Noor Shaikh

Quinoa offers a great complete meal option for plant-based recipes. It can absorb any flavor mixed with it and lends a slightly nutty taste to the finished product. I always like to soak the quinoa for a few hours then drain and roast for 10 minutes in a dry pan. The roasting ensures it does not get clumpy or soggy.

This version of the quinoa is made with Thai style seasonings with a green curry paste, sesame seeds, bok choy and thai basil (quite different from the Italian basil). I like eating this dish with the onion chili crunch condiment from Trader Joe's.

Grains are a great way to make one pot meals that are refrigerator friendly to eat during the work week. I can amp it up with some chopped tomatoes and cucumbers and lightly dressed greens for a complete meal.  While this version is vegetarian, adding some grilled chicken or shrimp makes it a quick meal for meat lovers as well.

Adjust the seasonings with extra salt or freshly ground black pepper, a dash of lime or chaat masala can add freshness right before eating. I like to portion them into one cup servings and store in refrigerator or freezer for a quick lunch or dinner.

Whole roasted cauliflower provides a substantial and hearty main course for vegetarians at a holiday feast, instead of salad and pasta. This recipe is versatile enough to vary the marinade with seasons or specific holidays. Use sour cream and cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice during Thanksgiving for a festive feel. Add orange juice in the marinade for a Christmassy feel.

The finished product tastes great but also provides a beautiful presentation on the dinner table. Serve it in the same cast iron pan that it is roasted in for a rustic look.

If you like mangoes, this roasted mango dressing is very versatile and can be used as a dip or diluted for a salad dressing or somewhere in between for a dressing on a slaw. This is a very economical way to use shriveled up mangoes that are not firm enough to eat.

This roasted carrot soup comes together with minimal hands-on cooking time. Carrots that have been sitting around in the crudité platter or baby carrots that never made it to the lunch box can be all roasted in the oven for a hearty and wholesomely satisfying soup.

Pearled couscous is amazingly easy to cook and is a versatile grain to replace rice in many recipes. I refrain from calling these recipes authentic to any cuisine because like any authentic cuisine, there are as many variations as there are people who cook them. This version was inspired by the seasonings used in a simple sago (sabudana) preparation that is eaten on days of fasting. The original recipe is very simple using potatoes instead of mixed vegetables, the key to this is treating whatever grain is being used, properly.

Black eyed peas and spinach are a very comforting and nutritious combination. I like to eat this curry with a brown rice or any grain, like quinoa or millets. This version has coconut milk, but you can use dairy or plant-based milk that works for you. However, please note that oatmilk or any other milk will change the taste of the dish a bit.

These scones were my attempt to try and recreate saag panner in a scone. It didn’t quite taste like saag paneer, but the savory and spicy elements hit the spot with a cup of hot tea or coffee on a cold snowy day.

Fennel has a distinct taste and is very refreshing in a light slaw. This is very different from the cabbage coleslaw that you are used to eating. This slaw has thinly julienned fennel bulb as the star of the slaw with thinly sliced mangoes and cucumbers. You can add any other vegetable to this slaw, but nothing that would overpower the fennel itself. A small amount of radish or turnip slices will add a sharpness to the slaw. This slaw is great by itself or as a side for a burger or a seafood dish.

I like to pair this slaw with my roasted mango dressing.

Harissa tastes like a very flavorful hot sauce. The flavors in harissa are not restricted to spicy chilies. In fact, you can make harissa as spicy as possible or as mild as possible. I like to mix different varieties of dried red chilies. In this batch, I have 6 oz. of guajillo chilies and 6 oz. of dried red chilies from the Indian store (which are quite spicy). I know of people who would love to have harissa made at least 50% of dried habaneros (not me). You can make harissa from sundried roasted red pepper and sundried tomatoes as well and skip the chilies.