How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Many a diner and small restaurant has lured customers with promises of ‘country cooking.’  Many cookbooks have been written about the way people cook in the countryside of France, England, Germany…..you get the point.  For my taste, give me good tasting food made from fresh country products.  And we can enjoy it on a Fast Day, too.  Clean your plate.

Hash and eggs is a classic diner item.  But our’s is healthy and delicious with black beans and sweet potato.    From Joanne Harris’ cookbook of the French countryside, comes a recipe from the ocean and the fields. Yum! Read more about why we should do intermittent fasting in this article:  http://news.yahoo.com/does-intermittent-fasting-benefits-science-suggests-yes-173453757.html

Sweet Potato Black Bean Hash: 284 calories   5.6 g fat     7.6 g fiber      43.3 g carbs     278.3 mg Calcium      PB GF     Long-time friend and fellow bell ringer Jane Winslow inspired this recipe. She’s right: it is very good.

½ c. diced sweet potatoes [You could substitute ½ cup of diced winter squash, which lowers the calories, protein, and carbs]                                                                                              2 Tbsp yellow onion, diced                                                                                                                                ¼ red pepper, sliced                                                                                                                                              salt & pepper + ¾ tsp paprika + ¼ tsp cumin                                                                                                ½ cup spinach roughly chopped                                                                                                                         3 oz black beans = ½ c.                                                                                                                                           one 2-oz egg                                                                                                                         blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                                                   NB: no smoothie today

Spritz olive oil in a small cast iron pan on medium heat. Add sweet potatoes, onion, red pepper, seasonings, and a little water. Cook on medium-low for 10 minutes, occasionally stirring. Add spinach and 2 more Tbsp water, and cook for an additional five minutes. Lastly, add the black beans and stir until all ingredients are well-blended. HINT: prep this far the night before. Heat before topping with a poached or fried egg.

Mackerel stuffed with Leeks:   285 calories   15.7 g fat        1.6 g fiber     22 g protein  9.3 g carbs 46.5 mg Calcium   PB GF   This is from one of Joanne Harris’ lovely cookbooks. If you are lucky enough to get fresh mackerel, this one’s for you.

Two 2-oz mackeral fillets to total 4 oz per serving                                                                                       salt & pepper                                                                                                                                                             2 tsp grainy mustard, like ‘country Dijon’                                                                                            oregano                                                                                                                                                                     ¾ of an ounce of sliced leeks                                                                                                                            ground coriander                                                                                                                                                                                            3 oz tomatoes, sliced OR sliced cucumbers and cherry tomatoes

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Slash the skin of the fish and season the skin-side with salt and pepper. Turn the fillets over and spread each one with mustard, then sprinkle with oregano. Put one fillet skin-side down on the baking pan and pile the leeks on top of it. Sprinkle with a little coriander and more pepper, if you like. Put the other fillet on top of the leeks, with the skin-side up. Press down a little on the fish to compact it a bit. Roast for about 12 minutes, until the fish is opaque. Meanwhile, slice the vegetables.