Your Favorite Recipe

Hi Clara,

You could substitute your favorite beans (white kidney, pinto or garbanzo) for the meat in the chili and rice recipe!  Leave them whole or mash them, however you prefer.

Our only food prohibitions are pork, blood and alcohol (and of course, our meat must be halal - slaughtered under certain conditions).  It is pork that causes the most "concerns" as there are hidden pork products in food you would never suspect - so we read our labels carefully!

Peace, ummziba.

Clara,

You can find a really great explaination of halal food and about meat here:

http://www.eat-halal.com/halal.shtml

If you like beans, you might enjoy this recipe:

Bean and Pasta Salad:

1 cup (before cooking) small pasta (elbows, shells, bow ties...)

I (540ml/19oz) can mixed beans, rinsed well and drained

1/2 cup each sweet red and green pepper, cut in slivers

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, 1/4 cup diced red onion, 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

4 tbls. olive oil, 4 tbls. lemon juice

Cook pasta and drain, cool.  Mix all ingredients together except last two.  Put olive oil and lemon juice in a jar with a tight fitting lid, shake vigorously.  Pour over salad.  Mix well.  Cover and chill at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.  This salad keeps well for up to 2-3 days in fridge.

Peace, ummziba.

Thanks again Ummziba! I am going to have so many lovely recipes, I printed the Pepper and Feta one out to use later.

I looked at the explanation of Halal meat. I remember now that our religious studies teacher told us how the animal's blood pressure dropped so dramtically when the practice was done correctly that is was one of the least painful ways of the animal being killed.

Anyway, while doing a bit more research, I found a link that may be of interest to those with a 'sweet tooth':

http://www.halalsweeties.com/

Enjoy!

Clara

Assalamu alaikum Rose,

I hope you meant spaghetti sauce!  Here goes:

Very finely chop (or leave chunky if you prefer chunky sauce!): 3 cloves garlic, 1 large onion, 1 can mushrooms (drained), 2 small ribs of celery, 1 large carrot, 1 sweet pepper.  Fry in bottom of large pot with a tbls. of olive oil, until onions are soft.

Add: 3 cans diced tomatoes (156 ml/28 oz), 3 cans tomato paste (156 ml/5 1/2 oz.) and three heaping tbls. white sugar.

Bring to soft boil, then simmer for one hour.  Serve on favorite pasta.  This makes enough for two big meals - eat one now, freeze the rest of the sauce for later!

If you like meatballs, add meatballs to sauce after 15 mins. of cooking, then cook for minimum of 4 hours, stirring occassionaly.

Meatballs: to ground beef (or turkey, lamb, or combination) add very finely chopped: one large onion, 1 celery rib, 1 sweet pepper, 1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese, 2 cloves garlic, 3/4 cup ketchup and enough dried bread crumbs to hold meat together well.  (You can add some bran with the crumbs if you like.)

Roll meat into approximately 2 1/2 inch balls and drop into gently boiling sauce.

Before serving, spoon off excess grease from meatballs from around edges of pot.

(*Meatballs can also be baked in the oven instead, they take about 20 minutes at 350 degrees - then serve like that, or drop into hot spaghetti sauce for last 15 minutes of cooking.)

Hope this is decipherable!  Happy cooking!

Peace, ummziba.