How this Fasting Diet works: Eat these meals, and only these meals, tomorrow.  Read the blog on Wednesday to see what we’ll eat on Thursday.  The rest of the week, eat what you like, but sensibly. If you are like me, you will see results.    You may be interested to read what US News and World Report said about the Fast Diet: http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/fast-diet

Tomorrow in Luxembourg, they will celebrate the Feast of Emmaus or Éimaischen.  This involves a street fair with food and art and the air is loud with the sounds of “bird-calls.” For the Luxembourgers, this fair began centuries ago as a potters’ trade show on Easter Monday.  One of the best-loved items for sale are fist-sized, bird-shaped clay whistles which represent the Resurrection.  Tables are full of the colorful little birds and their sellers vie with each other to make the most melodious sounds. Our foods today evoke memories of a Spring day in lovely Luxembourg:  Easter ham and eggs for breakfast, and an international dish involving little fried fish which are popular there.

Holiday-After Breakfast:   282 calories      6.3 g fat       2.3 g fiber       16 g. protein        37.7 g carb 216.7 mg Calcium This is a simple breakfast for the day after a holiday, using a few left-overs from the dinner table or freezer.

1 two-oz egg, hardboiled                                                                                                                                          ¾ oz ham OR beef OR turkey OR one Applegate sausage                                                                                                      ¼ cup Yorkshire Pudding* batter with added herbs. HINT: If you made some before and you put some in the freezer, great. Add a pinch of thyme and a pinch of basil.   see ..Not by Bread.. from Feb. 7, ’18 for the recipe                                                                                                          2 oz pineapple OR ¼ cup mixed berries   +   pinch of chopped mint leaves                                       5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider                                                                                         blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water

Pour pudding batter into two holes of a mini-muffin pan, bake at 400 for 13 minutes. Warm the meat or not. Mix the fruit with the mint. Plate the meat, Yorkshire Pudding, egg, and fruit. Brew your hot beverage, prepare your smoothie. Sit down and relax with your easy breakfast of left overs.

*The Yorkshire Pudd recipe is from the King Arthur Flour 200^th Anniversary Cookbook. HINT: make the batter the night before to save time in the morning.

Meze Meal with Smelts:  297 calories 5.8 g fat 6 g fiber 21.5 g protein 22 g carb 174 mg Calcium PB GF ‘Meze’ is the Greek equivalent of Spanish Tapas. This meal features many small servings of common food items, which make it easy to prepare.  There are lots of good recipes in the book Meze by Rosemary Barron.  HINT: The photo shows enough for 2 portions, but the amounts given below are for ONE serving.

1/4 cup white beans                                                                                                                                                  ½ Tbsp capers                                                                                                                                                       1/2 oz marinated mushrooms                                                                                                                               2.5 oz tomato, cubed    OR cherry tomatoes cut in half                                                                                                                               generous pinch Greek oregano                                                                                                                      2 oz cleaned smelts, fins cut off, backbone removed, cut in half along the backbone                                                                                         1 oz mozzerella cheese [or use feta, same amount]                                                                                        1 ½ oz lemon-marinated carrots                                                                                                          marinade: 1 tsp olive oil + 1 tsp lemon juice + pinch of granulated garlic + pinch oregano

Attend to the smelts by cooking them in a non-stick or well-seasoned frying pan spritzed with non-stick spray.  ‘Fry’ until crispy.  Combine the white beans with the capers in a small bowl. In another bowl, combine the tomatoes and the oregano. Slice the carrots into small logs or coins and cook until tender. Drain and combine with the marinade in a small jar with a lid. Shake well, remove the lid and let the carrots cool in the marinade.  Drain the marinade from the jar and pour it over the smelts. Plate the ingredients to please the eye.