Mango Bread (Fresh Mango Loaf Cake)

As you have probably already noticed I have a thing for fruit cakes, especially those with lemon. Don’t get me wrong, I love chocolate. I really do...especially Swiss chocolate with nuts. But, quite honestly, I am not too crazy about chocolate cake. I am still searching for a chocolate cake that will inspire me. If and when I stumble across something interesting, I promise to write about it.

Citrus-berry Terrine

As you know my kids love fruit and eat tons of it for breakfast, snacks and after meals. They also like jello, halal only of course. I don’t make it as frequently as they would like as I am not much of a fan. So it is not hard to imagine why this dessert has become a favorite in my house even with my husband.

Farmer Markets, a Brazilian tradition (Feiras) and Avocado Shake Recipe

These days many in the US are turning more and more toward buying fresh food from local farmers and neighborhood street markets. Brazilians have been doing this forever. Street markets, “feiras” as Brazilians call them, have always been where we shopped for much of our home goods. Sure, retail chain supermarkets are increasingly gaining in popularity for the same reasons of convenience they've always been a hit in the US, but feiras are still are the preferred source of fresh produce for the majority of Brazilian homes.

All over Brazil, every neighborhood has a weekly street market that sells fresh produce, meat, poultry and fish, spices, and other things such as dairy products and flowers. As a child, I really enjoyed these visits to the feira with my mother because I couldn't wait to visit the lady that sold handmade clothes for my Barbie dolls.

Dreamy Fig Ice Cream

As you certainly must know by now, one of the things I enjoy most when visiting new places is the more unusual food unique to each destination. And, believe me, Morocco has a lot more to offer beyond tagines and couscous.

Fresh Fruit Tart

Recipe Updated!

Sorry for not posting anything in a week. Summer is a busy time for mamas. But stay on the lookout for new and delicious recipes coming this week to Halal Mama’s World Kitchen.

Yesterday I made this fresh fruit tart again but used a new tart shell and changed a bit the cream. The result was a much tastier and egg-free tart. So I have made changes to this recipe to reflect this new version.

One of my favorite things about the warm weather months is how perfect the timing is for fruit desserts! I made a festive fruit tart as one of my dessert options for last weekend's picnic. I love this fresh alternative for a summer dessert because you can top it off with a variety of favorite fruits of the season and it is always visually impressive.

Peach and Raspberry Crisp

My fondest food memories from childhood always included fun gatherings with family and friends. Most weekends we went away from São Paulo to the beach house but would still make it back to the city for Sunday lunch back at my grandmother's home. The whole family and many times friends too would gather for some Brazilian-style barbecue or for some of my grandmother’s delicious macarronada (pasta dish).

Orangette

Unbelievable as it seems the end of another school year is less than two weeks away. This is about the time I get to thinking about what to get my childrens' teachers as a gift to express our thanks for all they have done throughout the year.

Tuile Cups with Super Lemon Ice Cream

I've mentioned cooking club in earlier posts and promised to reveal more later. So, with this post I'm fulfilling my pledge. I've wanted to form some kind of a cooking club for a very long time. Finally, earlier this year, my vision came to life in the form of the Halal Gourmet Cooking Club. I structured the club in such a way that we meet socially every six weeks to celebrate some kind of unique culinary experience. We meet at a different members' home each time and this person hosting is charged ahead of time with selecting a theme and designing the menu. Participants receive a copy of the complete menu from the hostess a few weeks prior to the actual soiree and each is assigned a course to test, create, and adapt so that it meets strict Islamic halal standards. Not only does this allow each member the fun opportunity to plan an exotic menu but along the way everyone gets a chance to delve into the new cooking experiences that come with each meeting's theme.

Spinach and Goat's Cheese Risotto & Strawberry Gelato

As a busy mama of four I am becoming somewhat of a kitchen-gadget guru. My schedule is such that I need all the help I can get. My latest purchase was an ice-cream maker, so expect a lot of frozen-treat recipes this summer! But my most useful, can’t-do-without gadget (if it can be called that) is my pressure cooker. It's not one of those fancy digital ones that you find at Macy's and other super stores. No, it's old-school style which I find just lovely because not only does it do the job, it conjures beautiful memories of Brazil and Morocco where if you visit someone before lunch you will likely hear the gurgling sound of a pressure cooker working in the kitchen. For those of you unfamiliar with this magical machine, the pressure cooker reduces cooking time for most foods by about two-thirds! Another benefit of pressure cooking is that if you are using meat, it always turns out quite juicy and tender. However, most importantly for me is that my tride-and-true pressure cooker will churn out the tagines that my Moroccan husband loves in a mere 20 minutes!