MY HALAL KITCHEN: Global Recipes, Cooking Tips, and Lifestyle Inspiration
Yvonne Maffei
Agate
July 12, 2016
$29.95/Hardcover
ISBN-13: 978-1572841741
Yvonne Maffei is the founder of the hugely popular cooking blog and Islamic lifestyle website MyHalalKitchen.com. She has earned a vast following in the United States and internationally, including a Facebook page totaling nearly one million likes. Born in Ohio to Sicilian and Puerto Rican parents, Maffei developed a love of many diverse culinary styles. Between her B.A. and M.A. in International Studies at Ohio University and trips spanning the globe, Maffei honed her cooking skills and ability to adapt a wide range of cuisines to her family’s dietary customs. Her recipes specialize in adhering to halal standards while also focusing on all-natural, organic ingredients. She currently lives with her family outside Chicago, IL.
This is the first mainstream cookbook that demystifies halal cooking and shows readers how easy it can be to eat halal every day. Aimed at North American Muslims and their loved ones, MY HALAL KITCHEN collects more than 100 recipes from five different culinary traditions, proving that halal meals can be both diverse and accessible. Home cooks will learn to make classic favorites, such as Beef Pot Roast, as well as international dishes that previously may have seemed out of reach: Coq without the Vin, Shrimp Pad Thai, and Chicken Tamales, to name a few.
The book also includes resources that break down the basics of halal cooking and outline common non-halal ingredients, their replacements, and how to purchase (or make) them. As Maffei points out, the halal lifestyle dovetails beautifully with current trends toward living holistically and using locally sourced, organic ingredients. Literally every part of the farm-to-fork cycle has significance in halal. This book is not just a must-have for Muslims everywhere; it’s an ideal resource for any home cook looking to find delicious and healthy recipes from around the globe.
SPAGHETTI CARBONARA
Yield: 4 servings
One of my all-time favorite Italian comfort-food recipes can now be made at home just like it’s made at some of the best Italian restaurants—just with beef instead of the traditional pancetta.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Whisk
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces smoked beef breakfast strips
- ⅓ cup diced onion
- 4 whole large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste if desired
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste if desired
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 (1-pound) package spaghetti, cooked and drizzled with olive oil to prevent sticking
- 1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- ¼ cup chopped fresh curly parsley, for garnish
In a large, deep-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the beef strips to the pan and cook for 5 minutes on each side, until the strips have begun to brown.
Add the onion to the sauté pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is softened and browned.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, salt, and black pepper. Whisk vigorously until very well combined and thickened (so the eggs will not scramble upon transfer to the hot sauté pan).
Slowly add the egg mixture to the sauté pan. Quickly add the cream to the pan and whisk until the mixture is thoroughly combined.
Add the cooked spaghetti and ¾ cup of the Parmesan cheese to the sauté pan and remove from the heat. Using tongs or 2 large forks, integrate the sauce and cheese into the spaghetti. Taste and season further with the salt and pepper, if desired.
Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with the remaining ¾ cup of the Parmesan cheese and garnish with the parsley. Serve hot.
COQ WITHOUT THE VIN
Yield: 4 servings
The classic French poultry dish coq au vin (chicken in wine) is traditionally made not just with wine but also bacon. Made with some simple halal alternatives, my version is just as tasty as the original. A roux is a thickener made by combining fat (in this case, butter) and flour. A roux gives a dish a wonderful texture; this recipe wouldn’t be the same without it.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Whisk
- 3 ounces beef breakfast strips (about 6 slices)
- 1 whole chicken, cut up, skin removed, and patted dry
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste if desired
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste if desired
- 2 cups Concord grape juice (not from concentrate)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 sprigs fresh or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 pound crimini or button mushrooms, roughly chopped
- ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 (1-pound) package pappardelle or egg noodles, cooked
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, for garnish
In a large, deep-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté the beef strips in their own fat for 3 minutes, until they are nicely browned and somewhat crisp. Remove the strips to a paper towel–lined plate to drain any excess fat.
Season each of the chicken pieces with the salt and black pepper. Add the chicken pieces to the saucepan and cook on 1 side for 5 minutes, until browned. Turn and repeat until all sides are browned.
Return the beef strips to the saucepan. Add the grape juice, garlic, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaves. Cover and cook over medium heat for 25 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, in a large sauté pan over medium–high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the mushrooms and onion. Season to taste with the salt and pepper and sauté for 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are browned and the onion is translucent and browned.
Create a roux by combining the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour in a small mixing bowl. Mix them together with your fingers until the butter and flour are fully incorporated.
Remove the cover from the saucepan. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken pieces from the saucepan and set them aside on a plate. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Add the roux to the saucepan and whisk vigorously until the roux has completely integrated into the liquid, the mixture has thickened, and there are no lumps. Return the chicken to the saucepan and gently stir in the sautéed mushrooms and onion.
Raise the heat to medium–high and bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. The liquid in the saucepan should be thick enough to slightly stick to the back of a spoon. (If not, raise the heat to high and cook, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce cooks down.) Remove from the heat.
Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and transfer to a serving platter lined with the cooked pappardelle or egg noodles. Ladle the sauce, including the mushrooms and onion, over the chicken and pasta. Garnish with the parsley and serve hot.
Reprinted with permission from My Halal Kitchen by Yvonne Maffei, Agate Surrey, 2016.
Contact: Jacqueline Jarik
847.475.4457, Ext. 4
jarik@agatepublishing.com