fasting

Hot Enough?

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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.

‘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

~ 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 Reshma B who is now Following.

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!                                                                                                                                                              .

 

 

Acores I

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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.

The first time I ever heard about the Azores [‘Açores’ in Portuguese] was in a poem by Joaquin Miller which praised the glories of Christopher Columbus and begins, “Behind him lay the gray Azores…”  Miller was a good-enough poet, but he was wrong about several things: Columbus was no saint; Columbus would never have heard of the Azores, since they had not yet been discovered; and the Azores are definitely NOT ‘grey.’  We visited the island of Sao Miguel in early May and found a riot of flowers covering steep, verdant volcanic mountains, herds of placid cows, and fruits of all sorts, surrounded by a thundering ocean.  It was marvelous, which means ‘a thing of marvels.’  When we travel, we like a self-catering accommodation, so we can have some say about what we eat and so we can cook with local foods. We did a lot of touring, some hiking, and enjoyed some very satisfactory dinners.  Portions were large, so there were leftovers and we enjoyed them too. The cheeses, the native wines, and specialties like ‘chorizo paste‘ and Pimenta da Queijo were great.  Want to go to a beautiful location that is off the beaten track?  The Açores are for you!

Azorean Omelette:  250 calories   10.7 g fat   0.9 g fiber   17 g protein   13.5 g carbs [6 g Complex] 276 mg Calcium PB GF  When on vacation in the Azores, these local ingredients made for a wonderful breakfast.Azorean Cheese ScrOmelette

1-1/2 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 Azorean cheese OR Gouda                                                                                                                       1/2 oz Pimenta da Queijo                                                                               2 oz kiwi fruit                                                                                                                                                     blackish coffee [Portugese or Brazilian] or blackish tea [from the Gorreana Tea Plantation] or lemon in hot water

Grate/shred the cheese. Whisk the eggs with the pepper sauce and turn into a lightly-oiled nonstick pan. Sprinkle the eggs with the cheese and cook as you would an omelette. Plate with the fruit and serve one of those delicious beverages. Excellent.

Cozido Soup: Cozido do Furnas is a specialty of the Azores island of Sao Miguel. Some of the dormant volcanoes still have warm magma and send steam out through vents and fissures. Locals lower cauldrons of meats and vegetables into steaming wells, then serve the cooked meal at restaurants. The serving for two at O Miroma in Furnas consists of vast quantities of: beef, pork knuckles, blood sausage, carrots, potatoes, collards, cabbage, and turnips. Like a New England Boiled Dinner, but cooked in a volcano! We took the remainders from our meal home.Cozido Soup

The next day, I put the bones, sausage, and juices in a pot with water and Piment da Queijo. While that simmered, I cut up the vegetables and meat into bite-sized pieces [discarding the blood sausage to which I have an aversion]. Combined, it provided a hearty, nourishing, and low-calorie soup for a Fast Day.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg 1.5 two-oz eggs
 queso fresco  mushrooms
 chorico paste  bleu cheese
 pineapple  leeks
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:

 cod  cooked pork tenderloin
 carrots  lettuce   +   tomatoes
 broccoli  fresh cranberries
 cauliflower  zucchini  + red bell peppers
 green + black olivesÇ  balsamic vinegar + olive oil
 excellent mustard
Sparkling water Sparkling water

Robin Hood

~ 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 chefmoonu who is now Following.

Sing along with me: “Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen./ Robin Hood, Robin Hood, with his band of men./ Feared by the bad, loved by the good/ Robin Hood, Robin Hood, Robin Hood.” That of course, was the theme song to the TV series Adventures of Robin Hood, starring Richard Green.  I loved that show!  Yet even more, I was enraptured when watching the movie The Adventures of Robin Hood with Errol Flynn.  [There is NO BETTER movie about Robin Hood.]  Robin Hood was my childhood hero. I read the Howard Pyle book and everything I could get my hands on about “Robin of Locksley.”  Was he real or was he popular sentiment grown into urban legend? There are many ‘facts’ about him and his life, as well as many historians who say he is fiction. I certainly want to believe that his spirit is real and alive across time and space.

We will feast on foods associated with the good man: an egg dish named after him and a salad of venison, made from the King’s own deer of Sherwood Forest.

Robin Hood Egg:   291 calories   6.6 g fat   3.1 g fiber   20.6 g protein    55 g carbs [48 g Complex]  272 mg Calcium    PB   What this breakfast has to do with the legendary outlaw, I don’t know. At least no robbery is involved – you can keep your wallet and your waistline. Robin Hood Egg

½ Arnold multi-grain Sandwich Thin                                                                                                             one 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                                1 slice Jones-brand Canadian bacon [round, 1 oz = 20 calories]                                                                  2 oz slice of tomato

Slightly toast the sandwich thin and plate it. Season the tomato slice and broil it. Lightly cook the Canadian bacon while you fry the egg in a pan spritzed with non-cook spray. Assemble the layers in your order of preference and pour the beverages. Tuck [not Friar Tuck] in with knife and fork.

Venison Salad:  270 calories  8.5 g fat  6 g fiber  31 g protein  33 g carbs [30 g Complex]  118 mg Calcium  PB GF  If you have access to venison, this is a great way to celebrate Robin Hood.venison-salad-w-tomatoes

3-½ oz roasted venison                                                                                                                                            ¾ oz marinated mushrooms                                                                                                                                      1 oz roasted red pepper                                                                                                                                                               1 slice dried pear, chopped                                                                                                                                 2 cups lettuce                                                                                                                                                            1 tsp olive oil  +   ½ tsp balsamic vinegar                                                                                                         3 oz broccoli, fully cooked or blanched and cooled                                                                                      2 oz tomatoes

Slice the roasted venison into pieces less than 1/2” thick. Whisk the olive oil and vinegar together, then toss with the lettuce and mushrooms. Place on a salad plate. Arrange the meat on the salad and arrange the red pepper, tomatoes, and broccoli on top. Dice the pear and sprinkle over all.

 

 

Rollo the Granger

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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.

On 11 July, 911 AD, we find ourselves in the region of Eure in the lower Seine valley. The Viking Rollo [Hrolf to his family] and his merry band of mauraders had made a sweet deal with the locals: you French give us the lands around the lower Seine River and the coastline, and we’ll stop raiding you. King Charles the Simple and his advisors agreed to the deal, and Rollo, a giant of a man who was so large that no horse could hold him [hence his nickname “The Granger” or Walker], became Duke of Normandy.   The day almost ended badly.  The haughty King Charles told his new vassal to kiss his foot.  The unbowed Rollo refused but told one of his henchmen to do it for him.  The henchman, unwilling to bow to honor the king’s foot as he sat astride his horse, instead grabbed the foot and raised it to his lips, almost tipping the king over!   Rollo was generous to his followers, and gave much land to his half-brother, Bernard, called ‘The Dane’ [even though he was from Norway].  Bernard is my direct ancestor and he settled the town of  Thury which is named after his battle cry: Thor-aie!  The family name became ‘Harcourt‘, also a place name in Normandy and a well-known name in England. Rollo’s great-great-great-grandson became William the Conqueror, but that’s for another day.  Once in France, these Vikings became known as “Normans”, short for “North-men”, and the land they were given became “Normandy”. 

Since Rollo and Bernard woke up on July 11 as Norsemen, we will enjoy marinated herring for breakfast.  Since they went to bed on July 12 as Frenchmen, we will dine on crêpes made with Jarlsberg cheese, because Rollo and Bernard’s father was ‘Jarl’ [earl] of Møre, Norway. Enjoy your Fast Day, and shout ‘Thor-aie!!”

herring Plate w: cherries

Herring Plate: 292 calories  8.4 g fat  4.9 g fiber  12.6 g protein  32.8 g carbs  199 mg Calcium PB  If you like herring, this is the breakfast for you. It makes a nice change from morning eggs and this is prepared in no-time-flat. Get your doctor’s OK to eat herring if you are taking a MAOI antidepressant medicine, as herring 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  fruit smoothie or natural apple cider   ++++     optional: blackish coffee 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.

Crêpes w/ Ham & Cheese, home version: 283 calories  13 g fat  2.8 g fiber  15 g protein  27 g carbs [21 g Complex] 125 mg Calcium  PB  Not the street-food version of the crêpe, the filling is more like a Croque Monsieur.

Ham&Cheese Crepes, home-made w: asparagus

++2 crêpes/buckwheat galettes   ++++  1 oz ham, diced or ground   ++++ ½ oz Jarlsberg cheese, grated  ++++  3 Tbsp Béchamel sauce, no cheese ++++ 5 oz asparagus   OR  2 oz tomatoes   +  1 c. lettuce, shredded  ++++ dressing: ½ tsp olive oil + 1 tsp cider vinegar + ½ tsp Dijon mustard

If the crêpes are in the freezer, thaw draped with a tea towel. If the crepe batter is frozen, thaw it, then cook the crepes, keeping them warm in a tea towel. Dice or grind the ham and grate the cheese. Combine ham, cheese, and Béchamel sauce. Divide it between the crepes and warm in a slow oven until warmed through and the cheese is melty. Cook the asparagus OR Whisk the salad dressing, then toss with the lettuce and tomato. Simple and good to eat.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg1.5 two-oz eggs
 slicing tomatomild, buttery Azores cheese or Gouda
 1/2 Arnold multi-grain sandwich thin Pimenta do Queijo  [red pepper sauce]
 Canadian Bacon kiwi fruit
  
Whatever you need for your smoothieWhatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverageWhatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

 Roast venison   +  broccolipork +  pork bone broth
 tomatoes   +  marinated mushrooms broccoli
 roasted red pepper cabbage
 dried pear collard greens
 lettuce onion
 olive oil + balsamic vinegar carrots
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Calvin

~ 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.

Camambert Bake

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.

Mackerel w: Gooseberry Glaze

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

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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.                                                                                     Welcome to j machuik who is now Following.

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

Bikini Season

~ 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 Jasmine Eclipse who is now Following.

Is there a connection among the atom bomb, swimwear, and the Fasting Diet? Yup.  On July 1, 1948, the US detonated an atom bomb on its test site named “Bikini Atoll” in the Pacific Ocean.  On July 5, 1946, Louis Réard debuted a novel 2-piece bathing suit in Paris. He had been beaten to the punch by a designer from the Riviera who called his skimpy suit “L’Atome” since the atom was the smallest particle known.  Réard dubbed his version “le Bikini”, after the site of the nuclear test.  The suit, made from 4 tiny triangles of fabric, was daring in its brevity and that it showed the wearer’s navel.  The name stuck but Réard, a mechanical engineer by training, had difficulty making many sales at his mother’s Paris lingerie shop because of social reaction. There was a popular song in  1960 about bikinis, but not until Ursula Andress rose from the sea in a white bikini did the look really take off.  The rest is history.

It is Summer in the Northern Hemisphere and people are going to the beach. Are you going in a muu-muu or a bikini? The Fast Diet will help you to get into a slimmer body better than any diet I’ve ever tried.  What you wear after you achieve your target weight is entirely up to you. Today’s breakfast is delicious and easy to prepare.  The dinner is full of the rich flavors of the French Riviera. Both are perfect for getting you onto the beach for a trim swim.

Citrus Breakfast:  290 calories   1.6 g fat  3.6 g fiber   21 g protein   48 g carbs [38 g Complex] 289 mg Calcium   PB GF  Is this the breakfast you imagine when you think ‘go on a diet’? Does it look like starvation rations? Banish those thoughts! Delicious, nutritious, and filling, this is a great breakfast for anyone, any day. And it has tons of Vitamin C and A and D.Citrus Breakfast

½ cup reduced-fat cottage cheese                                                                                                                          2 Tbsp fat-free French Vanilla                                                                                                                                                                                     1 clementine, peeled and sectioned                                                                                                                 2 Tbsp black currants                                                                                                                                             5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider                                                                blackish coffee, blackish tea, or lemon in hot water

Combine all the dairy and fruit [or combine the dairy and garnish with fruit after plating]. Knowing that I would have a busy morning, I did this the night before and refrigerated it. Great for a grab-and-go meal. With the hot beverage and smoothie, it is a vitamin-blast.

Feta-Tuna-Bean Salad: 306 calories   14.6 g fat   5.3 g fiber   19.3 g protein   24 g carbs [23 g Complex]  230 mg Calcium  PB GF  This salad has a lot going for it. Perfect for a hot summer evening.Feta:tuna:bean:egg Salad

1 oz canned tuna, drained                                                                                                                                  1/4 cup white beans, drained and rinsed                                                                                                                 1 oz feta cheese, crumbled                                                                                                                                  2 oz tomatoes, cubed                                                                                                                                                         1.5 oz red bell pepper, cut as large dice                                                                                                            1 pitted ripe olives, sliced                                                                                                                                      1/2 hardboiled egg, in wedges or chopped                                                                                                                                 1-1/2 cups baby greens  OR full-sized leaves sliced cross-wise                                                                                                                                             1 tsp olive oil + 1 tsp lemon juice + lots of herbes de Province + pinch garlic powder

Prepare the vegetables as described above. Whisk the oil, lemon juice, herbs and garlic in a 2-cup bowl. Add the greens and toss gently but thoroughly. Place the greens in the serving bowl and nestle the tuna in the center. Arrange all the other ingredients on top in a manner that pleases you.

Tomatoes

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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.                                                                                         Welcome to mencanmakehomes who is now Following.

Tomatoes are such a ubiquitous food that it is hard to imagine a time when they were absent from world-wide cuisine and even feared as poisonous.  Tomatoes are native to South America, where they might still be growing wild in Peru. They were introduced to Europe in the 1500s by Cortès.  Botanically, they are members of the Nightshade Family, which includes the known poison deadly nightshade. Due to that association, this untried fruit was viewed with suspicion. But a few intrepid biologists/physicians/cooks were convinced that they were safe to eat, and their use caught on in Europe.  On July 28, 1820, Robert Gibbon Johnson in Salem, New Jersey made a rash announcement: he would sit on the courthouse steps and eat tomatoes!!  A crowd gathered, thinking/fearing/hoping [?] that he would die.  He didn’t and thereafter, tomatoes grew in gardens and in popularity.

Our meals today feature the famed ‘love apple’, with eggs and enchiladas.

Broccoli-Olive-Tomato ScrOmelette:  291 calories  8.6 g fat  4 g fiber   18 g protein   38 g carbs [36 g Complex] 252 mg Calcium  PB GF  Sometimes things in the ‘fridge say, “Put us in eggs for breakfast.” Who am I to deny their urging?Broc-Olive-Tom 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 oz broccoli                                                                                                                                                               1 Tbsp cottage cheese                                                                                                                                            1 oz tomato                                                                                                                                                               1/2 black olive                                                                                                                                                             ¾ tsp Parmesan cheese                                                                                                                                  pinch of basil                                                                                                                                                             2 oz strawberries                                                                                                                                                 black coffee or black tea or lemon in hot water                                                                                            5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie

Dice the tomato and drain in a strainer, overnight if possible. Drain the cottage cheese overnight if it is very liquid. Steam the broccoli and chop it finely. Chop the black olive. Into a hot saute pan spritzed with non-stick spray, add the tomato, broccoli, and olive. Stir until warmed. Whisk the eggs with the cottage cheese and pour over the vegetables in the pan. Scramble or fold as an omelette, hence ScrOmelette, and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Prepare the beverages and plate the berries. Bliss.

Enchiladas Suizas:  293 calories   9.9 g fat  11.2 g fiber  31.6 g protein  43.4 g carbs   261.7 mg Calcium   PB GF  Rick Bayless relates this recipe in his book Mexico One Plate At A Time. Delicious and easy to prepare. Avoid assembling too far in advance, lest it turn to mush.Enchiladas w: winter medley

2 six-inch corn tortillas [50 calories each]                                                                                                        2 0z [½ cup] shredded cooked chicken breast                                                                                                ½ cup enchilada sauce***                                                                                                                                        ¼ cup grated Cheddar or Monterey jack cheese                                                                                              1 oz broccoli florets   +   1 oz cauliflower florets   +   ½ oz carrot

***Enchilada Sauce        1 cup = 75 calories                                                                                                                       two 28-oz cans whole tomatoes            2 jalapeno peppers                                                                         3 tsp vegetable oil [canola]         1 cup chopped onion                                                                                   2 cups chicken broth

Roast the peppers in a dry skillet over medium heat about 5 minutes until splotchy                with black areas.   Put in a blender with the tomatoes and whirr until smooth.                            Cook onions in oil until golden, about 7 minutes.   Raise heat and add tomato puree.              Cook 10-15 minutes until thickened like tomato paste.                                                                           Add broth, cover partially and simmer 15 minutes until slightly soupy.                                    Season with ½ tsp salt.

Heat oven to 350 F. On an ungreased heavy skillet, place the tortillas and cook them until they begin to brown on one side. Flip in the pan and continue until each tortilla is pliable and slightly fragrant. Remove to a cutting board or baking sheet. Distribute the chicken between the tortillas, then roll up the tortillas, and place each in an oven-proof dish, seam-side down. Spoon the sauce over and around and between the enchiladas. NB: you don’t have to use all of the sauce. Extra could be frozen or added to eggs or soup. Sprinkle with cheese and put into oven for 20 minutes.  Cook the vegetables, drain and dress with salt and a splash of red wine vinegar. So good!

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

reduced-fat cottage cheese 1.5 two-oz eggs
 clementine  crabmeat  +  catsup
 fat-free French Vanilla yogurt  Thai fish sauce
 black currants  Thai hot chili sauce
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:

 canned tuna   + feta cheese  momas   [see Feb 25, 2018 for recipe]
 canned white beans  + black olives  wontons + chicken broth [Feb 18, 2018]
 tomato  + red bell pepper  chicken + satay sauce
 hard-boiled egg    +  baby greens sugar snap peas
 olive oil    +  lemon juice  soy sauce
 garlic powder  + herbes de Province
Sparkling water Sparkling water

Eggless

~ 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 2020 Cooking Adventures who are now Following.

Some people just don’t like eggs — don’t want to see them, don’t want to taste them. Not for breakfast, not for dinner.  So while we are delighted to eat eggs for breakfast on both Fast Days, that idea is repugnant to others.  If you are one, I have some breakfast ideas for you.

Bannock & Bacon: 284 calories   3.8 g fat   Bannock & Applesauce                                                                                             3.2 g fiber  18.7 g protein   43.6 g carbs [33 g Complex Carbs]   176.5 mg Calcium PB     For years we have enjoyed this on Slow Days, only to find that it fits for Fasting, too.  See 15 April 2018 for recipe.

 

 

 

Citrus BreakfastCitrus Breakfast:  290 calories   1.6 g fat   3.6 g fiber  21 g protein  48 g carbs [38 g Complex] 289 mg Calcium]  PB GF  Is this the breakfast you imagine when you think ‘go on a diet’? Does it look like starvation rations? Banish those thoughts! Delicious, nutritious, and filling, this is a great breakfast for anyone, anyday. And it has tons of Vitamins C and A and D.  See 28 March 2018 for recipe.

 

Herring Plate: 292 calories 8.4 g fat 4.9 g fiberherring Plate w: cherries                                                                                    12.6 g protein 32.8 g carbs 199 mg Calcium                                                                                         PB  If you like herring, this is the breakfast for you. It makes a nice change from morning eggs and this is prepared in no-time-flat.  See 30 July 2017 for recipe. 

 

 

 

Oatmeal Pudding:   301 calories  3 g fat   3 g fiber   15 g protein  16.3 g carb   198.6 mg Calcium GF PB   A riff on a recipe found in Marion Cunningham’s Breakfast Book,  this can easily be prepared the night before. NB: THIS MAKES ENOUGH FOR TWO [2] SERVINGS. Make them both, as two are as easy as one, and freeze the other.  See 15 Nov 2017 for recipe.

10-Grain Pumpkin Pudding:  277 calories Pumpkin Pudding                                                                                        7.6 g fat  6.8 g fiber  12.8 g protein                                                                                                               41 g carbs 249.4 mg Calcium PB                                                                                                              The delicious, nutty grains in the cereal                                                                                              seemed to call out for pumpkin and spices, and here’s the result. This recipe is easily prepared the night before and refrigerated for a quick and delicious breakfast. See 21 March 2018 for recipe.