Happy Pairing: Dill + Salmon

September 9, 2018August 31, 2018 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

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 Douglas W. who is now Following.

Some food flavors have a natural affinity for each other. Culinary articles and books have used a lot of ink on the topic. [One of our favorite tomes is What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg] In many cuisines, the favorite pairing is Dill with Salmon. Scandinavian cooks love that combination, as do the Russians. In fact, throughout the Northern latitudes where salmon live in the waters and dill grows in the gardens, there are recipes to combine the two.

Leek & Salmon Bake: 270 calories 7 g fat 2.9 g fiber 15.2 g protein 36.4 g carbs 225.6 mg Calcium PB GF Simply delicious. Leek-Salmon Bake w: plum

One 2-oz egg ½ oz salmon [could be leftover from a previous meal] 1/3 oz leek, sliced thinly 1 tsp low-fat sour cream OR plain Greek Yogurt dill weed to taste dash lemon juice 1 small plum OR ¼ cup blueberries 6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasturized apple cider blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

Spritz an oven-proof ramekin [for 2 people, my Husband likes to use a 6×4” oval casserole] with non-stick spray and set the oven for 350 degrees F. Slice the leek and put in a microwave-safe dish. [NB: if the fish is raw, cut it into small pieces and put it in the dish, too]Cook in microwave for 30 minutes at high heat to soften the leek. Add to the ramekin. Whisk the egg with the sour cream, dill, lemon juice, and salt/pepper to taste. [NB: some people find dill to be a very strong flavor] Pour over the salmon/leek mixture and bake for 12-15 minutes. Prepare your beverages and dish the berries. Have a wonderful breakfast and a wonderful day.

Salmon-Dill Casserole: 281 calories 10.4 g fat 5 g fiber 24.6 g protein 24 g carbs 253 mg Calcium PB GF This is a wonderful combination. Salmon-Leek Casserole

3 oz salmon, raw 1 cup leeks, sliced 1 clove garlic 2 oz clam juice 2 Tbsp milk ¼ cup peas pinch nutmeg + pinch cayenne + ½ tsp dill ½ tsp cornstarch 1 oz green beans

Cut the salmon into one-inch cubes and put in an oven-proof dish, dusting the fish with salt and pepper. Cook the leeks 5 minutes in a pan with a spritz of oil and some water. Slice the garlic and add that to the leeks for 15 seconds. Take pan off the heat and add dill, cayenne, nutmeg, peas, and cornstarch. Pour over salmon and bake around 15 minutes until it is hot through. In the meantime, cook the green beans and drain. Scrape the hot salmon mixture into your serving bowl [I used one 7” bowl per serving], being sure to include all the sauce. Top with the cooked beans. If there is broth left in the bottom of the bowl, don’t be shy – drink it!

Crossroads: Mediterranean

August 26, 2018February 20, 2025 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

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: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle. Welcome to Nourish Naturally who is now Following.

There are some locations so remote you wonder how Lonely Planet finds them. Then there are other places that have had so many waves of ‘visitors’ that you wonder how they have their own identity. Malta and Sicily, the islands off Southern Italy, are such crossroads. The Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Minoans, the Romans, the Arabs, the Normans, the crusaders: all left their mark. Every one seems to have been there: Odysseus sailed through the Strait of Messina [Scylla + Charybdis] and even Saints Luke and Paul set foot on the islands.

Are you ‘between Scylla and Charybdis’ about your health and dieting? You want to lose weight, but you don’t know how to begin? Eat these meals tomorrow and see how you like Fasting. The breakfast features many of the flavors of Malta in one savory meal. The dinner combines tuna [common in the Mediterranean] with local produce to make a fine, quick meal for any time of year.

Maltese ScrOmelette: 293 calories… 8.4 g fat… 3.5 g fiber… 18 g carbs… 252 mg Calcium… PB GF With the fish, the vegetables, and the fruit, these flavors have “Malta” written all over them.

Maltese ScrOmelette

++ 1 ½ 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 ++++ 1/4 oz cooked tuna ++++ 2 Tbsp frozen spinach ++++ 2 Tbsp Mediterranean Vegetables, chopped ++++ ½ clementine ++++ Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++++ Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [75 calories] ++

Thaw and chop the spinach, and drain it through a small sieve. Break the tuna into small bits. Combine all vegetables with the tuna. Heat the ingredients briefly in an oil-misted non-stick pan, then pour in the whisked eggs. Cook to your preference. Serve with the fruit and the beverages of choice. Sunny flavors!

Tuna with Grilled Vegetables: 244 calories… 7 g fat… 4 g fiber… 29 g protein… 14.6 g carbs… 32.5 mg Calcium… PB GF The recipe comes from the Fast Diet Book and it is wonderful. So pretty on the plate.

+++ 5 oz tuna steak ++++ 4 oz red bell peppers ++++ 5 oz zucchini++++ 2 oz cherry tomatoes ++++ 1 tsp olive oil ++++ splash of lemon juice ++

Cut the peppers into long strips. Same with the zucchini. Toss all the vegetables with the olive oil. Cook the tuna and vegetables on a grill pan or grill, 3 minutes on each side. Serve with the lemon juice. Delicious and quick.

Rosa of Lima

August 22, 2018November 29, 2025 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a total of 600 calories. On Monday, eat the meals that will be posted on Sunday, another day of 600 calories. 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.

Isabel Flores de Olivia was born on August 20, 1586, to a family of Spanish colonists in Peru. To her parents’ dismay, she died with the name Rosa of Lima. Little did they suspect that she would become the first Catholic saint born in the ‘New World.’ The beautiful girl was slated for marriage, but defied her parents by wishing to become a nun. They grudgingly agreed, permitting her to live a secluded life in a hut in their garden. There Rosa fasted, lived an ascetic life, and helped the sick and poor. Her elevation to sainthood was a boost to the faith of the inhabitants of Peru and all of South America.

Many foods we commonly eat today are from Peru, and in honor of Rosa, we will sample several. The breakfast contains tomatoes and anchovies, both typical ingredients which Rosa would have known. The dinner contains Lima beans, of course, in a traditional meal of Western Hemisphere First Peoples.

Peruvian ScrOmelette: 289 calories… 8.3 g fat… 3 g fiber… 17.4 g protein… 37 g carbs… 231.6 mg Calcium… PB GF Traditional foods of Peru from land and sea combine with the new taste of coffee, now grown in the mountains.

++ 1 ½ 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, crack three 2-oz eggs into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week++++ 2 oz diced tomato, drained++++ ¼ oz [2 tsp] anchovies canned in olive oil, drained but not rinsed ++++2 oz melon OR mango ++++ optional: blackish coffee or blackish tea++++ optional: 5-6 oz green smoothie, fruit smoothie or pure apple cider++

Night before:After you dice the tomato, put it in a strainer over a bowl to reduce the moisture. In the morning: Chop the anchovies and add to the eggs. Spritz a non-stick pan with non-stick spray and add the tomatoes. This will cook them a bit and warm them. Whisk the egg/anchovy and pour into the warm pan. Scramble or cook as an omelette. Plate with the fruit, pour the beverages, and dream of the Andes.

‘Original’ Succotash: 270 calories… 2.6 g fat… 9.3 g fiber… 18 g protein… 50 g carbs… 71 mg Calcium… PB GF The Mystic Seaport Cookbook contains many quaint and curious old recipes. What follows is my combination of two of them. It is ‘original’ because it gets us back to what succotash once was [a maindish, not a side] and because it is my own version. HINT: This recipe makes 3 cups of succotash, which could be 3 servings.

++ ½ cup lima beans [Green Giant frozen Fordhook] ++++ ½ cup green/snap beans ++++ ½ cup corn kernels++++ ++++ ¼ cup canned navy beans ++++ 2 oz corned beef [New England style is grey because it contains no nitrates] ++++ 1 slice cornmeal mush aka: polenta++++ sage + pepper + salt to taste [mind that the corned beef might be salty] ++

Cook the vegetables until they are tender. Drain the cooking water and reserve ½ cup. Mash the navy beans and whisk into ¼ cup vegetable water. Put all vegetables and the meat into a pan along with the mashed beans. Add sage and pepper to taste and more vegetable broth if you wish, and heat. If it needs more salt, add it too. In a non-stick pan, saute the corn mush on each side until it is warm. Start with one cup of succotash, as it is very filling.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1.5 two-oz eggs	1.5 two-oz eggs
tuna	canned white beans [navy]
frozen spinach	green onion + tomato
clementine	shrimp
Mediterranean Vegetables	nectarine or peach
optional smoothie	optional hot beverage
optional hot beverage	optional smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

tuna steaks	chicken breast
red bell peppers	sherry wine + angel hair pasta
zucchini	carrot + broccoli
cherry tomatoes	sherry wine [not cooking sherry]
olive oil	Bechamel sauce without cheese
	Parmesan cheese
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Salad Days

August 15, 2018August 4, 2018 ~ me ~ 2 Comments

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.

Shakespeare coined the term ‘salad days‘ in the play Antony and Cleopatra in 1606. He used it to mean the time when we were callow, carefree, and young. Nowadays, it is used in the headlines of summer food articles, all touting beat-the-heat dinners. Doesn’t Summer seem to be the very essence of the term ‘salad days’? Indeed, we take advantage of the summer’s bounty and eat from the garden a lot these days, and salads seem cooler and lighter to eat when the weather is hot. But beware! A nice healthy bowl of lettuces can be transformed into a danger zone by contaminated leaves [carrying Salmonella and other pathogens], not enough nutrition, and great lashings of fatty, sugary dressing. Today we will eat a salad’s-worth of spinach at breakfast in baked eggs, since baking is a good way to kill bacteria. And for dinner a real salad with lots of nutrient-dense and delicious add-ins.

Spinach Fritatta: 276 calories 7.2 g fat 3.8 g fiber 16.4 g protein 35.6 g carbs [31.5 g Complex] 289 mg Calcium PB GF Whether it is breakfast or dinner, Spinach Fritatta checks off all the boxes. Spinach Frittata

1 two-oz egg 1/6 cup [3 Tbsp] cooked spinach, squeezed and chopped [equivalent of 2 cups raw spinach] 1 Tbsp cottage cheese 1/8 oz [2 Tbsp] chopped scallions, white or green parts ¼ oz Manchego OR Cheddar cheese, grated dash of grated nutmeg + dash of granulated garlic 2 oz strawberries OR kiwi slice + strawberry slice, as shown blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz fruit smoothie, green smoothie or natural apple cider

Cook the spinach, drain it, and squeeze it in your hands to remove excess water. [TIP: save the drained water for baking or for cooking vegetables/pasta] Chop the spinach and mix with scallions, both cheeses, nutmeg, and garlic. Lightly spray a baking dish with oil or non-stick spray. Pour the vegetable-cheese mixture into the dish and arrange so it is evenly distributed. Whisk the egg and pour over the mixture. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Plate with the berries and pour the beverages.

Santa Barbara Salad: 280 calories 13.3 g fat 5.7 g fiber 16.2 g protein 21.3 g carbs 105.8 mg Calcium PB GF From a Washington Post food column, this salad sings of California. HINT: This amount serves 2 [two]. Invite a friend or save for lunch later in the week.

½ head Boston or buttercrunch lettuce 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes ½ medium apple, cored and diced ½ cup diced chicken breast ¼ cup chickpeas 1 oz soft goat cheese 1.5 tsp pinenuts 1 Medjool date 1 hard-boiled egg, sliced per serving: 1.5 tsp cinnamon dressing see SPICY from 23 May, 2018

First prepare the dressing and refrigerate. Next, toast the pinenuts until they just begin to brown. Take off heat and set aside. Shred the lettuce and put in a bowl along with all the other ingredients. Toss with 1.5 tsp dressing per serving. Play a Beach Boys song and wear your sunglasses.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
mushrooms	tomatoes
1 crêpe [see Sidekicks II, 4 Oct, 2018]	anchovies

	mango or melon
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

salt cod + garlic cloves	lima beans
potato + cauliflower	canned white beans
milk + olive oil	green snap beans
fennel seed + black pepper	corn kernels
carrot	corned beef
slicing tomato	polenta [Sidekicks II, Oct 4, 2017]
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Izaak Walton

August 8, 2018October 30, 2018 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

“I have laid aside business, and gone a-fishing.” Sounds like a familiar sign tacked on the door of a poorly-run country store. Those words were penned by Isaac Walton who was born on August 9, 1593. He was a successful London clothier who’s claim to fame was his love of fishing. He was active in his church who’s vicar, John Donne, was Walton’s fishing buddy. In 1653, he published The Compleat Angler, in which the fictional character Piscator [Walton’s alter ego] instructs a companion about fish, fishing, and the need to preserve the environment to keep the fish healthy. A man ahead of his time. Today the name of his book is widely known by anglers all over the world and places sacred to trout fishers are named after him. In the USA, the Izaak Walton League brings together avid fishermen who also speak to environmental protection. May the same be said of all of us. Today’s menus feature trout, the fish which most people associate with Walton. Smoked trout with crisp apples for breakfast and trout sautéed with nuts for dinner. If you can catch them yourself, Izaak would be smiling. If they were caught in a pristine country stream, so much the better.

Trout with Apples: 267 calories 3.9 g fat 2.4 g fiber 15.6 g protein 43 g carbs 199 mg Calcium PB GF At the Inn at Saint Peters, we enjoyed their Smoked Trout with Apples appetizer. It occurred to me that this could be a fine breakfast for those who enjoy a savory/seafood taste in the a.m. I substituted mackerel gravlax for the smoked trout, just because that was on hand, but it was a grey-brown instead of the lighter hue of the trout or the pink of a salmon. gravlax-apples

1 oz smoked trout [DuckTrap brand is very good] OR 1 oz mackerel gravlax 2 oz Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced; each slice cut into 1/2-moons ¼ c blueberries + 2 raspberries for color blackish coffee, blackish tea, or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz smoothie or natural apple cider

Slice the fish with the grain to create thin slices. Arrange the fish and apples in overlapping slices around the plate. HINT: I did this the night before, covered it with clingwrap and put it in the ‘fridge. So quick the next morning!! Brew your hot beverage, blend or shake your smoothie, dish out those healthy blueberries, and breakfast elegantly.

Trout with Hazelnuts: 267 calories 18 g fat 3.3 g fiber 21 g protein 6.3 g carbs 75 mg Calcium PB GF From Savoie, France comes this recipe, via Anne Willem’s French Regional Cooking. Hannibal is supposed to have dined on local trout as he crossed the Alps with his elephants. Very easy to prepare [the trout, not the elephants] and absolutely delicious. Trout w: hazelnuts + haricots

3 oz trout, skinned, boned and trimmed 1 tsp butter ½ oz hazelnuts, coarsly chopped 2 oz French green beans [haricots]

Start cooking the beans. Heat a heavy saute pan and spray with non-stick spray. Put in the trout and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slowly [slow cooking will keep the fish tender] cook the trout on one side for about 3-4 minutes. Add the butter to the pan along with the nuts. Continue cooking everything slowly until the fish is done, roughly another 3 minutes. Drain and season the beans, plate them with the trout, and top the fish with the nuts in butter. Enjoy your culinary visit to the French Alps.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg	1two-oz egg
avocado	2 cups fresh spinach leaves
70-calorie whole-grain bread	scallions
	cottage cheese + Cheddar cheese
	kiwi fruit + strawberry
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

cooked and cooled brown rice	Boston lettuce + cherry tomatoes
1 two-oz egg	apple + Medjool date
avocado + cucumber	chick peas + chicken breast
grilled beef	goat cheese + 1/2 hard-boiled egg
smoked salmon	pine nuts + shallot
soy sauce + rice vinegar	cinnamon dressing [23 May, 2018]
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Emily Bronte

July 29, 2018March 16, 2025 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Have you ever found that you were wandering over the Yorkshire Moors calling, “Heathcliff! Heathcliff!” OK, maybe not, but the yearning of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff for each other transcends time and leaps off the page at you. Emily Brönte, under the pseudonym “Ellis Bell,” wrote the deathless novel Wuthering Heights in 1847. Tomorrow will be the 200th anniversary of her birth. Like her heroine, Emily could not bear to be away from her Yorkshire home, even though she was supposed to go off to work to contribute to the family’s income. She was a woman of conservative political beliefs who nonetheless was swept up in the Romantic Era‘s ideas of literature. Bronte was the daughter of a clergyman yet she wrote a book about a passionate, illicit love. Though she lead a sheltered life, Emily successfully played the stock market and ran a house on a frugal budget. She died at age 30 having produced one book and several poems.

Kippers, preserved herring from Northern waters, would have been popular in Yorkshire, even away from the coast. The economical Emily would have made sure that the parsonage was well supplied. Fish cakes, which also serve a household inexpensively, are what we will have for dinner. Is the wind howling around the house? Are there voices on the wind? Curl up with a good book.

Kippered Eggs: 294 calories 9.4 g fat 3 g fiber 18 g protein 34 g carbs [31 g Complex] 217 mg Calcium PB GF Kippers are traditionally served with eggs, but why not have them in eggs? We did and it is terrific!

++ 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 ++++ 1/2 oz kippered [smoked, salted, dried] herring ++++ ¼ tsp dried mustard ++++ 1 tsp lemon or lime juice ++++4 sweet cherries ++++ optional: 5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie ++++ optional: blackish tea or blackish coffee ++

The night before: Soak the kipper fillet in warm tap water for 30 minutes. Mince the fish. In a small bowl, combine the juice and mustard, then mix in the fish. Leave it until morning. Next morning: Put the fish with its flavorings into a lightly-spritzed hot non-stick or cast iron pan to warm. Whisk the eggs and pour over the fish. Let the eggs cook without disturbing them, then fold and plate with the cherries. The beverages are a nice counterpoint to the savory richness of the eggs and herring.

Fish Cakes: 212 calories 4 g fat 5 g fiber 9.6 g protein 34 g carbs 52 mg Calcium [food values for dinner using ONE 1/3 cup-size cake and side dishes.] PB GF This recipe is fromLegal Seafood Cookbook, from the restaurant chain in Boston, Mass. Fish cakes have been popular where ever there are folk who want a little fish to go a long way. NB: The Fish Cake recipe produces 6 cakes, each 1/3 cup in size. >>Each cake = 92 calories 1.7 g fat 0.8 g fiber 8 g protein 11.8 g carbs 22 mg Calcium NB: The Fish Cake recipe produces 8 cakes, each 1/4 cup in size. >>Each cake = 69 calories 1.3 g fat 0.6 g fiber 5.3 g protein 8.8 g carbs 16 mg Calcium 1/3 cup green or white onion, chopped 1 2/3 cup mashed potatoes [no milk, no butter] ¼ tsp dry mustard + salt + pepper 1 two-oz egg 2 Tbsp milk 6 oz cooked fish [cod, haddock, salt cod, salmon or a mixture], flaked into small pieces 1 tsp butter ½ cup pickled beets 1 cup baby greens or sliced lettuce leaves + ½ tsp olive oil + ½ tsp vinegar + salt + pepper

Combine the onion, potatoes, egg, seasonings, and milk, stirring well. Stir in the fish, gently but thoroughly. Using a 1/3 cup measure as a mold, portion the fish/potato mixture into 6 cakes. Put on a plate or cookie sheet while the pan heats up. Heat a heavy fry pan, such as cast iron, and spray with non-stick spray. Cook the fish cakes on one side, flattening them slightly with a turner. Remove from the pan and add 1 tsp of butter to the pan. Spread the butter around, return the fish cakes, and cook them on the other side until they are browned. Serve while hot. What you don’t eat today, let cool completely, then freeze with waxed or parchment paper between the cakes.

Hot Enough?

July 25, 2018July 21, 2018 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

‘Hot enough for ya?’ [my father scorned people who said that.] ‘Hotter than the hinges of Hades.‘ [my mother would say this one.] ‘Hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk.‘ ‘Some like it hot.’ ‘Hot town, summer in the city…‘ How hot has it been in your Northern Hemisphere location this summer? Some people find it easier to diet in the summer, some the reverse. We find it easy to prepare simple foods which meet our requirements for a Fasting day as well as for enervating weather conditions.

The breakfast is based on ingredients from a favorite restaurant’s pizza. The pizza was baked in a brick oven and came sizzling to the table. In your own kitchen, under cooler circumstances, you can make a no-fuss breakfast. The dinner is simplicity itself since the roasting was done in advance, and it can be carried to the nearest shady spot for consumption.

ForeStreet ScrOmelette: 278 calories 8.7 g fat 3 g fiber 15.8 g protein 35 g carbs 228 mg Calcium PB GF Based on a pizza from one of our favorite Portland, Maine restaurants, these flavors are teriffic together. Forestreet Bake w: S-b

Three 2-oz eggs of which you will use 1 ½ eggs per person 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. 1/8 oz bleu cheese 1/4 oz mushrooms 1/8 oz leeks 1 oz pear Blackish coffee or tea or lemon with hot water 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider

Spritz a non-stick pan with olive oil or non-stick spray. Slice the leeks and saute with the mushrooms until both are cooked. Whisk in the eggs and pour over the leeks and mushrooms. As the eggs begin to set, crumble the bleu cheese on top. Scramble or cook as an omelette. Plate with the pear, serve with the beverages of choice. Breakfast in a cool kitchen on a warm morning.

Pork Salad: 144 calories 4 g fat 2.4 g fiber 17 g protein 7 g carbs [6.8 g Complex] 43 mg Calcium PB GF When there is leftover meat from a roast, the easiest meal is to turn it into a salad with lots of yummy components. NB: I sprinkled each serving with 1/4 oz flax-seed corn chips which added 40 calories and only 4 g carbs. Pork Salad w: Flax-Corn Chips

2 cups salad greens, cut as chiffonade if leaves are large 2.5-3 oz pork tenderloin, cooked, sliced 2.5-3 oz tomatoes 1 oz red bell pepper, cut in 1/2” dice 1 oz whole fresh cranberries, not dried 2 oz zucchini sticks 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar + ½ tsp olive oil + 1 tsp blue cheese herb mustard

Prepare all the vegetables as described. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a wide bowl and toss with the greens. Plate the greens and decorate the salad with the other components. That was fast!

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1.5 two-oz egg	1 two-oz egg
kippered herring	low-fat cottage cheese
dry mustard	radish sprouts
lemon juice	avocado
cherries	blueberries
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

6 oz cooked fish	2 crepes [see Sidekicks I, 17 Sept ’17]
1 two-oz egg + dry mustard	chicken breast
mashed potatoes + butter	carrots + chèvre/goat cheese
green or white onion	low-fat cottage cheese
beets + salad greens	Mediterranean Vegetables [see Sidekicks II, 4 Oct 2017 for recipe]
olive oil + vinegar	Herbes de Province or tarragon
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Acores 2

July 22, 2018July 21, 2018 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

We will remain on the beautiful island of Sao Miguel, Açores for another day to point out more about how we Fast whilst traveling. We enjoy cooking and eating our own food at a self-catering accommodation [such as Pico do Refugio], but we do like to dine out too. At any restaurant on Sao Miguel, the first thing you are offered is local cheese as a starter. The most simple version of this is “Queijo Fresco” [aka Queso Fresco or Queso Blanco or ‘farmer’s cheese’] which is always served with the hot sauce “Pimenta do Queijo.” Spicy “Choriço Paste” is also popular and available at the meat section of the supermarket. Those flavors together made for a fine dish of eggs for a Fast Day breakfast, along with the locally-grown pineapple. Dinner at a favorite restaurant on a Slow Day would usually involve seafood, and then left-overs would make a another appearance on a Fast Day at home. On Slow Days, we ‘went native’ and sampled local restaurants and wines and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. “And does this work?” you ask. “Can one enjoy a vacation and without a huge weight gain?” Yes. After 11 days of vacation, my weight was still at my Target Level. Travel should broaden the mind but it doesn’t have to broaden the waistline.

Azorean Queso Egg: 249 calories 10 g fat 0.8 g fiber 15.7 g protein 16.4 g carbs [8 g Complex] 271.5 mg Calcium PB GF Two of the favorite flavors of the Azores combine for this egg dish, and the pineapple ices the cake. Azorean-flavor Eggs w: pineapple 1 two-oz egg 1.5 tsp Queso Fresco 1 tsp Chorizo Paste 2 oz pineapple blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water

Whisk the egg, cheese, and chorizo paste, then bake in an oven-proof dish or cook in a saute pan. Slice the pineapple and sip some Brazilian coffee for a delicious, low-calorie meal.

Dinner at a Restaurant: Seafood is usually a safe choice Azores Cod w: Veg @ Restaurant for a low-calorie meal in a restaurant, unless it is drowned in a fatty sauce. And since the Açores are in the middle of the Atlantic, it wasn’t hard to find top-notch seafood. Here, at the Restaurant of the Agricultural Association, cod was grilled and served with boiled vegetables. If you skip the potatoes, you are more virtuous. [You can see the Queijo Fresco with Pimenta in the upper right corner.]

Cod w: Veg Left-over For another meal, what could be more easy than this food a second time around? There is an ample amount of both the fish and the vegetables to be very satisfying on a Fast Day. We liked the food at the Agricultural Association so well that we dined there twice. Their speciality is beef and it is not for a Fast Day! .

Calvin

July 8, 2018February 15, 2025 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

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 Adrian K. who is now Following.

Jean Calvin [aka Jehan Cauvin] was born on Monday, July 9, 1509. Little did his parents in the town of Noyon, Picardie know of the tremendous impact their son would have on their country’s society and religious life. Destined for the clergy, Calvin grew up in the shadow of Martin Luther’s ideas to reform the Church. His father’s falling out with the local church elders steered young Jean to the law. In the 1530s, Calvin grew into a new theology, a synthesis of the ideas of Luther, Zwingli, and other leaders of Protestantism. Through studies in Basel, Switzer-land and Strasbourg [then in Germany] Calvin went on to organize and codify the new church. From the Cathedral of Saint Pierre in Geneva [where you can still see ‘Calvin’s Chair’], he oversaw the training of priests, the writing of liturgy, and the spread of the Reformation through his homeland. For the next hundred years, France was torn apart by religious wars as the Protestant Huguenots fought with the Catholics to worship as they pleased.

Calvin believed in predestination, but you are not pre-ordained to be over-weight. Enjoy eggs baked with the Camembert cheese of North-Eastern France for breakfast, as a way to begin Fasting. And since Picardie borders the ocean, mackerel will be our dinner and I’m sure Calvin would approve.

Camembert Bake: 146 calories 10 g fat 0.5 g fiber 9 g protein 6 g carbs 90 mg Calcium PB GF The best-known cheese of Normandy stars in this egg dish. Easy to prepare and so delicious. I hope you will try it.

One 2-oz egg ½ oz Camembert 1 tsp Dijon mustard grating of nutmeg 2 oz strawberries OR 1.5 oz apple slices optional: blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon juice & hot water optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider

Cut the cheese [rind and all] into small chunks and leave to soften at room temperature. Stir in the mustard and nutmeg. Whisk the egg, then stir in the cheese mixture. Pour into an oven-proof dish that has been spritzed with non-stick spray and bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes. When the beverages are ready, plate with the fruit.

Mackerel with Gooseberry Glaze: 276 calories 16 g fat [Omega 3 fat!] 1 g fiber 22 g protein 7 g carbs 26.7 mg Calcium PB GF This popular dish from Normandy usually features fresh gooseberries. Here in the USA, those are less common, so we make a glaze of gooseberry jelly. The zucchini picks up the color of green gooseberries.

3 oz mackerel, frozen cooked or fresh fillets 2 tsp gooseberry jelly/jam 3 oz zucchini ribbons

Heat the oven to 300 F. Put frozen or fresh fish on a baking tray and brush with melted jelly. Using a potato peeler, carve long, thin slices from the length of the zucchini until you have 3 oz. Toss the ribbons with salt and pepper. Place the ribbons on the baking tray in a heap [if they are in a thin layer, they will over-cook]. Bake for 5 minutes. Rearrange the zucchini so that the bottom layer is now on top. Bake 5 minutes more, or until the fish is thawed or cooked. Plate the fish with the zucchini ribbons and enjoy a meal of remarkable flavor.

Raffles

July 4, 2018July 5, 2018 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

If I said “Raffles,” would you think of buying a ticket for a prize at a charity event? If you had thought internationally, you would think of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles; and Singapore; and the Raffles Hotel; and perhaps a well-known beverage. Sir Thomas was born July 5, 1781, to a merchant ship captain who never found success. His son’s story was like a Horatio Alger tale as told by Dickens. Young Tom became an apprentice and worked his way up to be tapped by the East India Company as the right sort of fella to find a new trading port in the “Orient.” Under his directions, a tiny town became Singapore, now an independent city-state on the Strait of Malacca. In 1887, the Sarkies brothers started a hotel in Singapore and named it The Raffles Hotel. The hotel became famous, associated with comfort, international trade and intrigue, as attested by films shot there. And then there is the famous cocktail, the Singapore Sling, said to have been invented in the Raffles Bar.
Our menu today is typical of the foods of singapore. Breakfast is based on a well-loved street food, while dinner is the ultimate ‘melting pot’ meal of the Malacca crossroads: Dim Sum.

Chilli-Crab ScrOmelette: 296 calories 7.8 g fat 2.9 g fiber 23 g protein 37 g carbs [34 g Complex] 217.6 mg Calcium PB GF The inspiration for this breakfast is a popular street food of Singapore. When I read the ingredients, I was inspired to add those flavors to eggs. Marvelous!! Chilli-Crab ScrOmelette

1 ½ 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 Tbsp catsup ¾ tsp Thai red chili paste 1.5 tsp soy sauce ½ oz crab meat pinch granulated garlic + chopped chives 1.5 oz strawberries 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water

Combine the catsup, chili paste, soy sauce, crab, and garlic, stirring well to mix thoroughly. Heat a non-stick pan and spritz with non-stick spray. Whisk the eggs with the seasonings and pour quickly into the pan. Put a lid on the pan and cook undisturbed until the eggs are cooked and set. Fold the eggs as you plate them with the berries. The beverages of your choice will round out the meal.

Dim Sum: 302 calories 5.6 g fat 1.1 g fiber 32 g protein 30 g carbs 28.5 mg Calcium I like to think of Dim Sum as the Asian version of Spanish Tapas or Greek Meze: tastes of several different delicious foods. With prepared parts in the freezer, this meal is easy to assemble. Dim Sum Plate

2 oz raw chicken cubes 1 tsp prepared Satay Sauce ½ tsp creamy peanut butter 2 Momos, stashed in freezer [see Deli & Delhi, 25 Feb- ’18] 2 Wontons, stashed in freezer [see Go West, 18 Feb- ’18] 2 tsp chicken stock 1 oz Chinese BBQ Pork for steamed buns [46 calories/oz] 2 oz tomato

Thaw the chicken. Cream the Satay Sauce with the peanut butter and mix with the chicken meat. Let sit several hours. Thaw the momos, the wontons, and the pork. Combine the stock with 2 tsp water and put the wontons in the broth. Put over heat until the wontons are heated through. Remove them and continue to heat the stock until reduced back to 2 tsp. [Using ceramic soup spoons, I put 1 tsp of stock in each spoon and topped it with a warm wonton.] Thread the chicken onto a skewer and broil for 10-15 minutes, turning to cook the other side. Place the momos in a steamer for about 15 minutes, until they are cooked through and the wrappers are translucent. Heat the pork in the microwave for about 1 minute. Slice the tomato and plate the Dim Sum components in the manner of your choosing.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
Camembert cheese	Finn Crisp crackers
Dijon mustard	herring marinated in wine
strawberries or apples	whipped cream cheese
	Bing cherries
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

mackerel	2 crêpes [Sidekicks, Sept 17, ’17]
gooseberry jam or jelly	ham, 3% fat + Jarlsberg cheese
zucchini	Dijon mustard
	asparagus OR lettuce + tomato
	Béchamel sauce, no cheese [Sidekicks I, Sept 17, ’17]
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

	me on Let Me Entertain You… Di…
	Mya on Let Me Entertain You… Di…
	Peter Eppig on Robert Gould Shaw
	me on 10 Years of FASTing
	Karen Loudon on 10 Years of FASTing

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Raffles

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