How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post.  Eat sensibly the other days of the week.  That’s it.  Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.                                                                                Welcome to Rekol Group who is now Following.

If people on the Gulf Coast of the USA says, “I’m Creole,” they could be telling you that they are native born or they are saying they are of mixed stock.  In the 1600s, when French and Spanish Colonizers moved to the area, everyone except for the Native Americans was ‘from away.’  After a generation or two, there were people who were native-born of European stock.  The snobs would distinguish them from true Europeans, by designating the born-on-American-soil people as “Creole.”  Later, those bloodlines included Native American and African lineages.  So Creoles became ingredients in the mixture called the American melting pot. So it is with creole food.  This cuisine evolved in New Orleans: a subtile, sophisticated use of local ingredients put together with flavors influenced by France and Arab Africa.  [NB: Creole does not equal Cajun.  Two different people, with two different stories.]                                                                                                                             It is Carnival time in New Orleans: a time to party with the tourists.  Technically, the word ‘carnival’ means “farewell to meat,” as one was supposed to use up all the meat, fats, and eggs in the house so that one wouldn’t eat them during Lent. “Mardi Gras” or Fat Tuesday was the last day to get those foods off the menu.  So tomorrow it will be eggs for breakfast, seasoned with lots of spices and the creole signature of green pepper-onion-tomato.  Those same flavors appear in dinner’s Jambalaya, along with several meats.

Creole Bake: 137 calories  6.5 g fat  2.1 g fiber  8.4 g protein  11.6 g carbs [10 g Complex] 67.3 mg Calcium    NB: The food values given above are for the main dish only, not the optional beverages.    PB  GF   Creole flavors add zip to the morning eggs.

1 two-oz egg                                                                                                                                       1.5 Tbsp tomato dice or puree                                                                                                           1 Tbsp onion, minced                                                                                                                        1 Tbsp bell pepper, minced                                                                                                               1/2 Tbsp bacon [1/8 oz], chopped and measured raw                                                                                    1.5 tsp Cheddar cheese                                                                                                           Pinch file powder + 1.5 tsp creole seasoning                                                                                              2 oz pear or apple                                                                                                                             5-6 oz fruit smoothie [79 calories] or green smoothie or natural apple cider                      blackish coffee [53 calories], blackish tea, or lemon in hot water

Put the tomato, onion, bell pepper, and bacon in a small pan with a little water and cook until the bacon is mostly cooked. Spritz an oven-safe pan with non-stick spray and set the oven to 350 F.   Whisk the egg and then stir in the cheese, vegetables, and seasonings. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 12-15 minutes. Prepare your beverages of choice and slice the fruit.

Jambalaya:  275 calories   5 g fat   4 g fiber 14.8 g protein  39 g carbs   81 mg Calcium    PB GF      What else would you eat for Mardi Gras? Or any other time you want delicious Creole  comfort food: jambalaya, of course.   HINT: This recipe makes enough to serve 4 [four]. Invite friends.

2/3 cup onion, chopped                                                                                                                   2 cloves garlic, chopped                                                                                                                    2 tsp creole seasoning                                                                                                                         ½ cup green pepper, chopped                                                                                                              1/3 cup celery, chopped                                                                                                                      2 oz andouille  sausage [or sweet Italian], sliced                                                                            3 oz chicken breast, cubed                                                                                                                                2 oz [½ cup] ham, cubed                                                                                                                 12 oz crushed tomatoes                                                                                                                 1/3 tsp crushed red pepper +  1/3 tsp black pepper +  2/3 tsp salt  +   ¾ tsp file powder                                                     ½ tsp Tabasco sauce +  1.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce                                                                              ¾ cup brown rice                                                                                                                                   1.5 cups chicken broth                                                                                                                      2 oz broccoli

Cook the onion in a little water and a dash of olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and cajun seasoning and cook until fragrant. Stir in the green pepper and celery and then add the meats. Pour in the tomatoes, seasonings and sauces, the rice, and broth. Cover and simmer for 25-40 minutes, stirring every once in a while to prevent sticking. The mixture will not be soupy, as the rice will have absorbed the liquids. Cook uncovered if too much liquid remains. Portion the jambalaya and freeze what you don’t use today.  Prepare the broccoli and plate.