By Season Archives - My Halal Kitchen

Open-Faced Strawberry & Spinach Salad on Pita

by Yvonne Maffei | Apr 17, 2015 | By Season, Salads, Sandwiches & Burgers, Spring, Summer

You might notice that I love the combination of spinach and strawberries, but it’s because it’s a really great one. I know in a drink (like this one) it might be odd, but in a salad it could be just as odd to some people who have never tried it. Trust me, you really should try this. It may not be the best thing to take to work or school because unless you fold it or take a knife and fork to cut it (or pre-cut it) in a circular storage, you may struggle to eat in a mess-free way- sorry!

I used really simple ingredients that you can find pretty much anywhere:

They mostly came from a Trader Joe’s shopping excursion but if you have a farmers market nearby or grow your own, that would be so much nicer:

Basically, it’s just a few simple things- olive oil, lemon, salt (I used pink Himalayan salt, but you can use any that you have), black pepper, dates, whole milk feta cheese, strawberries, sunflower seeds (although any kind of nut or seed would be nice- almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, etc.). I also use Kontos brand bread because it’s certified-halal, which means there aren’t any mono or dyglicerides or dough conditioners stemming from non-halal ingredients.

Making these are pretty simple and can be doubled, tripled, etc. very quickly for a crowd. It’s a nice idea for a spring or summer brunch in that you can make this into a buffet and people can sort of create their own version if you have all the ingredients out for them to use. You can grill or heat up the bread first, if you like.

I put the spinach on the bottom, but even before that if you have a really good homemade mayonnaise, layer that on the bottom because once you add all the ingredients plus the olive oil and lemon, it’s going to be even more delicious.

Just start adding your ingredients from there, or as they say, ‘build your salad’.

And there you have it- just use a fork and knife to cut up like a pizza or simply fold it in half, and it’s pretty easy to eat.

I loved this salad so much that I’ve made even more versions of it- check back for more ideas and let me know in the comments section below if you have your own that I should try.

Classic Roasted Chicken with Seasonal Vegetables

by Yvonne Maffei | Nov 20, 2014 | By Season, Chicken, Dinner, Entertaining, Fall, Poultry Dishes, Recipes, Winter

Everyone loves a classic roasted chicken and there are countless recipes in the world on to make the perfect one, and I certainly have my own that I stick to pretty much every time I have a craving for the comfort food that it is.What’s my secret?

Two things:

1) Butter and 2) fresh herbs.

They’re stuffed right under the bird’s skin and before roasting so that you don’t need to put much, if any oil on top or worry about basting the bird while cooking, either. You can also season the butter prior to stuffing it, but I simply season the top of the bird because it’s just less messy that way.

This beautiful bird below is a Crescent Halal chicken (whole roaster) that I purchase at my local Joe Caputo & Sons. They’re antibiotic-free, hormone-free, vegetarian-fed, 100% halal raised and processed (I’ve actually seen how it’s done, farm to fork both here and here).

I also tie the bird with cooking twine- once around the feet and once or twice around the body both vertically and horizontally so that it will cook more evenly and the wing tips don’t burn. You can also do this with turkey, on a much larger scale of course.

Speaking of temperature, it’s imperative to check the internal temperature of any meat and to do it away from the bone. It’s best to have a meat thermometer on hand for things like roasted chicken, turkey, pot roasts, lamb shanks, etc. All you have to do is know what’s the ‘done’ or ‘safe’ temperature for the type of meat and cut. In the case of roasted chicken, 165° F away from the bone (which is hotter) is considered safe by the USDA. Enter our giveaway here, sponsored by Crescent Foods, for your very own meat thermometer.

I also love to have vegetables with my chicken, pretty much any root vegetables like potatoes and carrots, especially in the Fall and Winter seasons, although I don’t cook them with the chicken (i.e. same pan); instead I put the bird on its own roasting pan and let it have its space and then in another part of the oven like on a separate rack, I let the vegetables roast with their own seasons, and of course olive oil and/or butter, too. It prevents the bird from sitting in oil while cooking and then worrying about all the separate cooking temperatures to deal with.

Enjoy the warmth of being indoors and cozy with family and friends over wonderful, delicious and healthy halal food this winter and give this recipe a try to see if it’ll be your go-to roasted chicken recipe, too.

Create A Beautiful ‘Eid Appetizer Table This Fall

by Yvonne | Oct 19, 2012 | Appetizers & Snacks, By Season, Eid, Fall

I love entertaining during the holidays more than any other time of year. It gives me the opportunity to do what I love most: make healthy gourmet meals for the people I care about most and to show gratitude and respect for that time of year when it truly feels celebratory and special. (more…)

Contemplating ‘Eid al Adha

by Yvonne | Oct 15, 2012 | By Season, Eid, Giveaways

by Raana Smith

My Eid-al-Adha 2012 checklist: (more…)

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts and Corn

by Yvonne | Nov 1, 2010 | By Season, Fall

Right now, it’s Brussels sprouts season and you can find them fresh at many local grocery stores throughout the Midwest. Places like Trader Joe’s even carry stalks of them this time of year. Unfortunately, Brussels sprouts get a bad rap because there used to be few good recipes to entice one into actually savoring what these little green veggies can do for the palate, when cooked well.

I like to pair them with other seasonal vegetables, in this case, fresh corn. You can even substitute the water in this recipe for some heavy cream, but the cooking time may be a bit longer and the heat should be lower so as not to scald the cream.

Brussels sprouts are a delicious and nutritious vegetable you simply must try. I couldn’t stop eating them when prepared this way and maybe you and your family will have the same experience.

Ingredients

1 pound baby Brussels sprouts
1/3 cup fresh corn
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small shallots, diced
2 tablespoons roasted garlic
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup water
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to top

Directions

Clean and dry all Brussels sprouts and shuck corn from fresh ears if you are not using frozen corn.
In a large saute pan, heat olive oil, then add shallots. Saute until they are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts and saute until they are brown on each side.
Add the corn and the roasted garlic, salt and pepper. Add the water, reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes or until sprouts are soft.
Remove from heat and place on serving tray. Serve warm, with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Farmer’s Market Salad

by Yvonne | Jun 30, 2010 | By Season, Salads, Spring, Summer

Strolling through the farmer’s market on a humid summer morning is enough inspiration to seek out the best salad ingredients you can find. I returned recently with beautiful radishes and purple scallions. Combining that with my balcony garden herbs made this a super local food.