Iftar on Wheels

A WORKING MOTHER always gets the most sympathy in Ramadan, but sometimes even a lady of the manor has to come up with speedy solutions — namely when a call comes in at 4 p.m. from her husband declaring that his office chums are coming over for iftar. Both scenarios can be nightmares, but here are some tips to get you through the ordeal. And whichever option you decide on, always remember that fasting people are hungry people who will eat just about anything placed in front of them. If there’s no time for variety, at least make sure there’s quantity.

For starters: Always make two of everything. Ramadan food is generally a hassle to make, as most people fasting need a substantial dose of butter and bechamel sauce to get them through the next day. As Ramadan begins, prepare a few lasagnas, zucchini and some macaroni bechamel and stick them (unbaked) in the freezer. In the next compartment, always keep marinated meats and poultry that you can just stick under the grill. It’s also a good idea to bread chicken breasts and freeze them so they are ready for frying right before iftar.

Tip: Ramadan is the best time to invest in a microwave.

But you won’t always be able to rely on stocked food. Salads, rice and soups will not keep in the fridge, so you’ll have to make them in those precious minutes before iftar. You can freeze chicken broth, which is great for soup. If you’re out, you can always throw in a bouillon cube for taste. Onion or mushroom soups are the easiest and fastest to make.

Mohsen Allam

Rice is an iftar staple, but forget the time-consuming Oriental variety with chopped nuts and raisins; instead serve up Basmati or other long-grain rice delicately flavored with spices such as saffron or cinnamon. For veggies, grill colorful peppers with slivers of onion, whole mushroom and carrot or zucchini rounds. Go for a plain garden salad with regular vinaigrette (use heart-healthy olive oil and table or balsamic vinegar as your base — or anything low-fat that comes out of a bottle) for dressing. Ready-made hummus and tahina out of a can make good dips teamed with easily prepared crunchy mozzarella-topped garlic bread.

For drinks, have your husband stop at On the Run or Metro, which stock bottles of qamar el-din, tamr hindi and karkade.

Although it’s not common in Ramadan, when the table has to be laden with a veritable feast, there are times when you can get away with making one thing. Fatta is that dish of choice, and you can always prepare both chicken and meat varieties. Again, a large bowl of regular garden salad is a perfect accompaniment, along with creamy yogurt sprinkled with dried mint for a twist.

If all else fails, you can always cheat and call in the cavalry: home delivery. Steer clear of fast food (sandwiches in particular), which isn’t at its freshest during Ramadan (hardly anyone orders it); instead, go for traditional grilled meats such as kebab, kofta, pigeon and quail. Team them with stuffed vegetables and baked tagens. (NM)

Make sure there’s something for everyone at your iftar table

The little people: Round them all up before iftar and make sure you have enough household help. As for the food, if you think children are miniature versions of ourselves and they should be eating everything we do, you’re wrong. Try to serve up perennial favorites including chicken nuggets, chips and meatballs with spaghetti somewhere other than in the dining room, preferably close to a big TV.

The mommas and the papas: Many elderly do not fast due to frail health, so graciously ask if they’d like to have a bite before sitting at the iftar table. If they are fasting, pay them the most attention, making sure they get their soups and drinks first. Place jugs of water close by in case they need to take medication, and always prepare at least one low-fat meat or poultry dish that’s easy for them to digest.

The vegetable kind: Always the ones to be left out as it’s a sign of good hospitality to stick meat or chicken in just about every iftar offering, most vegetarians end up picking at rice and pickles. At your table, always make sure you have a couple of meat-free vegetable varieties. Cheese-stuffed tomatoes and saffron-and-rice-filled colored peppers make a visually impressive addition to the spread and are a welcome relief for vegetarians.

Sugar highs: It’s a bit trickier with diabetics, as you’ll actually have to prepare some things especially for them. Go for lean meats or chicken, instead of fatty pigeon or duck, and again offer up more colorful vegetable dishes either fresh or lightly cooked in olive oil. For drinks, prepare a jug of freshly squeezed orange or lemon juice (go easy on sugar with the latter) or just set aside some unsweetened karkade or tamr hindi and let them add sugar to taste. Bring out a basket of fresh fruit so they can resist the syrupy basboussa and kunafa desserts.

Dieters: For those strong enough to stick to a diet or just going through a midlife crisis: all of the above. Actually, many people who are neither gravitate toward healthier food, so it certainly won’t hurt to include lots of fresh greens and dips as salads and grilled lean meats as entrees. Try as much as possible to avoid fatty or fried foods and stick to vegetable oil (olive is best) instead of all that samna. (NM)

ALTHOUGH RAMADAN is meant to be a lean month, over the decades it has evolved into a full-fledged bingefest. Traditionally, it’s a time of family gathering, which usually translates into huge iftar feasts that often cost an arm and a leg, but there are ways of cutting back on costs when it comes to preparing your meals. You just need to learn how to budget:

1. Buy everything wholesale at the beginning of the month. Not only will you get a much better price on basic foodstuffs, you’ll also guarantee you’ll have everything you need at home. Purchase meat and poultry from the butcher’s and fruit and veggies from the souq as opposed to the supermarket, where prices can go up to double.

2. Plan your meal well. First off, if no one is coming over, either finish off leftovers or cook one dish for iftar. When you have guests, go easy on the amount of meat and chicken, as they will suck up most of the budget. Instead, go for one large platter of meat and one of chicken as centerpieces. Casseroles and vegetable entrees fill up the dining table and you won’t have to dig as deep in your pockets. Don’t bother with dessert, as one of the guests is bound to walk in with something.

3. Make use of everything you have at home. For example, if you have 16 packets of qamar el-din paste sitting in your kitchen cabinet, serve up the traditional juice instead of fresh drinks and cola. Two drink offerings are sufficient. You’ll probably also have mountains of nuts and other yameesh: Use them.

4. Recycle. Although many people choose to give leftovers away in Ramadan, you can keep certain things, especially if you have a lot left over. Most people make too much food for iftar and chances are you’ll end up with a few platters with a bite or two taken out of each. If those dishes happen to have bechamel sauce in them, you can always stick them in the fridge for the next iftar ozooma (invitation). Make some fresh sauce and pour it on top before browning in the oven. Leftover chicken can also be sliced and turned into chicken fatta or chicken pie.

5. Go for alternative ideas. For example, suggest people come round for a potluck (dish party) instead of doing everything yourself or go out for iftar with friends who usually divide up the check. (NM)  et