Quick recipes for Ramadan

Chickpea and Artichoke Tagine

This makes a lovely and inviting meatless meal; starting with dried chickpeas really improves the overall texture of the final dish.

2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

8 ounces dried chickpeas, rinsed and picked over

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

1 medium onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

Four 2-inch-long strips lemon peel (little or no pith)

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

½ teaspoon ground za'atar (may substitute ground cumin)

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons flour

1 pound carrots (trimmed and scrubbed well), cut into ½-inch-thick coins

One 15-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted

3 cups no-salt-added vegetable broth

9 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted and patted dry

½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, each cut in half

Leaves from about 25 cilantro stems, chopped (packed ½ cup)

Freshly ground black pepper

You'll need a 6-quart pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Dissolve the salt in a large mixing bowl filled with 4 quarts of water. Add the dried chickpeas. Let sit for 8 to 24 hours, then drain and rinse.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the pressure-cooker pot over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, stir in the onion; cook for 5 minutes until just softened, then stir in the strips of lemon peel, garlic, paprika, za'atar, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the flour, using a wooden spatula to dislodge any browned bits. Add the carrots, diced tomatoes and drained chickpeas, stirring to coat, then pour in the broth.

Lock the pressure-cooker lid in place. Increase the heat to high; once the pot reaches high pressure, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 25 minutes, adjusting the heat to maintain pressure, as needed.

Remove the pot from the heat. Release the pressure, then carefully remove the lid.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the artichokes and stir to coat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden brown at the edges.

Discard the strips of lemon peel from the vegetable stew mixture in the pot, then stir in the artichokes, olives and cilantro. Taste and season lightly with more salt and black pepper, as needed.

Divide among individual wide, shallow bowls; drizzle each portion with oil. Serve warm with rice.

Serves 4 to 6 (makes about 10 cups)

Nutrition | Per serving (using 1 tablespoon salt): 290 calories, 11 g protein, 44 g carbohydrates, 9 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 850 mg sodium, 13 g dietary fiber, 13 g sugar

Adapted from "Pressure Cooker Perfection: 100 Foolproof Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook," by the editors of America's Test Kitchen (ATK, 2013).

Pressure Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

Chances are good you'll have the sauce ingredients on hand to make this easy, kid-friendly meal.

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size chunks

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ medium onion, diced (½ cup)

½ cup low-sodium soy sauce

¼ cup ketchup

½ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons sesame oil

½ cup honey

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons water

Toasted/roasted sesame seeds

2 scallions, white and light-green parts, chopped, for garnish

Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper.

Preheat the Instant Pot using the saute setting, or heat the oil in a stovetop pressure cooker over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the garlic, onion and chicken; cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the onion has just softened.

Add the soy sauce, ketchup and crushed red pepper flakes (to taste) and stir to incorporate. Lock the pressure-cooker lid in place. Increase the heat to high; once the pot reaches pressure, cook for 3 minutes.

Once the timer beeps, turn off the heat. Carefully do a quick-pressure release.

Uncover; add the sesame oil and honey to the pot, stirring to incorporate.

Dissolve the cornstarch in water in a small bowl, then add to the pot, stirring to form a slightly thickened sauce. Stir in most of the sesame seeds.

Divide among individual plates; sprinkle with the scallions and remaining sesame seeds. Serve hot with rice.

Serves 4 to 6

Nutrition | Per serving (based on 6): 260 calories, 37 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 110 mg cholesterol, 870 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugar

Adapted from a recipe at PressureCookingToday.com.

Carrot Coconut Cake

There's not much of a rise in this cake, but its texture does approximate that of a baked carrot cake with a moist, dense crumb. And it couldn't be easier to make.

¼ cup liquefied coconut oil

1/3 to ½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup packed peeled, grated carrots, plus a few shavings for optional garnish

¼ cup unsweetened flaked coconut, plus more, toasted, for optional garnish

½ cup flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ cup chopped pecans

Cream cheese frosting (optional; see note)

You'll need a 6-inch round cake pan.

Whisk together the oil, sugar (to taste), egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, carrots, flaked coconut, flour, baking powder and pecans in a medium bowl; do not overmix.

Pour a cup of water into the Instant Pot and then set a trivet in it; place the mix in the cake pan and place the pan atop the trivet. The water should not come up higher than the bottom of the cake pan.

Lock the Instant Pot lid. Press the manual button and set the timer to 20 minutes.

Once the timer beeps, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Carefully quick-release any additional pressure until the float valve drops, then unlock the lid.

Transfer the cake pan to a wire rack to cool. (Drain the Instant Pot.)

To serve, invert onto a platter. Spread the frosting on top, if using, then garnish with the optional toasted coconut flakes or optional carrot shavings.

Note: To make just enough cream cheese frosting for this cake, whisk together 4 ounces room-temperature cream cheese, 8 tablespoons (1 stick) room-temperature unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 8 tablespoons powdered sugar and a pinch of kosher salt in a mixing bowl, until smooth.

Serves 4

Nutrition | Per serving: 300 calories, 3 g protein, 20 g carbohydrates, 23 g fat, 17 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 25 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 17 g sugar

Adapted from "The 'I Love My Instant Pot' Recipe Book: From Trail Mix Oatmeal to Mongolian Beef BBQ," by Michelle Fagone (Adams Media/Simon and Schuster, 2017).

Chicken and Lentil Soup

Lentils are a go-to ingredient for Ramadan soups; this one's quite flavorful and all done in a single pot. It's also filling without being heavy.

1 pound dried brown or green lentils

12 to 15 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs (fat trimmed)

7 cups water

2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon (paste) chicken flavor

1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped

2 scallions, white and light-green parts, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium-size ripe tomato, cut into ½-inch dice

¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves

1 teaspoon granulated garlic (powder)

1 teaspoon ground sumac (may substitute cumin)

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon sweet paprika

½ teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed

You'll need a 6-quart pressure cooker or an Instant Pot. Combine the lentils, chicken (to taste), water, bouillon, onion, scallions, garlic, tomato, cilantro, granulated garlic, ground sumac, oregano, paprika and salt in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot.

Lock the pressure-cooker lid in place. Turn the heat to high; once the pot reaches high pressure, cook for 30 minutes, adjusting the heat to maintain pressure, as needed. For the Instant Pot, lock the lid and press the soup button and cook for 30 minutes. Use the pressure releases, then unlock and open.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board; use two forks to shred it, then return it to the pot, stirring to incorporate. Taste, and adjust the salt, as needed. Soup thickens upon standing; feel free to stir in 1 to 2 cups additional water when you reheat it.

Serve hot.

Serves 8 (makes about 10½ cups)

Nutrition | Per serving: 320 calories, 23 g protein, 38 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 620 mg sodium, 18 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugar

Adapted from a recipe at SkinnyTaste.com.