 Hi everyone and welcome to the show. It's Lillian's Vegan World where we explore everything veganism from the lifestyle to the food, how you can get into it, the benefits, what's available as far as plant-based food. So we're going to cover lots of stuff in the show. And today I'm so excited to introduce my friend, my dear friend who is also on a plant-based diet, Nuko Mura, all the way from Japan. But Nuko, you're living here in Hawaii, I believe? Yes, I've been here for a little over 15 years. Wow, right. Yes, and that's why your English is so great. Oh, thank you so much. Welcome to the show, Nuko. Thank you so much. I'm excited to talk to you about your vegan journey. Thank you so much. And yeah, I think it'll be nice for viewers to listen to why or how someone gets into veganism. So I myself have been vegan for 10 years, vegetarian prior to that. So I'm excited to talk to you. How long have you been vegan for? Well, I've been vegan for a little over three years and it's been such a journey. I've never felt better physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I have no regret whatsoever. Well, actually, I have one regret, only regret that I have is that I should become vegan sooner. But I'm so grateful for being vegan today. It's a joy. Awesome. That is actually something that I myself also think the only regret I have is that I didn't do it sooner. So you look fantastic. I mean, you look healthy, honestly. You don't look like you're lacking in any nutrients or vitamins. No, I don't have protein deficiency. No, well, that's yes. Do you get that question a lot? Where do you get your protein from? Yeah. So, Nicole, I have to ask, why did you decide to become vegan? You became vegan after you arrived in Hawaii. Correct. Well, what happened was I was enjoying social network on the internet a little over three years ago. And I happened to encounter the famous video made by Gaili Yorofsi, who is a famous vegan animal rights activist. I learned a lot of facts and the truth about animal agriculture. And I was so shocked to learn them because how we treat animals is just so terrible and cruel. It's beyond my worst imagination. So I instantly was able to make a connection between what I was eating and living being. So to me, it was absolutely wrong to kill someone who doesn't want to die for food, especially when I know I don't have to. I learned about health benefits. I don't have to eat animals to survive and that's a very important point, too. Yes, it is. That's a great phrase and one that I like to use often, too. Not only can you survive on the vegan diet, you really can thrive. But that's interesting. You were inspired by this animal activist and vegan, very famous vegan activist. So interesting. And may I ask, what was the hardest thing about transitioning? So you weren't vegetarian or you were eating meat, dairy, egg? Just like other people. Yeah, just like other people do. So how did you start your transitioning into becoming fully vegan? I'm sure it must have been a hard road or was it? Actually, it wasn't a struggle for me. I admit I was lucky because I didn't struggle. As I said, I instantly made a connection. But of course, I did my research on my own and again, as you said, I learned a lot about other facts, like how our food choices impact on environment and other people, hunger problems caused by animal agriculture and then health benefits. So why not? So it was an easy transition for me. It's not a sacrifice for me. It's a joy. I'm not saying everybody is going through the same path. Some people may struggle, but the good news is that there are so many substitutes available today. Yes, there are. So are you saying you call that you don't eat boring salads every day and live on celery sticks and carrot sticks? Not at all. I eat anything I like just in the vegan version. Yes, I'm not just eating salad. Awesome. Well, you did prepare some photos of us because Yuko actually on her social media has posted a lot of pictures about the food that you cook and they look amazing. I think anyone would be able to enjoy the type of food that you're cooking. So let's have a look at the first photo, which is the daikon steak. Yuko, that looks amazing. Now, daikon steak is something that you don't see on menus here, but I would definitely order something like that if it were on a menu. Yes, it's delicious. Everybody will love it. Tell us a little bit about it. Okay. You know daikon radish, daikon radish, a big one, and then I just cut it in a slice like that, and then I just sauteed it. I fried it with curry, olive oil, and then I put lots of love in it. That looks amazing. It's delicious. And not to mention healthy at the same time. You've got some brown rice there I see and veggies. So this is something that you cook often? Yes, I do. Beautiful. Thank you. And there's another photo that you sent in for us, Yuko, which is the meatless pasta. Yes, meatless spaghetti. Yes, everybody loves spaghetti, meat sauce, right? This is exactly like that, but the only difference is meatless. I use lentil beans. It tastes like meat and it's satisfying. It looks appetizing and it is delicious. It tastes great. Yes, I must admit that looks so much like the real thing. I'm even wondering if people would know whether, you know, if you didn't tell them that it wasn't meatless, whether they would catch on because lentils these days really can take on the taste and texture of meat very easily. So what a great way to substitute and make it look a bit more like meat. So appealing to people who are trying to eat more vegan food but really miss things like spaghetti and steak and stuff. That's great, Yuko. So how has becoming vegan benefited your lifestyle or your health? You have now been plant-based for three years. And you're feeling good. I feel so good. I feel so good, right? It benefits me a lot for the better. It's a lot of changes I've been experiencing. I have a lot but the most important thing is that I feel good about myself. I feel for all the living beings with compassion that I didn't recognise before. I can recognise in my heart love and compassion for all living beings, not just only human beings, not just like dogs and cats, but all living beings. That's the biggest thing. I think you brought up something interesting and that is that I think a lot of vegans like you and I, we question a lot of things as do non-vegans question us. So this is a nice learning process for everyone, I think. And I must admit that I do often ask the question why are dogs and cats treated differently to other animals? It's something that it happens. People do look at a certain animal or certain animals in different ways. So it's interesting because you and I are like, oh, why? So yeah, we're learning about each other. Non-vegans are learning about us and how we think. And it's all a learning process. But I agree. I think one of the main things about vegans is that they do have a lot of compassion for all living beings, not only the animals that we see as pets in homes and stuff. I started enjoying cooking. I'm more conscious about my own health. It's a big difference. I want to live long, healthy. Yes, sure. And this is a great way. I mean, the plant-based diet is researchers and studies are showing that it is the healthiest diet on the planet. So come on, guys, get your plant food in. It's easy and it's delicious. And one thing I've noticed is that all the vegans that I have met are actually great cooks. Exactly. So yeah, I think they come hand in hand. You start to become more interested in food, more creative. And I think as far as the way I cook, I became more health-conscious about what I was cooking. So all these things add up to a really good way to eat. It's a win-win situation. Exactly. So, Nicole, what kind of advice would you give someone who is thinking about transitioning or thinking about starting a plant-based diet or going into veganism? Well, first thing I would suggest is to be open-minded. And then I would suggest challenge22.com. It's a really good website. Of course, it's free. It's very informative. Lots of recipes, lots of things you get to learn. So just go to Google, find challenge22. That's a really good website. And then try to make a connection between what's on your plate and living animals. That's really help. And then just always remember, it's win-win as you just said. It's win-win. You lose nothing. You gain everything. It's good for the environment. It's good for the animals. It's good for the hunger problems of people. And good for your own health. So you lose nothing. It's a joy. Yes, I totally agree. So, Nicole, what kind of substitutes do you use when you're cooking or in your daily eating habits? Do you eat vegan cheeses? I use cashew and almond, lots of nuts. Cashew nuts, raw cashew nuts, is a wonderful substitute. To make vegan cheeses? Yes, and then also tofu. I make tofu mayonnaise. It's delicious. Sounds delicious. Yes, I eat lots of different kinds of beans too. Okay, so they're great substitutes. Later on in the second half of the show, we're going to talk about the vegan cheeses that are available because there are so many. As you know, I've just moved to Hawaii only four months ago, and I'm just getting used to all the delicious vegan things in supermarkets. I go crazy. I'm just enjoying all this food tasting. So, yes, if I were giving advice to someone who was interested in becoming plant-based, the first thing that I want to say is you don't have to give up anything. You can add things to your diet. And again, then I think slowly you're going to start to realize that maybe these vegan cheeses, for example, are so delicious you might not, you know, require or want the real thing. So, there's a lot of substitutes here and a lot of vegan options in Hawaii. Exactly. Exactly. One more thing. You don't have to become vegan overnight. That's a little bit unrealistic. You can start with meat-free Monday or meat-free Tuesday, or just one meal. That's right. And yes, on that note, we'll come back and talk more about vegan cheeses. So, stay tuned, guys. We're taking a quick break. Aloha. This is Winston Welch. I am your host of Out and About, where every other week, Mondays at 3, we explore a variety of topics in our city, state, nation, and world, and events, organizations, the people that fuel them. It's a really interesting show. We welcome you to tune in, and we welcome your suggestions for shows. You got a lot of them out there, and we have an awesome studio here, where we can get your ideas out as well. So, I look forward to you tuning in every other week, where we've got some great guests and great topics. You're going to learn a lot. You're going to come away inspired like I do. So, I'll see you every other week here at 3 o'clock on Monday afternoon. Aloha. Aloha. I'm Yukari Kunisue, the host of Konnichiwa, Hawaii, Japanese talk show on ThinkTec, Hawaii. Konnichiwa, Hawaii is all Japanese broadcast show and is streamed live on ThinkTec at 2 p.m. every other Monday. Thank you so much for watching our show. We look forward to seeing you then. I'm Yukari Kunisue. Mahalo. Welcome back, everyone, to Lillian's vegan world, where we explore the wonderful, fascinating world of veganism and the plant-based diet. Do you call my guest today, the club lounge ambassador at Prince Hotel? Thank you so much for joining us. You are welcome. It's really interesting talking to you about your vegan journey. Just before the break, we started talking about vegan cheeses. I'm going to show the viewers one of my recipes for a creamy vegan cheese sauce. Check it out. You call this is my recipe for vegan cheese sauce made from cashews. And it looks, yes. This is packed with nutritional yeast, too, which has a lot of B vitamins, B12 in particular. So anyone on a vegan diet needs to be careful and make sure that they get a B12 supplement or vitamins. So this is included in one of the ingredients. You also make your cheeses from cashews. Yes, very similar. And I put lots of nutritional yeast, too. Exactly. And this takes only five minutes. Pour it over some nachos. I mean, you can't go wrong. Yum. Beautiful. That's the air. So that's one way you can use the cheese sauce. And you can also just use it as a cheese fondue. Get a nice, you know, French stick, a French baguette or some fresh bread, mac and cheese, pizza. This sauce you can use in so many ways. It's so easy to make. You make me hungry. I love you. And the thing is it's so easy to make. Yeah, this is definitely a versatile cheese. I also use the cheese and incorporate it into other recipes. As you can see here, this is a mushroom soup, cream of mushroom soup. Wow. Now, do you call this what we call comfort food, vegan comfort food? Exactly. A nice big bowl of yes, cream of mushroom soup. So really, a lot of ingredients that people eat are already vegans, such as potatoes, mushrooms, French fries are vegan. Exactly. That's a good point that you bring up there. People are actually eating vegan food and don't really realize that it's vegan. But one thing we do have to be careful of is the soups when we eat out in restaurants because often they're not vegan. Wow. That's the recipe for the cheese sauce. And I'm going to get you to try it here. I've prepared some for you. This is the cheese sauce. Have a try. Nice and creamy and silky. Does it taste like cheese? Be honest. This is delicious. Oh my god. This is not enough. And it took five minutes to make. You soak the cashew, the raw cashew nuts overnight, four to six hours, and then literally it takes five minutes to make. So that cheese sauce has now become this beautiful. I made a little pie for you. Wow. Thank you. So this has a little, the base is a pie crust and then I've used the cheese sauce and mixed it with some rice and then just baked it in the oven. So yeah, you should just grab it. Just grab it. It's finger food. So nice little cheesy rice pie, which is great vegan party food. Comfort food. So delicious. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Wow. Available at Lillian's home anytime you are. Okay. I will visit you every day. And let's have a look at some of the cheeses available. Do you call? There's a Parmesan cheese. Check this out. I mean vegan Parmesan. It's sold at Whole Foods for about $6.99 free from dairy, soy, gluten, lactose, nuts, and preservatives. Non-GMO verified, made with coconut oil, B12. One ounce is about 80 calories compared to 120 calories of the dairy version of Parmesan cheese. But this is awesome. 100% vegan. Wow. I'm going to get you to try this now. Do you call? Yes. Have a try and let me know what you think. Yeah. That one, yes. This one I was really surprised. I wasn't expecting it to taste so much like Parmesan, but I must admit I think it's fantastic. It is fantastic. If you didn't tell me, I wouldn't know. It tastes exactly like Parmesan. Doesn't it? And this is a good thing about this vegan Parmesan is it actually can grate as well. So you can grate it over your salads, your pastas and stuff. It's a great one to have from Whole Foods. The other one that we're going to look at next is the tomato, cayenne chow, chow slices. This chow has a variety of flavors. I think they have three or three flavors that are available at down to earth. And this pack of 10 slices is $5.99, about $6. Again, dairy-free, soy-free, made from coconut cream and oil. It's also based on a pea protein. And yeah, pea protein often used in vegan products. One ounce is about 80 calories, only seven grams of carbs. They're very good. Have a try of this one, you call. Just there. This comes in slices, which is great. So you can make sandwiches. This on some company called bread with some chilli jam is one of my favorite ways to enjoy it. It's delicious. I can tell it goes well with family food. Yes, great. A great sandwich. I'm going to buy it. Yes. So this is at down to earth. They carry a large range. For spiciness. Yes. That has some spicy peppers in it. So a little bit of bite, which is nice. Stimulates the palate a little bit. And let's have a look at the next one, which is the, yes, dire medium cheddar. Also dairy-free. All of these dairy-free, soy-free, non-GMO. So wonderful that these products are out there. This one is the same one ounce, about 28 grams. This is also a great one for sandwiches. You call. I know that you like your sandwiches too. So you might enjoy this one. Have a try. This one. This goes great with crackers and stuff. Great for parties because who doesn't like cheese and crackers? You know, olives, pickled onions. You can also add some of the vegan meat, like some ham slices. Wow, I agree. It's delicious. How would you eat that? I would eat it with crackers. They're really good with crackers. So nice little cheese platter going on here. Would you be satisfied if you had that? Of course. I would be more than satisfied. I agree. So, you know, all these cheeses are available in Honolulu too. Let's have a look at one more, which is the last one. And that is the Monterey Jack style. This one has a lot of bite to it. It's almost like a mix between the parmesan and the cheddar I found. This I prefer, I love it on its own, like to eat it just as it is. But it actually works great melted too, melted toasted sandwiches or incorporated into some baked dishes. So this is also available at Down to Earth for $5.99. You can get all of these on sale sometimes. So do look out when they're on sale. You know, it's a great time to do some tasting. And on that note, have a taste. Actually, this one was the parmesan. I think I made a mistake. Is that the one that you tried? This is the parmesan. Yes. So this is the Jack. This is a good one for melting. I would use it as a pasta. Yes, maybe like shredded or grated, grated into some pasta. That's such a great idea. You could even do like a basil sauce, you know, something grata. So all these beautiful cheeses. So the title of today's show was Look Out, Dairy. There's a new cheese in town. Yes. And it's called Healthy, Delicious, and Vegan. So I hope that some of the viewers take this opportunity to go and try some of the beautiful cheeses out there. I would also mind it. You would be surprised how delicious they are and how satisfying they are. Yeah, definitely. And you can, again, you can also make your own cheeses. I think there are so many recipes online these days. You can make cheese from cashews, macadamia, almond and soy. And the cheeses are packed with B12 because we use an ingredient called nutritional yeast, which has, you know, a really good source of the B12 vitamin, which is something that vegans can't get. We do need to supplement and take a vitamin. Do you take a B12 vitamin? Not supplement, but I use a roll of nutritional yeast in my cooking. Nutritional yeast is, yeah, it's like a little vegan parmesan cheese substitute. Well, it's been so wonderful talking to you. Do you, I really appreciate you coming in and giving us your insight and telling us about your journey. Thank you so much for having me. Pleasure. And everyone else, I look forward to seeing you next week. Same time, same place. If you have any questions, write them down on a nice big bag of salt and vinegar flavored vegan chips and send them to Think Tech Hawaii. See you next week, guys. Bye. Aloha.