“Food is such an important element of Desi culture. It’s how we connect, socialize, show our love, and celebrate.” Today’s woman dreamer, Laila Mirza, is the creator of Laila’s pantry where she brings healthy and original refreshing recipes. She shares to must try recipes - Spicy Mushroom Tacos and Shrimp Tacos, and reflects on her journey and passion for food. Enjoy her story!

1. You are a college student with a passion for healthy eating and lifestyle, building your own platform, "Laila's Pantry". What inspired your interest in cooking at an early age? 

My journey in cooking was completely inspired by my mother and maternal grandmother. From a young age, my parents always emphasized the importance of being self-sufficient. Thus, by the age of 8, I was waking up by myself and packing my own lunches. At the time I thought that was normal for all kids, but it is only later that I appreciate how important that was for my independence and experience when it comes to the kitchen. My food does usually lean towards the healthier side and I think that is definitely my mother’s influence in our house. She is an expert in all things nutrition and is always looking for new ways to integrate healthy living into our lives. Her belief is that we only have one body, and it’s up to us to make sure it’s nourished with the best possible ingredients and dishes.

Another thing that continues to inspire me is the Pakistani culture that I come from. Food is such an important element of Desi culture. It’s how we connect, socialize, show our love, and celebrate. Massive dinner parties were always a staple in our home, and I loved the way my mother seemed to whip up a huge dinner for 50 people in under four hours. I definitely cannot cook as fast as her but her drive and passion for food is something that continues to inspire me. 

2. You have some great healthy alternatives to fast food and other traditionally "less healthy" foods etc. How do you find inspiration for that? 

I definitely want to recognize the privilege I had growing up. “Healthy” is incredibly inaccessible to a large majority of the population and having doctors as parents allowed me to have an childhood filled with incredible food made out of quality ingredients. I definitely did not always have this mindset- my brothers and I used to complain routinely about not being allowed to eat fast food such as McDonald's, Burger King, Doritos, etc… However, it is important to recognize that for many people who did not have the same exposure we had as children, fast food is often thought to be the most accessible option they have. My inspiration for creating healthy alternatives to fast food is just to show people what other options they have. Eating healthy doesn’t automatically mean it’s more expensive. While it definitely does involve some more effort, the outcome is so worth it. Your body feels better, your mental health goes up, and your overall clarity and drive for life aren’t hindered by overly processed food. While teenagers and young adults aren’t as affected by fast food at the moment, the continuous consumption of chemically laden ingredients has extremely harmful effects on the internal workings of our bodies. I also want to take a moment to clarify that healthy eating is not for achieving a certain body type. There is so much body diversity within our world, and eating healthy should never be for the goal of “looking a certain way” or having the “perfect body”. People who look societally “perfect” aren’t necessarily healthy. Depending on someone’s genetics and activity level, they could easily eat fast food every day and never see a difference. However, what your body looks like on the outside is not nearly as important as what it feels like on the inside. Side note: I love unhealthy food and I am a firm believer that moderation is key. I just want to send the message that eating healthy most of the time is so doable and accessible for anyone. That’s why I always try to make my recipes as easy and accessible as possible. 

3. As your platform is called "Laila's Pantry" What is your one must-have item in your pantry? 

Okay, so I’m cheating a bit. While this is technically one item, it’s composed of multiple things. South Asians use a spice box that is circular and resembles a Thali. You can put 5-6 different spices in it. That is definitely my must-have item. No matter what ingredients I have, as long as I have my 6 basic spices (cumin powder, cumin seeds, red pepper flakes, turmeric, salt, and cayenne pepper), I have faith I can get something together. 

Recipe #1 - SPICY MUSHROOM PASTA

Mushrooms are one of my fav ingredients!! they’re so yummy and give such a umami and earthy flavor. They’re also the best meat alternative due to their texture and deep flavor. give this recipe a try!

Ingredients:

1. pasta of choice

2. 1 package of mushrooms diced

3. 1 onion diced

4. 3-4 cloves of garlic

5. 2 thai chilis (very spicy!!)

6. 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

7. 1/4 cup pasta water reserved

8. 1/4 lemon juice squeezed

9. handful of chopped parsley

Directions: Sauté the onions and garlic over medium heat until soft and caramelized. Put your pasta into salted boiling water. add in your thai chilis to the onions and garlic. Once the pasta is done cooking add it into the veggies and stir to combine. Sprinkle in the parmesan cheese along with the pasta water to create a nice sauce. Add in lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with some chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Recipe #2 - SHRIMP TACOS W MANGO SALSA & JALAPEÑO/CILANTRO CREMA

Please Note: Don’t be put off by the lengthy ingredient list, it’s just because the salsa has a lot of veggies. you can make the salsa AND crema up to 2-3 days in advance- meaning this makes the PERFECT meal prep dinner. shrimp is super quick to cook but you can use any protein you want (fish, chicken, tofu etc). the salsa is the star of the show & you definetly need to make it to try it.

Ingredients:

(1) Shrimp Seasoning:

1. 300 g of peeled&deveined shrimp

2. 1 tsp salt

3. 1/4 lemon

4. 1 tsp red pepper flakes

5. 1 tsp paprika

(2) Mango salsa:

1. 2 mangos diced

2. 1/2 red onion diced

3. 1 jalapeño diced

4. 2 avocados diced

5. 2 spring onions sliced

6. 1 tomato diced

7. 1/2 cup cilantro chopped

8. 1 tsp salt

9. 1 tsp red pepper flakes

10. 1/2 a lime

(3) Jalapeño and cilantro crema

1. 1/2 cup greek yogurt or sour cream

2. 2 garlic cloves

3. 2 jalapeños (take seeds out if you don’t want spicy)

4. 3/4 cup cilantro

5. 1/2 avocado

6. 1/2 a lemon

7. 1 tsp salt

Directions: Season the shrimp with the ingredients listed above. while that’s marinating, make the mango salsa with all the ingredients listed above. Make sure to chop things roughly the same size. For the crema, just blend all the ingredients together until smooth! In a pan over medium high heat, put some oil in the pan, and sear the shrimp on both sides. Shrimp cooks fairly fast, around 3 minutes on each side. When it turns pink it’s done! Warm the corn/flour tortillas and then assemble your tacos and enjoy!!!

Thank you Laila for sharing your wonderful recipes with us! Excited to have you in our global women’s network!

Bio: Hey everyone! My name is Laila Mirza and I’m a 21 year student who has a food blog called Laila’s Pantry. I’ve been cooking ever since I was a young child, and love to share the recipes I make. My focus is accessible cooking that leans on the healthy side. I also love representing my Pakistani heritage through my food. I’m currently majoring in Political Science with a double minor in Islamic Studies and International Development at McGill University. I hope to pursue culinary school and food journalism after I graduate. My hobbies include cooking (obviously), yoga, traveling, eating lots of food, and going on long walks.