One of the very first recipes I ever created for Suhoor (early morning meal before a fasting day) was this Very Berry Smoothie. It incorporates such healthy ingredients, including berries which are full of antioxidants. The original recipe is in my first cookbook, Summer Ramadan Cooking, which is available on Amazon.
This video is sponsored by one of my favorite online shops to procure a lot of my organic spices, salts and other ingredients, Mountain Rose Herbs.
To top the smoothies, I love to use freshly chopped nuts like almonds or pistachios. You can get halal-certified pistachios in the ad below.
A very berry smoothie with blueberries and strawberries is chock full of antioxidants
This is a sponsored recipe post by the Zabiha Halal brand. They provide halal-certified products mentioned in this post.
After three full weeks of fasting, napping, eating, praying, and eating some more, as well as being up all night, so much of the Ramadan schedule has either become routine and habitual or a second wind came along to help us get through it all. Either way, many of us have gained newfound energies to elevate the game during this countdown to Eid. I think it’s been quite the marathon, personally.
That said, for parents out there who really need a few more ideas for productive kid-friendly activities, I say we focus on encouraging those things that highlight the spirit of generosity and charity in Ramadan. Choose one, a few, or all of the activities for the remaining days of Ramadan and into Eid, and I think the whole family and even the community will benefit, insha’Allah.
Prep and Deliver Food for people in ‘Itikahf.God bless the people who do not want to spend a single night of the last ten nights except in the place of worship. What if our precious youth can help them in their dedication by providing support in the way of sustenance- i.e. good food! It would be one less thing for worshippers to worry about, and one more good deed for the kids to count. A kid-friendly recipe that they can help you make and take is with the Zabiha Halal Smokies and Broccoli Carbonara, which can be found here.
Post-meal cleanup.Let one good deed follow another by keeping the masjid (mosque) clean and tidy. Closing the cycle of food delivery and clean-up really shows them responsibility from start to finish and they will most likely see a lot of appreciation and encouragement from the adults who are amazed at what the kids have done. Besides, another crucial lesson here is that ‘cleanliness is half our deen’.
Nap in the afternoon. At first thought, a nap might not seem productive, but how many parents have nostalgia for those precious times of the day where the kitchen is closed, everyone goes down for a snooze, and wakes up feeling refreshed and renewed- and ready to help around the house, too! It’s just the recharge essential before night prayers and activities commence, too.
Ask the neighbors how the kids can help them.A very sweet way to meet the neighbors is to offer to lend a hand, whether it be cleaning up their yard, taking out the garbage, doing simple cleaning tasks around the home or something light and easy for the kids’ age. Limit the time to an hour so it doesn’t sap their energy but keeps it short and sweet. Let the focus shine on the importance of time well-spent in service as a representation of faith, kindness, mercy and just simple good neighborly behavior.
Decorate the house.Nothing signals great significance of the moment like changing the ambience in the home. In preparation for Eid, hang party lights indoors and out, banners and add pops of color in textiles and flowers as a way to indicate a unique time is coming. So we do not become desensitized to the occasion, or dilute it with other celebrations throughout the year, keep it special by clearly communicating these decorations are temporary and will only last until soon after ‘Eid.
Maintain the garden.The steamy, sometimes stifling, summer air just might keep us looking at the garden overgrowth from behind our windows. It’s actually a perfect time, however, to show the kids that staying up after fajr has it’s benefits in that it’s usually quite cool out in the morning, which is perfect for working in the garden. If everyone pitches in, then nurturing, weeding, watering and harvesting are a snap. Rotating the responsibility for certain areas keeps things from getting boring. Inspiration to expand with new plants and layouts shows the activity has taken root. Recording stages of growth in a journal with colored pencils and learning the scientific names of plants expands the vocabulary, too. It’s a great educational opportunity.
Try one new recipe that is also a cross-cultural learning opportunity.In the last days of Ramadan we are pressed for time, but we do have to eat. Why not make one of the Iftar meals a window into a different culture? We can all make the world a friendlier place by transforming our lack of knowledge about a people into a delicious, bite-size opportunity to learn something new about them. In my experience, kids absolutely love the excitement of learning something new- and are more apt to try new foods when they’ve been involved in the creation of it. Try the Grilled Tex-Mex Chicken Smokies Pizza with the Zabiha Halal Smokieshere.
Collect and Donate Unwanted Items. In an effort to clean up the house and their rooms, have your kids select some toys and clothes they don’t need or use anymore and donate them to charity.
Qur’an and Dhikr.Read, recite, make du’a and repeat. No better time than in the last days of Ramadan to teach the children small suras, simple du’as and even some short stories about the Prophets (peace be upon them) and the Sahaba.
Delivery service to the elderly in your community.The generations who selflessly supported the youth when they helpless deserve a huge amount of respect, attention and appreciation. Communicate and work with the local community and businesses to set up a delivery service of some sort (i.e. food, therapy animals, reading material, games) to the elderly. Whether living alone or in nursing homes or assisted living, this will make such a huge impact on everyone. A package or a visit with a smile from our youngest to our oldest quickly softens the hearts and strengthens our relationships, and I can think of no better time than now to begin this beautiful good deed, which can insha’Allah, turn into a habit.
There you have it! Ten ways to keep your children (and in many cases adults, too) productive in Ramadan. Which ones do you think you can do? How might this work in your home? What is possible to continue well-past the end of the month, and maybe as a continual effort? Please share your thoughts in the comments section with what works, what doesn’t, what you did about it, and the outcome of such.
I grew up eating homemade pizza and pizza from very good local pizzerias. Both were excellent, though completely different from one another- one being the American version of pepperoni pizzas and the other being my grandmother’s version of the traditional Sicilian style pizza made from scratch and made like no other pizza in town.
My grandmother made pizza on the same days she made homemade Italian bread. Her pizzas were huge and square and when finished, she cut them into pizzas for us with scissors.
We basically thought there were two kinds of pizzas coming out of the oven- one plain and one pepperoni, only to discover at times that she would hide pieces of anchovy under the cheese so that us kids would actually become accustomed to its taste, and hopefully someday really like it that way. And, I do.
I never actually got the exact recipe from my grandmother. When I tried, it was a bit of a guessing game. Between her Sicilian dialect which is an offshoot of the Italian language that I do somewhat understand and the fact that she really never documented the recipe, it’s hard to get exact measurements from her.
So, I researched and experimented and in the end found my perfect pizza dough recipe, which I’m certain of by it’s texture before it’s cooked, how it smells as its cooking and of course what it tastes like in the end.
If you want to try it, too, the recipe follows. You can also make it in a rounded dish, but temperature and cooking time may vary so keep an eye on the crust.
As far as finding halal pepperoni, check out some great products by Whole Earth Meats which is all organic and free of nitrites and a great-tasting one produced by Midamar Halal. You can also find sejouk at most Middle Eastern, Mediteranean and/or halal meat markets.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe for both the dough and the sauce as well as the pizza toppings shown in the photos.
1 ½ cups green peppers, diced (approximately one large pepper)
½ cup yellow onion, diced (approximately one small onion)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 garlic cloves)
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 eight-ounce cans tomato sauce (no salt-added)
1 tablespoon fresh or frozen basil (2 leaves)
Sauce Directions
In a medium sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat until warm.
Add the pepper and sauté for about 1 minute, or until slightly softened.
Add the onion and stir to blend with the peppers and soften, about 1 minute more.
Add the garlic, salt and parsley.
Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, add the canned tomatoes and basil. Remove the mixture from the sauté pan into this saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Cook for about 40 minutes, covered. Remove from heat and allow to cool before adding to uncooked dough.
Dough Ingredients
Yields dough for one large pizza on a standard baking sheet
2 teaspoons active dry yeast ½ teaspoon sugar 1 cup warm water 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Dough Directions
Place the yeast and sugar into a large bowl you’ll use to mix your dough (preferably the stainless steel stand mixer bowl).
Add the warm water and mix to dissolve. Leave covered, for 10 minutes.
Remove the cover from the yeast mixture. Place bowl on stand mixer to prepare for kneading.
Add ½ cup of the flour, the salt and the oil to the mixture. Use the dough hook to knead the flour into the mixture. Continue to add flour to the mixture, ½ cup at a time, mixing after every addition. Knead until all flour has been completely blended.
The dough may not form into a perfect ball just by using the dough hook, so remove from the stand mixer. Add a little oil to your hands and work with the dough inside of the bowl, scraping up any flour on the sides and bottom of the bowl and begin to form a ball using your hands. Add more oil to your hands, if necessary, but only a little bit at a time.
Keep mixing and kneading with your hands until you have a ball of dough.
Keep the dough in the bowl. Cover and let rise for one hour.
Preheat the oven to 450° F just before preparing to roll out the dough.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough to fit the sheet pan. Transfer the rolled out dough to a lightly oiled pan with a little corn meal sprinkled on the bottom. This helps to give the crust bottom a bit of texture and prevent it from sticking to the pan.
Crimp the edges of the pizza all the way around. Add 1- 1/3 cup of the pizza sauce, then add the cheese and pepperoni. Bake 15 minutes, or until cheese has turned slightly brown around the edges and the crust has browned.
I was never a fan of frozen food as a kid. I could always tell if something came from a box because the taste was just nothing like mom made. For some reason, they were never filling enough, either.
Delicious fish sticks you can make at home (more…)
This morning I had the great honor of being able to show young junior high students at a local school how to prepare a fun and healthy after-school snack that they can prepare for themselves without ever having to turn on a stove.
This demo was conducted in conjunction with IFANCA‘s initiative to talk to kids about what’s halal in commercial food products as well as how to make healthy food choices on their own. Our all-American kids love all-American food as well as food from their ethnic families’ culinary heritage, but the halal factor in store-bought products can be a bit confusing.
Asma Ahad, a food technologist at IFANCA (Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America), was there to dispell many of the myths surrounding food ingredients and what makes them halal or not. She did a great job engaging the kids in a hands-on activity and the kids were great listeners who were totally present during the entire presentation, including, of course the one that involved the food tasting.
I showed them how to make a Five Layer Bean Dip and Homemade Tortilla Chips and also had a few helpers along the way who came up to do some of the prep with me, which was so much fun.
The recipe is below and I’ve also created this video to show you how to make it.
Five-Layer Black Bean Dip
This five-layer bean dip is more of an American favorite than anything traditionally Mexican, though enjoyed on both sides of the cultural border. It’s also incredibly versatile because you can use any kind of cheese your family likes, whole beans or smashed beans, salsa or simply cut tomatoes, guacamole or smashed avocadoes. Whatever you have on hand, this is a quick, easy and healthy snack that requires no cooking- even the kids can make it for themselves without ever touching the stove!
Five Layer Black Bean Dip
This five-layer bean dip is more of an American favorite than anything traditionally Mexican, though enjoyed on both sides of the cultural border. It’s also incredibly versatile because you can use any kind of cheese your family likes, whole beans or smashed beans, salsa or simply cut tomatoes, guacamole or smashed avocados. Whatever you have on hand, this is a quick, easy and healthy snack that requires no cooking- even the kids can make it for themselves without ever touching the stove!
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 cans (15-ounces each) black beans
1 cup sour cream, or ½ cup sour cream + ½ cup whole milk yogurt
1 cup chopped tomatoes (seeds and juices removed), or ready-made salsa
1 tablespoon jalapeño peppers or ¼ cup canned fire roasted green chiles (about 4 ounces), diced
Drain the beans of all liquids using a colander or sieve. Pour the drained beans into the bottom of a square cake pan and spread the beans evenly across the bottom.
Next, layer the sour cream or the yogurt-sour cream mixture on top of the beans. Do the same with the chopped tomatoes or salsa. Add the jalapeños and/or green chiles on top of the salsa then add the scallions.
Top with an even layer of guacamole or diced avocados then add a layer of cheddar cheese on top. Place lime wedges on the side for those who would like to squeeze on top of the dip before eating, or squeeze fresh lime juice over the entire top layer of the dip just before serving.
Scoop up with freshly baked homemade tortilla chips and a side of hot sauce, if desired.
Homemade Tortilla Chips
When buying corn tortillas, look for those that have only three key ingredients- corn, water, and lime. I have my favorite brands, but there are new ones popping up all the time that cater to the consumer interested in more natural and whole foods. It’s also best to make sure the corn used to make the tortillas is not genetically modified.
Flour tortillas should have stone ground wheat and only a few additional (all natural) ingredients.
Makes about 100 chips (if you don’t need this many just use half or less than that. The direction below can be used for any quantity)
Ingredients
1 package (10g)/284g ‘El Milagro’ corn tortillas, about 12 tortillas, or the same amount of flour tortillas
Special Equipment
Toaster oven, conventional oven or comal (cast iron skillet or pan)
Directions for Baked Tortilla Chips
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Triple up the tortillas and cut this bunch into quarters. You should have 4 sets of triangles.
Cut each set of triangle in half lengthwise.
Place on 2 baking sheets (ungreased) one up and one the opposite directions. Place in hot oven and bake for 30 minutes or until all are golden brown and crispy.
OR
Place each piece in a toaster oven. Bake at 425°F or on the ‘toast’ setting for 10 minutes.
Directions for Stovetop Tortilla Chips
Follow directions for cutting using the method above.
Use a comal, or grill pan to brown the chips on each side. Heat the pan so it is nice and hot. Place cut tortillas over the entire surface of the pan and heat for just a few minutes until one side is browned. Flip and keep on heat for about 10 seconds before removing.
It’s been an eventful couple of weeks around here. I’ve been visiting farmers’ markets everywhere I can here in Chicago and back home in Ohio. Did you see all the Ohio produce that I was able to capture?
With little time to spare on cooking some days and still wanting healthy homemade snacks, I came up with the idea of making small batches of hummus for myself because once you get the hang of making it, it’s easy to do small or large batches.
They’re even great for taking yourself on a picnic or packing a jar up for your family.
This is a sponsored recipe post by the Zabiha Halal brand. They provide halal-certified products mentioned in this post. 
God bless the people who do not want to spend a single night of the last ten nights except in the place of worship. What if our precious youth can help them in their dedication by providing support in the way of sustenance- i.e. good food! It would be one less thing for worshippers to worry about, and one more good deed for the kids to count. A kid-friendly recipe that they can help you make and take is with the Zabiha Halal Smokies and Broccoli Carbonara, which can be found 
Let one good deed follow another by keeping the masjid (mosque) clean and tidy. Closing the cycle of food delivery and clean-up really shows them responsibility from start to finish and they will most likely see a lot of appreciation and encouragement from the adults who are amazed at what the kids have done. Besides, another crucial lesson here is that ‘cleanliness is half our deen’. 
A very sweet way to meet the neighbors is to offer to lend a hand, whether it be cleaning up their yard, taking out the garbage, doing simple cleaning tasks around the home or something light and easy for the kids’ age. Limit the time to an hour so it doesn’t sap their energy but keeps it short and sweet. Let the focus shine on the importance of time well-spent in service as a representation of faith, kindness, mercy and just simple good neighborly behavior. 
Nothing signals great significance of the moment like changing the ambience in the home. In preparation for Eid, hang party lights indoors and out, banners and add pops of color in textiles and flowers as a way to indicate a unique time is coming. So we do not become desensitized to the occasion, or dilute it with other celebrations throughout the year, keep it special by clearly communicating these decorations are temporary and will only last until soon after ‘Eid.
The steamy, sometimes stifling, summer air just might keep us looking at the garden overgrowth from behind our windows. It’s actually a perfect time, however, to show the kids that staying up after fajr has it’s benefits in that it’s usually quite cool out in the morning, which is perfect for working in the garden. If everyone pitches in, then nurturing, weeding, watering and harvesting are a snap. Rotating the responsibility for certain areas keeps things from getting boring. Inspiration to expand with new plants and layouts shows the activity has taken root. Recording stages of growth in a journal with colored pencils and learning the scientific names of plants expands the vocabulary, too. It’s a great educational opportunity. 
In the last days of Ramadan we are pressed for time, but we do have to eat. Why not make one of the Iftar meals a window into a different culture? We can all make the world a friendlier place by transforming our lack of knowledge about a people into a delicious, bite-size opportunity to learn something new about them. In my experience, kids absolutely love the excitement of learning something new- and are more apt to try new foods when they’ve been involved in the creation of it. Try the Grilled Tex-Mex Chicken Smokies Pizza with the Zabiha Halal Smokies 
