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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

“Cornscateous” is one of the favorite weather words of the Old Farmer’s Almanac. They define it as ‘hot humid weather that is good for growing corn.’ Corn is native to the Americas and was cultivated extensively by First Nations people. Field Corn is for animal feed. Indian or Flint Corn is for grinding and for Autumn decorations. Sweet Corn, in all its variety, is for EATING! When I was a child, our family would have a ‘corn dinner’ every summer — the entire meal consisted of ears of sweet corn, all you could eat. Even the cat liked it. It is now corn season in New Hampshire, and we are making the most of it! Enjoy it while it is ripe. Do not buy it from the supermarket — get it from the farmer who grew it.

Here are 4 recipes for corn: two for breakfast, two for dinner. Two made with fresh corn, two made with variants of polenta.

Ham-Cup Egg with Corn: 140 calories… 6.7 g fat… 1.3 g fiber… 10 g protein… 11 g carbs… 36.8 mg Calcium… PG GF Ham and corn are such a grand combination. Easy to prepare ahead for a quick breakfast.

++1 two-oz egg ++++ 1 thin slice ham” [4” diameter at 21 calories/slice] ++++ 1 Tbsp fresh polenta OR ¾ oz cooked corn kernals ++++ 1.5 tsp red bell pepper, diced ++++ dash or two Sriracha ++++ 3 oz watermelon ++++ Optional:  5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++

Fit the ham into an oven-proof container that measures 3.25” in diameter and 1.25” deep. [I used a cleaned tuna can. It was perfect.] TIP: You might need to snip the ham on 2 sides and overlap the meat to make it fit better into the mold. Combine the corn/polenta with the diced pepper and season with Sriracha/salt/pepper to taste. Whisk in the egg and pour into the ham cup.  HINT: I did this the night before and put it in the ‘fridge. Turn on the toaster oven to 350 F and bake the ham cups for 20+ minutes, until the filling is puffed and set. Prepare the optional beverages and the melon. Use a wide knife to loosten the ham cups from the mold before plating. Some of the egg will have oozed into the mold as it baked, but that is easy to remove too. This is a real treat!

Hoe Cakes with Two Toppings 183 calories… 5.6 g fat… 5.4 g fiber… 10 g protein… 23 g carbs… 44 mg Calcium… PB GF This recipe harks back to Colonial Days in the Ameri-can South. Everyone from enslaved people to President George Washington ate hoe cakes. HINT: This recipe makes 6 hoecakes – enough for 2 servings. Originally this would be made with white cornmeal, but the yellow has more nutrition. NB: Hoe cakes were never ‘cooked on a hoe’ by farm workers, as some will tell you. Silly notion.

3 Tbsp yellow corn-meal [even polenta meal would do] — 2.5 Tbsp hot water	Combine by stirring well to make a mush. Let sit for 15 minutes
1 oz egg white— ¼ tsp yeast	Stir into the warm cornmeal mush and let sit for 1 – 12 hours This was 125 ml in volume
2 Tbsp cornmeal — 2 Tbsp water — ¼ tsp salt	Mix into the cornmeal mush. If you take some up on a fork, it will sit on top with a little batter dribbling through. If it is not like this, add more cornmeal or more water. This was ½ cup in volume.
	Using 2 tbsp of batter per cake, drop onto a hot griddle sprayed with non-stick spray. This should make 6 cakes. Cook on both sides. Best if eaten while fresh.
¼ cup raspberries —1 tsp honey— one 2-oz egg	Put the fruit and honey in a small dish and microwave for 30 seconds. Fry the egg.
Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]	Plate 2 of the Hoecakes with the egg and the other with the berry syrup.

FRESH POLENTA:  1 sv = 1/3 cup = 80 calories  PB GF   From Jacques Pepin, this is excellent served with a simply prepared fish. Here you see it served with Fish Kabobs.

++ 1¼ cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen ++++ 1 tsp unsalted butter ++++ freshly-ground pepper ++++ salt ++

Puree the corn in a blender until ‘smooth’ [it will still be a bit chunky, but you shouldn’t see whole kernels]. Put butter in a warm pan, then add the corn, pepper and salt. Cook about 30 seconds or until it becomes thicker. 

POLENTA: recipe from Bob’s Red Mill each slice [2.25x3x0.25”] = 43 calories..0.2 g fat..1 g fiber..1 g protein ..9 g carbs..0 Calcium PB GF Serve with pasta sauce, instead of pasta; as a side starch; for Pocahantus’ Breakfast. Here you see two slices as a ‘side’, served with fish and Mediterranean Vegetables.

12 pieces, Sv 6-12	2-qt saucepan + 9×13” pan + non-stick skillet
3 c water or vegetable stock —1 tsp salt—1 cup dry polenta	Bring salted liquid to a boil in saucepan. Add polenta, a few tablespoons at a time, stirring after each addition.
Optional: dried herbs—crushed red papper flakes	Once all polenta is in, turn down heat to its lowest [I used smallest burner on its lowest setting], cook 30 mins. Stir often: to avoid lumps, to scrape down sides, to prevent sticking. Unlike risotto, it does not need constant stirring.
	After 30 mins, polenta will be very thick – spoon will stand up by itself. Cook 2-3 mins more.
Olive oil	Brush a very thin layer of oil on a 9×13” baking pan, and turn the polenta into it. Nudge batter into corners, smooth out top. Let it cool and solidify.
	Cut into 12 squares. Heat a non-stick skillet, spray with cooking spray. Cook polenta squares until they begin to take on a little color and are heated through.
	Individually wrap pieces and freeze cooked or uncooked, until needed.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday ……………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
tuna, fresh or canned + melon	apple + cinnamon
frozen spinach + anchovy	light cream
mediterranean vegetables	sugar + butter
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

halibut + spinach	pork tenderloin + broccoli
shallot + Thai red curry paste	apples + chicken stock
chicken broth + scallion	Bechamel sauce
light coconut milk + lime juice	carrot + thyme + sage
Sparkling water	Sparkling water