Vegetarian Star

Singer Mya lost 11 pounds after going vegetarian to slim down for Dancing With The Stars.

She’s one of the four celebrities still left on Dancing, but she’s abandoned the practices that got her so healthy and up to par for the competition.

“I am eating more protein now – I used to be a vegetarian!” she told OK! magazine.

Mya claims she’s craving carbohydrates and proteins–and that her meat-free diet was leaving her hanging.

“So I’m eating lots of chicken and beef. I splurge on carbs like mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, rice and gravy, bagels – the list goes on!”

This may make us not vote for Lady Marmalade.

You want carbs, Mya?

We’ve got your carbs!

Complex ones like whole grain pasta, oatmeal, bagels, and lentils.

And if you’re missing your chicken and beef, Chef Tal Ronnen would love to introduce you to the wonderful world of Gardein faux meats he uses so frequently in his cookbook, The Conscious Cook.

Mya may still dance like a 9, but we’re giving her diet performance a 6 today.

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Chef Tal Ronnen is the author of The Conscious Cook, a hot new cookbook being snatched off the bookshelves by vegetarians, vegans and food lovers in general. Tal is the chef who helped design Oprah Winfrey‘s meal plans when she went vegan for 21 days and has worked with Chrissie Hynde‘s restaurant, The Vegiterranean. He’s been a vegetarian for 19 years and a vegan for 11 years. Tal took a few moments away from braising tempeh to give Vegetarian Star an exclusive interview.

Tofu, Tempeh, or Seitan:
It depends on the application. I think my personal preference for home is definitely tempeh. It’s a less processed product. It’s fermented so it’s got nutritional benefits from the fermentation process. With that said, it has to be cooked properly. People will just cut tempeh up and sauté it or stir fry it or something like that. [But] Because it’s so dense, it’s hard to get any flavor to penetrate. Tofu just acts like a sponge, it just sucks up all the marinade. [With] Tempeh, the best way to get the flavor in there is to braise it. So cook it in a flavorful liquid and the flavors can change based on the dish that you cook. So if you’re doing something like Tex Mex or South of the Border you can braise it in a stock that’s got chilies and peppers. If you’re doing something like Asian, it can have soy sauce or ginger. When you’re cooking it in a broth, you’re able to penetrate tempeh. After it’s cooked in a broth, you start cooking with it. So I can grill it or sauté it, but the first step for me whenever I work with tempeh is to braise it.

On Guest Chefs in The Conscious Cook:
We wanted to have a really broad view of what professional vegetarian cooking looks like. And [we did this] by bringing in people who have influenced me or I’ve influenced throughout the years. All the chefs that are highlighted in the book are people who’ve been a big influence in my culinary career or someone that I’ve worked with very closely. And by doing that we’re able to really show different perspectives in the book, not just my perspective with vegetarian cooking.

Favorite recipes from The Conscious Cook:
I love the celery root soup. I love the Gardein scaloppini with the shiitake sauce. And the banana  rum cheesecake I think is really great.

Learn how Tal got a school district in southern California to put veggie burgers on the menu after the jump… (more…)

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• Ellie Goulding Creates Protein Bar “Everlasting Joy” With GoMacro

Oprah Winfrey will host vegan Chef Tal Ronnen, author of The Conscious Cook today on her show.

Chef Ronnen helped design Oprah’s meal plans when she went vegan for 21 days and also played a huge role in developing the menu for Chrissie Hynde‘s restaurant, The Vegiterranean.

We have a special treat for our readers next week involving Tal, the conscious cook.

Be sure to check back to find out more!

Possibly Related Posts:

• Chrissy Teigen Failed Vegan Experiment
• Mia Evans Is A “Masterchef Junior” Vegetarian Star
• Holly Madison Enjoys Vegan Smoothie From M Cafe In Beverly Hills
• Controversy Over Pro-Vegeterian Curriculum In Schools
• Ellie Goulding Creates Protein Bar “Everlasting Joy” With GoMacro