I bake a lot of sourdough bread at home. A good hearty soup packed with lentils is my go-to when I want a simple way to eat lots of goodness with a loaf of bread. I do no-oil for myself, but for those gourmet folks, I have added how you can make it even better with some olive oil and veg broth. To blend it, I use an immersion blender (hand blender).
As of the date I found out I was pregnant, I had already been eating only plant-based for 3 years so there was no dispute as to what my diet would look like for the duration of pregnancy. However, I was also aware that in Japan, this would be a challenge as a) many doctors and midwives may not be familiar with the diet enough to recommend and support my decision, and b) family and relatives would not hesitate to point fingers at my ‘not normal’ diet if/when something was not looking right.
I will admit, staying at home due to COVID, while pregnant sparked my curiosity to start sourdough baking. It’s also quite hard to find 100% animal-free bread in Japan – so why not bake at home? Through trial and error, I now bake tasty sourdough bread a few times a week at home. Sharing some tips and tricks to keep it simple and (hopefully) fail-safe.
After realizing how hard it was to pop into a supermarket and find Kimchi without any marine products (squid/shrimp intestines), I started making my own.
My personal story about how I made the decision to go plant-based is much more down-to-earth than most. No life-changing epiphanies or emotional scars, but rather a perfectly rational decision that started in late 2011 in a little upstate New York town.
This gyoza has been a staple for when we have non-plant-based guests. With the added salting of vegetables, you can be sure you will have a flavor-packed, delicious gyoza that’s great with beer, ramen, or on its own!