I’m always on the lookout for quick and easy recipes for when I entertain- something healthy and that utilizes much of what I already have on hand is best because sometimes you need to pull something together for surprise guests, and it’s always good to use what you’ve already got on hand, too.
It’s so easy to pull together. Simply chop any type of nuts you have on hand. I like almonds, pistachios and walnuts (mixed together they’re lovely) or just one or two of them.
Simply line a pretty dish with a heaping, generous amount of your choice of cheese, add the nuts, then drizzle a good amount of honey on top. Serve with anything strong enough that can scoop up the ingredients of this dish: rustic bread, hearty grain crackers, or something similar. It also goes well with some fruit on the side like figs, grapes, or cherries. Your guests will love and appreciate something so hearty, rustic, homemade, and tasty.
After having lived in Turkey for a good amount of time, I have been enlightened about the art of making baklava. It’s such a dessert that when made well and with the finest ingredients, is something you really do savor. It’s special. That’s why it’s the perfect celebration food, making it my choice for making on this year’s Eid ul Fitr.
Walnut Baklava with Rose Syrup on Top
You can see the variations in the notes section, and of course I’d love to hear from all of you on how you like your baklava and what you do to make it your own and special, too. To me, this recipe is one of my absolute favorites because I just love the scented aroma that filled my kitchen when this was baking, and the taste combination of walnut with rose water is sublime.
Makes approximately 50-60 pieces baklava
Special equipment
Silicone pastry brush
Full sheet pan size 13” x 18”
Dampened cotton kitchen towel
Notes on this recipe:
If you want to make a smaller batch or use less phyllo, you can cut this recipe in half and use a half sheet pan instead of a full sheet pan.
Most phyllo is sold frozen, so it must be defrosted in the refrigerator at least one day prior to making this recipe.
You don’t need to brush every single layer of phyllo with ghee; you can instead brush every 2-3 layers.
The ghee or butter should be fully melted for best results
Caster sugar/superfine sugar produces the best result, but if you have regular or cane sugar, you can work with that, too.
Instead of rose water, you can use cinnamon in the nut filling instead; not in the syrup (same amount).
Instead of rose water to make the syrup, you can use orange blossom water or simply lemon juice (same amount).
Instead of walnuts, you can use pistachio or hazelnuts for great flavor.
If you have allowed your baklava to cool before adding the syrup, warm up the syrup and pour on top. At least one of the items should be hot for the syrup to set in very well, but not both.
To organize the process, I like to make this recipe in the following order:
Step 1: Preheat the oven
Step 2: Make the syrup
Step 3: Make the nut filling
Step 4: Butter the phyllo dough, proceed to finish
To a small saucepan, add 1 ¼ cup caster sugar, 1 tablespoon rose water, and 1 ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to medium low and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside as the last step in this recipe.
To make the nut filling
To a bowl, add the nuts, 1 tablespoon caster sugar, and 1 tablespoon rose water. Mix well with your hands to make sure everything is combined well.
Set aside.
To make the phyllo
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Unwrap the phyllo and spread it out flat. Place a damp cloth on the top layer so that it doesn’t dry out while you are working. Do this with every layer you leave exposed.
Brush the sheet pan generously with ghee. Add a phyllo sheet and brush it with ghee. Repeat with 14 more sheets for a total of 15sheets before the nut filling is added.
Pour in the nut mixture (2 ½ cups ) and spread it out evenly across the phyllo. Add one new phyllo sheet on top and brush with ghee. Repeat this until you have a total of 15 more sheets on top, for a total of 30 sheets.
Add the ½ cup chopped walnuts to the top.
Using a sharp, smooth knife, cut the entire sheet in several long, even strips and then again diagonally, which will create diamond shaped pieces.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and pour the cooled syrup on top. Let sit for about 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
If you’re having people over on Eid day, chances are you’re wondering what to put on the buffet for guests. In the hot summer weather, no one wants to be in front of a stove or eat heavy foods, either. Even if you’re doing a barbecue outdoors, chances are plenty of people will be inside munching, too. That’s why I suggest making a really abundant antipasto platter where you can let your guests put together their own mini or regular-size sandwiches.
Antipasto Platter | My Halal Kitchen Cookbook Italian Chapter
On a platter like this, I would add things like I have on this try starting from right to left: bread or toast, roast beef, corned beef, pastrami, Kalamata olives, Spanish olives with red pepper, small pickled peppers, large/thin pickled peppers, pickles, soft cheese (feta or other), pickled cherry peppers stuffed with cheese, Parmesan cheese slices and capers. You can also add things like roasted peppers, other types of soft cheeses and other types of deli meats like roasted turkey breast. Just be sure to get the nitrite-free halal deli meats, if you can. The only brand I know that fits both categories at the moment is Deli Halal.
On the side you can serve sauces like mayonnaise, mustard, pesto. Once you set it up, your guests are free to make it all according to their own likes and you can refill once the tray gets low.
I like to group each type of food item together, as it looks neater and easier on the eyes (we tend to eat with our eyes first, right?). Long platters are easy to find at places like Home Goods or TJ Maxx for a good price, too. Also, the bigger the platter, the more generous and abundant it looks when filled and you spend less time refilling it, depending on how many guests you have and how hungry they are!
Antipasto | My Halal Kitchen Cookbook
What are you serving for Eid this year? Or are you on the receiving end and doing absolutely no cooking at all?
This recipe is also in my latest cookbook, My Halal Kitchen: Global Recipes, Cooking Tips, Lifestyle Inspiration, which is available on Amazon.
Eid ul Adha is around the corner again! Where did the time go? Wasn’t it just Ramadan, then Eid ul Fitr? Wow, time has flown and out the window goes my patience for difficult, fussy recipes for entertaining during holidays like Eid. I don’t want to spend countless hours shopping, prepping or being in the kitchen. It’s still summer, after all and I want something easy-peasy but also healthy and of course delicious and crowd-pleasing.
That’s why I love this recipe I’m about to share- it’s an old recipe I started making while in college, taught by a friend who was a good cook but didn’t like to spend a lot of time at all in the kitchen. She surprised me by putting everything in the blender then pouring it over chicken: yogurt, turmeric, salt, pepper, garlic cloves, ginger, and cilantro.
Who would have thought something that simple could be whipped together so fast? I thought good food had to be slaved over to have any flavor, but that is so not true.
Over time, I’ve tweaked the recipe to incorporate or substitute parsley for the cilantro and ground ginger since I don’t always keep the fresh kind on hand. I’ve made it with chicken and lamb and done it on the grill and in the oven- all of which are excellent in flavor.
To make it you only need a few very simple ingredients, probably things you keep around your kitchen pantry and potted herb garden, if you have one: your choice of meat (udhiya lamb, goat, beef or chicken– though you could even try this with seafood like red snapper), turmeric, ginger (fresh or ground), garlic, cilantro or parsley, the usual salt and pepper, and the main squeeze: Mountain High’s Plain Yoghurt, which is halal-certified so it doesn’t contain any funny stuff like gelatin.
Here’s a short video of what I use to prep the yogurt marinade and how I do it.
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
And this is the gorgeous, delicious result:
And don’t forget to use Mountain High Yoghurt for this recipe, many other recipes and even as a snack. Check out their website for locations where you can shop for it and follow their Facebook page for recipes, promotions and more.
Every year, twice a year we have an Eid, a celebration that proceeds great sacrifices. Eid ul Fitr celebrates the completion of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting. What a great reward for sacrificing all food and drink (and a few other things) from daybreak to sunset! Eid ul Ahda, which is upon us now, is a wonderful time of celebrating the completion of the Hajj season and is celebrated every year in the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijja. Some people are visiting Mecca, the holiest site in Islam, to experience the Hajj, or annual pilgrimage. It is one of the five tenets of Islam and is mandatory upon all Muslims to perform at least once in his or her lifetime, if he/she is able to do so.
With each Eid comes a very festive time- parties, gifts, buffets and more are all part of the gatherings each and every Muslim family and home will participate in around the world. Eid ul Adha has a particular significance around food like lamb, goat, beef or chicken because it is incumbent upon those who can afford it to sacrifice an animal such as the ones mentioned. The Islamic belief is that this is in remembrance of the sacrifice of Abraham (peace be upon him) who was willing to sacrifice his only son as a command from God, which was a test upon him to do to measure his obedience to his Lord. Once he passed this test, his son Ishmael was replaced with a ram and saved from the act of being sacrificed.
That said, it’s recipe time! Here are some of the past recipes we’ve shared on My Halal Kitchen that use fresh cuts of lamb, goat, beef or chicken and can be used at your next Eid ul Adha gathering. Many of the recipes contain Saffron Road products, too, so please use the hashtag #EidulAdhaMHKSR when sharing on social media so your friends will know there’s a great recipe for Eid ul Adha, too!
Classic American Beef Stew
One of my favorites, use acorn squash or zucchini squash if you can’t get pumpkin.
Lamb Stew with Pumpkin, Plantain, Sweet Potato and Chickpeas
This is a favorite with my Moroccan Cooking Class students!
Goat is a hugely under-consumed meat in most people’s recipe repertoire, in my opinion. Try it in the following two recipes, and I think you’ll absolutely love it.
This next one is in my new cookbook, My Halal Kitchen: Global Recipes, Cooking Tips, Lifestyle Inspiration and it’s on the cover for a reason- it’s simply one of the most delicious taco recipes you’ll ever taste (in my very biased opinion!)- and tacos are great for serving a crowd! If you want the recipe, you can get the book on Amazon here or if you’re outside of the U.S., you should be able to get it from Amazon within your country.
This next one is a classic in my house. When I first became Muslim, Eid was a bit hard because I craved comfort celebration food and struggled with missing Italian flavors in those gatherings. Enough of that- I created my own Italian Lamb Stew and never looked back, since it’s now on the top of my list during Eid. It’s especially great for people who aren’t so keen on spicy dishes.
This is so great for a crowd, and a busy cook. Gather everything in a large pan that you’ll put into the oven and you can even make this the night before then put into the oven the next morning after Eid prayer. It’s almost like prepping for Turkey Day!
There’s plenty more on the website, so please browse around. I’d love to know what you decide to make, so please share in the comments below!
I’m working with Saffron Road’s halal products this Eid to make my cooking easier! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter, using the hashtag #EidulAdhaMHKSR for recipe ideas and cooking inspiration, and to share with your other foodie friends, too.
A few years ago when I catered my sister in law’s wedding rehearsal dinner, I discovered this type of lamb cut to be an essential part of entertaining on a grand scale. This leg of lamb doesn’t look too big, but at around 4 to 4.5 pounds, this cut can be grilled, roasted, slow cooked, or braised- then cut thinly to serve a very nice size crowd.
I get started with the few simple ingredients needed to achieve a very juicy, very delicious meal: one boneless leg of lamb (ask your butcher ahead of time for this cut, or order from a reliable halal source); one box of Saffron’ Road’s Classic Culinary Lamb Broth (it’s halal-certified), a couple sprigs each of fresh mint and fresh rosemary, some olive oil for drizzling, sea salt and about 20 cloves of fresh garlic.
Yes, I said 20 cloves of garlic.
Don’t worry, though. It’s not over-powering at all once it’s cooked thoroughly and melts into the meat and liquids in the pan.
It really does make a difference to use fresh herbs in this roast- for some reason, it’s just not the same to use dried. The pungency just isn’t there and it seems like the lamb simply absorbs the freshness in the most aromatic way.
Salt the meat first then stuff the garlic under the netting, if your roast comes with that netting.
If not, you can actually make slits in the meat or in the fat on top and stick the cloves inside.
Do the same with the fresh rosemary and mint.
Drizzle with olive oil and a bit of freshly ground black pepper.
Now get out the Saffron Road Lamb Broth. You’re only going to use about one cup of it at first and then more during the cooking process. Yes, you could use water, but that doesn’t give the dish the deep and lovely flavor you’ll want to dip the cut pieces of lamb into upon serving. Trust me.
Just pour about one cup to the bottom of the roasting pan. It’s okay if you get some on the meat right now, but try not to otherwise you’ll hear a lot of splattering going on in the oven.
It should look a little like this at the bottom of the pan- the meat is not swimming in it, but it’s going to give the meat the moisture it needs to not dry out when roasting, especially since this recipe doesn’t call for covering it.
Preheat the oven to 425° F. You’ll roast it that way for about 20 minutes, then add another cup of lamb broth and reduce to the heat to 350°F and continue cooking for about three hours. Use a meat thermometer and put it deep into the meat’s middle to make sure it reads at least 165°. Pull it out and let it rest for ten minutes, covering the meat if you can, to retain it’s juices. If you cut it too early, it will let all of those juices out of the meat and you’ll end up with a dry roast after all.
Now you’ll have some juice at the bottom. You could make a gravy with it by placing the pan over a burner and adding some flour (remove the garlic and herb pieces first), then whisk vigorously until you reach a thick consistency. Personally, I just like to use this sauce as a jus, or dipping sauce.
At this point it almost looks like a pot roast.
If after cooking you find it too be a little too pink in the middle for your liking, place it back in the oven for another 15 minutes or so; alternatively you can slice it up and place in a microwave, covered with the juices at the bottom. This helps to finish off the middle without drying it out.
Don’t miss a single drop of the juice at the bottom- that’s where all the flavor has been dripping for hours and hours.
Slice it thinly and dip the pieces back into the sauce. At my sister’s wedding rehearsal dinner, we served this up as an appetizer alongside a glamorously finished plat of hummus. Needless to say, because it was sliced so thinly and served with ease that way, the huge plates we served were absolutely gone at the end of the dinner. Of course for a family dinner, you will most likely want to serve it a little differently. I can’t imagine anything that goes better with this than a side of mashed potatoes, a baked potato or even oven-baked fries. But, I’ve been known to slice and eat this with nothing else at all…
