar
1/2 Thai chili, paper thin sliced (use whole chili for some spice)
1 1/2 tablespoons of water
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Toss squash with with a bit of olive oil and pinch of curry powder and roast until just done.
3. Meanwhile, bring 1 1/2 cups water to boil. Add a pinch of salt, ginger slices and quinoa, then cover. Simmer until done, about 15 minutes.
4. Make nuoc cham sauce by mixing fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, thai chili and water.
Toss quinoa, cooked squash, scallions, cilantro and mint with nuoc cham sauce. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
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