Eating well with creative recipes to follow Michael Mosley’s Fast Diet

Slow Days: Pasta DIY

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People who are new to Fasting often pose the questions: “Can I really eat ‘anything I want’ on a Slow Day?” and “What should I eat on Slow Days?” To answer those questions, I have decided to add some blog posts to show some of the foods we eat on what the world calls NFDs [non-fast days] but which, in our house, we call ‘Slow Days.’ This feature will appear sporadically. 

Now for the answers. Can you really eat ANYTHING you want on a Slow Day? Not really. If you eat too many calories every Slow Day, you will not lose weight. There are many questions asked on the FastDiet Forum which attest to that. Once in a while you can splurge, as long as it isn’t everyday. For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet. As for how we eat, an example follows.

The dough has been mixed

Once a week, we have a meal involving pasta. And, yes, for those of you in the US who are from New England, the day we eat pasta is Wednesday. Many years ago, we bought a pasta machine. We were quite self-sufficient in those days, so making our own noodles seemed just right. It was fun, but then I returned to work and the machine sat in the drawer. Nowadays, it is back to DIY, and with lots of our own eggs, fresh pasta is on the menu again. There are two basic recipes: all-purpose flour + eggs OR semolina flour with water. I decided to combine them: 1 cup semolina flour, 1 cup white whole wheat flour, 1 two-ounce egg [US Large], and some water. These are combined in a food processor or by hand, adding enough water to make a rough ball of slightly moist dough, like Sugar Cookie Dough.

Kneading and rolling it out is the job of the pasta machine. First the dough goes through the rollers at “1,” which is the widest setting. It is folded in half, and rolled again. Every time the dough goes through, it holds together better and becomes smoother. Then you gradually set the rollers at higher and higher numbers: 1 to 2, 2 to 4. Each time, the dough becomes thinner, longer, and more supple. Cut the lo-o-ong dough strips cross-wise so that it is easier to handle. Eventually you reach the setting 6. You could stop there or make it really thin at 7. Six is good for noodles, 7 is better for filled pasta such as ravioli or tortellini.

Now it is time to cut the dough into noodles. You could do it by hand, or by machine. Our machine has two choices: thin like spaghetti, or wider like fettuccini. Working with the smaller dough rectangles, one passes the dough through the cutters. Catch it coming out the other side and hang it up to dry. You can use it fresh, and it is delicious. Cook only 1-2 minutes and bear in mind that 2 oz dry pasta [one serving], is the equivalent of 5 oz fresh pasta. While the water is boiling and the sauce is heating, the pasta is drying slightly, which makes it easier to handle. What I don’t use for today’s meal is dried thoroughly and stored, air-tight, for use another time.

Would I make pasta every week? No, but it is great for special meals. Does pasta make a meal ‘Mediterranean’? Not automatically. How healthy a pasta dish is depends on what is on top of the pasta. Is Pasta a no-no for Fast Day meals? Yes and no. Chicken Tetrazzini, Tortellini with Black Kale, these are some of the Fast meals I’ve posted using pasta as an ingredient. Just remember that a ‘serving’ of dried pasta, of any shape, is 2 ounces. On a Slow Day, knock that down to 1 or 1-1/2 ounces and you can hedge your bet. Our pasta is made even healthier by substituting white whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour, which adds more protein and more fiber. It is delicious and worth the effort that you put into it.

Rodin

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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. 

When Dear Husband went to Paris for the first time, one stop he just had to make was the Rodin Museum: The Thinker. The Kiss. The Burghers of Calais. What feeling those statues evoke — it bowls you over! Auguste Rodin was born on November 12, 1840. His struggles at school made him turn increasingly to sketching — undiagnosed with myopia, he could see his sketches, but not the black-board. At age 13 he took art lessons and eventually became skilled as a ‘decorative artist.’ But making ‘pretty’ things was not his goal. He wanted to show emotion and realism. Twice Rodin entered ‘Man with a Broken Nose‘ in the Paris Salon. It was rejected — twice. At last his work, The Vanquished [aka: The Age of Bronze], won him the acclaim that began his career. Although famous, he was never rich. His studio was in an abandoned mansion which he and other artists took over as squatters. He lived there with his life-long partner Rose Beuret. Upon his death, he left his works to the French Nation with three conditions: that they make his studio into a museum; that the work of his muse/student/lover Camille Claudel be displayed; and that a fund be set up to help young artists financially.

Rodin, as a creator of art, was always working and re-working his ideas. In clay, in plaster, in metal, he would make small models of a larger plan until he got it right. Instead of a full-sized quiche, we’ll enjoy mini-quiches tomorrow, served with slices of the mini-pear, Forelle. As an impoverished artist, a nourishing stew of chickpeas would have been a real hit with him and Rose. And Camille.

Mini-Quiche Breakfast: 144 calories 7.4 g fat 1.4 g fiber 9.6 g protein 9 g carbs 189 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF A delightful way to breakfast. So simple, too.

3 mini-quiches** 1-1/2 oz pear   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  

To Make 4 mini-quiches: 1 two-oz egg herbs + salt + pepper 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp ricotta 0.6 oz mozzarella 2/3 Jarlsberg 1 oz broccoli 1/3 oz onion Spritz 4 of the holes of a mini-muffin pan with non-stick spray. Whisk the eggs with the ricotta, herbs, salt, and pepper. Grate the hard cheeses and mix them gently but thoroughly in a bowl. Steam the broccoli and onion, then chop and stir together to combine. Divide the vegetables among the 4 muffin holes, ~ 1 Tbsp/hole Then distribute the hard cheeses on top of the vegetables. Pour the egg mixture over the cheeses, then stir each quiche with a wooden skewer or chopstick. Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes – take out of the oven when they are puffed and golden. Let cool briefly before removing from muffin tin. 

Prepare the mini-quiches. While they are baking [or coming to room temperature if baked previously], cube the melon and mix with the blueberries in a pretty dish. Plate with the quiches and pour the beverage of choice. There’s a nice start to your day!

Chickpea Ragout with Meat: nb: entire batch has 484 calories, so divide into portions. The portion size you choose would be dictated by the type and quantity of meat. GF PB divided in 2:  242 calories 5 g fat 10 g fiber 11.7 g protein 40 g carbs 51 mg Calcium divided in 4:  121 calories 3 g fat 5 g fiber 6 g protein 20 g carbs 26 mg Calcium

This is from Jacques Pepin’s Fast Food My Way. Although he doesn’t mean my kind of ‘Fast Food,’ Pepin has long been a proponent of healthy cooking. He presents this as a side dish, but for our purposes it is excellent prepared as a main course with seafood or or meat for more protein. Here, you have three meat options from which to choose.

½ tsp olive oil ½ cup diced onions ½ cup scallions, chopped 1 Tbsp garlic, chopped 2 cups diced tomatoes, fresh or canned and drained 1½ cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed if canned ½ cup chicken stock ½ tsp salt + ½ tsp pepper

Heat the oil in a saute pan. Add the onion, scallion and garlic. Stir briefly over the heat then add the tomatoes, chickpeas, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat until liquids are mostly evaporated. If using now, separate out your portion and keep warm. Cool the remaining ragout and freeze it in serving portions.

3 oz chicken breast: if cooked, mix in with the ragout to warm the meat. If meat is raw, add to the pan along with the tomatoes and chickpeas 3 oz pork tenderloin: if cooked, mix in with the ragout to warm the meat If meat is raw, add to the pan along with the tomatoes and chickpeas 2 oz lean beef — not ground beef: if cooked, mix in with the ragout to warm the meat. If meat is raw, add to pan along with the tomatoes and chickpeas

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

1 two-oz egg + apple/applesauceNext week, I will
crushed tomatoes + chicken breastdiscuss soups.
plain yogurt + green chili pepperChoose a new favorite
Monterey Jack + cornmealbreakfast from Archives
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday: ………………… single portion for Thursday:

ground bison + red onionChoose a new dinner
diced tomatoes + garlic favorite from the
green sweet pepper + ground cuminArchives
canned red beans + chili powder
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Blacked Out

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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. Welcome to Stacy H. who is now Following.

On November 8, 1965, there was a massive power outage in seven states of the North Eastern USA. It began during rush hour, which lead to further complications: 800,000 people in New York City stuck in subway cars; no streetlights or traffic signals; no elevators to move office workers from their skyscraper aeries. Power was off for up to 13 hours in some places. People feared that sabotage or maybe espionage was responsible, but the fault lay in a power relay on the Canadian side [sorry, Canada] of Niagara Falls that over-loaded, which caused a power surge, which overloaded circuits all the way down to New York. New Yorkers seem to have taken it in stride: they shared flashlights, helped neighbors, directed traffic, and came out on the streets for camaraderie. Few incidents of burglary or looting. Mostly, people remembered seeing the stars for the first time — which left them both fearful and awe-struck. I sure hope we can all come together in these difficult times, just as people did 55 years ago. We can show our better natures in a crisis.

Our meals today feature a classic breakfast from Manhattan, NYC, and a meal that could easily be put together if the power went out, leaving one at the mercy of whatever is in the ‘fridge.

Horseradish-Cheesy Bake: 143 calories 7.5 g fat 1 g fiber 8.7 g protein 7 g carbs 78.6 mg Calcium  NB: Food values given are for the Bake and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  David Rosengarten’s unusual cookbook It’s All American Food takes the reader on a tour of American ethnic and regional foods, and tells you how to make those treats in your own kitchen. This recipe is from the Manhattan restaurant Barney Greengrass, where they are renowned for their breakfasts.

One 2-oz egg ½ Tbsp crushed tomato 1 Tbsp cheddar/horseradish spread*** 1 Tbsp chives, minced 2 oz apricots   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

***Cheddar-Horseradish Spread 4 [or more] tsp prepared horseradish [the kind in a jar] 2 Tbsp WisPride Cheddar spread OR Kraft Old English Cheddar spread  Cream together thoroughly. Save the rest for another day or another use.

Set the toaster oven at at 350 degrees F. Spritz a ramekin with oil or non-stick spray. Vigorously whisk the egg, cheeses, and chives until well combined and pour into the ramekin. Put in the oven [it doesn’t need to be hot yet] and bake 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, brew your beverage of choice and prep the apricots. This will kick-start your day.

Cold Beef Plate:  292 calories 3.5 g fat 5 g fiber 28 g protein 33 g carbs 17.6 mg Calcium Here’s a simple, no-fuss meal. Use either meat from a roast or from the deli. Rather French, with the cornichons and Dijon mustard. Perfect during a power outage or at the end of a busy day.

3 oz cold, sliced beef roast — left-overs or slices from the deli ½ cup [about 3 oz] pickled beets 1 oz small pickles — cornichons preferred, but baby dill pickles will do 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 oz sourdough rye bread

Plate to your own aesthetic taste. But do plate it – avoid the temptation to stand in front of the open ‘fridge and just graze. Do it up right: sit down to enjoy it.

Foods in Wrappers, III

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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.

I am fascinated by similarities among diverse cuisines from around the world. In geology, a layer of sedimentary rock can stretch for hundreds of miles. The source material was the same, but as it was deposited, small variations creep in so that in some cases, the further you follow that stratum, the more it looks like a completely different rock. Around the world there are meals made of food in wrappers. All with different fillings, all with different seasonings, all with different wrappings: yet all those creative cooks had a similar inspiration: let’s take this and wrap it in an edible envelope! Today, we will look at four far-flung examples: from France, India, Mexico, and Italy.

Egg-Mushroom Galette/Crepe:  153 calories  6 g fat 2 g fiber 9 g protein 16.8 g carbs [11.3 g Complex] 39 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg crepe and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB This is yummy. The eggs are creamy, the mushrooms are earthy, and the crepe is nutty. See “Jean Baptiste” for recipe details.

Momos with Chicken: 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. See “Deli & Delhi” for preparation details.

Quesadillas : 295 cal 9 g fat 2.7 g fiber 19 g protein 31.4 g carb 211.5 mg Calcium  GF These are great. We return to this recipe often for a quick, enjoyable meal. And you can prepare and cook them ahead! Wrap in foil, and reheat them later. Thanks to Suzy M. for that tip. See For Gunn & Grommet for recipe details.

Tortellini with Black Kale:  209 calories 9 g fat 3.5 g fiber 10 g protein 24 g carbs [7.4 g Complex] 231 mg Calcium  PB  Packaged, dried tortellini is a handy item to have in the pantry. It makes for a fine Tuscan meal when pared with Black Kale. ‘Black Kale’ is also called ‘Dinosaur Kale’ or ‘Tuscan Kale.’ The recipe is from ‘thekitchn.’  Another very simple meal with a lot of appeal. An ounce of bread could be added while keeping the calories in line. See S.A.D. for recipe details.

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

1 two-oz egg + apricot1 two-oz eggs  + blueberries
prepared horseradishricotta cheese + onion
romano cheese + chivesmozzarella cheese
WisPride or Kraft Olde English CheddarJarlsberg cheese + herbs
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday: …….. single portion for Thursday:

left over roast or boiled beefbeef or pork or chicken meat
mustard + cornicionechickpea ragout
beets, fresh or pickled
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Slow Days: Election Cake

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People who are new to Fasting often pose the questions: “Can I really eat ‘anything I want’ on a Slow Day?” and “What should I eat on Slow Days?” To answer those questions, I have decided to add some blog posts to show some of the foods we eat on what the world calls NFDs [non-fast days] but which, in our house, we call ‘Slow Days.’ This feature will appear sporadically. 

Now for the answers. Can you really eat ANYTHING you want on a Slow Day? Not really. If you eat too many calories every Slow Day, you will not lose weight. There are many questions asked on the FastDiet Forum which attest to that. Once in a while you can splurge, as long as it isn’t everyday. For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet. As for how we eat, an example follows.

At last it is Presidential Election Day in the United States of America. Or, should I say, the last day to vote in this unusual election season. It used to be that all votes were cast during one day, all around the nation. One day for voting. The counting took longer, depending on how difficult the roads were between a given town and the state capital. That was back in the dirt-roads-and-horseback days. Nowadays, vote counts are sent to state capitals by phone. But Election Day has never been the end of the story — the votes must be ‘certified’ in each state, which can take days if there is a recount. Then it is up to the Electoral College to vote, with their selection of the winner on December 14. That’s a long time from today!

Let’s have some cake today — one with a long history and a tradition of being a ‘good keeper’: Election Cake. In Colonial Days and the early days of the Republic, popular cakes were made with dried fruits. If the fruit or the cake was suffused in ‘strong spirits,’ it would keep for a long time, meaning less baking for the housewife. In Connecticut, there was the tradition of a cake for Election Day. It could be baked days in advance, then put in the picnic basket for the day-long trip to the village center to be served there at lunch. My mother said that the alcohol in the cake was because sale of booze was banned on Election Day. Maybe not, but getting voters drunk was an early form of voter coercion, hence the ban on alcohol sales. Last March, I baked 2 loaves of this cake, using sourdough [since we all have plenty of that these days, right?]. We ate some on New Hampshire’s Primary Day and the other loaf went to the freezer. We had some in September for state primary voting and the remainder this morning, just to remind ourselves that it was Election Day. We voted Absentee and turned in our ballots to the Town Clerk weeks ago. Kudos to Deb and John and the election team in Bennington.

Early Day 1 2 c flour  ½ cup + 2 Tbsp buttermilk  ½ cup sourdough, fed and bubbly 1-2 T water, as neededIn a large bowl combine the flour, buttermilk, and sourdough starter until you get a thick dough.  Add water if necessary. Form the dough into a round ball, place it in a bowl and allow it to rest, covered, for 8-12 hours. 
Evening Day 1 1 stick butter ½ cup + 2 Tbsp sugar 2 Tbsp molasses 1.5 tsp white wine OR Rum 1 Tbsp brandyIn a medium bowl, beat the butter, sugar, molasses, wine, and brandy together until well combined and fluffy.
1 egg 1.5 tsp cinnamon 1.5 tsp ground coriander ¼ tsp allspice ½ tsp ground nutmegStir in the egg and the spices.
Add the yeast dough to this mixture and beat until the mixture resembles that of a thick cake batter.
½ cup prunes, chopped ½ cup raisins/ cranberries/ cherries/ currents/ apricotsStir in dried fruit. Pour the cake into a greased “bundt pan (you could also use a springform or dutch oven)”. I used small loaf pans = two pans, 8x4x3”
Cover the pans with a clean dish cloth and allow to rise until it is almost doubled in bulk (about 1.5 -2 hours) Preheat your oven to 375F. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
This is the recipe I used, slightly adapted from the 
Nourished Kitchen.
Here is Fannie Farmer‘s recipe — lots of whiskey! In my handwriting, amounts for smaller batches.

We like to slice it and toast it lightly to serve at breakfast. A nice treat to mark the passing of the political year.

Election Cake served warm with fruit yogurt, bacon, apple cider, and frothy mocha cafe au lait: this is a breakfast to make one optimistic about an election outcome.

Fiesa!

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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. Welcome to hereketoketo who is now Following.

In the plaza of the campus of University of New Mexico is a sculpture garden. The principal work, named “Fiesta Jarabe,” is by Luis Jimenez. Curiously, the work is labeled twice as “Fiesa Jarabe.” This caused much discussion and debate on campus — what did he mean? When asked, the artist shrugged and said, “I forgot to put in the ‘t’.” It is a vibrant work which has stirred controversy ever since 1996 when it was installed: to aggressive, too macho, too sensual, skin-tones too dark. The artist planned it that way. Jimenez’ work celebrates the life of every-day Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in his colors and themes. Sadly, in 2006, he was killed when part of a massive work fell on him in his studio.

The Day of the Dead is one of the biggest holidays in Mexico and it happens November 1st and 2nd. We will celebrate by eating tostadas. “Tostada” refers to both the ingredients [must include something fried, usually the tortilla at the base] and the finished meal itself. At breakfast, the tortilla is ‘fried’ in a dry pan. At dinner, purchased tostadas [fried tortillas] make for a splendid simple supper.

Tostada : 165 calories 6.7 g fat 2 g fiber 9.6 g protein 15 g carbs [14 g Complex] 72 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  GF PB  Use some chili non carne to give this simple breakfast rich flavor. It will keep you going for hours.

one 6” corn tortilla [when you shop, be sure to get tortillas, which have 65 calories each — not wraps] one 2-oz egg 2 Tbsp chili non carne 1 Tbsp Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, grated   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water   Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Heat the toaster oven to 350F. Put the chili in a custard cup and put it into the oven to heat. Warm a dry cast iron skillet over med-high heat. Warm the tortilla in the pan on both sides until it is warm and pliable and starting to brown. Remove the tortilla and keep warm in a dish towel. Spritz the skillet with non-stick spray and fry the egg until it is done as you like it. Remove the egg. Spread the chili on the tortilla and return the tortilla to the skillet. Put the egg on the chili and sprinkle with the cheese. Put the pan into the hot oven until the cheese melts. Coffee with cocoa powder completes the Mexican theme. A meal to wake up your mouth.

Tostada for Dinner: 253 calories 13 g fat 5.6 g fiber 10 g protein 25 g carbs 119 mg Calcium  PB GF  Purchased tostada shells were the inspiration for this quick and easy meal. We will definitely enjoy this again!

1 tostada shell [fried corn tortilla @ 85 calories each]** La Real brand 1/3 cup chili non carne  1½ Tbsp Guacamole* ½ oz Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, grated ½ cup Mexican Vegetable Pickles 

Warm the chili and grate the cheese. Plate the tostada and spread it with the guacamole. Spoon the chili on top and spread that to the edges. Sprinkle with the cheese and plate with the pickled vegetables. Ready in minutes, with minimal fuss.

*GUACAMOLE: makes 1 cup 1 Tbsp =17 calories   PB GF   From Rick Bayless, so you know it is authentic. 1 jalapeno pepper 1 cup diced tomatoes 1½ avocados 1/3 cup minced onion ¼ c chopped cilantro leaves salt + lime juice + crushed red pepper to taste

Place the jalepeno in a hot cast iron pan without any fat or oil and cook it on all sides until it blisters and turns black in places. Remove, cool, and cut off the stem end. Slice in half and remove the white ribs inside, along with most of the seeds. Chop the pepper roughly and put into a food processor with the tomatoes. Scoop the pulp out of the avocados and put it in the processor along with the remaining ingredients. Combine until just a little chunky. Taste for seasonings. Freezes nicely.

**NB: if you can’t get tostada shells in your local market, here’s how you can make them from corn tortillas: https://www.thespruceeats.com/baked-crisp-tostada-shells-479060

Jumble

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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.

A ‘jumble’ is a confused mix of things — items that seem to be combined without plan. When one holds a ‘jumble sale,’ patrons can expect a display of miscellaneous items, previously used. [A ‘jumble sale’ in the UK, would be called a ‘rummage sale’ in the USA.] A ‘jumble’ is also a cookie. Sometimes menu planning can be a bit of a jumble: start with items that need to be used before going bad and add foods from a depleted pantry — these can lead to some interesting combinations of meals without a theme. It is good to use up left-overs and to rotate the items at the back of the cupboard. When one is staying at home more and going out [masked, of course] less for health reasons, one must use what one has, even if the planning seems to be lacking. During these seven months [!!] of ’emergency measures’, I go to the super-market only once every 3 weeks, and there is no popping out to pick up one missing ingredient. Use what you have! Stay healthy.

Heart-in-Heart: 150 calories 6 g fat 3 g fiber 9.6 g protein 17 g carbs [15 g Complex] 42 mg Calcium Egg + bacon + toast come to the table in a new guise.

1 slice whole-grain bread [Dave’s Good Seed] with a 2” heart cut out 1 slice Canadian bacon [Jones brand is good] with a 2” heart cut out 1 pullet or small egg [1.8 oz with the shell] 1 oz banana slices   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Spray an oven-safe pan with non-stick spray. Lightly toast the bread. Put it in the pan and position the bacon on top of it so the hearts align. Sprinkle a pinch of herbs of your choice into the hole. Break the egg into the heart-shaped hole. Strew with salt, pepper, and herbs. Bake at 350F for 12 minutes. Plate with the bananas.

Banh Mi: 300 calories 7 g fat 5 g fiber 20 g protein 36.7 g carbs 47 mg Calcium  PB  The recipe for this popular Thai/Viet street sandwich came in the mail from Eating Well’s ‘Shape’ magazine. Just a few tweeks and it works splendidly for a Fast Day. Dear Husband is a fan.

3 oz pork tenderloin, previously cooked or raw 1 tsp Asian sweet chili sauce + ½ tsp soy sauce 1½ oz cucumber, cut in 2-3” strips 1½ oz red sweet pepper, cut in 2-3” strips 1 oz carrot, shredded 1½ oz baguette slices, cut ¼” thick

Sesame-Ginger Dressing: 2 Tbsp pickle brine [from a jar of pickles] ½ tsp sesame oil + ¼ tsp ground ginger ¼ tsp ground garlic + pinch sesame seeds

Slice the pork thinly and brush with Asian chili + soy sauce mixture.  If meat is uncooked, brush with the chili/soy mixture, then briefly saute until barely pink. Prepare the sesame-ginger dressing and set aside in a small bowl. Slice and grate the vegetables and toss in the sesame-ginger dressing. Slice the bread and arrange it on the serving plate. Top with pork, then with vegetables, then the dressing. Serve remaining slaw in a small dish. Done! We ate everything with our fingers.

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

1 two-oz eggNext week I will discuss 
Monterey Jack cheesea variety of foods:
chili non carneFind a new favorite from
65-calorie corn tortillathe archives.
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday: ………………………. single portion for Thursday:

fried tortilla = tostadaNext week I will discuss 
chili non carnea variety of foods:
guacamole + Monterey JackFind a new favorite from
Mexican Vegetable Picklesthe archives.
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Smallpox

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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. Welcome to Jeyran Main who is now Following.

Smallpox raged across the globe for millennia — mummies from the time of the Pharaohs show pock marks on their skin. Around the world it went, killing, blinding, and scarring people, seemingly incurable. In 1670, in the harem at Istanbul, wives and consorts were being successfully inoculated with live smallpox virus placed in a small cut to the skin. Lady Mary Montague, wife of the British ambassador to Constantinople [as the English called it], was thrilled to hear of the Turkish method — she had survived a disfiguring bout of smallpox but her brother died. Lady Mary insisted that her children be inoculated, and she took the surgeon and the method back to England. By 1722, people were being vaccinated in England and New England. Edward Jenner of England is the one who did the most to promote vaccination. He trained with a country doctor and knew that milkmaids, who often caught cowpox from cows, never caught smallpox. Using the cowpox virus, Jenner did scientific studies about the effectiveness of vaccination [he coined the word, based on the latin word for cow, ‘vaca‘] and promoted the idea widely. Although his 1797 article was rejected and detractors said that the vaccine would turn one into a cow, by 1802, his vaccination idea was recognized by the British government and President Thomas Jefferson of the US was recommending it, too. At last, on October 26, 1977, the UN declared that smallpox was finally eradicated in the world. The scourge was ended, which shows the benefits of a good, scientifically valid vaccine. When I was a child, everyone was vaccinated against smallpox at age 3. I remember it well, although I never developed the characteristic scar.

Since the Jenner vaccination came from milkmaids with cow-pox, we will start our day with two cheeses in our baked eggs. Small Pox traveled along trade routes to many countries. It probably reached Europe via India [funny: no one called it the India-Pox…]. A wonderful India-inspired meal that emerged in England is Kedgeree, which will be our dinner.

Cheesy-Bake: 144 calories 8 g fat 1 g fiber 12 g protein 7 g carbs [5.7 g Complex] 183 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  This is the baked version of a cheese omelette that thinks that it is a cheese souffle! Delicious.

One 2-oz egg ½ oz cheddar cheese, grated 1 Tbsp reduced fat ricotta cheese 1 oz grapes Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Spritz a ramekin with olive oil or non-stick spray. Set the toaster oven at 350 F. Stir the two cheeses together with a fork until blended and whisk with the egg. Without waiting, pour into the ramekin and bake for 12-15 minutes, until puffed and beginning to brown. Prepare the fruit and your beverages of choice, and enjoy a cheesey start to your day.

Kedgeree:  250 calories 6 g fat 2 g fiber 22 g protein 25.7 g carbs [5.7 g Complex] 101 mg Calcium  PB GF  This Anglo-Indian fusion dish is flavorful and quickly prepared.  HINT: The recipe serves two [2] people.

Here is a serving for one person.
3 oz smoked haddock [aka: finnen haddie]  ½ cup milk 
1 bay leaf 
¼ cup chopped onion  		Put these ingredients in a small pan with a lid. Simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the milk and save it. Remove the fish, skin it, and pull apart into large shreds.
2/3 cup cooked rice [White rice is OK but brown rice has more nutrition] 
1/5 tsp curry powder 
½ tsp turmeric		Add the cooked rice and spices along with the shredded fish to the milk and put on low heat, covered, until everything is warm.
5 oz asparagus cut into 1½” piecesCook separately until just tender. Add to the rice/fish.
2 hard-boiled eggsPeel + cut each into 8 pieces. Strew atop the plated meal. Add salt.

Slow Days: The Tale of a Chicken.

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People who are new to Fasting often pose the questions: “Can I really eat ‘anything I want’ on a Slow Day?” and “What should I eat on Slow Days?” To answer those questions, I have decided to add some blog posts to show some of the foods we eat on what the world calls NFDs [non-fast days] but which, in our house, we call ‘Slow Days.’ This feature will appear sporadically. 

Now for the answers. Can you really eat ANYTHING you want on a Slow Day? Not really. If you eat too many calories every Slow Day, you will not lose weight. There are many questions asked on the FastDiet Forum which attest to that. Once in a while you can splurge, as long as it isn’t everyday. For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet. As for how we eat, an example follows.

When I was growing up, my mother served chicken for dinner every Sunday. It was delicious. When Dear Husband and I moved to the country [our dirt road looks much more ‘suburban’ after 40 years], we decided to raise chickens: for eggs and for meat. Since then, we have always had a supply of chicken: whole roasters and parts. We are very lucky to be so well fed. When our sons were in residence, we would eat chicken every other Sunday: roasted and served with mashed potatoes, gravy, and a side of peas. Classic. And then there were left-overs. Now that the boys are off on their own, a chicken goes a lot farther. Here is the tale of one chicken. [no, we don’t give them names nor are they our pets]

We’ll draw the veil of secrecy between chicken in-the-straw and chicken in the freezer. Dear Husband roasts a darned good chicken, with his herb and spice flavorings, and the carrots and onion in the cavity. Once it has been roasted and carved, one is left with a carcass that still has plenty of meat.

The onions and carrots were roasted inside the chicken.

Savory Roll, a recipe from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, is a favorite use for cooked chicken. One and a half cups of shredded chicken meat, along with the vegetables, plus some gravy or stock for moistening, some dark leafy greens, chutney, egg, and bread crumbs: all goes into the Food Processor to produce 2 cups of ground filling.

clockwise from left: onion, chicken shreds, egg, spinach, crumbs, carrots, and chutney in center.

A pie crust or biscuit dough is then rolled out, and the filling placed down the middle of the dough, log-shaped. The log of filling is then encased in the dough, sealing the edges.

This roll provided 12 slices.

Baked in a hot oven until the dough is brown and cooked, the Savory Roll is now done. This time, I sliced it and served it like a ‘country pate’, with mustard and side vegetables. When encased in biscuit dough, it can be napped with gravy.

What’s next? Chicken stock [some call it ‘bone broth’] from cooking the carcass in seasoned water until, as Julia Child would say, ‘It has given its all.’ I then pressure can it to store in the pantry until it is time to make soups.

Last Gasp

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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. 

It is the end of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere — the last warm breaths of the season still can be felt as the early afternoon sun shines on your back. The days are noticeably shorter, the leaves fall from the trees, and sometimes the heat comes on at night…yet the Last Rose of Summer is blooming. True, the Autumnal Equinox has passed and we are closer to November than to September. This is Summer’s Last Gasp, before the chilly, grey days ahead. As Ned Stark would say, “Winter is coming.” Before Summer ends, let’s mark the season with some foods that are appropriate.

Autumnal Equinox ScrOmelette:  147 calories 8 g fat 1.6 g fiber 10.6 g protein 12 g carbs [9 g Complex] 52 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  The mushrooms are for Autumn, the tomatoes are for Summer. This meal is for when the seasons overlap.

1½ 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.  ½ oz mushrooms, chopped 1½ oz tomatoes, cubed/diced and drained 1 Tbsp scallion, chopped 1 yellow or other small plum OR 2 oz peach OR 3 oz strawberry  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Drain the tomato cubes in a sieve, overnight if possible. Put the vegetables in an oil-sprayed non-stick pan to warm them and to cook them a bit. Whisk the eggs and pour over the vegetables in the pan. Scramble or cook as an omelette. Prepare the beverages and plate the fruit with the eggs. Savor your meal as you contemplate the change of the seasons.

Summer Vegetable Tortillas:  310 calories 9 g fat 8 g fiber 28.6 g protein 49 g carbs 210 mg Calcium  PB  Eating Well magazine is the source of these fine tortillas which are chock full of the flavors of the Summer garden.  HINT: Serves two [2]

1 cup eggplant in ½” dice 1 cup onion in ½ “ dice
½ cup corn
salt + pepper		Mix it all in a medium bowl, then put on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. (reserve the bowl) Spray the vegetables with cooking spray. Roast at 450 F for 10 minutes. 
1 cup zucchini in ½“ dice 1.5 cloves garlic salt + pepperCombine in the bowl. Add to the baking sheet and spray again. Roast until vegetables are soft and starting to brown, about 15 minutes.
½ c cooked chicken breast, shredded ½ c enchilada saucePut chicken and the vegetables in a saute pan. Stir in enchilada sauce and heat until warm. 
4 corn tortillas, warmed ½ c Monterey jack, shredded + chopped cilantro, lime wedgesPut ¼ of the filling on each tortilla. [save a bit for adding to eggs at breakfast] Top with cheese, serve with cilantro/lime.

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

1 two-oz egg1 two-oz egg 
ricotta cheese70-calorie whole-grain bread
Cheddar or Gruyere cheeseCanadian bacon/back bacon
raspberry or apple or grapesbanana
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion for Monday: …….. single portion for Thursday:

smoked haddock + onionpork tenderloin + sweet red pepper
hard-boiled eggs + bay leafAsian sweet chili sauce + cucumber
asparagus + curry powdercarrot + baguette slices + ground garlic
turmeric + cooked rice +milk pickle brine + sesame oil + ginger
Sparkling waterSparkling water