6 Easy Ramadan Recipes and Meal Prep Ideas From Blogger Yumna Jawad

Ramadan (a holy month of fasting from dawn to sunset, prayer and worship for the Muslim community) falls on February 28 this year. So, to stay nourished and energized throughout the month, Yumna Jawad, owner of the Feel Good Foodie blog, shares her easy Ramdan recipes and tips for suhoor (the meal before the fast) and iftar (the meal after breaking the fast). 

What’s also great is that anyone can incorporate these dishes and ideas into their everyday cooking. “Even if you don’t observe the holiday, Ramadan is a great time to experiment with Middle Eastern dishes and explore new flavors,” Jawad says. Read on for her tips and recipes.

Jawad’s top 3 tips for stress-free Ramadan meal prep

Whether you’re cooking for yourself or the whole family, Jawad shares her three tips to make meals for suhoor and iftar without hassle.

1. Use your freezer to store dishes.

The freezer is your friend when it comes to prepping dishes and then storing them for later. This way they’re ready to cook and serve in less time. “I freeze some meals that are freezer-friendly, like crispy cheese rolls (that can just be popped in the oven) or beef kafta (that can thaw overnight to be baked in the oven or cooked on the stovetop) or falafel batter because my recipe makes 36 balls and perfect for meal prep,” she says.

2. Build meals on a sheet pan.

Jawad’s loves whipping up sheet pan meals, especially for Ramadan. “Instead of using multiple pieces of cookware, I’m taking my popular recipes and cooking them on a sheet pan to limit the amount of cookware used and have a hand-off approach,” she notes. The sheet pan’s large surface area also allows each ingredient to cook and brown evenly.

 3. Cook and prep dishes in bulk.

Making big batches of dishes means that you can freeze and enjoy them multiple times throughout the month (and beyond). “There are a couple staples that my mom cooks almost daily during Ramadan and those include crushed lentil soup and fattoush salad,” she explains. “Since I can’t cook them as often, I quadruple the soup recipe and the salad recipe and even buy precut vegetables like radishes and lettuce to save some steps for the salad.” 

6 delicious and simple Ramadan recipes worth trying

Here, Jawad shares six tasty Ramadan recipes—three for suhoor and three for iftar. These recipes showcase popular Middle Eastern ingredients that you can easily find at the store, such as dates, lentils and sumac. Your family will love these flavorful dishes along with her vast collection of other Ramadan recipes on the Feel Good Foodie blog! 

For suhoor (before fast):

1. Date Shake

Ingredients:

• 2 bananas, frozen
• 4 dates, pitted
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• 2 Tbs. chia seeds
• 2 Tbs. creamy peanut butter
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk

Directions:

• Active: 5 mins
• Total time: 5 mins
• Yield: 2 servings

1. Place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender, and blend for 60 to 120 seconds until you get a smooth and creamy texture.
2. Taste the smoothie, adding more milk if it is too thick or adding more sweetener if it’s not sweet enough for you. Pour into a cup or mason jar. Enjoy immediately, or store in fridge for up to 24 hours.

2. Mediterranean Egg Wrap

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. olive oil, divided
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 2 large eggs, whisked
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• 1 whole wheat tortilla
• 2 Tbs. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 2 Tbs. crumbled feta cheese
• Red onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

• Active: 5 mins
• Total time: 10 mins
• Yield: 1 serving

1. Heat 1 tsp. oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add spinach and cook until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Remove spinach and set aside.
2. In same skillet, heat remaining 1 tsp. olive oil and add egg. Mix around with a rubber spatula and cook until eggs are scrambled, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
3. Assemble wrap. In the center of the wrap, add eggs, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, feta and then onions. Wrap, cut in half and serve immediately.

3. Overnight Oats

Ingredients:

2 ingredient base

• ½ cup rolled oats
• ½ cup milk of choice

My add-ins

• ¼ cup non-fat Greek yogurt 
• 1 Tbs. chia seeds
• 1 Tbs. sweetener like honey or maple syrup
• ¼ tsp. vanilla extract

Peanut butter and jelly

• 1 Tbs. strawberry jam
• 1 Tbs. creamy peanut butter
• ¼ cup strawberries, diced
• 2 Tbs. peanuts, crushed

Apple pie

• ¼ cup apples, diced
• 1 Tbs. pecans, chopped
• 2 tsp. maple syrup
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon

Banana nutella

• ½ banana, sliced
• 1 Tbs. Nutella
• 1 Tbs. hazelnuts, crushed
• 1 Tbs. chocolate chips

Almond joy

• ¼ cup shredded coconut
• 1 Tbs. almonds, chopped
• 1 Tbs. chocolate chips
• 2 tsp. maple syrup

Blueberry lemon muffin

• ¼ cup blueberries
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 2 tsp. honey
• Pinch salt

Maple brown sugar

• 1 Tbs. brown sugar
• 2 tsp. maple syrup
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

• Active: 5 mins
• Total time: 8 hr. 5 mins
• Yield: 1 serving

1. Place all ingredients into a large glass container and mix until combined.
2. Cover the glass container with a lid or plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. Toppings can be added the night before or immediately before serving.
3. Uncover and enjoy from the glass container the next day. Thin with a little more milk or 

For iftar (after fast):

1. Crushed Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1½ tsp. salt, divided
• ½ tsp. black pepper, divided
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1½ cups red lentils, rinsed
• ½ cup short grain white rice, rinsed
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 8 cups water
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:

• Active: 10 mins
• Total time: 45 mins
• Yield: 6 servings

2. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions, 1
   teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 8
   minutes.
3. Add the carrots, lentils, rice, and cumin. Season again with the remaining salt and
   pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cumin is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add 8 cups of water and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook,
   covered, but stirring once or twice throughout, until the rice and lentils are fluffy and fully
   cooked, 25 to 30 minutes.
5. Using an immersion blender, pulse the soup a few times to achieve a coarse yet creamy
   consistency. The soup will continue to thicken as it sits. Stir in the lemon juice and
   chopped fresh parsley to serve.

2. Spinach Pies

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1¼ cups warm water
• 2 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1 packet (2¼ tsp.) instant yeast 
• 2 tsp. salt
• ¼ cup olive oil

Spinach filling

• 16 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• ¼ cup parsley, chopped 
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 Tbs. sumac
• 1 tsp. salt

Directions:

• Active: 30 mins
• Total time: 2 hr., 50 mins 
• Yield: 15 servings

Make the dough

1. Combine the warm water, sugar and yeast in a bowl. Add the flour and salt and mix together until well combined. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead the mixture until sticky, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the olive oil and continue kneading until the dough becomes soft and smooth and lightly sticky without leaving any dough on your fingers. The dough will be oily.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased and allow it to proof until doubled, about 90 minutes.
4. Remove the dough and divide into 30 pieces and reshape into round balls. Let sit in an oiled tray covered until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Make the stuffing

1. In a large bowl, place the thawed spinach, parsley, onions, olive oil, lemon juice, sumac and salt. Stir to combine until very well mixed. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use.

Assemble and bake

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Divide the dough into the two trays with 15 balls each separated into 3 rows of 5. Use your hands to press down on the dough to flatten them while keeping a circular shape.
3. Place 2 Tbs. of the mixture inside each circle.
4. Hold two ends of the dough and seal them together over the filling, pinching the dough together to help bind. Fold the last side up to meet the first two sides, pinching the dough together with the first two sides to bind.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
6. Serve warm on their own or with plain whole milk yogurt as a dip.

3. Shish Tawook (Lebanese Chicken Kabobs)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into large chunks
• ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 Tbs. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. paprika
• ¾ tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. oregano
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. black pepper

Directions:

• Active: 10 mins
• Total time: 28 mins 
• Yield: 6 servings

1. In a large bowl, add the ingredients for the marinade (yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, tomato paste, all the seasoning and salt and pepper) and whisk to combine.
2. Place the chicken cubes in the same bowl and coat the chicken in the marinade. Cover, and let rest/marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
3. Thread the chicken on skewers right before grilling. Add one wedge of onions to each skewer, if desired.
4. Grill on medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes per side.
5. Serve with pita bread, lettuce and garlic sauce, if desired.