So you’ve eaten nothing all day and will no doubt be having amazing dreams about all the delicious food you will be able to consume at Iftar, but take care; part of the reason for fasting is to exercise self-control in order to improve oneself.
If you manage to resist temptation for the entire period of Ramadan, you will probably have broken a few bad habits, lost some weight and feel healthier than you did at the beginning of the month.
The traditional way to break your fast is with dates and water. Fresh dates are easily digestible and will replenish energy and revitalise the body instantly. They are high in fibre, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, iron and calcium, so the ideal choice whilst waiting for your main meal. Try to keep food light, hydrating and nutritious and avoid anything sweet other than fruit and overly spicy foods.
Here are a few simple recipes which I hope you will enjoy:
Yogurt Cucumber Salad: Peel and finely chop 2 small cucumbers and mix into a bowl of two cups of plain probiotic yogurt. Add a minced clove of garlic, a tablespoon of freshly chopped mint and a touch of salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve with a salad made from chopped tomatoes, spring onions and leaves of your choice.
Baba Ghannoush: Bake 2 medium aubergine/eggplant in a hot oven for about 15 minutes until soft. Scoop out the pulp and allow to cool. Mix with ¼ cup of tahini, one or two minced cloves of garlic, one tablespoon of olive oil, one teaspoon of cumin, juice of three lemons, black pepper and a little salt. Serve with thin slices of lightly toasted brown Arabic bread and lots of crudites.
Lamb Tagine: A casserole dish is a perfectly good substitute if you don’t have a tagine. Heat oven to 180°C/gas mark 6. Lightly fry a large onion in a little oil, then add two chopped garlic cloves. Once soft, add 500g of diced lamb and cook quickly to brown the outside. Add one tablespoon of ras-elhanout, stirring constantly for a couple of minutes. Transfer to the casserole and add 200g of diced squash, a generous handful of dried apricots, 4 fresh tomatoes, halved and ½ litre of stock. Season, put the lid on the casserole dish and cook in the oven for an hour. Reduce the heat and cook slowly for another hour until the lamb is really tender. Just before serving with cous-cous, stir in a small bunch of chopped coriander.
Avocado, Date and Banana Smoothie: Put two avocados, two bananas, a tablespoon of date paste, ½ litre of soya milk and a cup of probiotic yoghurt into the blender until smooth. If it is too thick for your taste, add more milk. Sprinkle some crushed cashew nuts over the top. It’s delicious.
