Upright Roasting Rack for Chicken and Small Poultry
One of the most useful tools I have in the kitchen for roasting chicken and other small birds is this upright roasting rack that actually folds away for easy storage. Once you put the pieces together, you basically just plop the bird down in their by placing its hollow cavity face down onto the rounded middle section. The pointed...
Steaming Basics
Steaming is universally known as a healthy method of cooking because little fat, if any, is needed in the process. One of the oldest known methods of cooking, water vapor produced during steaming is even hotter than oven heat because steaming transfers heat so efficiently. It’s also one of the quickest cooking methods at our disposal.
Two Types of Steaming
Water...
Preserved Lemons
If there's one ingredient that says "Moroccan cooking" it's preserved lemons. They're smaller than most lemons found in the U.S. and also sweeter. Traditionally preserved in salt and lemon juice, they are used in tagines, stews and other dishes after the lemons have had time to sit in a tightly sealed jar for several weeks.
Once the jar is opened...
Pakistani Dundicut Peppers
I was pleasantly surprised to find these dried hot peppers at Penzey's Spices in Cleveland near the famed West Side Market. I had never seen or heard of them before but was intrigued by their origin and the fact that they looked very much like many of the dried Mexican hot peppers I commonly find in the grocery markets...
Creamy Pasta with Roasted Vegetables
A day in the life of recipe testing goes a lot like this:
Creamy Pasta with Roasted VegetablesÂ
-shop for fresh ingredients and bring them home to sort out
-wash and dry fresh herbs and produce
-chop everything
-get out the camera, notebook and pen and jot down the step-by-step procedure of each recipe
-take a snapshot at every interesting point
That's mostly before all the...
Culinary and Cosmetic Uses of Argan Oil
Have you ever tried argan oil? Â It is some really amazing stuff that is great for cooking as well as making yourself beautiful on a budget...not that you need any more beautifying, of course. Â In the past year I've been using it in my cooking and even more so on my sensitive skin (the cosmetic grade) in a massive...
Tips For Celebrating Ramadan In Style
I am so delighted to bring you this article by Jomana Siddiqui, founder of modernEID.com who creates some of the most beautifully designed 'Eid decor for the home, something I've been in search of for years now. I asked Jomana to give us some of her best tips on how to celebrate Ramadan in style and bring the beauty and...
Are You Ready for Ramadan Cooking?
Ramadan, the 9th month of the Islamic calendar (lunar) and the holy month of fasting is approaching quickly. There is so much to prepare and it can be quite overwhelming if you think about it all at once. For those of you who are new to My Halal Kitchen, you may not realize that there are lots of organizational...
Chicken Rogan Josh with Potatoes, Peas and Cilantro
Rogan Josh is a north Indian curry dish that is typically served with lamb. The word rogan is Persian for oil and josh mans hot or heat (some also say it means passionate). Despite the name or meaning, I've not ever had this dish at the multitude of Indian restaurants, weddings or gatherings that I've attended, and I thought I had tried just...
Myth #2: Halal Food Isn’t Clean
The second notion to tackle in our series, Myths About Halal Food, is one that questions the cleanliness of halal foods (including the process of making it).
my stewed zucchini and tomato recipe
I am completely saddened to hear people say or think that halal food isn't clean and that their experiences with ‘halal’ meat markets or restaurants were horrific. That...
Myths About Halal Food
It’s not too often that I receive direct questions about what halal food is or what’s entailed in the processes that bring halal food to the table. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad thing, but I would hope that if people don’t understand it then they would look to credible sources to get a truthful and thorough...
Spicy Olive Tapenade
Appetizer aren't just for entertaining guests. I've come to learn that keeping homemade appetizers around my house is a great way to eat healthy by avoiding eating outside, eating junk food or not eating until one is ravished with hunger at the dinner table- not pretty. We definitely want to avoid that.
So, one of the most recent appetizers I've...
A Simple Way to Jazz Up Your Refrigerator
A couple of weeks ago when my husband was away for a few days, I had some time on my hands to work on a few projects on my 'someday' list. Since moving recently, I really wanted to bring color to my new spaces, whether it was the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom or my office. I wanted to really love...
Ruby Red Grapefruit & Blood Orange Juice
One of the ways I try  improve my overall health is by making fresh juice most mornings and sometimes again later in the evenings for a refreshing drink. Right now (winter season), grapefruits and oranges are at their best so they are absolutely delicious and juicy.
My favorites are the ruby red grapefruits and blood oranges, which are almsot the same...
Saffron Road’s New Line of Vegeterian Entrees
You may have already heard about Saffron Road's new vegetarian entrees, which are making quite a buzz on places like Facebook and Twitter. Vegetarians, vegans and those who are gluten-free are raving about the flavors and quality of these products, and I couldn't agree more.
These Manchurian Dumplings photographed above were soft, saucy and had a nice kick of spice to...
5 Tips for Eating Well During Tough Economic Times
tIt's no secret that many people are suffering right now as a result of unemployment, rising costs of food and just about everything else. We're bombarded with news and information about the fluctuating economy and told time and time again that it's wise to save money, while at the same time we're given so many horror stories about what's...
Bon Appétit Magazine Presented Chicago Gourmet
Last Saturday morning I had the pleasure of attending the Chicago Gourmet event in Chicago's Millenium Park. You know the kind of experience that leaves you in a happy place for the entire remainder of the day, no matter what else happens? It was that kind of experience.
How could it not be? With celebrity chefs like Rick Bayless, Chicago food critic Steve Dolinsky...
Feta, Avocado & Homemade Mayonnaise Torta
Everyone has some sort of comfort food. Some people love cakes for soothing comfort; others love chicken noodle soup or a hearty chili. For me, it's always a sandwich (aka torta, in Spanish): thick bread, a bit of mayo and mustard, and always some sort of cheese- extra cheese.
Recently, I spent over a month in Cleveland with my family. After...
Chicago’s Green City Market and Roasted Chestnuts Recipe
Saturday was a crisp fall morning perfect for heading out to any farmers' market, even if just to take a look at all of the beautiful fall colors existing within the produce: bright red beets, crisp green lettuces, orange pumpkins, gourds from green to yellow to orange, and of course apples in every shade of red imagineable.
We needed to...
How to Dry Citrus Peels
Whether you have tons of lemons and limes around or just a few, it's easy to preserve the outer skin, or zest, for future use in baking and cooking. Did you ever realize how expensive it can be to purchase a jar of this stuff? It's steep. That's why I make my own.
I had a ton of citrus fruits...
Meatball & Mini Ravioli Soup
If you're a soup lover like me, a big pot of soup on a chilly Fall day is one of the best things you can do for yourself. I really love a good, hearty soup that I can have for at least two days or even just one and freeze the rest. Something with meat always feels like a...
Bourdain and Beyond at the New York Times Food Festival
I'm currently watching this....
There are many greats involved in this talk: Kim Severson, National Food Correspondent at the New York Times; Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods (and a little mention of his upcoming travel show); and Pati Jinich of Pati's Mexican Table.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k-SAwzF41o]
It gets very emotional around the 1:00:00 hour mark, talking about why travelers travel and why people...
The My Halal Kitchen Cookbook is Available in Indonesia
I'm always so delighted when readers show me where they've seen and purchased the My Halal Kitchen cookbook, which has been found around the world. The latest place I've been told it was seen was at the Periplus bookstore at Pondok Indah Mall in Jakarta, Indonesia. I was stunned that it made its way all the way there and...
American Medina: Stories of Muslim Chicago Oral History Project
Last September I had the pleasure and absolute honor of being interviewed by Mona Askar for the Chicago History Museum American Medina: Stories of Muslim Chicago Oral History Project.
The oral histories have just been published and you can listen to all of them here, as I'm just one of many other Chicago Muslims who were interviewed for it.
In this interview...
My Recipe for Pomegranate, Pistachio & Goat Cheese Crostini in the Costco Connection Magazine
I'm excited to share that a new recipe I've created will be featured in this Winter issue of The Costco Connection in the US, the UK and Canada.
If you're a member like me, you'll get a copy in the mail; if not, you can go into your nearest Costco store and ask for one. You don't want to miss these- they're...
Earthquakes, Borek, & a Relaxing Seaside Breakfast
A few days ago we had our third wobble here in Fethiye in the last few months. It was a little less intense than the last one, nevertheless discomforting. I didn't feel the (first one to me) that occurred this year (middle of the day), some time in the early part of summer; the second one I felt for...
Who Really Cares About Halal? [Video Discussion]
This is something I've wanted to discuss for a very long time with everyone: Who Really Cares About Halal?
I want to open up the conversation to see where everyone is on the question of what truly makes up a halal food item or process? Do you really know? How much do you care about it? What lengths are you willing to...
Do You Think There’s a Relationship Between Nutrition & Mental Health?
I've been fascinated all my adult life by the relationship between food and mental and emotional health. I just never really knew other people were studying it the way this presenter talks about in this Tedx Christchurch talk by professor Julia Rucklidge, PhD Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Watch...
10 Things to Try While You’re in Turkey
This is a list of things you may not be able to bring out of Turkey, but you should definitely try while there and most likely you'll have the chance to do so at most restaurants. Be choosy with your restaurant choices, as not all will provide the highest quality ingredients- and when it comes to things like meats...
20 Things You Should Bring Back from Turkey
I came to Turkey twice before making the leap to live here for an extended period of time. I've been mostly in Istanbul, the Black Sea region and now in southern Turkey with treks along the way to and fro. I'm always on the lookout for unique things I'll use and not just novelty items (you can find plenty...
