I had the great fortune of being able to do a little baking for a local school bazaar this past weekend. Teachers were raising money to fund the children’s Hajj re-enactment program where the kids learn how to properly perform the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. You see, it’s Hajj ‘season’, meaning that most piligrims from all over the world ... Read More »
Going back to Ohio this year at the cusp of summer’s end and the start of fall was a really blessed opportunity to appreciate what’s so beautiful about rural communities, ethnic neighborhoods and simple, all-American living. I was born here, raised here, and spent some of my best years in the nooks and crannies of this rustic place. I rode ... Read More »
I’ve been really enjoying my time in Ohio among all the backyard gardeners in my family and in our neighborhood. Needless to say, I have been overwhelmed with the amount of produce people have gifted us, but found that pickling was the answer to enjoy the sweet and the hot peppers from my aunt’s garden. In general, the pickling process ... Read More »
‘Eid Mubarak to you and your families! May all your fasts and prayers be accepted. We’ve fasted the month of Ramadan and now it’s time to enjoy the celebration of ‘Eid with family and friends. Lamb dishes are usually a must on ‘Eid day celebrations, but every culture has a different, delicious way of making it. I love this way of preparing the ... Read More »
It’s a common Mediterranean and Middle Eastern culinary habit to stuff vegetables with a variety of grains such as rice or couscous as well as ground meats or nuts like pistachios. That said, this dish is amazingly versatile. If you don’t have peppers, you can substitute zucchinis or eggplants instead; if you don’t have couscous, try cooked rice or meat ... Read More »
Though I’m not particularly a fan of candy, I do love anything with sesames seeds or honey. Additionally, it’s a common traditonal sweet in both Italian and Middle Eastern cuisine, two of my favorites. This recipe is my version, which is softer than the harder candies found at ethnic grocers. While watching an episode of Lidia’s Italy, I got a pretty good idea of ... Read More »
With so much produce left over from the cooking demonstrations I conducted at the ISNA convention over 4th of July weekend, I had to come up with ways to use and preserve the goods. This lemon-lime granita is just one of the ways I used over 80 limes and 60 lemons left from our beautiful display. Granita, similar to a ... Read More »
This is such a quick summer dish. Use herbs that are ready for picking, which come perfectly paired with grilled chicken. You can use dried herbs for this dish, but the flavor will not be as intense as using the fresh ones. Serves 4-6 Ingredients 1 lb. thigh or breast boneless, skinless chicken (5 pieces) 3 cloves garlic, minced juice of 1-½ ... Read More »
The summer season is when I truly crave this dish because it reminds me of being in Italy during the summer time. Hot, arid days in Sicily bring out the best in Roma tomatoes, my favorite for this type of salad.You don’t need to be Italian to enjoy this incredibly flavorful salad, but you can feel like you’re on the ... Read More »
Do you ever just have a craving for a nice cold gelato after a long walk? Recently, after exploring our nearby forest preserves and parks (we have some great ones in Chicago) I thought a gelato would be a perfect way to end the walk and relax on a warm spring day. The only problem was finding one. We headed to downtown ... Read More »
My Halal Kitchen | Inspiration for Wholesome Living Simple Recipes and Useful Household Tips
