Hui Lin is a recipe and story blogger, bringing together creations with inspiration from her mother. Meatless Movement recently caught up with her.

Tell us about yourself please

I am Hui Lin from Singapore. I share vegan recipes, mostly from my mom, and vegan finds on my Instagram (@__huiilinn). Vegan food can be just as simple, tasty, and accessible as any other types of food!

My mother and I turned vegetarian during the COVID-19 pandemic period. We realised it is one of the best things we can do to help stop animal cruelty immediately. We also discovered that it is possible to have a vegetarian diet and be healthier too.

8 months ago, we switched from vegetarian to vegan after watching a video “Dairy is Scary”. Speeches and videos we both saw on Earthling Ed which showed how animals raised for food, were subjected to extreme confinement and treated horrendously in industrial farms, also had a huge impact on our choice to go vegan.

My mother influenced my love for food
@__huiilin

Ever since Work From Home (WFH) arrangement started, I got to spend more time with my mother at home. She has more than 40 years of experience in cooking. They said food brings people together. I have so much fun experimenting in the kitchen and creating many different vegan dishes with her. She proves to me again and again, vegan food never has to be boring or bland.

She cuts down processed food, uses more fresh ingredients such as ginger, tofu, and tomatoes from the supermarket. She is always ready to whip up a healthy meal for the family with herbs and spices. YouTube never fails to inspire her next kitchen adventure.

Stir-fry mixed vegetable with tomato soup base

Rice set with fried enoki mushrooms, homemade wedges, and braised tofu puff

Sweet and Sour Deep Fried Mini King Oyster Mushrooms with Sweet Peas

Mee Sua (wheat vermicelli) in braised soup

I am so inspired by her vegan dish creations that I decided to share her recipes with more people using my Instagram account. This is where it all began.

I think veganism is beyond merely having three meals a day. It’s a way of living that helps save planet, and is kinder to animals too. When we switch, it shows we are making a conscious effort to think through what we eat, what we buy, the causes that we support and the work we do.

Embarking on this vegan journey can be overwhelming and sometimes challenging. Above all, being vegan makes me become more aware of what I value the most in my life.

I do not find a vegan lifestyle difficult to embrace
@__huiilin

There are now more vegan products and food options available in supermarkets, restaurants, fast-food chains, eateries and cafes in Singapore than ever before.

With interest increasing all the time in healthy eating, restaurants now care more about offering vegan options. Occasionally, a restaurant may mess up my order, but generally, it doesn’t bother me that much. I have learned how to explicitly mention and emphasize on “no egg, milk, cheese, and meat” instead of just saying “vegan”. That usually solves the problem.

To all my friends out there who aren’t meatless yet, besides environmental and ethical benefits, I am more than willing to share with you my vegan lifestyle and the health benefits I gain from eating fruits, vegetables, herbs, grains and nuts, and tofu. You’re not missing out on anything! Trust me, you’ll find plenty of ways to indulge on a plant-based diet. Beans and rice can be delicious and hearty too.

I am blessed that most of my friends and colleagues are supportive of my diet choice. When we eat out together, they often get me involved with the destination discussion. They are open to exploring vegan food with me too! The ones I tried and liked include Veggie house, Shu Vegetarian, nomVnom, Greendot, Tian En Vegetarian Food, and Vegetarian Villas.

What is one favourite recipe by your mom everyone should know how to cook

It is definitely noodle soup. It is simple to make, tasty and simply guilt-free.

Stir-fry chopped garlic and ginger with cooking oil till golden brown
Remove the garlic and ginger from the frying pan without draining off the cooking oil
Using the same cooking oil, stir-fry sliced king oyster mushroom, sliced carrot, some soya sauce for 5 minutes or until the mushroom and carrot softened.
Add in some cabbage and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes
Add in water and pan-fried pressed tofu, and bring the soup to boil for about 10-15 minutes. The cabbage, mushroom, and carrot will bring out a slight natural sweetness to the soup.
Taste test the soup along the way and add soya sauce to the soup until it reaches your desired flavour.
Once the soup is ready, add the noodle of your choice to the soup.