Halal Posts and Recipes
Glistening Greens
Kale, Swiss Chard and many other greens are so easy to make and incorporate into your everyday diet, even if they're just cooked and served on their...
Living in Turkiye Changed How I Shop & Cook
Self empowerment is defined as an individual being "in control of his or her life and views the trials they face in life in a positive way....
Black Seed & Honey: Are You Taking Advantage of This Powerful Combination?
I can remember being interested in health foods as far back as when I was in my early teens. I was simply drawn to those sections of magazines that...
Dried Persimmons are Your Next New Dessert
As I peruse the Fethiye markets, I don't even have to look too far before finding something I've never seen before from the same vendors. Usually,...
Rustic Turkish Style Hummus
Today I made hummus without a food processor or blender because I still don’t have one here in Turkey. I had been holding out making it even though...
Citrus Season on the Aegean Coast of Turkey
It’s citrus season in southern Turkey and the entire region is overflowing with oranges, lemons and tangerines. As I walk to the local market to...
The Most Beautifully “Packaged” Spinach
There are gorgeous food markets all over Turkey. Any food lover or anyone looking for inspiration to cook or who simply wants to see the beauty of...
A List of Top 10 Halal Restaurants in the US is on Thrillist
There are many delicious halal restaurants popping up all over the U.S., but when I was asked to pick my new favorite, I chose a #Chicago...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
20 Things You Should Bring Back from Turkiye
I came to Turkiye 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...
Suzme: Strained Turkish Yogurt
I get a lot of questions daily asking me for recommendations on what people should try when they come to Turkey for a visit. For me, it's...
A Priceless Education About Where Food Comes From
These little sour plums (I believe they're called Victoria Plum) are in season now in southern Turkey and I can’t stop eating them. They remind me...
White Bean and Tomato Salad
I’ve been making several dishes this week with white navy beans (“kuru fasulye” in Turkish, which actually translates to haricot beans in English)....
Sicilian Eggplant Rolls
This summer weather in Turkey reminds me exactly of my two summers spent in Sicily in the mid 90's. Very hot. Very dry. Limited A/C, if any...and...
Knowing How to Cook is Empowering
This little dish of Pasta with Bechamel Sauce represents the exact reason why cooking for oneself is not only an act of self-care, but also an...
Aegean Lentil Pasta
As many of you readers of my blog and followers on social media know already, I've been in Turkey for several months exploring the cuisine and the...
An Abundant Antipasto Platter for Your Eid Buffet
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...
Corn, Mango & Chile Cups
Are you craving a light side dish for Iftar or even want to make a salad into a meal? It's just too hot to cook in most parts of the world at this...
Getting Your Home the Halal Way
Have you dreamt up what your perfect home would look like? And your dream kitchen where you would enjoy cooking up a storm for your...
Simple Spinach & Egg Noodle Pasta
On these last days of Ramadan, everyone seems tired from the long day of fasting and especially tired of the intense cooking that comes with feeding...
Homemade Strawberry Lemonade
In the heat of the summer, sometimes we crave hydration more than food, especially when fasting during a summer time Ramadan. That's why I love to...
Ramadan is an Opportunity in Culinary Diplomacy
My First Fast Was Just an Experiment The first time I fasted in Ramadan I wasn’t a Muslim; I was a curious young woman who had recently experienced...
Affogato: The Italian Coffee-Based Dessert
If you love coffee and ice cream, this quick dessert recipe is for you. Affogato is an Italian word for the super delicious coffee drink with ice...
Dates Covered in Chocolate: A Ramadan Delight
I recently wrote an article for Costco Connection UK Magazine's For Your Table section about dates, which was published earlier this month, just in...
Fabulous California Figs for Your Eid Table
By the end of Ramadan, most of us fasting Muslims have completely filled our status quo of date consumption for the month, and perhaps much of the...
Fruit & Nut Plates: Suhoor or Iftar
Because it's a Sunnah to break one's fast with dates (something that Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, used to do), almost all...
Summer Ramadan Cooking is Now Available in Paperback
Many of you have shared your thoughts and your own versions of recipes coming from Summer Ramadan Cooking, my first cookbook that I put out back in...
FEAST: Food of the Islamic World
If there's one cookbook you'll want to get this year, it's this one. FEAST: Food of the Islamic World by Anissa Helou is a feast for the eyes and a...
Book Suggestion | Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food
I read a lot of books over the course of year, some of which are skimmed throughly and some of which I hang on to every word, highlighting all of...
Sprinjene Kids Halal Toothpaste
Sprinjene is giving away one of each of their three kids toothpastes, all of which are certified-halal and free of any gluten or animal products....
6 Muslim-Friendly Destinations In Indonesia
When most people think of Indonesia, Bali is the first destination that comes to mind; however, it’s not its most Halal-friendly one. There are six...
Mini Hazelnut Bundt Cakes with Rose Whipped Cream
My all-time favorite desserts are the simplest ones. I am not a fan of spending a lot of time making sweet things, only because I try to focus more...
Meaty Mediterranean Subs
If you don't know me by now, one thing you should know is that I love all things Mediterranean. The food, the sunshine, the lifestyle...the FOOD....
Culinary Delights From Dubai
Those of you who followed me around Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter during my trip to Dubai got a glimpse at many of the activities that I was...
[CLOSED] Sprinjene Halal Toothpaste Giveaway
We have an exciting new giveaway for TWO new SprinJene Halal Toothpaste Products, available in our new online store, My Halal Market: Adult...
My Version of Fatteh: Middle Eastern Style Beef & Eggplant with Yogurt Tahini Sauce
I'm a huge fan of yogurt for a whole host of reasons- and not just eating a small cup of flavored yogurt a day, but eating it as part of a healthy...
Tuscan Kale & Chickpea Soup
Winter days are quite the challenge here in Chicago, so I'm always trying to find ways to warm up with food. I haven't had a cold salad in months,...
How to Force Tree Branches: A Beautiful Indoor Winter Project
Every winter I try to continue my obsession with indoor gardening. It usually happens after I get antsy with the realization that I can't put...
Sicilian Pepper Salad Crostini
If you're like me, sometimes there isn't time to think about really fancy appetizers when you're having guests over because you're so focused on the...
Hearty Beef & Turkey Sandwiches with Homemade Mayo-Chili Pepper and Mustard-Wasabi Spreads
One of the first types of food creations I ever made as a young cook were sandwiches. I was a bit of a latch-key kid around junior high school time,...
Lamb & Eggplant Tagine
I have a wonderful recipe to share, and it's one that I've been making this week just because it's that good. I was preparing to teach a...
5 Things You Can Do to Live Well During the Cold Winter Months
It's this time of year when I appreciate home and hearth the most. While I may not have a fireplace (although I'd absolutely love one), its the...
Chicken Salad with Homemade Yogurt-Based Ranch Dressing
https://billydoemeats.com/?sca_ref=612140.OUBMoNQMp3As we begin to enter the New Year soon, wouldn't it be nice to actually maintain a goal of...
Tandoori Chicken Salad
Is it just me or are there cookies everywhere, right now? Not to mention cakes, chocolates, candy canes and the like. Even if one doesn't celebrate...
5 Things You Can Do on the Holidays When Everyone Else is Celebrating
Much of the world has been celebrating Christmas season since the beginning of December, but the really special days for those who celebrate are...
My Interview with “The Blessed Bananas” Author Tayyaba Syed
Share this link to watch the video. To order a copy of The Blessed Bananas: A Muslim Fable, shop here.
Aegean Style Alfredo
I love Mediterranean & Aegean dishes, as they're known for their use of healthy ingredients, but many dishes just remind me specifically of the...
Zucchini & Cauliflower Soup
My passion for soup intensifies every time I come up with a new way to blend different veggies. Since I'm usually always stirring in some kind of...
How to Make Almond Flour
One of my most popular Instagram posts in recent months was when I posted about how I make my own almond milk. It has changed so much about the way...
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake
If you've watched my Facebook Live video series with Dr. Madiha Saeed, you'll probably know a little bit about this recipe and why it's appearing...
Classic Recipes for Your Thanksgiving Table
America is gearing up for the foodiest of all foodie days of the year, Thanksgiving!! It is by far my favorite foodie holiday, too. The food is...
How to Make Almond Milk
Recently I posted a series of photos on Instagram when I was beginning to make almond milk from scratch at home. The last couple of times I...
How I Eat Healthy While Traveling
A few weeks ago I was in Southern California to attend the Les Dames International Conference in Newport Beach and once I left the LA area, I headed...
Video Series with Dr. Madiha Saeed of Holistic Mom, MD
We had an amazing couple of months here with the fabulously smart Dr. Madiha Saeed, a Chicago area MD who just finished the book, The Holistic Rx...
What’s in Your Bread & Pastry Products? My Interview with Dobra Bielinski of Delightful Pastries
I love the topic of what's in your food. When I wrote the My Halal Kitchen cookbook, I learned more than I ever expected - or perhaps thought...
[CLOSED] Giveaway: Colorful & Useful Kitchen Products by ZEAL
One of my last stops at the absolutely HUGE National Restaurant Association Show earlier this year was a quick drop in to one of the enormous...
Pumpkin Parfaits with Yogurt, Honey & Nuts
While parfaits are often seen on dessert tables, the use of pumpkin is hardly ever a staple found inside- at least not from what I've seen. But as...
Yogurt Spread with Pomegranates, Nuts & Olive Oil
https://youtu.be/bnHbOLtqtv0 If you love labneh, or yogurt spread, as much as I do then you'll really appreciate this recipe because it takes the...
Yogurt Spread with Pomegranates, Pistachios and Olive Oil
If you love labneh, or yogurt spread, as much as I do then you'll really appreciate this recipe because it takes the simplified version up several...
Fall Harvest Pumpkin Yogurt Bread
My favorite season of the year is Fall/Autumn. I look forward to wearing cozy sweaters, sitting around a fire outside and taking walks in nature to...
Easy Yogurt Marinade Recipe for Eid ul Adha Lamb
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...
Homemade Fruit-Flavored Yogurt Snacks are Perfect for Back-to-School Lunches
It's back to school time for kids and I know that parents all over are looking for healthy, quick and easy ways to put something in their lunch...
Halal-Certified Yoghurt
Those of you who follow me on social media probably know that I recently attended Halal Fest in Fremont, California and was there to give a culinary...
Key West Cuban Sandwiches
Since I've never been to Cuba, how could I really say what a Cuban sandwich is like? It's because I feel like I sorta traveled there by way of south...
Caribbean Beef Stew
This Ramadan I've chosen to make a bunch of Latin dishes, mainly because of the hot, steamy weather we've been experiencing here in Chicago. It's...
Lemon Chicken Paillard
Paillard is a French culinary term thinly sliced or pounded meat, which is easier to cook and has quicker cooking times as a result of...
10 Ways To Keep Your Kids Productive in the Last Days of Ramadan
This is a sponsored recipe post by the Zabiha Halal brand. They provide halal-certified products mentioned in this post. After three full...
Risotto with Asparagus and Green Peas
I don't eat too much rice or pasta in Ramadan because it leaves me feeling too full before eating other things, but if I'm going to make rice, it's...
Halal Beef Tacos
For those of you who know me as a home cook or who follow my Instagram page of cooking and recipes and food interests in general, you probably know...
Thai Mango Shrimp Skillet
I love really light meals in Ramadan and much of the time those involve fish and seafood. What's great about this particular dish is that you can...
Suhoor Recipe Roundup
The suhoor meal is such an important one to have because it can really make or break the experience you have on the fasting day. If it's a good...
10 Simple Kitchen Hacks to Make Ramadan Cooking Easier
This post is sponsored by Zabiha Halal During these long summer fasts, we sure could use as much help as possible to make the normally...
Roasted Eggplant with Ground Meat
Whenever I think of stuffing vegetables, it seems like a really tedious and cumbersome process- stuffed zucchini, stuffed cabbage, grape leaves, you...
How Ramadan Brings Us Closer to Those We Love
This post is sponsored by Evite® as part of the Evite® Influencer Program. Everyone I know absolutely loves the month of Ramadan. For...
Facebook Live Re-cap: What's Really in Our Food? (Part 2)
I absolutely loved doing the Facebook Live talks about What's Really in Our Food, although it was a while ago it's been heavily on my mind as a...
Sweet Potato Soup
Why is it that sweet potatoes only get love during Thanksgiving around here? They're such a healthy food to incorporate into one's diet and you can...
On Food Fraud and Being an Educated Halal Consumer
My friend and halal industry colleague Sue Labadi and I often mull over the topic of standards in halal as it relates to the future...
Cream of Broccoli & Cheddar Soup
At this time of year, everyone talks about New Year's resolutions. To top the list, it's usually about getting fit and eating healthier. I think...
5 Tips on Hosting a Holiday Gathering at Home
All holidays are a wonderful opportunity to get together with friends and family, and typically have us paying a little extra attention to our...
Persian-Inspired Crunchy Chickpea Snack Mix
Last month when I was back home in Ohio for a visit, I was able to catch up with family I haven't seen in too long. I chat them up about the...
Facebook Live Series: What’s Really In Our Food?
I'm really getting used to this Facebook Live thing! I love how many of you have been adding comments and feedback to join in the discussion on...
Get a Signed Copy of My Halal Kitchen: Global Recipes, Cooking Tips, Lifestyle Inspiration
I love meeting new people, especially when it means talking about food and why we eat what we do, which is why I wrote my new cookbook....
Sweet & Savory Snacks for any Night of the Week
Everyone wants snacks, even without celebration days, right? I'm not a big snacker on a daily basis, but I do like to make my own when I am...
Delicious Eid ul Adha Recipes Recap
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...
Homemade Broth Will Enhance Your Recipes
One of the best ways I've found to make soups and stews richer and easier to make is by adding all sorts of broth and stocks: chicken, veal, beef,...
Hearty Chicken and Zucchini Soup
What should you do with all of those wonderful summer zucchini squash you've got from the local farmers market or your family's backyard garden?...
Orzo Soup with Greens and Wholesome Chicken Broth
Over the early part of the summer when Ramadan was in full swing, I took advantage of the somewhat cooler weather and made soups for...
Pine Nut, Honey & Strawberry Dish
When I went to Sicily in 1993, it was the first time I really ever experienced fruit as the main ingredient- and sometimes the only ingredient- in a...
Cheese Platters for Your Next Party
Every year that Ramadan comes around, I find myself looking for new ways to experience the Iftar (breaking of the fast meal). I want to enjoy what's...
Rack of Lamb with Dates & Moroccan Spices
When I first made this dish, I was apprehensive. I had only ever eaten rack of lamb at restaurants and considered it 'fancy fare' for the top...
Creamy Herb Dip with Crudités
I love a good party dip- and a good party! No matter where you are in the world, it seems, you need a good snack/appetizer/pre-meal munchie to go...
Banana Date Cups
I'm probably not the only one whose favorite time of the day in Ramadan is the time when we break our fast. It's not because it's actually time to...
