gluten-free

olive oil apple crumble

A crumble is simple yet feels special. It’s the answer to the bag of apples sitting on your counter or the overzealous amount brought home from apple picking.

gluten-free

rice noodles with crispy tofu and kale (gf + df)

This is a meal you’ll want to make over and over again. It consists of crispy pan-fried tofu, sautéed kale, lots of ginger, and slippery rice noodles that cook in minutes.

gluten-free

cucumber and melon salad with feta, za’atar and basil

I had this salad at the Mandolin Aegean Bistro in Miami last week. It’s probably one of my favorite places in the city. Tables set under a canopy of trees, stringed lights,

gluten-free

yellow and red lentil dal / moong and masoor dal

Dal is a weeknight staple in our home. It’s filling, straightforward, and delicious. Bonus points for it being vegan! A basic dal (that’s what my mother called it)

gluten-free

simple banana bread (gf + df)

This banana bread has gotten us through many a quiet evening in the pandemic. But we all know that banana bread is beautiful anytime. It’s soul level nourishing, filled with whole ingredients, and the perfect slice of something I’m looking for.

gluten-free

provençal eggs ratatouille

’ve always been intimidated by making a shakshuka: eggs poached in a tomato, peppers, and onion mixture. I’ve had friends make it for me, and it always feels unique and memorable. The eggs ratatouille from Maman is a provençal take on this renowned dish

gluten-free

skillet chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce (df)

One of my favorite things to make when I want something filling, cozy, and satisfying. And it’s ONE PAN! Sop up the sauce with some crusty bread, pasta, or keep it light with a green salad.

gluten-free

peanut butter swirl brownies (gf + df)

A tub of freshly ground peanut butter inspired this recipe. Mixed with some agave syrup and swirled through the rich, chocolatey batter, these brownies are the equivalent of Reese’s peanut butter cups.

gluten-free

crunchy, seedy, honey granola

I know, I know, you can buy good granola all over. But homemade granola is a beautiful thing. It means you can splurge on quality ingredients and add in exactly what you want (hate figs? sub with dates or apricots!).

gluten-free

simple butternut squash soup with garlic-thyme croutons (gf + df)

Squash soup for squash soup lovers! I’ve made various iterations of butternut squash soup in the last few years. Sometimes mixed with root vegetables or cut with a generous squeeze of orange juice at the end. In this recipe, the initial sautéing of the celery and onion give the soup depth, and the spices and herbs: turmeric, paprika,

gluten-free

apple cake (gf + df)

I wanted a cake that felt special, seasonal, and had just the right amount of sweetness. This cake has apples two ways – diced into the batter and sliced atop for an #imsomartha moment.

gluten-free

roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts with smashed avocado, olive-caper gremolata, and a sunny egg c/o “maman: the cookbook” (gf + df)

Tuesday was a cold, rainy day here in Toronto, and I decided that one of the best ways to feel okay about the weather was to roll with it. Does this mean I was zen in the morning, nursing my coffee while looking out the wet windowpane?

gluten-free

sheet pan chicken with cauliflower + herby yogurt (gf + df)

This Mediterranean inspired recipe is meant to be a hearty, balanced, and delicious weeknight meal that comes together in under an hour.

gluten-free

oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (GF + V) c/o beaming baker

I’m sure we all have our favourite dessert that goes with our coffee or chai. Mine is a toss up between the perfect chocolate chip cookie or a slice of cake – depends on the time of day,

gluten-free

green beans and potato sabzi

If you follow me on Instagram, you have probably seen me making this sabzi for the last couple of months. In Urdu, sabzi refers to cooked vegetables.

gluten-free

grilled peaches with roasted macadamia nuts and honey (gf + df)

guess this is my final ode to peaches. I wasn’t able to perfect my crisp recipe in time, but the desire to keep having these beauties for dessert led to learning how to grill them.

gluten-free

parsley salad with cucumbers and sesame seeds (gf + v)

This salad is inspired by the abundance of parsley at the middle eastern restaurants I grew up eating at. That, and the ever presence of cucumbers in the quick salads my mother made. I serve it with Pakistani food because it’s light, tart, and bright,

gluten-free

grilled corn and zucchini pasta (v + gf)

All the summer produce was calling to me, and the result was this pasta. I realize it’s not an efficient use of pots, but sometimes when I get an idea this is what happens. For what it’s worth, it’s my fave pasta I’ve made this summer, so I’m sharing it anyway! Just use it as a framework to do it your way. Share any tweaks you make!

gluten-free

cherry summer cake (gf + df) – one bowl

Everyone goes crazy for cherries in our house – I have to watch baby M around a bowl of them otherwise he’ll pop a whole cherry in his mouth, pit and all. He does the same with strawberries, eating the stem without a blink.

gluten-free

some notes on making a mezze spread

This past weekend I set out to make a mezze based meal. It was inspired by the recipes and stories in Yasmin Khan’s thoughtful cookbook “Zaitoun” and Tara Wigley and Sami Tamimi’s “Falastin.”

gluten-free

kale + basil pesto with toasted pine nuts and fusilli (gf + v)

I remember the first time I had pesto. It was a warm summer evening in Toronto’s Little Italy; we were at Vivoli, sitting street-side on the patio. I’d never tasted anything like it.

gluten-free

asparagus and shallot pasta (gf + v)

This is a very Sana type meal. I love things that come together in 30 mins, with fresh vegetables, pasta (of course!), and straight out of the pan

gluten-free

banana walnut snacking cake

It was about this time last year that banana bread went viral. Did you make it? I fell in love with one by Aran Goyoaga and made the banana bread from her book Cannelle et Vanille once a week. It was decadent and delicious.

gluten-free

wild blueberry, banana, and spinach smoothie (gf + df)

This is the smoothie you see baby dancing to in my insta-stories. It’s the one I make most often for myself and the kids. I love it because it has a good amount of greens, blueberries full of antioxidants

gluten-free

honey and lemon tahini dressing (gf + df)

I usually eat my greens with a quick drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, a crack of pepper, and some flaky salt. Making a dressing feels like a tall order at dinner time – I have a million things to do, and how vested am I in making this salad taste any different??

gluten-free

salted Caramel Skillet Cookie c/o Kale Junkie

I’ve been dreaming of a chocolate chip skillet pie sort of situation (as one does?), and in my hunt to find one I came across Kale Junkie’s Salted Caramel Cookie Skillet. The “caramel” is a blend of almond butter

gluten-free

roasted broccolini with sumac and chilli (gf, v)

Whenever I see a deal on broccolini, I grab it. It’s much easier to prep than regular broccoli and I love the way it looks – the long stalks and branchy tree-like tops. When broccolini is done right it’s caramelized,

gluten-free

salty, cheesy popcorn with coconut oil (vegan)

Every Friday night Ali and I watch a movie with the kids – they actually call it “Friday Night Movie Night” lol. We have a fun dinner – like tacos or bolognese, sometimes takeout, making a point to really enjoy it.

gluten-free

vegan salted chocolate chunk cookies (gluten-free)

If dessert was a love language, mine would probably be chocolate chip cookies. My idea of heaven is a stash of cookie dough in the freezer, the smell of them baking,

gluten-free

pantry chana masala – chickpeas cooked with tomatoes and spices (gf, v) + a cooking project

My mother says teaching me to cook Pakistani food is like speaking to a toddler: “Is that a bird, Mama?” “Yes it’s a bird.” “A bird Mama!” “Yes that’s a bird.” “It’s a bird?” “Yes, sweetie, a bird.” In similar fashion, our conversations go something like this:

gluten-free

turmeric oatmeal with stewed dates and brazil nuts (gf, df, v)

Earlier this year I wasn’t feeling well. I had horrible heart burn, stomach pain, and my hair was falling out in shocking amounts (an iron deficiency) – oh, and there was a pandemic lockdown and the kids were home indefinitely.

gluten-free

za’atar roasted potatoes

i d e a – I got very excited about these za’atar roasted potatoes. The trick was to be pretty heavy handed with the spice, just like the manaqish (a middle-eastern flatbread) bubbling with cheese and a layer of za’atar we used to get in Kuwait – glorious.

gluten-free

julia turshen’s afternoon cake, slightly adapted (gluten & dairy free)

This is probably the first (and so far only) simple cake I’ve mastered. It’s from Small Victories by Julia Turshen, which is a staple cookbook in our home. The kids call it afternoon tea cake

gluten-free

seriously good walnut brownies (gluten & dairy free) + missing friends

I first made these over the summer when restrictions had started easing up. We visited a close friend who we hadn’t since BC (Before Covid). Our daughters were born weeks apart and have grown up together.