Ramadan is one of my favorite holidays. It’s filled with quality time with family and friends, and elaborate dinners with tons of food (which is basically a must after fasting during the day and not having anything to eat or drink…not even water!).
Deana and I use shortcuts when we can, and thanks to Saffron Road’s products, ‘shortcut’ doesn’t mean compromising taste or quality. Just because your guests have been fasting all day doesn’t mean they won’t know the difference between good and bad food! Plus, all of Saffron Road’s food is halal-certified and have no hydrogenated fats or artificial colors. Here are some of my favorite tips for preparing your iftar table.
Have Some Snacks Ready to Go
We always have an assortment of various snacks ready on our iftar table: Dried fruit, dates and Saffron Road Crunchy Chickpeas, Sea Salt. That way, our hungry guests can nibble on something immediately.
Make an Easy Dip
Dips and chips are also an important part of a Ramadan iftar table – and they’re also super easy to prepare. We like to make hummus (or you can just grab some Whole Foods Market™ hummus) and serve it with Saffron Road Baked Lentil Chips.
Start with an Easy, Small Soup
Every family’s traditions vary, but many start their meals with a bowl of soup. Some people think soup will fill people up before the main course, so I like to meet somewhere in the middle by putting soup in little shooters. Combine Saffron Road Coconut Curry Korma Sauce with Saffron Road Traditional Chicken Broth. Let it simmer, and you’ll have a quick and easy soup! For something a little extra, top the soup with Saffron Road Crunchy Chickpeas or Baked Lentil Chips.
Make an Easy Entrée
For my family, dinner is incomplete without rice. We’ve used Saffron Road Chicken Biryani for one of our two main dishes. We like to add our own touches to it by caramelizing an extra onion and adding some golden raisins to top it off. You can sear chicken, top it off with Saffron Road Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce and bake it all together. Add some fresh cilantro, and you’re good to go. If you’re really in a pinch, just pop one of Saffron Road’s frozen entrees in the microwave and put it on a nice serving platter. There are many to choose from with so many different flavors from across the globe. One of my personal favorites is Saffron Road frozen Enchiladas al Chipotle.
Don’t Stress Over Drinks and Desserts
Water is obviously a must after not consuming any beverages all day. Lots of Middle Eastern families like to drink apricot juice, but we tend to opt for a lemonade and mint drink. You can squeeze your own lemons or you can make the whole thing a lot easier picking up 365 Everyday Value®lemonade at Whole Foods Market and adding fresh mint and honey or sugar on your own. Also, make sure to have enough tea and coffee on hand to serve with pastries, cookies, and dessert!
The most important thing – aside from eating – is that you get to celebrate an important time with your family and friends. That’s why I like to stop by Whole Foods Market to quickly grab all of these things I need, so I can focus on what really matters (and, you know, beat the hanger).
Happy Iftar!
*This post is sponsored by Whole Foods but all opinions are our own
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