Ramadan + dessert= Banana Date Nut muffins

Dates are a superfood you should be consuming throughout the entire year, not just Ramadan! 
These muffins are gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, and bursting with flavor. I topped them off with walnuts and Madinah dates (thanks to my beloved Baba) for the perfect combo of sweet and crunchy. Mixing dates in the batter might cause them to sink and thus burn during the baking process. 

These muffins are a fun kitchen project to do with your children! Let them get involved early on to develop cooking and baking skills.
Find many more recipes for clean desserts in my book, Sunnah Superfoods: http://amzn.to/2AEpxGZ

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups gluten-free flour or organic unbleached flour (this brand is one of my fav)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder (aluminum-free)
½ teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt
3 bananas
¾ cup organic coconut palm sugar (a great brand to try)
1 organic pasture-raised egg
1/3 cup cold-pressed avocado oil (I like using this kind) 
½ cup raw walnuts
½ cup chopped Madinah Dates
 
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.   
2. Place bananas in a small glass bowl and mash well.
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, beat the banana, sugar, oil, and egg until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture and mix until well incorporated. Spoon into muffin cups.
5. Top with chopped walnuts and dates.
6. Bake for 19-21 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Allow to cool and enjoy.

 

What's your favorite kind of date? Let us know if you try these and how you like them. :)

The blessed month of Ramadan is here, and you most likely have a plate of dates for your family to break their fast on daily. Dates are incredible superfood, and a Sunnah food too! They're loaded with key vitamins and minerals, and provide your body with the nutrients and energy it needs for a great day. Whether it's Ramadan or not, I advise my clients to consume dates on a regular basis. These date balls are very presentable and easy to make. 

Dates are a great holistic remedy for constipation and indigestion. I always advise my clients attempt such natural ailments before reaching for the medicine cabinet. They're also extremely beneficial for women during their menstrual cycles as they replace essential minerals like magnesium, iron, and calcium that are lost during menstruation. You can read more on the benefits of dates and how they can help you heal your various symptoms in my book, Sunnah Superfoods. For now, let's get to the recipe before iftar time. :) 

Ingredients:
2 cups date paste (pitted dates, pureed)
2 tablespoons cinnamon, ground
½ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
½ teaspoon cardamom, ground  
½ teaspoon ginger, ground  
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup raw pistachios
1 cup unsweetened organic cranberries, coarsely chopped  
             
Directions:

1. Place the date paste in a large mixing bowl. Add the spices and mix well.
2. In a food processor chop the nuts (separately) into coarse pieces. Place in individual bowls. 
3. Place the olive oil in a bowl. Dab the palm of your hands with olive oil and roll the date paste into ½-1 inch balls.
4.  Roll each date ball into either walnuts, pistachios, or cranberries.
5. Place on a serving plate. Cover well and refrigerate for optimum freshness.

 

Are you cooking with these stock cubes this Ramadan? Perhaps they burst your soup with flavor, or make it easier not to worry about measuring spices. Nonetheless, I urge you to recognize that spending a few extra minutes preparing food is far better than using unhealthy ingredients like Maggi Cubes. 

Let's put the very famous MAGGI CUBES on the spot. Where do I begin? Back in high school, I would put these in many dishes I cooked, from watching them melt and color up the rice, to tossing them into the soup to do the “flavoring” for me. Right around then, I decided to look into the ingredients, and the friendship all went downhill from there. Alhamdullilah, I recognized it is NOT needed to make food taste good, and with all bragging rights included, my family and friends can attest to the taste of my food. Tayeb, moving on.
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On the website this company says, “MAGGI® products are made with quality ingredients from around the world, and vary product by product.” Are you kidding me?! “quality ingredients?” You will be wondering the same thing by the time you finish reading this.
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Here is their ingredient list (this is for the chicken flavor, but I assure you the vegetable is not any healthier):
“Salt, vegetable oil (palm oil and hydrogenated palm oil), cornstarch, monosodium glutamate, chicken fat, sugar, and less than 2% of onion powder, spices, dehydrated chicken, natural flavor (wheat), disodium inosinate, caramel color, tbhq and citric acid (to preserve freshness).”
 
SALT: First of all, it is LOADED with sodium. I’m pretty confident the salt used is not Himalayan Pink Salt. The most commonly used table salt is heated to almost 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, thus destroying all of the benefits. Additionally, some brands contain more preservatives and chemicals to act as anti-caking agents than salt itself.

VEGETABLE OIL (PALM OIL AND HYDROGENATED PALM OIL): okay my friends, if you were to take one piece of advice it’s this: if you ever see HYDROGENATED or PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED – I don’t care if it’s olive oil—put it back on the shelf and run. These oils are what damage your heart, lead to obesity, are toxic to your liver, and cause your body to slowly develop internal inflammation- the root of most disease. Now you see why this blob of what smells like the most perfect mélange of herbs and oils is nothing more than chemicals and man-made oils, dolled up in spices and flavorings. I promise you, you can make delicious food without poisoning your body. Oh, and if you care about the environment, you wouldn’t eat palm oil.

CORNSTARCH: most likely derived from genetically-engineered corn; no thanks! Way too much to say about this topic, and if you’ve attended my lectures or have a copy of my book, you are probably well aware. In a nutshell, don’t eat corn (or anything made of corn) if it’s not certified organic. It’s a recipe for damage.

MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE: Ahhh the famous MSG. You probably heard the war on MSG; “eat it,” followed by, “it’s extremely detrimental to your health and should be avoided,” followed by some more, “it’s safe in small amounts,” arguments. Let me put it this way, I personally wouldn’t want to eat something that solid research proved could cause sensitivity in people, with symptoms including headaches, muscle tightness, numbness, tingling, weakness, or flushing. Other research found that asthma attacks are possible with large dosages of this Chinese salt. So long story short, you either see MSG as an evil health killer, or something safe in small amounts, and one you can’t eat your food without. The choice is yours, but frankly, so are the consequences.
Let’s fast forward through the ingredients, not sure how you feel, but I’m pretty confident you are convinced these innocent-looking flavor cubes are really harmful to the health of you and your family.
 
TBHQ: If you prefer the full name, Tertiary butylhydroquinone, is what this stands for. It is used to preserve processed food, and banned in many other countries. Studies found it increases the growth of TUMORS, cause liver enlargement, has neurotoxic effects, can cause convulsions, and just like BHA (another additive) it is found to impact human behavior., thus recommended to be avoided in diets for ADHD. Come again, you see why this is banned in other countries? Don’t take a 4-letter chemical so lightly. 

Caramel color: How exciting [all sarcasm included]. Caramel color might sound nice and sweet, but in fact, it’s pure poison. “Some types of this artificial coloring contain a potentially carcinogenic chemical called 4-methylimidazole (4-MeI).” If you spend enough time in the kitchen you know very well you don’t need no caramel color to make your soup look good! It’s all about the natural spices. Make homemade bone broth my friends!!! That’s where the good stuff lies. 

CONCLUSION: If you’ve made it this far, congrats on caring for your health. My advice: Make homemade bone broth; it’s one of the simplest and quickest things to make, and best of all is LOADED with health benefits. Many of my clients attest to how important it becomes in their life. 😉 Bone broth is a superfood and you can find my mom’s delicious recipe in a previous post. For now, please go toss out those cubes!
 
Read about other detrimental ingredients in your food in my book, SUNNAH SUPERFOODS. Grab a copy for your or a loved one on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2XHvfmZ
 
 
Hoping to have full support during Ramadan in terms of healing your symptoms naturally, feeding your family healthy, and reaching your health/weight loss goals? Join our Ramadan Health Transformation Program and make this your BEST Ramadan yet! EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT ENDS SOON. 

By now you’ve either tried dalgona coffee, or you put it on the top of your kitchen to do list. You might be wondering if it’s worth the hype, and I’m here to assure you it sure is. It’s extremely easy to whip up, and it looks very pleasing to the eye. While preparing meals, my mom always reminded me of the famous proverb, العين تأكل “the eye eats.” Your cup of coffee is no exception.
 
I’ve figured a touch of maple syrup will give the strong whipped coffee a great taste, with a hint of natural flavor. Using coconut palm sugar is a much healthier alternative than refined sugar, which leaves you feeling sluggish, while suppressing your immunity. Almond milk tastes just as amazing as regular milk, making it a great dairy-free drink.
 
 
Noor’s Maple Vanilla Dalgona Coffee [Dairy Free & Refined Sugar Free]
Serves 4  

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons boiling water
2 tablespoons organic instant coffee
2 ½ tablespoons organic coconut palm sugar
1-2 tablespoons organic pure maple syrup (Grade A or B)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (alcohol-free)
3 cups unsweetened almond milk
Ice cubes
 
Directions:

1. Place the boiling water, coffee, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer and blend on the highest speed for about 2-3 minutes, or until the texture become whipped and fluffy. It’s magical to watch. 😊
2. Add in vanilla and maple syrup and whip on low-speed until well incorporated.
3. Place the ice cubes in the serving glasses and top with almond milk until ¾ full.
4. Carefully scoop the whipped coffee over the milk, covering all edges.
5. Serve and enjoy!

 
*You could save the extra dalgona topping in an air-tight container in the fridge for the next morning. How incredible is that?

Find more recipes, holistic remedies, essential health facts, and more, in my books: 
Sunnah Superfoods: https://amzn.to/2XHvfmZ
 
Superfoods for KIDS: https://amzn.to/2rn5ZWS


Did you try Dalgona Coffee? How does maple and vanilla sound to you? Comment below and share your thoughts.
 

Taking cold-pressed black seed oil to boost your immunity is incredible. However, another superfood I want to shed light on is none other than bone broth!
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While speaking at a retreat in Dallas last month, one talking point I had was regarding tips for detoxing. We’ll, in case you looked at bone broth as a bowl of grease, it’s in fact an incredible natural detox! It heals your gut, reduces inflammation, boosts your immunity, and I can go on. You can find a myriad of health benefits it contains in my book, Sunnah Superfoods.   

Bone broth is what I consider a superfood, and one that many overlook. I understand throwing in Maggi cubes or ready carton vegetable stock into your meals gives it the flavor you are looking for, within the limited time you have to cook. Nonetheless, I assure you, the benefits outweigh the few extra minutes you might have to spend making it. I’ve had clients complain about digestion issues, joint pain, or excessive allergies; bone broth was almost always a recommendation on their session notes. There is nothing like the feedback I receive from them after implementing this daily habit.

During this very past week, I’ve had 2 clients ask me for the recipe after I shared a list of remedies and steps they should take to build their immunity. I took detailed pictures and sent it their way, reminding them that it’s extremely beneficial for them, and their entire family!  

Did I mention, it tastes amazing on its own! If the flavor is too pungent for you, you can use the broth as a base to make a chicken veggie soup, or any other favorite you may have.
What are we waiting for, let’s get to this incredible recipe (it's my mom's btw, my first teacher)!
 
Mom’s Nutrient Sky-Rocketing Bone Broth
Ingredients:
10 cups boiling water
2 pounds baby lamb or organic pasture-raised chicken (with bones)
1 tablespoon organic apple cider vinegar (RAW with the Mother)*
1 tablespoon turmeric, ground
2 tablespoons Himalayan pink salt
1 raw onion, sliced into quarters
½ bunch fresh parsley
2 slices fresh ginger
½ tablespoon ground ginger
1 dried lemon
2 cinnamon sticks
5 green cardamom pods
4 cloves, whole
6 whole black peppers
2 whole all spice
3 bay leaves
 
Directions:

1. Place all ingredients except the water in a pressure cooker. Pour water over the meat/chicken.
2. Cover; Cook on high heat for 35-40 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook for another 2 hours and 20 minutes.
3. Allow all pressure to release before opening. Strain. Store extra in glass air-tight jars up to one week.​​

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*To ensure you are getting maximum benefit from your ACV, make sure it saws raw and with the mother. Bragg's Raw Unfiltered ACV is one of my favorite. You can grab it here. 
*To make stock you can just cook it for 40 minutes. To make broth  with collagen and other benefits cook for a total of 3  hours. 


You can find the recipe, as well as many other recipes I make using bone broth (like my Broccoli Cheddar Soup) in my books:
 
Sunnah Superfoods:
https://amzn.to/2XHvfmZ 

Superfoods for KIDS:
https://amzn.to/2rn5ZWS


Are you a bone broth fan? If not, do you look forward to trying it? Comment below. 
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