Yummy Halal Recipes

Oven baked chicken

2012-02-06T17:15:00.001-08:00

We're trying to limit our meat consumption these days, but this is a great recipe for chicken night ;) very easy as well

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
Mix the mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder. Place bread crumbs in a separate bowl. Dip chicken into the mayonnaise mixture, then into the bread crumbs to coat. Arrange coated chicken on a baking sheet.
Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken juices run clear and coating is golden brown.

Vegetarian Asian Stir Fry

2012-01-31T05:44:00.000-08:00

The most time consuming part about making this dish is chopping all the veggies. Once you start cooking it'll take about 15 minutes for everything to be ready :)

Ingredients:

1 Onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon of minced ginger

salt & pepper (to taste)

soy sauce

oyster sauce

water

2 or 3 stems of Broccoli, chopped

4 medium carrots, sliced

1 large zucchini, sliced

1/2 a small cabbage, sliced

1/2 cup of roasted cashew nuts

-Coat your wok or saute pan with olive oil, add onion and saute until wilted. Add garlic and ginger, and saute for a few seconds then start adding your veggies.

(I like to add one veggie at a time, starting with the hardest. I usually add the broccoli at the very end because we like it crispy.)

-Start by adding the carrots, when they start to cook add the cabbage and zucchini. After a couple of minutes add the broccoli and start adding the sauces and sal& pepper (to your desired taste), add some water (about half a cup).

-You can add some precooked whole grain spaghetti at this point and stir it in for a minute or two. Or you can serve this with some brown or white rice.

Enjoy :)

Butternut Squash Soup

2012-01-31T05:36:00.000-08:00

Nothing better to warm us up in the winter than a delicious soup!

Ingredients:

1 Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed

1 large onion, diced

1 cup red lentils, washed

1 small potato, shredded

3 carrots, shredded

3 sticks of celery, minced

olive oil

water

salt

pepper

Directions:

-Coat the bottom of your soup pot with olive oil. Heat it and then saute the onions, once onions start to brown, add the lentils, potatoes, carrots, and celery. Saute for a few minutes then add the butternut squash and saute for another 1-2 minutes.

-add water enough to cover all ingredients, bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

-Once veggies are cooked (after about 20 minutes or less), pour soup into your blender and blend until smooth. Return to pot and let simmer for a few minutes until the soup is heated through again. Give it a taste and see if you need to add any salt or water.

Enjoy :)

Spinach Lasagna

2011-02-28T00:33:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1/2 Package of Pre-cooked Spinach lasagna

1/2 cup of flour

1/2 liter of milk

1/2 cup of oil or 1 stick of butter (melted)

a small bunch of fresh spinach, washed and coarsely chopped. (I only use the leaves)

1/4 kilo of ground beef

1 can of tomato sauce

salt & pepper

small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

olive oil

shredded mozzarella or any cheese of your choice

-start off by preparing the tomato sauce:

in saucepan saute the onion and garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil, when onions are start to get golden add the meat, add salt and pepper. When meat has cooked through add the tomato sauce and a quarter cup of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes. Add italian seasoning if you like. Your sauce is now ready.

-Next you'll have to make the béchamel sauce:

Melt the butter in a saucepan (or heat the oil), add the flour and whisk together well. Add milk gradually, stirring after each addition. The milk should thicken as it gets heated through before you add more. Keep adding until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency. Add salt to taste. Your béchamel sauce is now ready :)

-Next, in a small pyrex (half the size of the 13x9 standard)... place a layer of lasagna (my tray only takes two sheets of lasagna per layer), then put a layer of the red sauce, drizzle some white sauce on top, a bit of cheese, some chopped spinach and then top with another layer of lasagna sheets. Keep doing this until you run out of ingredients or space in your tray! :)

Bake in a 180 degree oven (celsius) for 45 minutes.

Enjoy! :)

P.S: top layer of lasagna should not be covered with additional lasagna sheets. Just pour the remaining sauces and cheese on top.

Lentils & Bulgur (a.k.a. مجدرة "mjaddarah")

2011-02-23T06:02:00.000-08:00

A healthy vegetarian meal that is protein rich!

Ingredients:

1 cup brown lentils

olive oil

chopped onion

1 tsp cumin, ground

salt

1 cup whole wheat bulgur

-Wash lentils. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan, add onions, saute till golden then add the lentils, cumin and a teaspoon of salt.

-Add water, enough to cover lentils by a couple of inches. Bring to boil, place lid on pot and let boil on medium/low heat for 15 minutes. Lentils should be "almost" cooked at the end of the 15 minutes. You don't want them to be cooked all the way through because they will cook again with the bulgur. They should have a slight bite to them but not too hard either.

-Pour lentils into a strainer, save the water so you can use it again to cook the bulgur.

-Place lentils back in the saucepan, combine with bulgur. Add a teaspoon of salt. Add 2 cups of water (use same cup you used to measure both bulgur and lentils). Bring to boil, then place lid and simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until bulgur and lentils are cooked.

This dish is best enjoyed with a finely chopped salad (tomato, cucumber, lettuce, and parsley). Or with plain yogurt.

Optional: Fry some sliced onions in oil until crispy, use as topping.

(this amount will make enough for two adults and two small children)

Enjoy! :)

P.S: sometimes I like the lentils to be less in quantity than the bulgur. So I use 1 1/2 cups of bulgur instead of 1 cup. If you want to do that just make sure you double the water amount in the final cooking stage. So 1 1/2 cups of bulgur need 3 cups of water.

Musakhan wraps

2011-02-20T05:42:00.000-08:00

The quick and light way to make home-made musakhan! :)

Ingredients:

-4 chicken cutlets, sliced into thin strips

-olive oil

-Summaq

-salt & pepper

-3 large onions, sliced

-3 large loaves of "shrak" bread-the large thin round bread popular here in Jordan.

-Heat olive oil in pan, add chicken and fry at medium heat until chicken is opaque.

-Add onions, cook until onions and chicken start to brown. Add salt, pepper, and summaq to taste (for this amount I usually add about 3 tablespoons of Summaq). Saute for another 5 minutes then turn off heat.

-Spread a third of the mixture into the bread and wrap well. Cut each wrap in half and place in a sandwich press for a crispy/hot wrap.

enjoy! :)

Oven fries

2011-02-20T05:28:00.000-08:00

The healthy and easy way to have fries :)

Ingredients:

olive oil

4 medium potatoes, cut anyway you like (I prefer wedges but you can slice them into circles as well)

salt & pepper

-Preheat oven to 220 degrees celsius

-Brush cookie sheet with a thin layer of olive oil

-Line fries on cookie sheet on their side making sure each one touches the pan

-brush top of potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper

-Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until bottoms are golden and crispy

-Broil until top is golden/crispy

enjoy! :)

Coconut Macaroons

2011-02-20T05:16:00.000-08:00

This is a quick and easy dessert.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups coconut

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup sugar

- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius

-Brush cookie sheet with a layer of vegetable oil/butter or line it with parchment paper (so the macaroons don't stick to the pan)

-Beat the egg with the vanilla well then add the sugar and mix. Add coconut and mix until incorporated.

- Scoop batter with tablespoon measure and place on cookie sheet a couple of inches apart.

-Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes

Makes 12 macaroons

Optional:

You can melt chocolate and drunk the bottom of the macaroons, lay on parchment paper until chocolate hardens.

Pasta with chicken

2011-02-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

I made this recipe as I went along today. It came out really good (alhamdulillah). Sorry I can't provide exact measurements but you kinda have to taste it as you go along and add more of taste enhancers as you see fit :)

Ingredients:

Boiled pasta (I used bow-tie, farfalle), I used one whole package

4 cubed chicken cutlets

broccoli, chopped into small florets

grape tomatoes, halved or quartered (depending on size)

sliced fresh mushrooms

olive oil

2 minced garlic cloves

1 chopped medium onion

-After boiling the pasta, set it aside in a strainer (and save the boiled pasta water if you plan to make a white sauce, recipe below)

-In the same pot, saute the chicken in some olive oil. Once the chicken becomes opaque add the onions and garlic. Saute until onions are cooked then add mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli, and salt and pepper.

-Once the veggies are cooked add the pasta to the pot and mix well.

Note: You can practically stop at this step, eliminating the white sauce. It tastes nice and light. But if you want a creamy dish, add the following:

for the white sauce:

milk

Pasta water (saved from boiling)

3 tablespoons of flour

3 tablespoons of butter

2 minced garlic cloves

parmesan cheese

-melt butter in saucepan, saute garlic a bit then add flour, mix well with wire whisk. Add milk slowly, mixing well after each addition. You're trying to achieve a creamy sauce that's not too thick or too thin. Once the sauce reaches the consistency you desire, add some garlic powered, parmesan cheese to taste and salt if needed. Add some of the pasta water to use less milk and to thicken the sauce if you need to. Add white sauce to pasta mixture and enjoy! :)

(a fattier version of this is to just saute some garlic in butter then add heavy cream and pasta water until the sauce reaches the consistency you like, it's easier to make but heavier)

Basboosa (a.k.a. Hareeseh)

2011-02-04T11:45:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 cups semolina

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup shredded coconut

2 heaping teaspoons baking powder

1 stick of unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup yogurt (or milk)

sliced or slivered almonds

Syrup ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/8 cups sugar (i'm halving the original recipe so please excuse the 1/8 )

few drops of lemon juice

Instructions:

for the syrup:

-in a sauce pan, bring wanter and sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar desolves completely. Once mixture starts boiling add a few drops of lemon juice and turn off heat. Let sit at room temperature. Syrup must be at room temperature before it's added to the hot basboosa (I usually make it a few hours ahead or even the night before)

Basboosa:

-Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (or 350 fahrenheit)

-Mix semolina, sugar, shredded coconut and baking powder together, then add melted butter and yogurt. Mix well and spread in 9x13 ungreased pan, press firmly and evenly into pan. Spread almonds as desired (don't put too many or the basboosa won't brown).

-Let sit for about 15 minutes then place in preheated oven. bake for 30 minutes or until sides are lightly browned. Broil for a minute or two until you get a nice golden color (sometimes you might not need to broil, it depends on your oven).

-Take out of oven and pour syrup evenly on top of it. The syrup will seem like a lot at first but the basboosa will soak it all up within minutes. Leave it to cool and enjoy! :)

Lazy Cake (a.k.a. Mosaic cake)

2011-01-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

32 Rectangular tea biscuits, coarsely crushed (I usually use the ulker brand)
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
6 tbsp Powdered sugar
6 tbsp unsweetened dark cocoa
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Instructions:

Mix sweetened condensed milk, sugar, melted butter and cocoa until smooth. Add mixture to biscuits.
Form mix into log or press into loaf pan that has been lined with plastic wrap. Secure the log, and press to combine very well and wrap. Cover with more wrap and freeze for at least 1 hour.

P.S.: You can also add 100 grams of melted bakers chocolate to the mix to make it more chocolatey

No-fry eggplant parmigiana

2010-12-14T01:31:00.000-08:00

Large eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices, skin on

bread crumbs seasoned with salt and pepper

egg-wash (scramble an egg into a bowl with some milk and salt)

olive oil

Pasta sauce (made your way)

Shredded Mozzarella cheese

-Coat baking sheet with olive oil.

-Dip eggplant into eggwash, the coat with bread crumbs. Place in baking sheet. Spray top of eggplant with olive oil. You can also not coat the pan and just dip the eggplant very lightly in olive oil before laying it in the pan.

-Place baking sheet in middle of oven. Turn on the broiler and broil until golden.

-Layer the eggplant with a little bit of tomato sauce, and cheese then bake for about 30 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

Enjoy with some pasta.

Pizza dough

2010-12-09T04:36:00.000-08:00

1 cup white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tsp. dry active yeast

1/4 tsp. sugar

2 TBs warm water

-Start off by mixing the yeast and sugar into the warm water. I usually use a mug for this then put it in a dark place (cupboard) for about 20 minutes. The yeast will at least double or triple in size.

-Mix the flour and salt together, then add the oil and yeast mixture. Knead dough well, you may need to add a bit of extra warm water if it's too dry but be careful only add one tablespoon at a time so your dough doesn't become too sticky.

-Cover the dough with a moist towel and let it sit for half an hour, the longer the better. It will double in size.

-Spread the dough into a greased pan (I usually use a cookie sheet). Let it sit for another 15 minutes it will rise a bit more. Add your toppings and bake in the lowest oven rack for about 15 minutes at 400 degree or until the edges are golden.

Note: Bake time really depends on your oven. I used to have an electric oven and I"d back the pizza at 500 degrees for about 9 minutes. It would come out perfect. Now with my gas oven it takes a longer time. Just test it out the first time until you get used to your oven :)

Homemade Hummus

2010-11-27T06:36:00.000-08:00

1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, heated

1 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs Tahini sauce

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup water

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 tsp. salt

Blend and enjoy! :)

Bilyana's Lentil Soup

2010-11-27T05:22:00.000-08:00

1 cup red lentils, washed

2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 stick of butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper

- Melt butter in sauce pan, add onions and fry until wilted, then add garlic and stir for a minute. Add tomatoes, when the tomatoes start to cook down a bit (after about 5 minutes) add lentils and stir. Add water (about 3 cups).

-Bring to a boil, then simmer and let cook until the lentils are soft. Add spices.

-Place soup in blender and blend until smooth, return to heat, cook for a few more minutes, add water and salt if needed and serve! :)

This soup is really delicious with some olive oil, lemon, and pita chips.

For the true middle eastern version: Take out the garlic, replace spices (except for salt and pepper) with ground cumin. And replace butter with 1/4 cup olive oil.

Enjoy! :)

Macaroni Salad

2010-11-27T05:12:00.000-08:00

3/4 cup Mayo (I prefer using light mayo)

2 TBs vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

8 oz elbow macaronni

red bell pepper, diced

green bell pepper, diced

Roasted leg of lamb

2010-11-26T10:47:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Leg of lamb (or any other piece of lamb you have)

salt

pepper

yogurt

tomato paste

olive oil

cardamon powder

chopped onion

-Marinade the meat over night. First start by putting olive oil on the meat, then salt and crushed black pepper. Be generous with the pepper. Sprinkle some cardamon powder on the meat as well.

-In a chopper, finely chop the onion then add a cup of yogurt and two tablespoons of tomato paste, blend well. Use this mixture to coat the meat all around (top and bottom). Place in the fridge over night or until you are ready to bake it.

-When ready to bake: add a cup of water to the pan place rack in the middle of the oven and bake at 325 degrees for about 2 hours or until the meat is done and has a nice color.

Viola! you have yourself a delicious meal! :)

As for the veggies...

I used potatoes, zucchini and carrots. I marinated them with olive oil, salt and pepper. You can add them to the meat tray half way through the cooking process or you can bake them in a separate pan.

Enjoy!

Sweet potato casserole

2010-11-23T11:00:00.001-08:00

The BEST and healthiest dessert you've had in a while. Yes it's healthy even though it has butter in it! :) Butter is considered a good fat, unlike margarine, or vegetable oils (with the exception of olive oil of course). Try it, you won't regret it... guaranteed!

4 cups sweet potato cubed
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs beaten
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter softened
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

topping
1 cup walnuts chopped
10 dates pitted and chopped
3 tbsp of butter soft
1/3 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 175 C
Cook sweet potatoe, steam or boil. Mash, and mix with honey, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla till fluffy and smooth. (make sure you add the eggs last so the "just-boiled" sweet potatoes don't cook them. I usually add the cold milk to it and other ingredients first, mash it a bit and when it cools off i add the beaten eggs and mix them in)
Put in a 9 x 13 greased with butter
In a med. bowl mix walnuts, dates, shredded coconut and cut butter into it
sprinkle on top of sweet potatoe mixture
Bake 30 min.

Chili

2010-11-10T23:31:00.000-08:00

This recipe was sent to me via my sweet sister and teacher Noura Shamma.

Note: you can make this without meat and substitute with some celery if you like.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef (1/2 kg )
2 large onion
garlic
salt
pepper
cinnamon
ground cumin
allspice
paprika
oregano
3 cans of chopped tomatoes (or if you have fresh you can use those)
2 cans of navy beans
tomato sauce (or paste - if you use paste you'll need to add water)

Process:
Chop 1 onion, saute in oil until golden, add garlic, fry briefly
add ground beef and mix w/onions, break up the meat with a fork
add about a cup of water
add salt, pepper, cumin (about 1 teaspoon), cinnamon (1 teaspoon), allspice (1 teaspoon), red pepper/chili if you like
let the meat cook - add more spices as you like,

In a separate pot -
chop and fry onion, with garlic
add oregano, salt, pepper, let it fry 30seconds
add the tomatoes
let that cook a bit
then add paprika (1-2 teaspoon)
add tomato sauce (1 can)
let that simmer
add more spices to taste

drain the navy beans and wash them (avoid the ones w/added sugar)
add the beans to the tomatoes
add the meat
let the whole thing simmer as long as you can, add water if starts to cook down too much.

the longer it cooks the better it tastes, if you can even do it the day before that would be better.

Eggplant Curry

2010-11-09T23:08:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Eggplant, chopped into cubes (with peel)

Large Onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tsp. paprika

2 tsp. coriander

2 tsp. cumin seed

salt

pepper

1 TBs tomato paste

1 cup water

olive oil

-Heat olive oil in pan, add onions and saute until they start to become tender, add garlic.

-Add the spices: cumin seed, paprika, coriander.

-Add eggplant and salt & pepper to taste.

-When the eggplant starts to get soft add the tomato paste and water. Let it simmer until the eggplant is fully cooked. You can cover it while it's cooking so it doesn't dry out too much. You can also add more tomato paste and water to your liking.

Enjoy with some bread or rice! :)

Brownies

2010-11-09T10:12:00.001-08:00

This makes a double batch. You can use a 13x9 pan.

wet ingredients:

2 sticks butter, melted

2 cups white sugar

3 eggs (if you like your brownies fudgy then only use 2 eggs)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

dry ingredients:

1 cup flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1.2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Melt butter than add it to the sugar and mix together. When it cools down a bit add the eggs and vanilla and mix.

-Mix dry ingredients together then add them to the wet ingredients.

-Mix everything together well, toss in the walnuts at the end.

-Place batter in a greased 13x9 pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Moussakka (Jordanian style) مسقعه

2010-10-12T05:24:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

-Eggplant

-Fresh beefsteak tomatoes sliced

-Canned crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce

-Bell pepper, chopped

-olive oil

-salt and pepper

-Onion, minced

-Ground beef

-Slice the eggplant vertically into half inch slices. If the eggplant is too long then cut the vertical slices in half horizontally (you can peel the skin of the eggplant or keep it depending on how you like it). Brush a cookie sheet with olive oil, lay eggplant slices on top then brush eggplant slices generously with olive oil. Broil in the oven until golden then flip the eggplant and broil the other side. (this is a much healthier and easier alternative than frying!)

-Saute the onion in some olive oil until it starts to brown then add the ground beef, saute for a few minutes then add the bell pepper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. When the beef is done cooking add the tomato sauce. Bring it to a boil and simmer for another 5 minutes.

-In a pyrex dish, layout one layer of eggplant slices (half the amount you baked) then add the beef mixture. Layout the rest of the eggplant on top and then top it off with the tomato slices.

-Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350 then broil it for ten minutes or until tomatoes start to get golden.

Enjoy this delicious dish with some pita bread, rice, or bulgar. Yum! :)

P.S.:

-I didn't put quantities because it all depends on how many people you are making this for.

-The Greeks make this dish too, but they add béchamel sauce to it before baking. It's also an excellent dish but this version is lighter.

Chocolate bliss

2010-03-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

What you need:
-Lite cool whip (thawed)
-Chocolate bar (for baking, I recommend the one from trader joe's)
-chocolate cake mix (betty crockers devil's food or extra moist chocolate cake works well)
-You'll need eggs and oil for the cake mix
-1 can condensed milk

What to do:
-Bake the cake in 13x9 pan according to package directions. Let the cake cool down for at least 30 minutes before you start
-Meanwhile, break up the chocolate into squares and place in a glass or metal bowl (if you like, reserve one or two squares of chocolate to decorate the dessert with chocolate shavings in the end). Place the bowl over a saucepan that is a quarter of the way filled with water, place the saucepan and bowl on the stove over medium heat. As the water comes to a boil the chocolate will melt. Turn the heat off, add can of condensed milk and whisk it together well. Ass two heaping tablespoons of cool whip and mix well.
-cut the 13x9 cooled cake into 1 inch thick pieces vertically (or any way you like, this is a totally random process so be creative! :))
-To assemble the dessert, start layering the cake and chocolate sauce you made in a glass dish (so you can see the layers, it makes it more appetizing that way ;)). Let the last layer be sauce (it will get soaked up by the cake later on or while you're making it). Then add a generous layer of cool whip and top off with chocolate shavings.
-Place in fridge until ready to serve. This dessert tastes even better if you make it a day before you're supposed to serve it.

enjoy!

Double-baked potatoes

2008-05-20T07:38:00.001-07:00

A really yummy side dish, or you could have it as a meal for lunch!

Ingredients:
Large potatoes for baking (however many you need)- wash and scrub well
milk
butter
salt & pepper
chopped boiled broccoli, or sliced sauted mushrooms
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream (optional)
olive oil

Preparation:
-Bake potatoes in the microwave until fully cooked (it takes about 5 minutes per potato)
-Heat oven to 375 degrees
-Let potatoes cool for about 10 minutes
-Place potatoes on a baking sheet
-Rub the potato skin with olive oil and some salt (so you can eat it after it's baked the second time)
-Carefully cut out a wedge from the top of the potato (this is in order to empty out the inside of the potato while keeping the shell/skin in tact)
-Empty as much as you can from the inside of the potato, leaving some of the potatoe attached to the skin so it doesn't fall apart, and place it into a bowl
-Add butter, milk, salt, pepper, broccoli or mushrooms, cheddar cheese and mix well
-Repack the now mashed potatoes into the potato shells (it'll be more than what you took out, don't worry you can just pile it up high)
-Re-bake the potatoes in the oven for about 15 minutes
-Serve immediately, you can add sour cream on the side if you like

You can always prepare the potatoes ahead of time and bake them right before you're ready to eat. You can also top them with more cheddar cheese on top towards the end of the baking.

Enjoy! :)

Easy Beef Stroganoff

2008-05-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1/2 pound of sliced beef fillet
3 tablespoons light sour cream, brought to room temperature
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth (you can make it by boiling water with a bullion cube)
1 medium sized box of sliced white mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 medium onion, chopped
Salt & pepper
oil

Preparation:
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet, add beef. Saute until beef is no longer red, then add the onions. Saute for about 2 minutes then cover, lower the heat to medium-low, and let the beef cook until it's tender. You can add water to it every now and then so it doesn't burn. Add a little bit of salt and pepper after the meat is cooked.
-Add mushroom and saute until the mushrooms are cooked, set aside in a separate bowl.
-Melt butter in skillet, add flour and mix well (on medium-low heat)
-Add chicken broth gradually until you have a nice thick sauce, lower the heat. Add meat and mushroom mixture. Stir in sour cream gradually (one tablespoon at a time), don't bring the sauce to a boil after this point because the sour cream will curdle.

-Enjoy this delicious dish with some white rice, egg noodles, pasta, or mashed potatoes! :)

Dana's special pasta

2008-05-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

(sorry, I couldn't think of a better name hehe)

Ingredients:
1 box of farfalle pasta (the bow-tie kind)
1 medium sized carton of heavy cream
1 small broccoli bunch, chopped into small pieces (don't use the electric chopper though)
2 large garlic cloves, pressed/minced
a handful of sundried tomatoes in olive oil, finely chopped (this time use the chopper)
1 medium box of small white mushrooms, sliced
6 chicken breast cutlets, marinated in zesty italian dressing, grilled, and sliced
3 tablespoons butter
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
salt (to taste)
Parmesan cheese (to taste)

Preparation:
-Boil pasta as directed on box, rinse lightly when done, reserve 1 cup or 2 of the pasta water
-Melt butter in pan (I use a large stainless steel pan), add garlic and saute for a few minutes. When garlic starts to brown, add sun dried tomatoes and saute for 3 minutes or so. Then add broccoli and mushrooms, salt, and olive oil.
-Cover and let the veggies cook until they are done.
-When veggies are cooked, add the pasta to it and mix well.
-You can set everything aside at this point until you are ready to serve the food.
-When ready to serve, turn on the heat (medium-high), add heavy cream and half a cup of pasta water.
-Bring the sauce to a boil then lower the heat. You can add more of the pasta water if you want to increase the amount of sauce.
-Add parmesan cheese and mix into the pasta... let it simmer until the sauce thickens...
-Finally add the sliced chicken and mix into the pasta. Let it heat up for a couple of minutes and serve!

Enjoy! :)

Banana Cream Pie

2008-04-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 package of instant vanilla pudding (you'll need two cups of milk to make it)
3 medium yellow bananas (not too ripe but just right)
a few drops of lemon juice
cool whip
graham cracker crust (you can get the ready made crust or make it yourself)

Directions:
- slice bananas in a bowl and then sprinkle with lemon juice and mix well (this is to prevent browning)
-Spread bananas over the crust, mix pudding and pour it over bananas.
-Chill for half an hour
-Take the pie out and spread cool whip on top
-Keep refrigerated until ready to serve...

this is a super easy, delicious, and light dessert. Everyone who tries it loves it... give it a try and let me know what you think! :)

Enjoy!

Shrimp Scampi

2008-04-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound of pasta, of half the box (any kind you like), save 1 cup of pasta water after it's boiled
salt & pepper
1 cup steamed chopped broccoli (optional)
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
-Put some salt and pepper on the shrimp and set aside

-Start to boil pasta, remember to save 1 cup of the water after the pasta is done. Drain the pasta and set aside.

-In another pot or pan, heat olive oil and place butter to melt. After the butter is melted add the garlic (be careful because garlic burns easily)... before the garlic becomes brown add the shrimp and stir fry until the shrimp turns pink (fully cooked). Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and pasta water and heat the liquid through, once it comes to a boil bring down the heat and add the pasta and broccoli. Stir everything together and let it simmer for a few minutes.

Add salt, pepper and lemon juice if you feel it needs more.

-Serve immediately and sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese...

enjoy! :)

PS: This will make enough food for 3-4 people depending on portions. You can also substitute capers for the broccoli if you like.

Couscous with a vegetable-chicken sauce

2008-03-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

If you're bored of eating rice, couscous is a great alternative. Just make the couscous out of the box and eat it with this nutritious sauce.

Here's the recipe for the sauce:

Ingredients:
- 2 or 3 chicken breast cutlets, sliced or chopped into cubes
-1 large onion, cut the onion in half vertically, then lay each half on the cutting board and slice it into thin strips vertically as well.
-1 medium sized green zucchini, copped into half circles
-1 medium sized yellow zucchini, chopped into half circles
-1 medium carrot, cut it in a way that's easy to eat like thin strips
-1/2 can of garbanzo beans/chickpeas, I like the goya brand
-salt and pepper
-1/2 can tomato sauce
-curry powder
-some oil

Preparation:
-Heat oil in pot then add chicken, when chicken turns from pink to white add the onions, salt and pepper, and cook until the chicken is slightly browned.
-add veggies and cook for a couple of minutes, then add tomato sauce, curry powder (to taste), and the beans... and add about 1/2 cup of water...
-Bring it to a boil, then let everything cook on low heat for about 20 minutes or so.. stirring it every now and then so it doesn't stick

when all the veggies are cooked through, you are done!

enjoy with the prepared couscous... :)

When I made this it was enough for my husband and I, we also had some left overs that came in handy for lunch the next day.

Delicious Okra (bamia) with white rice

2008-03-06T13:41:00.001-08:00

This is one of my favorite recipes and it's one of the easiest. I won't tell you how to make the rice but here's the Okra recipe:

1 bag frozen okra, thawed (preferably the one sold in the Arab stores because the okra is smaller and tastier)
1 large can of petite diced tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, sliced
3 tablespoons of olive oil
salt to taste
1 chopped green bell pepper (big pieces)

-heat oven to 375
-Combine: Okra, olive oil, salt, tomatoes, peppers, and garlic in an oven safe pan.
-Bake for about an hour and a half, until everything is cooked through...
-Enjoy with some white rice and then make dua for me! hehe :)

Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

2008-01-13T07:35:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, finely chopped (I prefer using frozen artichoke from Trader Joe's, thawed)
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
3/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

-Preheat oven to 350. Mis all ingredients until well blended.
-Spoon into 9-inch pie plate or quiche dish
-Bake 20 minutes or until heated through. (sometimes it takes longer than 20 minutes)

Enjoy with some yummy Tortilla chips or with some veggies! :)

Not so traditional Eggplant Parmigiana

2007-12-18T06:52:00.001-08:00

Super easy! :)

1 box of readily breaded eggplant cutlets from Trader Joe's®
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
minced garlic
small onion, chopped
olive oil
salt & pepper
basil
Whole Wheat Penna pasta (boiled)
Parmesan cheese (Trader Joe's® sells it without animal rennet)

-Prepare the eggplant cutlets according to the instructions on the box right before you're ready to eat
- To make the sauce: Heat a tablespoon of oil oil in a sauce pan, add onion, when onion starts to soften add the garlic. Add some fresh basil leaves if available. Now you can add the crushed tomatoes, and you can add a little bit of water so the sauce is not too thick. Bring the sauce to a boil, then add some salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and simmer for about 20 minutes.

And there you go! you have a delicious, healthy and nutritious meal in minutes! Enjoy! :)

Foul a.k.a. Fava beans :)

2007-12-18T06:44:00.000-08:00

Delicious for breakfast or lunch! :)

ingredients:
1 can Americana® fava beans (you can get it at any Arab store.. I like the Americana brand)
1 chopped tomato
Olive oil
Roasted peppers for garnish
Lemon juice
A dash of ground cumin

-Place contents of can in an 8-inch pan, add the cumin and simmer (covered) on medium-low heat until it comes to a boil. Let it cook for about 10 minutes until the fava beans are easily squished with a fork.. that means that they are fully cooked.

-After the fava beans are cooked add some lemon juice to taste then squish half of the beans with the fork.

-Transfer to a plate and garnish with tomatoes, peppers (if you like), and olive oil.

Enjoy this tasty and filling meal with some whole wheat pita bread and a hot cup of tea! :)

Pumpkin Pie

2007-12-12T07:25:00.001-08:00

This recipe is soooooo delicious... I don't usually like pumpkin pie, but this is so yummy... I got the recipe from Hajira! :)

1 (15 oz) can of pure pumpkin puree (NOT the pumpkin for pumpkin pie)
1(14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix the pumpkin, milk, egg YOLKS (hold onto the whites), and spices
and salt together. Whip the egg whites until they start to form soft
peaks, or at the very least begin to become very foamy - the more you
beat them, the fluffier it'll be. Fold the egg whites into the
pumpkin mixture.

Pour it into a pie shell (I usually make it w/ graham crackers and
butter or use a store bought graham cracker crust)- get the bigger size shell not the small one.

Bake for about 15 minutes at 425. During this time, make the topping:

2 tblspn all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tblspns unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon together and then add the small pieces
of butter and crumble it into the mixture w/ a fork or pastry
blender, or whatever you want. Then add the walnuts.

After those 15 minutes are up, take the pie out of the oven, and
reduce the temperature to 350 degrees (otherwise, the topping will
get a gross burned taste - trust me!) Sprinkle the topping all over
the pie evenly, and put it back in the oven and bake it for about 45
mins or so, or until you feel it's set... NOTE: the pie will be puffed up when you take out of the oven, don't worry it's normal just sprinkle the topping confidently hehe

Side note: In the pumpkin mixture, I said to add cinnamon, ginger,
nutmeg, etc... you can always get one of those little pumpkin pie
spice containers, they have cloves and some other things in it as
well. I usually add a little pinch of it just for a little extra
something. If you decide to use the pumpkin pie spice instead of the
ones I said to use, add some extra cinnamon separately, because they
add it to the spice, but it's not enough compared to the rest of the
spices.

Peanut Butter Cookies

2007-11-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

•	1/2 cup Shortening
•	1/2 cup Peanut Butter
•	1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
•	1/2 cup sugar
•	1 large egg
•	2 tablespoons milk
•	1 teaspoon non-alcoholic vanilla extract (or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder)
•	1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
•	1 teaspoon baking soda
•	1/2 teaspoon salt
•	Sugar
•	48 kisses chocolates

Directions:

1.	HEAT oven to 375° F.
2.	CREAM together shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar and 1/2 cup sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Beat well.
3.	STIR together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Beat on low speed until stiff dough forms.
4.	SHAPE into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
5.	BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
6.	TOP each cookie immediately with an unwrapped chocolate piece, pressing down firmly so that cookie cracks around edge. Remove from cookie sheets to cool.

Yield: 4 Dozen Cookies

Jam filled cookies

2007-10-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, melted (that's two sticks)
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder (or 1 teaspoon non-alcoholic vanilla extract)
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
Strawberry jam (or any kind of jam you like)

-Preheat oven to 350
-Melt butter and while it cools off mix dry ingredients.
-Mix all ingredients together with a spoon until well blended.
-spread dough with rolling pin and cut into circles using a small cup.
-Place dough circles onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 13 minutes or until light golden.
-Let cookies cool and then spread some jam on one cookie and place another one on top.
-Sprinkle with some confectioners sugar for decoration

If you'd like to make the cookies with a hole in the middle, cut out a smaller circle from the dough before you bake the cookies. From each pair of cookies cut out a smaller circle from one of them.

Chicken Alfredo

2007-08-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

(dinner for two, and you may have an extra plate to pack for your husband's lunch the next day)

1/2 box of pasta (any kind you like, I prefer tri-colored pasta)
4 chicken breast cutlets
1/2 cup of zesty Italian dressing
fresh ground pepper
mushrooms, washed and sliced (small box)
1/2 stick of butter
2 tablespoons flour
milk
salt
Parmesan cheese

-Marinade chicken in dressing and some pepper, keep it in the fridge for half an hour before cooking time.
-grill chicken on non-stick grill pan. After chicken is cooked through slice it into strips.
-saute chopped mushrooms in non-stick pan with a tiny bit of oil or butter and some salt. Toss cooked mushrooms with chicken when done.
-Boil pasta until cooked, drain, don't wash it. Then toss with chicken and mushrooms.
-When you're ready to eat -or about a half hour before your husband comes home :) ... start to make the alfredo sauce.
-Melt butter in sauce pan, add flour, mix with wire whisk. Add milk gradually and continue to whisk over medium heat. Keep adding milk until sauce is nice and creamy yet not too thick.
-Add some Parmesan cheese if you like and add salt to taste... sometimes I add 1 or 2 tablespoons of sour cream for more flavor...
-Mix sauce with the pasta mixture and serve.
-Add some chopped parsley for garnish or some chopped sundried tomatoes.

Enjoy! :)

Pancakes

2007-08-19T07:16:00.000-07:00

I tried this recipe this morning, I made the banana pancakes, they were so easy to make and everyone loved them. Enjoy! :)

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
2 heaping teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

-Beat egg and vanilla with whisk
-add remaining ingredients, mix well.

Grease heated griddle if necessary (I just used an ungreased non-stick pan). To test griddle/pan, sprinle with few drops of water. If bubbles skitter around, heat is just right.

-Pour batter onto pan from large pitcher or half cup measure. Cook pancakes until puffed and dry around edges. Turn and cook other side until golden brown. (To keep pancakes hot, stack on hot plate with paper towels in between)
-Makes about 6 4-inch pancakes.

Banana Pancakes: beat into mixture, 1 medium banana, cut into 1/4 inch pieces.

Whole Wheat Pancakes: subtitute whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour and packed brown sugar for the granulated sugar. (I tried this but the whole wheat flour made my pancakes too dry, you might want to only substitute half a cup of flour with whole wheat and use white flour for the other half)

Yogurt Pancakes: substitute 1 1/4 cups plain yogurt for the milk. Decrease baking powder to 2 teaspoons and beat in 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.

Cornmeal Pancakes: Substitute 1/2 cup cornmeal for 1/2 cup of the flour. Subtitute dark molasses for the sugar if desired.

Nut Pancakes: Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped nuts.

Blueberry Pancakes: Stir in 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (thawed and well drained).

Buttermilk Pancakes: Substitute 1 cup buttermilk for the milk. Decrease baking powder to 1 teaspoon and beat in 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.

Ice cream cake

2007-06-27T13:40:00.001-07:00

Taken from kraft's food & family magazine.

1/2 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling

8 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, chopped (about 1 cup)

12 vanilla ice cream sandwiches, unwrapped

POUR fudge topping into medium bowl. Add 1 cup of the whipped topping; stir with wire whisk until well blended. Add dry pudding mix; stir 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in chopped cookies; set aside.

ARRANGE 4 of the ice cream sandwiches, side-by-side, on 24-inch-long piece of foil; top with half of the whipped topping mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining 4 ice cream sandwiches. Frost top and sides of dessert with remaining whipped topping. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to loosely seal packet.

FREEZE at least 4 hours before serving. Store leftover dessert in freezer.

Peach dessert

2007-06-01T10:56:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
cake:
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 egg
zest of half an orange
1 tsp. Baking powder
2 Tbs. butter

Syrup:
1 Large can of sliced Peaches in syrup
2 Tbs. confectioners sugar
2 Tbs. corn starch
Juice of 1 orange
2 drops of lemon juice

Preparation:
-Preheat oven to 350
-Mix cake ingredients together with a spoon, then spread in half cookie sheet pan. (it's going to spread really thin, this is really the crust for the dessert). (for a normal size cookie sheet just double up the ingredients).
-Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until light golden.
-Let is cool, then spread the peach slices on top.
-In sauce pan, combine: orange juice, lemon juice, peach juice, corn starch and sugar. Bring to boil, and let thicken.
-Remove from heat, pour over cake and peaches.
-Let cool and enjoy!

Chinese chicken and broccoli

2007-05-31T09:15:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
3 chicken breast cutlets (or more, depends on how much you need), cut into thin strips
1 tsp fresh ginger
1 tsp sugar
4 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs corn startch
4 tsps corn starch
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 broccoli bunch, cut
1 1/4 cups water

Preparation:
-Combine: 1 Tbs corn startch, with 1 Tbs soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic with chicken. Mix well.
-Heat 1 Tbs of oil in non-stick skillet, add chicken and stir fry until chicken is done.
-In another pot or skillet, heat Tbs oil, add broccoli and onion. I usually put the lid on for a few minutes so the broccoli can cook from the steam, don't over cook though. Stir in chicken.
- In another bowl. Combine: water, 4 tsp corn startch, and 3 Tbs soy sauce, mix well. Then add this mixture to the broccoli and chicken. Bring to boil, cook and stir until sauce thickens.

Tip: You can add some sliced carrots to this recipe, try it with beef strips too!

Easy Banana Pudding Parfaits

2007-05-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

This recipe is taken from Food & Family magazine.

12 NILLA Wafers (or a similar wafer), divided

1/4 cup thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping

10 slices banana (about 1 small)

2 Vanilla pudding snacks (the ready made ones)

CRUSH 10 of the wafers to form coarse crumbs. Place one-fourth of the wafer crumbs in each of two parfait glasses or dessert dishes; top each with 1 Tbsp. of the whipped topping, 2 banana slices and one-half of the contents of 1 pudding snack cup. Repeat layers of crumbs, banana slices and pudding snack; cover.

REFRIGERATE at least 15 min. or up to 4 hours. Meanwhile, wrap reserved banana slices tightly in plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to use.

TOP each parfait with 1 Tbsp. of the remaining whipped topping, 1 of the remaining wafers and remaining banana slices just before serving.

TIP

How to Prevent the Banana Slices from Turning Brown
Toss banana slices with small amount of lemon juice.

Everyone who's tried this dessert LOVED it, and it looks pretty too! I used the clear disposable plastic cups! :)

Chicken-vegetable soup

2007-04-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

This soup is excellent for getting over a cold or flu!

Ingredients:
-3 or 4 chicken breast cutlets (cubed)
-carrots (chopped the way you like, cubes or julienne)
-celery (chopped)
-potatoes (cubed)
-noodles ( I use the very small and thin ones that we put with the rice, "sh3eeriyyeh")
-chicken broth (I usually take the wings and neck of the chicken-on the bone- and make the broth out of that)
-1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
-salt and pepper
-1 cube of chicken broth (if needed)

Instructions:
-Make the chicken broth (scroll down for instructions)
-Fry the chicken cutlets in the oil until the chicken is golden brown, add salt and pepper as needed.
-bring chicken broth to a boil and then drop chicken cubes, celery, carrots, potatoes
-once the veggies are almost cooked, drop in the noodles.
-taste the soup, if you feel it needs some more flavor you can add a chicken broth cube at this point. You might wanna leave off adding salt until after this step because the chicken broth cubes are usually salty.

Enjoy :)

Chicken broth instructions:
-Place chicken pieces in large pot
-Add water up til about 1-2 inches over the chicken
-bring to boil, let the "white" fat come up on the sruface then take it off with a spatula.
-after no more white stuff comes out, add a chopped onion, some cardamom and let it boil for about 45 minutes on medium-low heat.
-drain the ingredients into a strainer, while saving the chicken broth into another pot :)

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

2007-04-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

1 cup chocolate chips
1 tbspn shortening
1 box strawberries (about 15)
About 1 tbspn white chocolate chips

1) In a saucepan melt the chocolate chips and shortening on the lowest heat possible (or use a double broiler).

2) Keep stirring just until everything is smooth and creamy. It may take a while since it's on such low heat.

3) Dip the strawberries into the chocolate while it's still warm and smother deliciously. Place them on wax paper to cool.

4) Heat white chocolate chips for 30 seconds in the microwave, then take them out and stir them (they'll be pretty chunky) then heat for another 30 seconds, then take them out and keep sitrring patiently until they melt and become smooth. If you over heat them, they'll become cakelike (trust me).

5) Pour white chocolate chips into corner of ziploc bag, and snip a *teeny* piece off the corner. Squeeze to drizzle smooth whiteness over delicious brown chocolate-covered strawberries.

When you're done, leave them out at room temp for 15 minutes if you want the chocolate to be soft, or put them in the fridge if you want it to be crunchy and snap when you bite into it.

Banana Nut Cake

2007-04-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups flour
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup bananas (or 3 medium bananas, the more ripe the better)
2/3 cup shortening or vegetable oil
2/3 cup buttermilk or yogurt
3 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup nuts (chopped), i like to use walnuts
pinch of salt

Instructions:
-preheat oven to 350
-Combine all ingredients, mix with handmixer for 30 seconds on low speed. Then for 3 minutes on medium speed.
-Place batter in greased and floured pan (13x9)
-Bake for 45-50 minutes

Afghani rice and chicken

2007-04-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

(note this picture doesn't include the raisins)

Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice
2 chicken breasts or thighs/drum sticks on the bone
3/4 cup shredded carrots (available at the supermarket)
1 packet of raisins (I use the snack size packets)
garam masala spices, salt, pepper, cinnamon, cumin
1 large onion (chopped)
vegetable oil
1 tsp sugar
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped.

Instructions:
- Fry the onion and jalapeno in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
-before the onions become brown, add the chicken. Stir the chicken until it becomes white all around :)
-add water and cook the chicken until it is cooked all the way through and tender (I like to simmer it, covered, on medium-low heat until it's completely cooked and almost falling off the bone). Of course you can add the salt and pepper the chicken anytime you like. I usually add it when it's almost cooked.
-Meanwhile, wash the rice and drain it about 5 times.
-In a frying pan, add carrots, raisins, a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of cumin, and about 1 tsp of sugar, and a tiny bit of oil. We're not looking to cook the carrots here because they are going to cook again with the rice and they might fall apart. Just stir fry for about 2 or 3 minutes.
-Combine washed and drained rice with carrot mixture. Add 3/4 tsp of salt. Along with 1 tablespoon of garam masala spices.
-Add this mixture on top of the chicken. Add water until it covers everything by half an inch.
-Bring food to a boil, let it boil for a few minutes. Simmer and cover for about 20 or 30 minutes until rice is completely cooked.

Enjoy! :)

Sommer's chocolate chip cookies (low in fat)

2007-03-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

If you love chocolate chip cookies but don't like the extra butter and calories, this is the perfect recipe for you! :) it's light and delicious!

Ingredients:
1 stick butter (melt and wait for it to cool)
2 eggs
3/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 cups white sugar
-whisk those ingredients together first, then in another bowl mix:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder
1 bag chocolate chips

-heat oven to 350
-add the dry ingredients gradually to the mixture of wet ingredients
-spoon batter onto cookie sheet in the size you like
-bake for about 11 minutes (don't over bake)

Mom's yummy orange cake

2007-03-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup oil
zest of 1 orange
1 cup of fresh orange juice

-preheat oven to 375
-Mix dry ingredients
-beat eggs, sugar, orange zest and oil, with hand blender until fluffy
-add dry ingredients to egg mixture gradually
-when mixture gets thick, start to add orange juice (don't over mix, just until everything is well blended)
-bake for about 35 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2007-03-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

This is an extremely yummy recipe, although I'm not so sure how healthy it is. I got it off of the back of a HUGE bag of Toll House chocolate chips. The recipe is actually for "ChocOatChip Cookies," but I just put raisins instead of chocolate chips. I've made it a few times, and alhamdulillah it always tastes really good.

INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
(for healthier cookies, I use 1 cup all-purpose & 3/4 cup whole wheat flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tbspn milk
2 1/2 cup quick or old-fashioned oats
1 3/4 cups raisins
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

WHAT TO DO:
1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and optional cinnamon in a bowl. Stir well to mix evenly.

3. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar, granualted sugar, and butter until creamy. (Eat some!) Then beat in eggs and milk.

4. Gradually beat in flour mixture until well mixed. Then stir in oats and raisins. Mix well until everything's evenly coated and smelling delicious.

5. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

6. Bake for 9-10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 12-13 minutes for crispy cookies. (I usually do about 11 minutes. Everything in moderation!) Cool on baking sheets about 1 minute before removing to wire racks.

Depending on the size of the dough drops, this will make 3 or 4 dozen cookies, 12 per sheet. You can half the recipe if you prefer =) Enjoy with some delicious tea or a glass of milk or a delicious latte, or deliciously on their own, and praise Allah! Alhamdulillah!

Chicken Pot Pie

2007-03-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
4 cups vegetable mix (peas, carrots, potatoes)
1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (make broth from chicken)
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 package puff pastry

Instructions:
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
-Toss vegetables with oil and spread evenly onto a sheet pan. Place into oven and cook until golden brown. (this is to be done if the vegetables are frozen, otherwise you can cook the vegetables any way you like-don't over cook as they will go into the oven again later)

-In a saute pan heat 1 tablespoon of butter and sweat the onion and celery.

-In another saucepan, heat the broth and milk.

-Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the celery mix and cook out the water. Add the flour and curry and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk mixture and cook until thickened. Add the salt and pepper. Toss the vegetables and the chicken. Pour into a baking pan, and top with 1 sheet of puff pastry. Place into the oven and cook until puff pastry has browned and the mixture is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

(you can cut the puff pastry into circles and lay them side by side-slightly overlapping- to cover the chicken mixture)

This came out so yummy when I made it, enjoy! :)

Healthy Snack

2007-03-09T10:35:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
-Low fat plain yogurt (in the amount you'd like)
-Bananas
-Honey

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together and enjoy a yummy healthy snack! :)

Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

2007-03-07T16:00:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (mix of fresh cherry, vine and plum tomatoes)
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 small yellow onions, sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (optional)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 maggi chicken cube (optional)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Wash, core and cut the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes, garlic cloves and onions onto a baking tray. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until caramelized.

Remove roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot. Add water, bay leaves, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Wash and dry basil leaves, if using, and add to the pot. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth, (or pour the soup into a regular blender). Return soup to low heat, add cream. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Sun-dried tomato Fritatta

2007-03-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

(it usually looks nicer than this hehe)

Ingredients:
3 eggs (of however much you would like), beaten
sun dried tomatoes (to taste, I used about 1/4 cup with this), chopped
small onion, chopped
1 Medium potato
1 tablespoon of olive oil or vegetable oil
salt & pepper (to taste)

Instructions:
-Set oven to broil
-Peel potato and cook in microwave for about 4 minutes or until done
-Chop potato into thin slices or small cubes
-In large non-stick pan heat oil, add onions and cook until lightly browned
-add in chopped sun dried tomatoes and potatoes, cook for 2 minutes
-add eggs to make a round omelet
-place in oven for 2 minutes (make sure you don't forget them because they'll burn easily!)

serves 2-4 depending on appetite, this is great for brunch, lunch, or even dinner! :)

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2007-02-28T13:12:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
2/3 cup butter/margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions:
-Preheat oven to 375
-Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffly.
-add aggs, mix well.
-In another bowl, combine all other ingredients, mix well.
-Gradually start adding the dry ingredients to the butter, sugar, and eggs mixture. (I usually do this in 3 additions). Mix well.
-On an ungreased cookie sheet, place heaping teaspoonfuls of batter about 1 inch apart on each side.
-Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and delicious!
-Cool on wire rack.
(makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies)

ENJOY!! and make dua for me afterwards cause they are really yummy! hehehe

Welcome to Yummy Halal Recipes!

2007-02-28T13:05:00.000-08:00

As some of you know, I LOVE trying new recipes. Whenever I try one and it turns out yummy, I like to share it with my family and friends. So instead of emailing it I thought it would be nice to share it on the web, that way more people can benefit! :)

I'm only going to post recipes I've tried, and I'll try to always include a picture of it.

have fun and enjoy!

wassalamu alaikum,
Dana