How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Thursday, eat the meals that will be posted on Wednesday.  Eat sensibly the other days of the week.  That’s it.  Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.                                                                             Welcome to diet 969 who is now Following.

Aren’t homophones fun? A ‘deli’ is a delicatessen, where you go to get sandwich meat and sliced cheeses or ready-made sandwiches and other delights.  ‘Delhi’ is a territory which contains both the Old City of Delhi and New Delhi, the capital of India. If we can enjoy the verbiage, we can have fun with foods related to those words.  For the deli, we have eggs with all the flavors of a Reuben Sandwich. Representing Delhi are momos, a popular street food, influenced by the Mongols who invaded from the North. And let’s not forget a dipping sauce made of chutney and catsup, both of which have their origins in SE Asia.  Happy Fasting in Delhi or at the deli.

Reuben Bake: 282 calories 7 g fat 3.8 g fiber 16 g protein 38 g carbs 239 mg Calcium PB GF What is more delicious than a good reuben sandwich at lunch? This deli delight is now a flavorful breakfast and its a winner.

One 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                                                                              ½ oz corned beef                                                                                                                                                       1.5 Tbsp sauerkraut [1.5 oz]                                                                                                                                            ½ wedge Laughing Cow cheese                                                                                                                                         1 tsp catsup                                                                                                                                                                2 oz strawberries                                                                                                                                             blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                                                                                  5-6 oz fruit smoothie, green smoothie or natural apple cider

Spritz a ramekin with oil or non-stick spray and set the toaster oven at 350 F. Chop the corned beef. Chop the sauerkraut. Cream the cheese with the catsup and stir in the beef and ‘kraut. Whisk in the egg and pour into the ramekin. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the beverages and portion the fruit. Mmmmmmm – reuben 🙂

Chicken Momos:  222 calories  1.5 g fat  2 g fiber  15.4 g protein  30 g carbs [6.5 g Complex Carbs]  58 mg Calcium  PB  Steamed momos are one of the most popular street foods of Northern India, due to the influence of neighboring Nepal and the fact that they are delicious. Try them and you will agree. Looks long and complex, but it is do-able.

Filling: makes 2 cups; you will need 1 Tbsp for each piece. Freezes well.                                           8 oz chicken breast, cubed   +    1 tsp tumeric    +   1 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste**                                   2 tsp ginger, minced   +  2 tsp garlic, minced   +   3 Tbsp carrot, grated or chopped                          3 Tbsp cabbage, Bok Choy or Napa, chopped  +  1 Tbsp scallion, sliced                                                   1 cup onion, chopped   +  pinch sugar [or omit]   +  salt + pepper                                                            1 tsp soy sauce   +  1 tsp chili sauce   +  1 tsp catsup

Prepare a mise en place.  Put the chicken, tumeric, and garlic paste in a small pan with 1-2 Tbsp water. Put on a lid and cook until chicken is just a little pink. Remove from heat and strain the liquid from the chicken. Return the chicken liquid to the pan and add the ginger and the garlic. Cook on high for 30 seconds, turn head down, add the carrot, cabbage, scallion, and onion. Cook until vegetables are soft and onion is translucent. Add the sugar, salt, and pepper, and return the chicken to the pan. Stir and cook. Transfer to a food processor and reduce to a mince. Set aside to cool. Makes enough for 30.

***Ginger-Garlic Paste                                                                                                                                            2 oz garlic cloves, sliced              1 oz ginger root, sliced                                                                                 ½ oz flavorful white vinegar                                                                                                                                      Put in a food processor and whirl it until paste-like.                                                                           Scrape the sides often. Do not add water.                                                                                                   Store remaining paste in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Forming the momos: for 1 serving you will need six 3.5” wonton wrappers                                  Put some water into a custard cup. Lay the wonton wrappers on a large, clean surface. With your finger, moisten the edge of each wrapper with water. Put a tablespoon-full of filling in the center of the wrapper. I brought up each corner to the center and pinched the four edges together to look like a crab rangoon. Or make triangles, as you would for wonton soup. Put each finished momo aside, covered with a damp cloth until ready to steam.    Steaming the momos: Prepare your steamer in the wok by adding enough water that the level comes up the side of the steamer but is not above the level of the bottom rack. Put parchment paper or foil on each rack but allow the steam to flow freely. You could use cupcake papers. When the water in the wok is hot and steaming, add the momos. Cover and steam 10-15 minutes. Remove from steamer and plate.                                                                         Side dish: I spiral cut 3 oz zucchini and put it in to steam for 5 minutes. It was overcooked. Profit from my mistakes. Then I tossed it with one tsp plain yogurt and ½ tsp curry powder. Next time I’d just cube raw zucchini or cucumber to mix with the yogurt. Serve with chutney mixed with catsup.