Every month, I’ll take you inside a new cookbook and share a recipe, a conversation with the author, and plenty of photos. This month we’re diving into Simply Plants: Feel-Good Vegan Recipes to Nourish the Body and Soul by Sadia Badiei.
Sadia Badiei is the registered dietitian and recipe developer behind the plant-based cooking website Pick Up Limes. And now she’s the author of her debut cookbook, Simply Plants. I was vegetarian for decades before I started eating meat (I’m a traitor, I’m sorry!), and Sadia’s work is still such a huge source of inspiration for me.
I’m happy to report that Simply Plants is everything I hoped it would be. There are more than 100 recipes covering every craving, from breakfast through dessert, with Banana Chocolate Chunk Pancakes, Spicy Pulled Mushroom Tacos, Sesame Udon Noodles with Five-Spice Tofu Crumble, Creamy Green Macaroni, and a No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart. There’s also a divine Simple Vegan “Butter Chicken” that’s my current hyper-fixation.
Sadia and I caught up over Zoom the other day (we showed up wearing matching shirts like kindred spirits!), and I loved hearing about her approach to finding joy in the kitchen. Here’s a little bit of our conversation.
Casey: You’ve built this incredible community through Pick Up Limes and for years, people — including me! — asked when you’d publish a cookbook. What finally made you think, Okay, now I’m ready?
Sadia: When I started Pick Up Limes in 2017, I was just having fun developing recipes and coming up with YouTube videos. When Jenn, our now-editor, sent me an email in 2019 asking if I’d be interested in writing a cookbook, I had massive imposter syndrome. I thought, You’ve got the wrong person. I’d only been developing recipes for two years. I asked Jenn if she could follow up the next year, and she did. She followed up every single year until three years ago, when I finally said yes. By then, I’d grown this incredible team and gotten better at recipe development. I’d also started setting aside recipes that were popular, or things our teammates would make again and again for their families and friends. I had a library of recipes. Looking back, I’m really glad I initially said no. I waited until I knew I could create something I’d feel proud of.
One of my favorite surprises in the book is that you didn’t always love cooking! You grew up surrounded by the beautiful food of your Afghan and Iranian family, but you were more interested in instant noodles.
I’ll start with a life lesson. When I was 17, I was freaking out about a high school calculus test. I called my sister, who’s an engineer and 10 years older than I am. I was crying and saying, ‘I hate math!’ And she said, ‘Sadia, you don’t like things that you’re not good at, and you’re not good at this yet.’
For me, cooking was similar. It wasn’t until I studied dietetics and took a mandatory cooking class that it clicked. We’d learn the theory of caramelization or the Maillard reaction, then we’d cook things in different ways and come together to talk about the tastes and textures, what was working and what wasn’t. That was the first time I thought, Oh, I’m starting to get it.
So, how do you help someone who sees cooking as a chore discover that same sense of curiosity and pleasure?
Start with something simple. If you’re flipping through a cookbook, surely you’ll find one recipe that looks really good. Choose something easy so you have a high chance of success. And then you make it, and at the end you’re like, What? I did that? How cool!
Your motto is ‘Nourish the cells and the soul,’ and I think the second half of that is especially beautiful. I’m curious if your understanding of nourishment has changed since you started Pick Up Limes.
The biggest change actually came just before I started Pick Up Limes, and perhaps it’s the reason I started it. When I studied nutrition, I went from not caring about what I ate at all — I just wanted it to taste good — to becoming hyper-focused on nutrition, overly so. And I don’t want that to be the case for anyone else at their table. That’s the idea behind ‘Nourish the cells and the soul.’ Nourishing the cells is my dietitian cap, but there’s this whole nourish-the-soul component that’s so important, too. Sitting down at the table should be a joy.
*****
Simple Vegan “Butter Chicken”
Serves 4
If there’s one dish I always make when non-vegan friends come to visit, it’s this. Flag it, bookmark it, come back to it — it’s a crowd-pleaser. In fact, it’s one of the most popular recipes on our entire site.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
14 ounces firm tofu, pressed, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 large onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 fresh red chile, seeded and minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons garam masala
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 tablespoon agave syrup
1/2 cup unsweetened soy or almond yogurt
Cooked rice, for serving
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook for about 8 minutes, until golden on most sides.
In a large sauté pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, chile, and ginger and cook for 4 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Stir in the garam masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Stirring constantly, toast the spices for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, tomato paste, and agave, and bring to a gentle simmer.
Optionally, use an immersion blender to blend until partially smooth, leaving a bit of texture. (Alternatively, transfer about half of the mixture to a countertop blender and puree until smooth, then return it to the pot.)
Stir in the yogurt, then add the fried tofu and let heat through. Serve with cooked rice and naan.
Thank you, Sadia!
*****
Plus, four other cookbooks I’m loving this month:
Daily Dessert: Treats on Repeat by Caroline Schiff
Why I love it: Caroline believes dessert should be an everyday pleasure, and I could not agree more. There are single-serving desserts, snacking bakes, party showstoppers, and a chapter called Dessert for Breakfast (HELLO!). She makes it all feel so fun and unfussy.
What I’m making: A Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie, Maple Gingersnap Cheesecake, Sour Cream Apple Pie Bars, and Strawberry Cream Cheese Babka
Who it’s for: Anyone who can’t end the day without a sweet treat.
Ukraïne: Recipes and Stories from Kyiv to the Black Sea by Anna Voloshyna
Why I love it: Anna’s book is an absolute treasure. She traveled across Ukraine, from the Carpathian Mountains to the Black Sea, collecting recipes and stories for this beautiful love letter to the country’s food and culture. And the photography by Jason Perry is absolutely incredible.
What I’m making: White Borshch, Carpathian Cheesecake with Dried Cherries, Chicken Kyiv, Semolina Carrot Bread
Who it’s for: Anyone who reads cookbooks like novels.
Cha Chaan Teng: Comfort Food from Hong Kong’s Iconic Diners by Lucas Sin
Why I love it: Hong Kong’s cha chaan teng are neighborhood diners where Chinese necessity and Western cooking meet in a big, global bear hug. Lucas spent years learning behind the scenes, giving the food and the people who make it the attention and respect they deserve.
What I’m making: Perfect Scrambled Egg Sandwich, Singapore Stir-Fried Vermicelli, Baked Spaghetti Bolognese, Pineapple Buns
Who it’s for: Anyone who believes diner food is an art form.
Square Pie Guy: Detroit-Style Pizza at Home by Marc Schechter and Gabi Moskowitz
Why I love it: I’m a New Yorker, but I have a weak spot for Detroit-style pizza, especially those crispy, caramelized cheese edges. Marc, founder of San Francisco’s Square Pie Guys, makes it feel surprisingly doable at home, with recipes for doughs, sauces, and very creative pies.
What I’m making: House Ranch, The Green Pie, Elote Pie, Garlic Cheesy Bread
Who it’s for: Anyone whose love language is pizza.
Casey Elsass is a food writer, recipe developer, and cookbook author based in Brooklyn. He is the author of the bestselling cookbook What Can I Bring?: Recipes to Help You Live Your Guest Life and has co-authored more than 30 cookbooks. His writing has appeared in publications including The New York Times, New York Magazine, Bon Appétit, NPR, Food52, and, of course, Cup of Jo.
P.S. A winter vegetarian’s best friend, and three chickpea recipes.
(Reprinted with permission from Simply Plants by Sadia Badiei. Copyright © 2026 Pick Up Limes B.V. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Photographs copyright © 2026 Pick Up Limes B.V.)
