vegetables

vegetables

blood orange + beet salad

In March, the weather slowly shifted from negative degrees to single digits, and it felt euphoric for those of us who live through the Canadian winters. We had friends coming over on Sunday for a casual lunch, and I envisioned a salad that captured the change of the seasons.

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vegetables

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.

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vegetables

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,

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vegetables

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)

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vegetables

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,

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vegetables

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?

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vegetables

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.

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vegetables

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,

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vegetables

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!

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vegetables

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.

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vegetables

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

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vegetables

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??

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vegetables

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,

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vegetables

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:

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vegetables

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.

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