Preparing an elaborate meal after an entire day of fasting is not at all easy! The following recipes do not require a lot of time or effort. You don’t have to make that last-minute run to the supermarket when movement outside is restricted in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 Saturday, 16 May 2020

Date & Banana Cups

 

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 large Medjool dates
1 banana
4 tablespoons salted almonds
Shredded coconut or coconut flakes
4 teaspoons honey
2 cups yogurt

How to make Dates and Banana Cups

  • Take the yogurt and divide into 4 cups.
  • Thinly slice the banana and add equal amount of slices to each cup.
  • Top up the cups with one tablespoon each of chopped almonds and dates to each cup.
  • Pour a teaspoon of honey over these dates and almond toppings.
  • Sprinkle with the coconut flakes/ shreds

 Sunday, 17 May 2020

Lebanese Chicken Fatteh

 

Ingredients for the Fatteh (serves 4)

400-500 grams cooked chickpeas (you can also buy a can of of chickpeas)
1 big pita bread cut into small squares
400-500 grams shredded chicken (you can use any leftover chicken from a previous meal too)
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts (use almonds as an alternative)
1/2 teaspoon each of herbs like – garlic powder, coriander, thyme, paprika, white pepper
2 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
Salt as per your taste

Ingredients for the garlic yogurt sauce

800-900 grams yogurt
2-3 garlic cloves chopped finely
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil

How to make Chicken Fatteh

  • Toast the pita bread pieces with some olive oil, salt and pepper in a pan, and toast until golden brown, and add them to a bowl of chickpeas.
  • Toast the pine nuts until golden brown using 1 tablespoon olive oil and transfer to the bowl of chickpeas and pita.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil again in a pan; saute the shredded chicken breast, seasoning it with all the herb powders. Add this flavoured chicken to the chickpea bowl.
  • Lastly, add the chopped parsley to the chickpea-pita bread-chicken-pine nuts bowl.
  • To prepare the garlic yogurt sauce, heat the olive oil in a pan and add minced garlic and salt and mix them up well.
  • Add the yogurt to the pan and stir gently for 5 minutes over low heat allowing it to only warm up and loosen into a liquid consistency. Don’t let it boil.
  • Pour this yogurt sauce over the bowl containing the chickpeas, toasted pita, toasted pine nuts, chicken and parsley and serve immediately.

Monday, 18 May 2020

Pizza In A Pan

Ingredients

5 Bread slices
1/2 Onion Finely Chopped
1 tablespoon Capsicum Chopped red
1 tablespoon Green capsicum Chopped
1 tablespoon Sweet corn
2 sausages Chopped
1 tablespoon Tomato sauce
8 tablespoons Grated Mozzarella

How to make Pizza in a Pan

  • Trim the edges of the bread slices and keep aside
  • Heat oil in a pan.
  • Add the chopped onions and saute till they turn pink and translucent.
  • Tip in rest of the ingredients and saute for 2 minutes.
  • Add the szechuan paste, if using, and tomato sauce and mix well.
  • Check and adjust the seasoning.
  • Switch off heat.
  • Take the bread slices and place spoonfuls of the mixture over each slice.
  • Evenly spread the mixture and sprinkle the grated cheese on top.
  • Heat a grill pan on low flame. Place the pizza on the pan.
  • Cover and cook for 7 minutes or more, till the cheese melts.
  • If you want crunchier base, cook longer. Serve Hot.

Tuesday, 19 May 2020

Almond spiced milk or Badam Hareera

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 teaspoon clarified butter (ghee)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almond powder (made by soaking, then powdering almonds in a blender)
1 litre full-cream milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 pinch saffron, 1 teaspoon cardamom powder, 1/2 teaspoon clove powder

How to make Almond Spiced Milk

  • Heat the clarified butter (ghee) in a pan and roast the flour for a minute or till it browns slightly.
  • Add almond powder and milk to the roasted flour and let the mixture boil. Keep stirring throughout to avoid lump formation.
  • Now add saffron and let the milk mixture simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.
  • Add sugar, cardamom and clove powder and mix till they dissolve well
  • Pour into glasses and serve!
  • This spiced almond milk also tastes great chilled!

Wednesday, 20 May 2020

Quick & Easy Falafel

Ingredients

1 can chickpeas
1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon coriander
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper (to taste)
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups canola or vegetable oil (or amount needed for frying)

How to make Falafel

  • Gather ingredients.
  • Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, parsley, coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper (to taste) in a medium bowl. Add flour and combine well.
  • Mash chickpeas, making sure to mix ingredients together. You can also combine ingredients in a food processor. You want the result to be a thick paste.
  • Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping-pong ball. Slightly flatten.
  • Fry in 2 inches of oil at 350 F until golden brown (2 to 5 minutes).
  • Serve falafel by itself, or with hot pita bread with veggies, or tahini sauce.

Thursday, 21 May 2020

Strawberry milkshake

Ingredients (serves 4)

450g fresh/ frozen strawberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup full cream milk (you can opt for low-fat or skimmed milk for a healthier version)
2 cups vanilla ice-cream
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Small, whole strawberries for garnish

How to make Strawberry Milkshake

  • Stir together sliced strawberries, sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl and let this sit, for an hour.
  • Blend this mix until smooth.
  • Add the ice-cream to the blender and blend again.
  • Pour into glasses, and top it up with small, whole strawberries

 

Friday, 22 May 2020

Easy Bread Pudding or Lemon Pie with Pistachio Graham-Cracker Crust

Easy Bread Pudding

Ingredients

Bread slices, white or whole-wheat- 4
Ghee, for shallow frying bread- 4 tbsp/batch or use more
Milk, skim or whole- 1 1/2 cups
Condenseed milk, sweetened (fat-free)- 150 ml or depending on your sweet level
Saffron strands- 1/2 tsp ( soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk)
Ghee, while cooking- 2 tbsp
Pistachios, chopped- 3 tbsp
Almonds, blanched and chopped- 3 tbsp

How to make Bread Pudding

  • You could use 4 to 6 slices of bread, discard the sides of the bread and slice the bread into 4 pieces.
  • Heat a large non-stick pan, add 2 tbsp ghee, place thee sliced bread on the ghee and pan fry till the bottom side turns golden brown.
  • Add 2 tbsp more of ghee and flip it over, shallow fry till golden brown.You can add more ghee if you want.
  • Remove from the pan and keep aside on a plate.
  • Soak the saffron strands in 1 tbsp of warm milk.
  • Heat a saucepan, add milk to it and let come to a slight boil.
  • Add condensed milk to it, combine well and let milk come to a boil.
  • Simmer the milk for a few minutes till it thickens.
  • Remove from the heat and keep aside.
  • Place the same non-stick pan used for shallow frying bread over medium heat, arrange the shallow fried bread slices on it.
  • Pour the thickened milk + condensed milk over it. Add the soaked saffron strands over it.
  • Drizzle the ghee over the bread slices.
  • Using a flat spatula, gently combine the bread with the milk
  • Don’t over mix the bread with the milk, it would fall apart.
  • You could gently stir it by swirling the pan. Let the milk come to a boil and thicken.
  • Don’t let the milk dry out completely.
  • Remove the pan from the heat.
  • Transfer the bread pudding to a large bowl.
  • Garnish with chopped pistachios and almonds.
  • Serve warm or chilled

Lemon Pie with Pistachio Graham-Cracker Crust

For making the crust

Pistachios, shelled- ⅔ cup
Graham-Cracker crumbs- 1 cup
Butter, unsalted, melted, cooled- 4 tbsp (1/2 stick)
Sugar- ¼ cup
Lemon zest, grated- 1 tbsp

For Filling

Egg yolks- 3
Condensed milk, sweetened- 1 can (14 ounces) + ½ can (7 ounces)
Lemon juice, freshly squeezed- ¼ cup

How to make Lime Pie

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with 1 tbsp melted butter.
  • Line bottom with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides.
  • Making the crust
  • In a grinder, ground the pistachios and keep aside.
  • In a large bowl combine the ground pistachios, Graham-cracker/Digestive crumbs, sugar and lemon zest.
  • Using a hand mixer, blend the melted butter to the crumbs and combine well.
  • Press the mixture into the bottom and 1-inch up sides on the baking dish.
  • Bake until lightly browned, 8-12 minutes and cool the crust for 30 minutes.
  • You could even make the crust in a food processor.
  • Making the filling
  • In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and condensed milk.
  • Add freshly squeezed lemon juice and combine until smooth.
  • Pour filling into the cooled crust and spread evenly.
  • Bake until set, about 15 minutes.
  • Let cool down and chill it in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
  • While serving, cut into squares or any shape of your choice.

Notes

  • You could make this with limes, use lime zest and lime juice.
  • Use freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice for the best taste.
  • If you like to have your pie with strong lime or lemon flavor, then go ahead and add ½ cup of freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice.
  • Health freaks: use fat-free condensed milk and low-fat Graham-cracker crumbs.

Source : Holiday Me

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