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

For millennia, the Atlantic Ocean was terra incognita, the uncharted edge of the world. Even though the Norse and maybe the Irish crossed the Atlantic, they left no record of their voyages. [Except the Voyage of Brendan, which is disputed.]  Then came the 15th century, when Prince Henry the Navigator sent out ships to find the way to Asia. Previously unknown islands became valuable jumping-off bases, for repair and resupply of ships, or as sites from which to control shipping lanes.  The Açores, Bioko, Madeira, Cape Verde, Saõ Tome & Principe — these specks on the map were mostly discovered by the Portuguese but changed hands many times as the other great powers vied for dominance.  The island of Bioko, for example, had an indigenous population, then the Portuguese took over, then Dutch, then Spain, then England, ending with self-rule by Equatorial Guinea. The cultural and culinary influences are noticeable in all these locales.                                                                                                                                                      Today we celebrate these cross-roads and their foods.  The Azorean breakfast features cheese [introduced by the Flemish], pimento sauce [the Portuguese], Kiwi fruit [from China via New Zealand], and tea [for the British taste].  Bioko [formerly Fernanda da Po] gives us a stew with ingredients from South America [beans and potatoes] and Europe [cabbage], combined in a local way.

Azorean Omelette:  250 calories   10.7 g fat  0.9 g fiber  17 g protein  13.5 g carbs [6 g Complex] 276 mg Calcium  PB GF When on vacation in the Azores, these local ingredients made for a wonderful breakfast. When at home, just as fine.

1-1/2 two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.                                                                                     1 oz Azorean cheese OR Gouda                                                                                                                                1 oz Pimenta da Queijo                                                                                                1 oz kiwi fruit                                                                                                                                                        blackish coffee [Portugese or Brazilian] or blackish tea [from the Gorreana Tea Plantation] or lemon in hot water

Grate/shred the cheese. Whisk the eggs with the pepper sauce and turn into a lightly-oiled nonstick pan. Sprinkle the eggs with the cheese and cook as you would an omelette. Plate with the fruit and serve one of those delicious beverages. Excellent.

Jota:  169 calories  4.5 g fat    7.4 g fiber   11.5 g protein  25.7 g carbs [23 g Complex]   83.5 mg Calcium  PB GF  The flavors of Africa and Portugal meet in this bean stew. Very satisfying. HINT: This recipe is enough for 4 [four] 1-cup servings.

1-1/2 cups sauerkraut, drained                                                                                                                            1-1/2 cups canned red beans, drained and rinsed                                                                                      bay leaf                                                                                                                                                                        4 oz red potatoes, cooked and diced                                                                                                                     1 clove garlic, crushed                                                                                                                                                   2 oz smoked ham hock, cubed                                                                                                                             ½ cup+ vegetable broth or water                                                                                                           Optional: 1 clove garlic, crushed + 1 tsp flour + 1 tsp oil                                                                           Optional: raw leaves of baby spinach

Spray a heavy sauce pan with non-stick spray and cook one of the garlics until golden brown. Add the sauerkraut to the pan with the broth, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes. In another pan, heat the beans with the bay leaf until warm. Remove half of the beans and put them in a food processor with the cooked garlic and half of the potatoes. Puree, adding water/broth to adjust the liquids. Add the puree, whole beans, potatoes, and meat to the pan with the sauerkraut. Taste for seasonings. Add some water/broth to bring the volume to 4 cups.                                                                                                                                          Optional: Simmer the other garlic clove in 1 tsp oil until brown. Remove garlic and whisk in 1 tsp flour, then add some stock to make a roux. Stir into the stew as a traditional thickener.                      Optional: When the soup is in the bowl, tear the spinach leaves into bits and poke them into the hot liquid to add some extra color, texture, vitamins.

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion

Dinner, single portion: