A Real Ham

April 3, 2019July 9, 2019 ~ 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.

“Hello, CQ, CQ. Hello, CQ. This is W3DHO calling.” My father was a real Ham. No, not one who mugged on stage or monopolized a party with corny jokes: he was an Amateur Radio Operator, and a member of the world-wide community of ‘Hams‘. As a child, he built a “crystal set” and plucked radio waves from thin air. When he was 13 years old, the youngest you could be to qualify, he passed the test to get an amateur license and a call sign. For the rest of his life, he was a dedicated Ham, sitting up late to catch a conversation with a fellow Ham on the other side of the world and then exchanging QSL cards with him or her. When I was a child, he taught me to build a ‘cigar-box radio’ and then a receiver from a kit. That’s how I learned to wire and to solder. To his disappointment, I never became a Ham. Tomorrow would be his birthday. “73“, Dad. We will enjoy two of my father’s favorites today: Western Omelette and for dinner, what else? Ham!

Western ScrOmelette: 140 calories 8 g fat 2.2 g fiber 10 g protein 8 g carbs [7.4 g Complex] 54.5mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF My father used to love a western sandwich for lunch on Saturday and I developed a taste for them too. Here’s all the flavor, without all the bread.

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 to store in the ‘fridge for next week. 2 tsp catsup, made without corn syrup 1.5 Tbsp green pepper 1 Tbsp chopped onion ¼ cup raspberries OR 3 Bing cherries Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Prepare the beverages of your choice. Chop the green pepper and onion, and put them in a hot saute pan spritzed with olive oil or non-stick spray. Cook until soft. Whisk the catsup and eggs and scramble with the vegetables. Salt and pepper to taste. Plate the fruit and tuck in.

Ham & Asparagus Popover: 298 calories 14.8 g fat 4.6 g fiber 17 g protein 33 g carbs [16 g Complex Carbs] 146 mg Calcium PB What a fine way to recycle the components of a Sunday dinner. HINT: Recipe serves 2 [two] people. Easy to double.

3 oz ham [from a roast, this has 11% fat] 6 oz asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces ½ cup Béchamel sauce with cheese [see Sidekicks I, Sept 17, ’18 for the recipe] ½ oz Swiss cheese ½ cup Yorkshire Pudding batter[see ..Not by Bread.. Feb-7-’18for recipe] per serving: 2 oz fresh pineapple

Set the oven to 400° F. Prepare the Yorkshire Pudding batter and let it sit at room temperature for 30+ minutes. If asparagus is raw, snap off the woody ends. Slice the spears and cook until tender. Cut ham into bite-sized chunks. Grate the cheese and add it to the béchamel sauce in a sauce pan. Warm gently until the cheese melts. Add the ham and asparagus. HINT: This could be done hours in advance. Beat the pudding batter until it is frothy. Lightly oil 4 holes of a mini-muffin pan OR 2 holes of a full-sized muffin pan. Warm the pan briefly in the oven, then pour in the batter. Bake 20 minutes until puffed and browned but not dry. Rewarm the ham/asparagus sauce, if needed, while the Yorkshire Pudding bakes. Plate the fruit along with the ham mixture and mini-puddings. OR break open the full-sized popover and spoon the ham filling over it.

Ingredients for next week:

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

Next Monday, I will continue the	1.5 two-oz eggs
discussion of Food in Wrappers	Danish blue cheese
	herring marinated in wine
choose a favorite from the Archives	apple
	Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your hot beverage

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

	shaved roast beef, rare
Choose a favorite dinner from	provolone cheese + onions
the Archives	broccoli
	Potato bread
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

No Fooling!

March 31, 2019March 19, 2024 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Tomorrow will be April 1st — April Fools’ Day. What is the origin of that expression? Why is that day a time for playing tricks? The most widely-held origin story relates to the switch [anytime from the 1500s to the 1900s] from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar. There was a 14-day gap [akin to the clocks ‘springing forward’ to Daylight Savings Time] and what had been the start of the new year on March 25 was now on April 1. Confusing to anyone to be sure, but those who got it wrong were labeled ‘fools.’ In France, the butt of a prank is called a ‘poisson d’Avril’ [April fish], since the young fish are foolish enough to be caught more easily.[??] A popular joke is to tape a picture of a fish to someone’s back. [At least it doesn’t say ‘kick me.’] What is your favorite prank for April 1? We will not be fooled — we will know that April 1, 2019 will be a Fast Day and we will be ready for it. Neither will we be fooled by other diets which promise great results and can’t deliver. Today’s menus include fish so that you can eat the Poisson d’Avril rather than being one. Interested in the Mediterranean Diet? I’m not kidding: these meals are for you.

Brandade Bake: 145 calories 8.3 g fat 1.2 g fiber 11.2 g protein 4.3 g carbs [2.8 g Complex] 44.8 mg Calcium NB: The food values shown are for the egg bake and the fruit, not for the optional beverages. PB GF The food of Southern France, brandade is worth trying. Here it is at breakfast, all creamy and garlicy. Brandade Bake w: peach:b-b

1 two-oz egg ½ Tbsp cottage cheese 1 Tbsp brandade [see St Bernard] shake or two granulated garlic 1 oz peach slices + ½ oz blueberries Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Cream together the cottage cheese, brandade, and garlic. Whisk in the egg. Bake in a lightly-spritzed oven-proof dish or ramekin at 350° F. until cooked through, about 12-15 minutes. With the fruit and beverages, you have a fine start to the day.

Fish with Polenta & Zucchini Ribbons: 261 calories 5.6 g fat 3.9 g fiber 32 g protein 23 g carbs [Complex] 225 mg Calcium PB The polenta needs to be made ahead. Simple to prepare and delicious and filling [even though I forgot to add the cheeses!]. Fish w: Polenta & Zucchini Ribbons

1 slice of polenta [that’s 1/6 of the recipe from SIDEKICKS II Oct 4, ’17] 3 oz zucchini ribbons 1 oz roasted red peppers 1 clove garlic 2 Tbsp crushed tomatoes 4 oz firm fish filets, skinless and boneless large pinch herbes de Province or thyme 1 Tbsp Parmesan, grated ½ oz mozzerella, grated

Slice the garlic as a julienne. Using a potato peeler, make lengthwise cuts on the zucchini to produce thin ‘ribbons.’ Alternately, use a spiralizer. Cut the slice of polenta in half so it is about 1/3” thick. Heat a heavy skillet and spray with a non-stick product. Lay the fish on the skillet and sprinkle with pepper and and salt. Cook on one side, then flip to the other. Add the polenta to the pan at this point. Cook it in the hot pan on both sides until it is warm and beginning to brown. Remove cooked fish and polenta and keep warm. Put the garlic in the pan and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the other vegetables, herbs, salt, pepper, and Parmesan. Stir to combine until everything is warm, about 45 seconds – the zucchini will be just barely cooked. Plate the fish and polenta slices, spoon the vegetables around the polenta, then sprinkle with mozzerella.

Lenten Fare

March 27, 2019March 23, 2019 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Now we are entering the 4th week of Lent and you might be running out of food ideas. When I was a child, my mother would always ask what my sister and I would “give up for Lent“. Sometimes it was candy or chocolate, but then we would always say bubble gum. [We were forbidden to chew gum of any sort, so that was said in jest. I’m sure my mother always hoped we’d stop bickering with each other.] Six weeks was a long time to a child. Adults sometimes vow to eat more plainly; to give up meat; or to practice other food-related abstentions. The idea of Lenten eating is to deprive yourself. Here are some ideas for meatless meals, for Lent or anytime you want to eat on a lower trophic level. You won’t feel deprived. Just virtuous.

10-Grain Pudding: 181 calories 1.3 g fat 5.4 g fiber 10.4 g protein 35 g carbs [29 g Complex] 43.5 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the cereal pudding only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB V Delicious hot cereal for any day of the week. The applesauce and maple syrup give just the right touch of sweetness. 10-Grain Porridge

1/4 cup uncooked Bob’s 10-Grain Cereal 2 Tbsp cottage cheese 1 tsp maple syrup 1.5 Tbsp applesauce large pinch of nutmeg + large pinch of cinnamon blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water 3 oz berry-yogurt smoothie [40 calories], green smoothie or natural apple cider

Put the cereal in 3/4 cup of boiling water, turn down to a simmer and cook, covered, for 8 minutes. HINT: Do this the night before. Cool the cereal, then mix in the cottage cheese, maple syrup, applesauce and spices until well-combined. Put into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 30-45 seconds until hot through. Pour the optional beverages and you will have a warm, filling start to your day.

Codfish Brandade: 250 calories 5.8 g fat 5.7 g fiber 77 g protein 22.3 g carbs 270 mg Calcium PB GF Since salt cod is so popular all over southern France, it follows that Brandade is a favorite. The garlic, olive oil, and fennel mark this version as Provençal. [HINT: This batch serves 4. Either invite friends or use what you need and freeze the remainder.] The recipe is from Jacques Pepin. Brandade w: tomatoes & Carrots

8 oz salt cod ¼ cup potatoes in 1/2” cubes 1 cup cauliflower puree ½ cup milk 4 cloves garlic ¼ tsp fennel seed 1 tsp olive oil ¼ tsp pepper, more to taste per serving: 4 oz sliced tomatoes + 2 oz raw carrot, as coins or sticks + parsley leaves

Soak the cod in water for 8 hours. Drain and put in a sauce pan covered with cold water. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low and cook gently for 5 minutes. Drain. Pick over the fish to break it into 1” pieces, removing bones, skin. Put fish in a pan with potatoes, cauliflower, garlic, fennel, and milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and gently simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes until vegetables are tender. Pour it all into a food processor and process it for about 10 seconds. Add the pepper and add the oil with the machine running. Mixture should be smooth and thick. Adjust seasonings. Divide the brandade into 4 portions. Freeze the remainder. Slice the tomatoes and spread with brandade. Serve remaining amount in a bowl with the carrots stuck into it. Very traditional flavor.

Ingredients for next week:

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

1 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
cottage cheese + granulated garlic	Swiss cheese + cooked pork
cod brandade [St Bernard 19-Aug-’18]	3%-fat ham
peach + blueberries	dab of mayonnaise + dill pickle
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your hot beverage

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

zucchini + garlic + mozzarella	Ham chunks + fresh pineapple
roasted red peppers + Parmesan cheese	asparagus + Swiss cheese
1 slice polenta [Sidekicks II, 4-Oct-2017]	Béchamel sauce with cheese [Sidekicks I, 17-Sept-2018]
firm white fish + herbs de province	Yorkshire Pudding [Not by Bread.., 7-Feb- 2018
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Soup Time

March 20, 2019March 13, 2019 ~ 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 for 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.

Winter + Soup — was there ever a more perfect pairing? Here in Northern New England, we do winter. Robert Frost [Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening] winters. John Greenleaf Whittier [Snowbound, A Winter Idyl] winters. And in our household, we enjoy the season. If you don’t like winter, move to a different latitude instead of griping about it. Winters are dangerous but they are often beautiful and they are good for our local environment. Plus, Spring and Summer are even more enjoyable after a hard winter. The calendar might say that Spring is on the way, but we know better. Live in the moment and appreciate the weather where you are. During Winter, eat soup. Today’s meals include a Japanese breakfast soup with a ‘Hot Spring Egg’ and a French dinner soup. Each will warm your innards.

Japanese Onion Soup with Onsen Tamago Egg: 195 calories 5 g fat 1.6 g fiber 15.6 g protein 24 g carbs [9 g Complex] 43 mg Calcium PB GF Our Younger Son prepared this for us one morning after a day of heavy eating and it was a revelation: light yet hearty and so delicious. “Onsen Tamago” means ‘hot spring’ and it is a very different [to me] way to cook a soft egg. HINT: This recipe is enough for 2 servings. Easy to save for another breakfast or lunch one or two days from now.

2 two-oz eggs ½ cup sweet onions 2 cups chicken or beef broth 3 Tbsp soy sauce 2 Tbsp mirin 1 oz dry Japanese noodles, such as soba @ 95 calories/ounce Sriracha, to taste garnish: scallions, chopped 2 oz melon blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon juice & hot water NO SMOOTHIE

Onsen Tomago Egg: HINT: The eggs can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. 2 whole eggs in shells 1 liter water + 1 cup cold tap water Bring 1 liter of water to a boil. Once it boils, remove it from the heat, and add 1 cup of cold water. Using a slotted spoon, place eggs into the hot water and cover. Let sit for 17 minutes, then remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Serve hot or refrigerate for up to 2 days. NB: You can cook up to 4 eggs with this same volume of water.

Onion Soup: Cook noodles according to package, shock in cold water and put in serving bowls. Place sliced onions and stock into pan and bring to boil. When stock comes to boil, reduce heat to a strong simmer and cover. Cook until onions are soft (they should not be rigid when you pick them up with chopsticks). When onions are almost finished, add soy sauce, mirin, and sriracha and stir. If the liquid has reduced noticibly, add water. When the onions are finished, pour the onion and broth over noodles. Carefully crack onsen tamago egg into broth. Garnish with green onion and serve the melon on the side. Eat with chopsticks and a Japanese spoon.

Cabbage-Sausage Soup: 264 calories 11 g fat 5 g fiber 14 g protein 25.5 g carbs [22 g Complex] 66 mg Calcium PB GF Since this is Jacques Pepin’s recipe, I’ll let him say it: “When the weather gets cooler in the fall, I make soup. I generally cook up a big batch and freeze some for whenever I need it. This one, with sausage, potatoes, and cabbage, is hearty and good for cold weather.”

8 ounces mild Italian sausage meat 1 ½ cups onions, sliced 6 scallions, cut into ½-inch pieces (1¼ cups) 6 cups water 1 cup chickpeas 16 oz potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks 8 ounces savoy cabbage, chopped/sliced 1¼ teaspoons salt

Chef Pepin continues, “Break the sausage meat into 1-inch pieces and place it in a saucepan over high heat. Sauté, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to keep the meat from sticking, for 10 minutes, or until the sausage is well browned. Add the onions and scallions and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the water, chickpeas, potatoes, cabbage, and salt and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 45 minutes.” Portion for storage or serving. One serving = 1 cup.

Ingredients for next week:

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

watercress or microgreens	10-Grain Cereal, Bob’s Red Mill
plain yogurt, low-fat + honey	applesauce + maple syrup
Golden Berries or Blue Berries	reduced fat cottage cheese
Camembert cheese	nutmeg + cinnamon
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your hot beverage

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

rabbit meat + onions + herb savory	salt cod + garlic cloves
3% fat ham + chicken broth + thyme	olive oil + boiling potato + cauliflower
portobello mushrooms + potato starch	milk + carrots + black pepper
Arnold Sandwich Thin or whole-grain bread + carrots	fennel seed + tomato slices
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Stolen

March 17, 2019July 9, 2019 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Isabella Stewart was an excellently-educated young New Yorker of a good family when she married Jack Gardner of Boston. Their honeymoon on the Continent and a subsequent trip for her health lead to Mrs Gardner’s love of the art and architecture of the Italian Renaissance. Eccentric, larger than life, and rich as Croesus, Isabella was a great collector of art. She and her husband planned to build a museum for their collection and after his death, Mrs Gardner completed their ambition in 1903 — The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in the Fens, in a park designed by Fredrick Olmstead. It is a fabulous place and houses an eclectic array of art. On March 18, 1990, the museum was robbed. Five million dollars of art vanished, taken by men dressed as police in a well-orchestrated heist. [The event is always referred to as a ‘heist.’] To this day, the whereabouts of the art is unknown and the $10,000,000 reward is unclaimed. The tale of the theft is as remarkable and unusual as Mrs Gardner herself.

In recognition of the infamous heist, today’s meals were ‘borrowed’ from other places. However I always give credit where credit is due and acknowledge my sources: The cookbook from the 1990s version of Peter Christian’s Tavern [New London, NH] and French Regional Cooking by Anne Willan. [‘Mrs Jack’ would have liked the Florentine connection.] I’m not stealing from anyone, but if you eat like me you might lose a lot.

Ham Florentine Bake: 133 calories 6.5 g fat 1 g fiber 8 g protein 6 g carbs 61.5 mg Calcium PB GF This bake is so flavorful that you will not notice the tiny calorie count. Same ‘ham Florentine’ used to fill crêpes for dinner. Same kind of delicious. The ham Florentine is from Shirley Edes’ Peter Christian’s Recipes.

1 two-oz egg 2 Tbsp ham Florentine mixture – see Savory 27 Jan, 2019 [I had put some in the freezer] 2 oz applesauce optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie [79 calories] or natural apple cider optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or tea or lemon in hot water

Set the toaster oven at 350° F. Spritz an oven-proof dish with non-stick spray. Whisk the egg and stir in the ham Florentine mixture. Pour into prepared dish and bake for 12-15 minutes. Portion the applesauce and pour your choice of beverages. This is a breakfast to prepare often.

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 Willen’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.

3 oz trout, 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 cook the trout on one side for about 3 minutes. Turn the trout to the other side. 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.

Ups & Downs

March 13, 2019March 13, 2019 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

One feature of the book Bridget Jones’ Diary was her frequent recording of her weight — up and down it would go, much to her dismay. Of course we readers knew it would do that, since Bridget was an ‘emotional eater‘ and often drank too much. But those fluctuations were very relatable to dieters, even Fasters. We want to think that once we get to our Target Weight [and there is no magic to that — it is the weight you want to be], we will magically remain there, day after day. Having Fasted for many years, I can tell you that weight can rise by as much a 2 pounds [0.9 kg or 0.14 stone] from one day to the next. And then a Fast Day or two sets things to right again. Or weight could drop by a pound — inexplicably! Do not be discouraged if your weight fluctuates. It happens and life goes on. It is what you do with the information that matters — does it make you stop the Fasting Lifestyle or does it make you double down and do better? Your choice. On March 15, 1892, the modern escalator was patented, designed to take people up and down stairs without effort. Did you think that maintaining your weight and avoiding its ups and downs would be without effort? Fasting is the closest thing to that I know.

Mackerel-Leek ScrOmelette: 157 calories 9.5 g fat 1.1 g fiber 12.6 g protein 5.8 g carbs [6.2 g Complex] 61 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF If you can’t find fresh mackerel, substitute another high-Omega-3 fish like salmon or arctic char. Mackerel 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 oz cooked mackerel [I clean and cook mine as soon as I get it home, then freeze it.] 1.5 oz leeks ½ tsp Dijon mustard 1 oz strawberries Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water Optional: 3 oz green or berry-yogurt smoothie [38 calories]or unpasteurized apple cider

Spritz a hot sauté pan with non-stick spray and stir in the leeks and mackerel, to soften the leeks and warm the fish. Whisk the eggs with the seasonings and mustard. Pour into the pan and scramble to your taste or prepare as an omelette. Pour the beverages and plate the berries. Oh my!

Beef & Beet Salad: 248 calories 8.5 g fat 3.4 g fiber 24 g protein 17 g carbs [10 g Complex] 24 mg Calcium PB GF This unusual salad was found in James Peterson’s Glorious French Food. Should you have left-over roast beef, this is the dish to try. Beet & Beef Salad

2.75 oz thinly-sliced roasted beef 3.5 oz pickled beets, as thinly-sliced rounds 1/4-1/2 cup shredded lettuce dill pickle spear 1.5 tsp dressing***

Dressing [makes 6 teaspoons — save the remainder] 2.25 tsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp chopped shallot 1.5 tsp wine vinegar 4.5 tsp olive oil

Slice the beef and the beets as matchsticks about 2-3” long. Put in the serving bowl/plate and drizzle the dressing over the top. Gently toss to coat the salad with the dressing. Plate it. Wonderfully simple.

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion for Monday: single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg	1 two-oz egg + beef or chicken broth
Ham Florentine [see Savory 27-Feb-’19]	soy sauce + mirin
applesauce	scallion + sweet onion
	dry Japanese Soba Noodles [190 cal/ 2 oz]
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your hot beverage

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

Trout filet	Bulk pork sausage meat
butter	chickpeas + potato
hazelnuts	onions + scallion
haricots or green beans	Savoy cabbage
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Clean Monday

March 10, 2019July 9, 2019 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: 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.

“Clean Monday” Does this sound like something Marie Kondo would do? She probably would. But tomorrow, the start of the 7th week before Easter [in the Greek Orthodox Church], is a very special day in Greece. It is the beginning of Lent, a time of penance. Clean Monday, “Kathari Deftera,” commences the night before, with people apologizing to those whom they have wronged. [Clean Conscience] The next step involves eating fish and sea food — lots of it. [Clean Diet, free from meat] And don’t forget Flying Kites!! Families go to parks or the countryside to launch 100s of kites in honor of Spring. [Good Clean Fun] We should all have a Clean Day at some point. Start now. Be kind, crank up your Fasting, and let your kite transport you to a new level of optimism that THIS time, you can lose weight.

Herring Plate: 195 calories 8 g fat 4.4 g fiber 8 g protein 13.7 g carbs [11.7 g Complex] 33 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the main dish only, not the optional beverages. PB V If you like herring, this is for you. It makes a nice change from morning eggs and comes together in no-time-flat. NB: If you are taking an MOAI anti-depressant medication, ask your physician if you can eat herring safely since it is high in tyramine.

3 Finn Crisp crackers 1.25 oz herring marinated in wine [not sour cream] 2 Tbsp whipped cream cheese 4 Bing cherries OR ½ cup strawberries, sliced 3 oz berry-yogurt smoothie [44 calories] or natural apple cider blackish coffee [53 calories] or tea or lemon in hot water Do I need to describe this preparation? Spread the cream cheese on the crackers and pile on the herring. Delicious and so satisfying.

Greek-style Hake: 257 calories 9 g fat 5.5 g fiber 25 g protein 25 g carbs [23 g Complex] 181 mg Calcium PB GF The cookbook Ikaria by Diane Kochilas is centered in on of the National Geographic study of locations world-wide where there is the greatest longevity. Thinking that nutrition has something to do with longevity is one direction that study could take you.

4 oz hake ½ tsp olive oil ¼ cup onions, halved then sliced ½ clove garlic, cut in half pinch sugar 1 cup canned whole tomatoes 1 Tbsp [½ oz] dry red wine 1 Tbsp good Feta cheese, crumbled one Side Salad [see Second Fiddles 9-Jan-’19]

Saute the onion slices and garlic in the ½ tsp oil, adding some water if the pan becomes too dry. Remove garlic and discard. Add tomatoes, sugar, and wine. Cook the vegetables down to reduce the liquid. Lay the fish on top of the vegetables, cover loosely, turn down the heat and cook until the fish flakes [about 10 minutes]. Meanwhile, prepare the Side Salad. Top the fish with the crumbled Feta before serving.

Saint Perpetua

March 6, 2019October 21, 2021 ~ me ~ 2 Comments

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.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, and tomorrow is the Feast of Saint Perpetua. In Carthage, at the close of the 2nd Century, there once lived a young Roman matron who was happy to admit to being a Christian. Her mother, several friends, and her enslaved servant Felicity were also converts. Faced with the usual alternative, Perpetua chose prison and death. Felicity, after a pep-talk to reinforce her beliefs, went along. In prison, Perpetua kept a diary. Up until the day Perpetua and Felicity were taken out to be beheaded, she wrote about her faith. So it is that instead of being a saint ‘who’s origins are vague’ [as many hagiographies tend to say], we know exactly who she was and when and why and from her own hand. Her infant child and her diary were handed over to friends on the outside, and her fame spread. The story of Perpetua, most fittingly, has been ‘lasting’ [the translation of her name from latin] and to some who do penance during Lent, that season can seem to “go on in perpetuity.” Since Perpetua and her Companions lived and died in northern Africa, we will enjoy a breakfast that was born in Morocco, and a dinner featuring lamb and fresh vegetables which surely Perpetua’s wealthy family might well have eaten too. Whether you are Fasting for Lent or Fasting for improved health, think about Perpetua and the lengths she went to in following what she knew to be the right thing to do.

Moroccan Omelette: 135 calories 8 g fat 1.4 g fiber 10 g protein 7.7 g carbs 49 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the main dish and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF Suggested by our First-born, this is the easiest omelette in the world to prepare. For the compete flavor profile, serve with mint tea. Moroccan Omelette W: Apples

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 tsp or more ground cumin ½ tsp paprika salt + pepper 1.5 oz apple + 2 Golden Berries OR 5 Bing cherries MINT TEA, blackish coffee [53 calories]or blackish tea or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] or unpasteurized apple cider

Combine the cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small dish. Whisk just the 1.5 eggs vigorously. Pour into a heated skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Turn down the heat. Sprinkle the eggs with the seasonings and leave undisturbed until puffy and the top is set. Remove from skillet, and serve folded or flat. Pour the beverages and enjoy the fruit as a counter-point to the spices.

Lamb Kabobs: 227 calories 6.2 g fat 5 g fiber 22 g protein 31.4 g Complex Carbs 41 mg Calcium PB GF This is so easy and so perfect for indoor grilling. Lamb Kabobs w: corn relish

3 oz lamb leg in cubes 1 Tbsp tomato juice OR water + granulated garlic + crumbled rosemary 1.5 oz red bell pepper, in 1-1/2” chunks 1.5 oz zucchini, sliced 3/4” thick, then cut in quarters 1 oz red onion, cut in chunks ¾ cup Corn-Tomato Salsa [see Second Fiddles 9-Jan-’19]

Salt the tomatoes and put into a sieve over a bowl to catch the juice. Combine the tomato juice, garlic, and rosemary with the lamb. Stir to coat and set aside to marinate for 30-60 minutes. Prepare the vegetables and Corn Salsa while the meat sits. Impale the vegetables and lamb chunks on skewers, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan [indoors] or an outdoor grill and cook the kabobs on all sides. The meat will brown and the vegetables will begin to char a bit. Plate with the salsa for a very colorful meal.

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion for Monday: single portion for Thursday:

whipped cream cheese	1.5 two-oz eggs
Herring marinated in wine	cooked mackerel
Finn Crisp crackers	leek + Dijon mustard
cherries or strawberries	strawberries
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your hot beverage

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

hake + onions + Feta cheese	cooked roast beef slices + pickled beets
garlic + pinch sugar	Dijon mustard + shallot
whole tomatoes, canned	red wine vinegar
dry red wine	olive oil
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Creole Carnival!

March 3, 2019March 1, 2019 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

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. Creole Bake w: apples

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.

Jambalaya w: broc

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.

Savory

February 27, 2019July 8, 2019 ~ 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.

“Savory” is the name for two different herbs: Summer Savory [Satureja hortensis] and Winter Savory [Satureja montana]. “Savory” connotes a rich blend of pleasing flavors. Today, we mean the latter. Here are three savory, succulent fillings, which are versatile enough to use for breakfasts, to flavor baked eggs or an omelette; or at dinner, when they are so easy to fold into crêpes.

BACON & LEEK FILLING: makes ~1.5 cups ¼ cup = 62 calories 1.8 g fat 0.6 g fiber 1.7 g protein 6.4 g carbs 57 mg Calcium This recipe is from Joanne Harris’s book French Market Cookbook and it is useful at breakfast as a bake or omelette filling and at dinner in gallettes/crêpes. It is SO good! 2 oz American/streaky bacon 3 cups sliced leeks 1 clove garlic ¼ cup Gruyère cheese, shredded 2 tsp mayonnaise Saute the bacon in a large skillet, remove and slice. Saute leeks and garlic in the bacon fat until limp. Off heat, stir Gruyère and mayo into the mixture.

HAM FLORENTINE FILLING makes 1.5 cups Coming to us from Peter Christian’s Recipes, it can fill crêpes or egg dishes. ½ cup no-cheese Béchamel Sauce [SIDEKICKS I, 17-Sept-’17] 1 cup ham in 1/4” dice 1 cup [5 oz] cooked spinach, fresh or frozen ½ cup chopped celery ¼ cup chopped onion celery salt + dill + granulated garlic + basil Be sure to squeeze the spinach until most of the liquid is out of it. [save the liquid] Spritz a sauté pan with non-stick spray and add some of the spinach liquid. Cook the celery and onion until the onions are transluscent, adding more spinach liquid as needed. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on low heat until warmed through.

MOUSSAKA SAUCE makes 3 cups; ¼ cup = 110 calories Mixed with eggs, it is a hit at breakfast. Or, have it as dinner. 1 pound ground lamb 1 pound eggplant ¼ cup onion, chopped 1 c. marinara sauce [Saucy 6-Dec-’17] 3/4 tsp [or more] ground cinnamon Cook the lamb without added fat. Pour off the fat that accumlates and put the lamb in a strainer. Run it under hot water to remove excess fat, then crumble the meat. Peel and cube the eggplant. Chop the onion. Cook the two vegetables in a pan sprayed with non-stick spray until the onion is transluscent. [Add a little water if needed.] Pour in the marinara sauce along with the cinnamon, and continue cooking slowly until the eggplant is soft. Run the sauce through the blender/food processor, then add the meat and adjust for seasonings.

Ingredients for next week:

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

1 two-oz egg + American/streaky bacon	1.5 two-oz eggs
tomato, fresh or puree + Cheddar	ground cumin
onion + sweet pepper + filé powder	paprika
creole seasoning + apple or pear	Bing cherries or apple
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

andouille sausage + chicken + ham	cubes of leg of lamb + zucchini
onion + brown rice + celery + garlic	red bell pepper + garlic powder
sweet pepper + crushed tomatoes + chicken broth	corn-tomato salsa [Second Fiddles Jan-9-’19]
red pepper flakes + Tabasco + broccoli cajun seasoning + filé powder	rosemary + red onion + optional tomato juice
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

Eating well, with creative recipes, to follow the Fasting Lifestyle according to Michael Mosley's "Fast Diet."

Join me in following the Fasting Lifestyle, with recipes & tips

fasting

A Real Ham

No Fooling!

Lenten Fare

Soup Time

Stolen

Ups & Downs

Clean Monday

Saint Perpetua

Creole Carnival!

Savory

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