This is such a tasty, elegant and rather quick recipe to make for a party in any season, really. I’ve made them for Ramadan Iftar parties, Eid gatherings, family night dinners, special occasions, and even when I’ve catered fancy events downtown Chicago. Always use the best salmon you can find and the freshest greens you can find, as well.
The recipe in the video is super quick because it’s simpler in that the cream cheese is plain.
In the recipe below it is a blend of ingredients that is suitable for an elegant party.
It can easily be multiplied depending on how many you’ll serve.
Most guests will eat about 2-3 each on average.
Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Crudites
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
Juice of one large lemon
1/3 cup freshly chopped dill
Sea salt, to taste (about 1/8 teaspoon)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (about 1/8 teaspoon)
4 ounces smoked salmon (preferably wild)
1/3 cup diced cucumber
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (optional)
Arugula or spring greens leaves
Directions
If you have a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to break up the cream cheese and mix it together with the sour cream; if not, an electric beater works fine.
Add the lemon juice, fresh dill, salt and pepper. Roughly chop the salmon then gently fold it into the dip. Fold in the cucumber with a spoon or spatula.
Check the consistency and, if desired, add the heavy cream to create the consistency you prefer.
Refrigerate until serving. Keeps fresh for about 3 days in the fridge.
My dear friend and sister Zainab Ismail is this powerhouse teacher of sunnah and Prophetic foods (the foods that the Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, used to eat). She always posts really beautiful photos of sunnah foods on her Fit for Allah Facebook and Instagram pages and recently posted a photo of dates with cucumbers because this combination is a sunnah.
It’s also interesting because the reason for combining the two is a way to gain weight. Well, who really wants to gain weight? I wouldn’t think so, but in terms of calories, fasting in Ramadan would actually be a great time to gain highly nutritious calories. This is one way to do it.
According to Tib-e-Nabi (Medicine of the Prophet), there are not only numerous benefits to cucumber and date alone, but the combination proves a healthy, complementary marriage of nutrition.
Cucumber is insipid and tasteless, and dates are sweet which results in the cucumber also tasting sweet. Both are opposite to each other & cucumbers are rich in water contains.
Tib-e-Nabi
This Ramadan, the official date of My Halal Kitchen is Nature’s Anthem California Medjool dates. They are plump and large enough to stuff, making this recipe for Dates with Creme Fraiche & Cucumber so delightftul!
This recipe seemed to be buried under my nostalgic ode to Ohio in a post I wrote years ago after a memorable trip to visit my family. I spent a lot of time with my late Sicilian grandmother and my aunts on that trip. It was a fantastic time of year because so much of the summer harvest was still bearing fruit and everyone was happy and generous, eager to cook and enjoy the rustic countryside of Ohio that I grew up with and have loved and missed over the years.
This recipe for Sicilian Swiss Chard is one that my aunt made in just a few minutes. I never really knew that it was something my grandmother liked to make and eat because it wasn’t one of those things she made for the Sunday dinners, which were more family-style meals (think lasagna or pasta with meatballs), so I learned something new about her during this visit- and I also learned that I had unknowingly inherited a love of greens and that learning how to make something this simple would be one of the healthiest types of dishes in my repertoire to date. It’s something I have made over and over again, with spinach or kale instead, and it saved me many times when I lived in Turkey and there was an abundance of greens to cook. I hope you’ll enjoy it and prepare it for yourself and your family, too.
Sicilian Swiss Chard Recipe
Serves 2
Ingredients
1/2 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces. I recommend this Italian boxed variety if you don’t have fresh tomatoes on hand.
1 bunch red or green-stemmed Swiss chard, cooked and drained of all water. Substitute spinach or kale if you don’t have Swiss chard. (Always choose organic/pesticide-free on the greens, if possible).
One of my all-time favorite recipes for drinks that truly hydrate without artificial sugars. This is great for a Spring or Summertime Ramadan when you really want something cool and refreshing and super hydrating for Iftar, too.
Don’t skimp on the fresh mint, either. That little detail at the end makes it extra special and tasty.
This recipe appeared first in my Summer Ramadan Cooking cookbook, which you can find on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats.
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 main meal, too. If it has pasta or rice or bulgur, I see no need to have bread on the side, but that’s just me; it’s filling enough with one of those types of carbs.
One of my heartiest soup recipes I love to make in Fall & Winter is our traditional Italian Wedding Soup. I grew up on it. First, my Sicilian grandmother made it occasionally for the family Sunday dinner of 30+ people and then my mom started making it at home for us and I think she tweaked the recipe perfectly to our tastebuds, adding more cheese, meat and parsley to the meatball mixture. That soup takes more work, however, because it also has chicken in it, so this Meatball & Mini Ravioli Soup is like my shortcut version- similar taste in much less time.
In this recipe, I use small cheese-filled ravioli, which I found at Trader Joe’s. They take about 16-18 minutes to cook, so they are the last ingredient I add. The big ravioli just don’t make sense to me in this dish, but if you like that by all means use those instead. You could even skip the meatballs and get meat-filled ravioli (which I just thought of as I write this), but I really love the meatballs.
The very first step is to prepare those delicious meatballs. I was craving turkey protein for some odd reason (must be the Fall weather and thoughts of the upcoming Thanksgiving), but if you want to make the meatballs out of beef, chicken or even lamb, you can certainly do that.
I add a few special ingredients: Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, minced garlic, dried parsley and homemade breadcrumbs. My breadcrumbs are darker than what you might see in stores because I made them from whole wheat bread slices. You can definitely use the store-bought ones, of course, not adding extra work for yourself like me in this case…
Some people skip this next step of baking the meatballs in the oven and they instead cook the meatballs directly into the pot. You can do that, too, but I like the flavor they get when baked first. If I’m in a real hurry, I’ll skip this step and simply sauté them in the pot directly. If baking, do so in the oven at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove and set aside.
The next thing I do is start the base for the soup: Sauté onions, tomatoes, garlic in olive oil. Add dried herbs like parsley, thyme, oregano, if you like. Watch the salt because you’ll be adding the meatballs which already have salt in them.
You can skip this next step if your meatballs have browned nicely in the oven: Sauté to brown them for added flavor directly in the pot, just for a few minutes then remove and set aside. *If you didnot bake them in the oven- please do this step.
Add as much water to fill the pot. In my Dutch oven, I add about 8 cups of water, gently pouring on top of the meatballs so as not to break them.
Once the liquid comes to a boil, allow the soup to cook for about 30 minutes over medium-high heat, covered. This makes the meatballs really moist.
When you’re about 20 minutes to finish time (or less, depending on the cooking time of the ravioli), it’s time to add these, too.
In my case, these needed to cook for 16-18 minutes. As I said, just follow your ravioli package’s directions. If you’re making homemade ravioli (you’ve just become my hero), they’ll cook for way less time, like under five minutes.
Taste and adjust for salt, pepper and any other spices and herbs. Reduce heat to a simmer, so as not to overcook the ravioli or burst them apart, which sometimes happens on too high of a heat/flame.
Once the ravioli is cooked, you’re ready to serve. Gently ladle into bowls with about 3 meatballs per person (that works in my house, but more or less depending on your own preference). Add some Parmesan cheese on top and serve. That’s an absolute must for me…
What’s your favorite hearty soup dish to cook in the Fall and/or Winter?
Meatball & Mini Ravioli Soup
A hearty, delicious one-pot soup meal that will warm and fill you up on a chilly Fall or Winter day.
Serves 8
For the Meatballs 1 pound ground turkey or beef 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon dried parsley 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 1 egg, slightly beatenFor the Soup 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup diced onion 1 tomato, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 8 cups water 1 pound dried mini raviolis Fresh Parmesan cheese, optional Fresh flat leaf parsley to top the soup, optional
Preparation
Optional step to prepare the meatballs if you will be baking them: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. To prepare the meatball mixture: In a medium size bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs. Roll into small to medium size balls and place on a parchment-lined oven tray. Bake for 30 minutes then remove from oven and set aside. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion, tomato and garlic. Saut until soft and translucent. Add the baked or raw meatballs, then the water. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Cover and let cook for about 30 minutes- double the time if you’re adding raw meatballs instead of baked. Add the ravioli or pasta and cook according to the instructions on its packaging, over medium heat. Serve in individual bowls with 2-3 meatballs per bowl. Add fresh Parmesan and freshly chopped parsley, if you have it.
I add a few special ingredients: 
