fasting

“D” is for Delicious

~ 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 Coach Ashield who is now Following.

Are you finding Fasting to be easy? Are you eating good, wholesome, high quality food that is delicious? Everybody should eat delicious food every day, in my opinion. In our A-B-Cs of Fasting Food, we have done ‘comfort’ so now on to Delicious.  The Dutch Baby is not a meal for everyday, but it is yummy.  The Danish Stuffed Cabbage might be a variant of the Turkish/Greek stuffed grape leaves called ‘dolmas‘.  But some say there is a Danish connection to ‘dolmen‘, an ancient stone structure. They all begin with ‘D’ and are dee-licious.

Dutch Baby:   306 calories   8.2 g fat   5.9 g fiber   13.5 g protein   46 g carbs   253 mg Calcium PB  This fabulous confection, in its full-blown form, has long been a special treat at our Sunday breakfast table. It comes from Marion Cunningham’s Breakfast Book.  Low in fat, it seemed a good fit for a Fast Day, if only I could shoehorn it into the calorie limit. Here is the result.   HINT: This recipe makes 2 [two] Dutch Babies. Invite a friend.Dutch Baby

3 oz egg   nb: this is one egg plus part of another egg. Ex: one 2-oz egg + one egg white                   ¼ cup milk                                                                                                                                                              ¼ cup white whole wheat flour                                                                                                                               2 tsp melted butter                                                                                                                                                  per person: ¼ cup raspberries                                                                                                                                 6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or unpasturized apple cider                                          blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

Set the toaster oven at 450 F. Spritz two custard cups [3.5” to 4.5” in diameter] with non-stick spray. Vigorously beat together the egg, milk, flour and butter. Pour into the cups and bake fro 15 minutes. They should puff up high and turn golden brown. Remove from custard cups, and plate immediately, as they sink from their former heights. Spoon raspberries on top an dust with a mere whiff of confectioner’s sugar.

Danish Stuffed Cabbage:  282 calories  5.7 g fat   5.7 g fiber  35 g protein  25 g carbs  125 mg Calcium   GF – if using GF bread  Craig Claiborne’s International Cookbook provided this recipe. Its history involves a Swedish king and the Ottoman Empire. Very royal origin for a very common meal. The original recipe involves hollowing out an entire head of cabbage, but here it is adapted for fewer people.  Recipe doubles or triples easily.  Actually, I found this to be too much to eat!Danish Stuffed Cabbage

4 oz turkey meat, raw                                                                                                                                             2 oz pork meat, raw                                                                                                                                             2.75 oz veal, raw   OR equal volume of turkey meat                                                                                   ½ cup fresh bread crumbs [from whole-grain 70-calorie bread]                                                           2 oz milk                                                                                                                                                                   1 oz  [2 Tbsp] egg white                                                                                                                                                     sage + salt + pepper                                                                                                                                                    4 whole cabbage leaves from a whole head                                                                                                 1/3 c pickled beets                                                                                                                                                                     1 tsp mustard + 1/2 tsp horseradish

Put the meats, sage, salt, and pepper in the food processor and mince. Spritz a saute pan with non-stick spray and cook the meat until it doesn’t look raw. Cool meat. Combine the bread and milk, stir, let sit until soggy. Add the egg white and meats and stir to combine well. Set aside.                                                                                                                                                          To prepare the cabbage: Remove the coarse, shop-worn outer leaves from the head of cabbage. Cut off the stem end and discard.  Put the head of cabbage in a pot with enough water to cover and bring to a simmer. When the outer layer begins to cook, take out the head and gently remove the outer leaf. Return the cabbage to the pan of simmering water. Continue to remove the outer leaves as they cook, until you have 4. [Store the remaining cabbage in the ‘fridge for another use.]   If you use them at this point, the cabbage leaves will still have some crunch to them.  If you want them to be more limp, put the leaves back into the water and simmer them to the desired point.                                                                                    Cut a 2″-deep ‘V’ at the base of each leaf to remove the thickest part of the leaf’s rib. Orient the leaf so the V is away from you. Put ¼ cup filling on the leaf. Fold the near side over the filling, tuck in the sides, and continue to roll. Place seam-side down in an oven-proof dish large enough to hold all four rolls. Pour some of the water in which you poached the cabbage into the dish until it comes 1/2-way up the rolls. Put on a lid or foil and bake at 350 F. for 20 minutes or until heated. Plate with the pickled beets and the mustard/horseradish. Fit for a king.

“C” is for Comfort

~ 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 Kristen who is now Following.

This is a continuation of the posts which show, I hope, that Fasting meals are as easy a A-B-C.  How to begin the Fasting Lifestyle?  From this blog site, choose your favorite 2 breakfast menus: have one on Monday, one the following Thursday.  Then find your favorite 2 dinner menus: plan on one for Monday, one for Thursday.  Repeat the following week, or choose a different breakfast and dinner.  Plan 1st, then eat.  Then weigh and repeat. Soon Fasting will become your new comfort zone.

Cheesy-Bake:   144 calories   7.8 g fat   1 g fiber   12 g protein   7.3 g carbs [5.7 g Complex]  183 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  This is the baked version of a cheese omelette that thinks that it is a cheese souffle! Delicious.

cheesy-bake-w-apples-r-bs

One 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                           ¼ oz cheddar cheese, grated                                                                                                                                1 Tbsp reduced fat ricotta cheese                                                                                                                             ¼ c raspberries, fresh or frozen [When I use frozen fruit, I portion it into its dish the night before, so it will be thawed by morning]                                                                                                        ½ oz apple, sliced                                                                                                                                 Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

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

Chickpea Ragout with Cod:   213 calories   3.6 g fat  5.3 g fiber  25.8 g protein  20 g carbs  44 mg Calcium  GF PB   This is from Jacques Pepin’s Fast Food My Way. Although he doesn’t mean my kind of ‘Fast Food,’ Pepin has long been a proponent of healthy cooking. He presents this as a side dish, but for our purposes it is best prepared as a main course with seafood for more protein. 

Halibut w: Chickpea Ragout

½ tsp olive oil                                                                                                                                                            ½ cup diced onions                                                                                                                                                 ½ cup scallions, chopped                                                                                                                                     1 Tbsp garlic, chopped                                                                                                                                           2 cups diced tomatoes, fresh or canned and drained                                                                                                  1 and ½ cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed if canned                                                                                                  ½ cup chicken stock                                                                                                                                                        ½ tsp salt   +   ½ tsp pepper                                                                                                                                 4 oz cod** fillet. fresh or frozen

Heat the oil in a saute pan. Add the onion, scallion and garlic. Stir briefly over the heat then add the tomatoes, chickpeas, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat until liquids are mostly evaporated. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Divide it in 4 portions, each about 3/4 cup. Keep one portion aside for today. TIP: Cool the remaining ragout and freeze it in serving portions.

** If you can’t get cod, use one of these:    4 oz swordfish               4 oz salmon           4 oz halibut            4 oz smelts         2 oz shad     4 oz haddock         4 oz tilapia          4 oz flounder

Pooh’s Father

~ 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.

Tomorrow marks the birthday of A. A. Milne in 1882. He was, of course, the actual father of Christopher Robin and the literary father of Winnie the Pooh.  After an education at most of the right schools, Milne became a writer for the popular magazine Punch.  WWI saw him serving on the Somme and returning with PTSD.  Following the war, Milne enjoyed long rambles with his son and the teddy bear which of course became the duo made famous in the books; much to the rue of the son and the father who were both over-shadowed by their association with a stuffed toy.                                                                   The appeal of the Pooh books is the depiction of a simple time and place, where toys can talk and life is idyllic.  Pooh did struggle with his weight.  “A bear, however hard he tries, grows chubby without exercise…”  Bearing this in mind, we will continue the Fasting Lifestyle with foods suitable for a comfortable cottage in the 100-Acre Wood.  No Hunny.

Cottage Breakfast:   278 calories  3.8 g fat  4.8 g fiber  10.2 g protein  24.2 g carbs   181 mg Calcium  PB   I wanted a breakfast that evoked a cottage in the English country-side, so here it is. The pan muffins are very good.cottage bfast

1 pan muffin **                                                                                                                                                               ½ c. raspberries                                                                                                                                                         1 Applegate sausage [or a 33 calorie equivelent]                                                                                                       5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider                                                   blackish coffee, blackish tea, or lemon in hot water

HINT: I prepared 8 griddlecakes from the 10-grain mufffin batter, cooked them, and froze them. I made the rest into muffins to eat on Slow Days. Take one griddlecake from the freezer the night before and let it thaw. Cook the sausage in the microwave or warm it in a non-stick pan along with the griddlecake. Dish the berries, brew the hot beverage, pour the smoothie. What a sweet and easy meal.

**10-Grain Muffin Batter: 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill 10-grain hot cereal mix                                                       1 and 1/4 cup buttermilk [combine cereal + milk and let sit while preparing other ingredients.                     1/3 cup butter           7 Tbsp sugar           1 cup unbleached flour                                                                       1 tsp salt         1 tsp baking powder         1 tsp baking soda

Cream the butter and sugar; mix in the egg. Add the dry ingredients and the cereal/milk mixture.                Stir until just combined. Use 2 Tbsp batter for each griddlecake                                                                     [use 4 Tbsp batter to make each muffin for Slow Day breakfasts]

Steak & Mushroom Pie:  277 calories  4.8 g fat   6.9 g fiber   27 g protein   25.6 g carbs   34 mg Calcium     Two very compatible flavors together again, topped [not encased] in puff pastry. Similar to a meal enjoyed at The Sign of the Angel in Lacock, Wiltshire, England. A real treat.  HINT: recipe serves 2 [TWO], photo shows one serving.Steak & Mushroom Pie

4 oz grilled sirloin steak [leftover from a previous meal, restaurant or home-based]                                                                      1.5 cups mushrooms, chopped it very large                                                                                                    1 Tbsp red wine                                                                                                                                                        ¼ cup creamed onions                                                                                                                                         ½ tsp thyme + salt & pepper to taste                                                                                                               1/6 sheet puff pastry [Pepperidge Farm frozen sheets are easy to find and use]                                             per person: 1/3 cup peas

Thaw the frozen puff pastry for 40 minutes on the counter. Remove one of the sheets, unroll it carefully, and cut the sheet into 6 squares. Return the other sheet, wrapped, to the freezer. [TIP: stack the remaining 5 pieces with waxed paper or cling wrap between the layers. Pop into a zipper bag and freeze for later use.] Cut the steak into 1/2”-1” cubes. Combine the meat with the mushrooms, wine, onions, seasonings in an oven-proof dish just large enough to hold the meat mixture yet large enough to be topped with the puff pastry. Heat the meat mixture until it is warm. Lay the puff pastry on top, decoratively slitting the crust. Bake at 400° F. about 15 minutes, until the crust is nicely browned. Cook the peas and imagine that you are in what Americans imagine as an English pub.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg 1 two-oz egg
 Cheddar cheese Tattie Scone:  mashed potato, milk, egg white, white whole wheat flour, baking powder
 low-fat ricotta cheese
 apple
 raspberries  1 oz apple or pear
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:

 4 oz white fish or salmon  lamb liver
 olive oil  +  chicken stock  ground lamb
 onion  +  scallions  + garlic  onions  +  coriander
 diced tomatoes  rolled oats
 can of chick peas  6″ spring roll wrappers
 lettuce  + vinaigrette dressing
Sparkling water Sparkling water

B is for Baked

~ 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 Arch’t. Michael who is now Following.

Baking is an ancient way to prepare food, with ovens being used in ancient Egypt. Continuing our A-B-Cs of Fasting meals, we’ll enjoy baked eggs and baked beans tomorrow. We find baked eggs to be a wonderful choice for a Fast breakfast: easy to prepare, delicious, and infinite in their variety.  And while we are having food that is easy to prepare, few meals go together as quickly as baked beans with hot dogs.  It’s “easy a A-B-C.”

Bleu Cheese Bake:  292 calories  7.3 g fat  2.3 g fiber  14.3 g protein  37 g carbs  250.7 mg Calcium   PB GF  You’ll go ga-ga over these flavors!Bleu Cheese Bake w: R-b applesauce:yog

1 two-oz egg                                                                                                                                                             ¼ oz bleu cheese, crumbly rather than creamy                                                                                                 1 Tbsp fatfree cottage cheese, drained                                                                                                                   2 oz applesauce, unsweetened, with 2-3 raspberries mixed into it                                                         5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or natural apple cider                                                                  Black-ish coffee, black-ish tea, or lemon in hot water

Mash the cheeses together with a fork and whisk in the egg. Bake in a lightly-spritzed ramekin at 350° F. until cooked through, about 12-15 minutes. Dish up the applesauce, pour the smoothie, pour your beverage.

Beanie Wienies:  300 calories   4.3 g fat  8.6 g fiber  14.3 g protein  43 g carbs  74 mg Calcium PB GF My husband grew up eating this with his childhood chums. What could be simpler? And the carb count is due to the good fiber of beans and carrots. So complex.

1 reduced fat hot dog [we like Hebrew National all beef franks]                                                            ¾ cup canned baked beans                                                                                                                                  1 oz carrots, cooked or raw

Put the baked beans in a small sauce pan. Cut the hotdogs into 1” pieces [on the diagonal, my husband would say] and add to the pan. Warm thoroughly. Plate with the carrots.

Newton

~ 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.

Tomorrow marks the birth of one of science’s giants: Isaac Newton, born Christmas Day 1642, in Wollsthorp, Lincolnshire, England.  His mother had been widowed a few months earlier and her baby was premature — a dismal start for any child. But Isaac somehow grew up to be a mathematics prodigy.  He invented the Calculus; wrote the three Laws of Motion; determined why the moon stays in orbit around the Earth; developed the concept of gravity; all before his 24th birthday.  

We will observe his natal day and the birth of modern physics with some very English meals: Toad in the Hole and Pork with Apples.  ‘Apples.’  Get it? Newton saw an apple falling from his tree and intuited the effect of gravity on all things. Whew.

Toad in the Hole:  298 calories   1.7 g fat  3.9 g fiber  14.5 g protein   79 g carbs  190 mg Calcium This whimsically-named meal is of old English origin – shades of Kenneth Graham and Beatrix Potter. The recipe is from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. It begins with a Yorkshire Pudding batter which you need to prepare in advance. The Yorkshire Pudding recipe is from the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook. HINT: make the batter the night before to save time in the morning.

Toad in the Hole w: Apples

Yorkshire Pudding Batter:       one 2-oz egg      ½ tsp salt           1/2 cup unbleached flour                                                            ½ cup white whole wheat flour         ½ cup water         ½ cup fat-free milk                         Mix all the ingredients together and let the batter stand at room temp for 30-60 minutes or in ‘fridge overnight. You will need 1/4 cup of the batter per person. HINT: The remainder can be frozen in 1 cup or 1/4 cup batches for future meals. When it is time to use the batter, beat it with a rotary beater until it is frothy.

For the breakfast:                 1 breakfast sausage [chicken sausage @ 50 cal/link]                               1/4 cup Yorkshire Pudding batter, well beaten                         pinch of crumbled sage                                                                                                                                         2 oz pear or apple       Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Heat the oven/toaster oven to 425°F.  Cook the sausage, using a bit of water in the bottom of the pan since the sausage will render no fat. Pour out any remaining water from cooking the sausage. Spritz 5 holes of a mini-muffin pan with non-stick spray. Dice the sausage or slice into 20 pieces, and put the sausage in the mini-muffin pan. Beat the batter until it is foamy, adding crumbled sage. Pour the batter over the sausage bits in the pan. Pop the pan into the oven for 15 minutes. Slice the fruit, shake your smoothie, brew your beverage, and settle down to a quickly-prepared, fun-to-eat meal.

Pork with Apples:  273 calories   8.1 g fat   4 g fiber  22.7g protein   18.8 g carbs   84 mg Calcium  PB   Long a favorite combination in lands where apples grow; where local meats and local fruits are blended in hearty meals, the flavor of pork with apples is a winner.

Pork & Apples

3 oz pork tenderloin, raw or cooked                                   2 oz round slices of apple, unpeeled                                                                                                               ½ oz cubed apples, unpeeled                                1/4 cup chicken stock                                                                                                                                                           4 Tbsp Béchamel sauce, no cheese                 thyme/sage salt + pepper to taste                                                                                                                       1 oz broccoli florets            1 oz cauliflower florets                         1 oz carrots 

Poach the apple slices in the stock until they are tender. TIP: if cooking for 2, this may require poaching in 2 batches. Remove slices and reserve. Slice the pork into rounds about 1/4” thick. If pork is raw, braise it briefly in the hot stock, and remove from stock. Put 1 Tbsp stock in the oven-proof pan in which you will cook the dinner. Combine diced apples, Béchamel, seasonings, and remaining stock in the sauce pan, stirring until apples are soft and sauce is medium-thick. Adjust seasonings. Arrange alternating slices of pork and apple in the baking pan. Nap with the sauce and bake at 350 until warmed through, about 20 minutes. Steam the vegetables and enjoy a hearty winter meal.

Solstice

~ 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.

Every December the sun stands still.  HUH?? Here in the Northern Hemisphere, the days have been getting shorter and the sun is lower and lower in the sky at noon.  Then the sun stops going lower and becomes higher in the sky every day. The time at which this occurs is called a “Solstice‘ from the latin words for ‘sun stands.’  In ancient times, people feared the winter darkness and rejoiced with feasting and fires on the day of the Solstice.  How did they know when it would occur? That’s what solar calendars like Stonehenge are for.  Light a fire if you wish, and then celebrate by eating quiches that look like little suns and a dinner from sunny Senegal.  And now the days get longer.

Breakfast Quiche:  281 calories   7.7 g fat   3.3 g fiber   15 g protein  37.6 g carbs   350 mg Calcium PB GF This versital recipe can be prepared for breakfast, as shown here; can be used at dinner; or can be tripled [to make 12 mini-quiches] to serve as part of a brunch. TIP: Each quiche clocks in at 68 calories, so one serving is two quiches.quiche w: melon-Bbs

1 two-oz egg    +   1 Tbsp ricotta, drained if too liquid                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              2/3 oz mozzerella cheese, grated   +   2/3 oz Jarlsburg cheese, grated                                                                                                                      1/3 oz onion      +  1 oz broccoli                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 herbs, salt, pepper to taste                                                                                                                                           1.5 oz melon, cubed  +   2 Tbsp blueberries                                                                                                                     optional:  black coffee or black tea or lemon in hot water                                                                                             optional:  5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie

Get out your mini-muffin pan and spray 2 holes with non-stick spray. If the vegetables are raw, chop them and put into a microwave-safe dish with some water. Cook on high for 45 seconds or until tender. Drain water and put vegetables into the muffin pans. Top with grated cheeses. Whisk the egg with the ricotta and seasonings. Pour into the muffin pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. Prepare the beverages and fruits. So pretty.

Senegal Tuna-Avocado Salad:   264 calories   14.6 g fat   6.4 g fiber   13 g protein  18 g carbs   30 mg Calcium  PB GF   This is my version of Avocat Creole which I enjoyed at Bissap Baobab, an excellent Senegalese restaurant in Oakland, CA, now closed. Senegalese Tuna:Avocado Salad2.5 oz white/Albacore tuna       +   2 Tbsp celery, minced                                                                                                                                       pinch or 2 ground ginger   +   ½ tsp lime juice    + Sriracha sauce                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ¾ oz apple, diced  +     1/2 tsp mayonnaise made with olive oil      +   4 oz cherry tomatoes                                                                                                              2 oz avocado   +   2 Tbsp radish or alfalfa sprouts                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ¼ oz [½ cup] baby spinach leaves      aioli:  1 tsp mayonnaise made with olive oil + Sriracha

Lightly combine the tuna with the celery, ginger, dash of Sriracha, lime juice, apple, and ½ tsp mayonnaise. Arrange the spinach leaves in the center of the plate and mound the tuna on top. Slice the avocado and layer on top of the tuna.  For aioli:  mix mayonnaise with Sriracha to taste and drizzle the aioli over the avocado. If the cherry tomatoes are not bite-sized, cut in half. Place tomatoes around the edge of the plate and sprinkle with sprouts. A fine meal when you want a taste of lands where the sun shines brightly.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg 1.5 two-oz eggs         1 oz apple or pear
  pear or apple  crab meat
Yorkshire Pudding [white + whole wheat flours] soy sauce   +  hot sauce +scallion   +  ginger 
50-calorie chicken breakfast sausage  Mushrooms
 mung bean sprouts
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:

 pork tenderloin, raw or cooked  4 oz beef or calf liver
 apples  green beans
 chicken stock  onion
 Béchamel sauce [Sidekicks I, 17 Sept 2017]  butter
 broccoli
 carrot
Sparkling water Sparkling water

Tycho

~ 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.

Tomorrow will be the birthday of Tycho Brahe, born 1546, in Copenhagen, Denmark.  The son of a wealthy merchant, he grew up to be a rock-star astronomer — the most famous in all of Europe.  While still a young man, he discovered a ‘Stella Nova‘ [what we call a Supernova] where no star had been seen before.  This called into question the idea that all the Earth and sky had been created at once.  The discovery made him a house-hold name, and he lived LARGE at his Uranibourg Research Station [first in Europe] on the Island of Hveen. Scientists from all over would come to study with him. He lead a wild and crazy life, all the while contributing to the study of weather, chemistry, and astronomy. Happy Birthday, Tycho.  If it weren’t a Fast Day, we’d raise several glasses of wine to you. You would like that.

Our foods for today highlight Danish flavors at breakfast and codfish — a Baltic favorite — for dinner.

Danish Omelette:   294 calories…  10.7 g fat…  2.4 g fiber…   17.6 g protein…  34.6 g carbs…  242 mg Calcium…  PB GF  This breakfast is in honor of Tycho Brahe, famous astronomer and Denmark’s pride. The taste of the sea, the bleu cheese, the star in the apple: all sing praise to him.

Danish Omelettte

++ 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  ++++ 1/4 oz  bleu cheese, Danish if you can find it ++++                                                                                                           ½ oz herring marinated in wine  ++++   1 oz apple, sliced so you can see the star inside   ++++   Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++++ Optional:  blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++ 

Mince the herring. Crumble the bleu cheese and whisk with the eggs. Hold the apple on its side and slice it so that the star of seeds and core in the middle is revealed. Cut a slice parallel to your cut to end up with a slice that weighs 1 oz. Spray a frying pan with non-stick spray and put the minced herring in the pan. Quickly pour the egg-cheese mixture in the pan. As the egg begins to set around the edges, lift the egg with a fork or spatula and tip the pan so that uncooked egg flows underneath. Continue like that until the bottom is fully cooked and the top is set. [Flip the omelette if you dare, or put it under the broiler if you like your eggs well cooked.] Slide the eggs on to the plate with the apple, pour the beverages, and meditate on the wonders of astronomy.

Baked White Fish with cheese:  for the fish & cheese only:   145 calories…   6 g fat…   0 g fiber…   33 g protein…   0.2 g carb…   129 mg Calcium… PB   GF    Another winner from the Fast Diet book.   Add any vegetables of your choosing to fill out the plate and to add another 150 calories.                  

Baked fish w: cheese; snap peas, toms:basil

++ 6 oz firm white fish fillets such as cod or haddock ++++   1/2 oz cheddar cheese, grated  ++                                                                                                                                 Your choice of vegetables to add up to 125 calories:    ½ cup pickled beets [74 calories]                                                                                                                                 3 oz green beans [26 calories]   -OR-  ½ cup peas [62 calories] -OR- ½ cup carrot coins [12 calories]                                                                                                                                                                 3 oz broccoli florets [30 calories]    -OR-  2 oz parsnip, sliced as coins [42 calories]                         1 cups salad greens + ½ tsp lemon juice + 1 tsp olive oil [48 calories]    -OR-   3 oz tomatoes [15 calories]                                                                                                        1.5 cup whole sugar snap peas [39 calories]

Heat the oven to 400° F. Put the fish in an oven-proof dish which has been lightly smeared with olive oil.  Season the fish to taste.  Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables of your choice. How easy it is to be healthy!

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg1 two-oz egg
 Parmesan cheese onion   +  broccoli
 lots of chives blueberries + melon
 kiwi fruit ricotta  + mozzarella
 reduced fat cottage cheese Jarlsberg cheese
optional smoothieoptional beverage
optional beverageoptional smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

Cooked chicken meatwhite/albacore tuna
 Strawberries + 1 kiwi fruit lemon juice, ground ginger
 1.5 cups fresh spinach avocado, celery
 poppy seed mayonnaise
 Slivered almonds baby spinach, bean sprouts
 Dried mustard cherry tomatoes
Red wine vinegarSparkling water
 Sparkling water Sriracha or other hot sauce

Following the Feast

~ 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 Sharon, Diane, and leelscooks who are now Followers.

There are many festive occasions which involve lots of special foods and which invite us to gather in a convivial setting with family and friends and over-eat.  Then comes the day of judgement when we get on the scale and find out how much damage was done by all the fun.  The solution? A Fast Day! You might want to do that the day after the feast [thus having an extra Fast that week] or wait until your next usual Fast. Another strategy would be to have either a Fast breakfast or Fast Dinner the next day to minimize the calorie intake. For tomorrow’s meals, reuse some of that turkey and stuffing for breakfast and do something completely different for dinner — lobster, anyone?

Turkey/Stuffing Bake:  279 calories   6 g fat   2.5 g fiber   15.6 g protein   38.7 g carbs   217.5 mg Calcium    GF- if using GF bread   Another in the dinner-for-breakfast series, and perfect for after a roast turkey dinner.Turkey-Stuffing Bake

1 two-oz egg                                                                                                                                                             ½ oz turkey breast                                                                                                                                                  ¼ slice of 70-calorie whole-grain bread [¼ oz]                                                                                              1 Tbsp onions                                                                                                                                                                   1 Tbsp celery                                                                                                                                                   rosemary + thyme + sage + salt + pepper                                                                                                           ½ tsp olive oil                                                                                                                                                            1 oz pear                                                                                                                                                                       5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider                                                            nearly-black coffee or tea; or lemon in hot water.

In a saute pan, cook the onions, seasonings, celery, and turkey [if it is raw] in a little water and a ½ tsp olive oil until vegetables are softened. Spritz a ramekin with non-stick spray and pour in the turkey mixture. Whisk the egg thoroughly and pour into the ramekin. Bake at 350 until puffed and starting to brown. Meanwhile, slice the pear and prepare the beverages. 

Lobster a l’Armoricaine:  282 calories   3 g fat   2.5 g fiber   21.5 g protein   12.2 g carbs   142 mg Calcium  PB GF   No, it isn’t a typo. This lobster dish is from the Armor coast of Brittany, therefore: Armoricain, “from the Armor.” The recipe is from Brittany Gastronomique by Kate Whiteman. Elegant yet simple.Lobster a l'Armoricaine

3 oz lobster meat, cooked or uncooked                                                                                                                        2 Tbsp shallot, minced                                                                                                                                                      ½ clove garlic                                                                                                                                                             1 oz cognac or other brandy                                                                                                                                                                            2 oz dry white wine [not cooking wine]                                                                                                              ½ cup tomato, diced                                                                                                                                                1 tsp tomato puree [not paste]                                                                                                                            1 Tbsp half & half [blend cream in Canada]                                                                                                            1 Tbsp Gruyère cheese, grated                                                                                                                                            1 oz broccoli florets                                                                                                                                                    1 oz carrots, in coins or batons

Remove lobster meat from shell and cut into 1” pieces. Put the shallot and garlic in a pan spritzed with oil. Saute over low heat until soft. Add the lobster meat, and cognac. Tip the pan to distribute the brandy, then flame the contents off the heat until the flames die. Put into a heat-proof dish and keep barely warm. Add the wine, tomatoes, and puree to the pan and cook until syrupy. Add the cream and heat slowly to reduce in volume a bit. Do not let it boil lest the sauce separate. Meanwhile, cook the vegetables. Pour the sauce over the lobster and top with grated cheese. Heat under the broiler or in an oven until bubbly.  Plate with the vegetables.

Thanksgiving, American-style

~ 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.

Thanksgiving was invented in New Hampshire by Sarah Josepha Hale, a force of nature who convinced President Abraham Lincoln that Americans would rally around a patriotic holiday based on giving thanks.  She was right.                                                  Tomorrow you can start your day in a pumpkin way with a prepare-the-night-before cereal, which will save you a lot of time and keep hunger away for hours.  For dinner… well, that would be up to you.  Happy Turkey Day! And take time to remember Native American Heritage Day on Friday.

10-Grain Pumpkin Pudding: 277 calories 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.Ten-grain Pudding w: R-bs

4 Tbsp Bob’s Red Mill 10-Grain Cereal Mix                                                                                                  ¾ cup water                                                                                                                                                                1 Tbsp ricotta cheese, reduced fat                                                                                                                       1 Tbsp pumpkin puree, canned or fresh                                                                                                             1 tsp maple syrup                                                                                                                                            nutmeg + cinnamon                                                                                                                                               ½ oz raspberries, fresh or frozen                                                                                                                       1 Tbsp pecans, chopped

Cook the cereal with the water for about 8 minutes on the stove. HINT: do this the night before to save time in the morning. Stir in the cheese, pumpkin, syrup, and spices. Pour into a microwave-safe ramekin. HINT: you could get this all done and put it in the ‘fridge until morning. Brew the hot beverage and prepare the smoothie. Microwave the ramekin for no more than 1 minute. Plate with the fruit and sprinkle the nuts on top of the hot cereal. Ridiculously easy for a meal so satisfying.

Turkey Dinner:  300 calories if……       Go to the holiday table armed with the facts. I’m not going to tell you what to eat, but I will provide you with some calorie counts for common foods.  Do some addition and see what could go on your plate for 300 calories.  What you see below is what I had on my plate at our friends’ house for Thanksgiving.                     A Fasting Feast                                                                                                                                                                                          4 oz turkey breast, roasted, skinless   =    153 calories                                                                                      ½ cup green beans  =   21 calories                                                                                                                    ½ cup breadcrumb stuffing   =  176 calories                                                                                                          ½ cup peas   =  62 calories                                                                                                                                           ¼ cup mashed potatoes   =   59 calories                                                                                                               2 Tbsp cranberry sauce  =  55 calories                                                                                                                                                  2 Tbsp gravy   =   16 calories                                                                                                                          pumpkin pie, 1/8th of a 9” pie =  316 calories

Eat as your conscience tells you, or have a genuine Fast Day tomorrow.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg  + olive oil 1.5 two-oz eggs
1/2 oz turkey breast meat, cooked one 2″ diameter slice pepperoni
 1/4 slice 70-cal whole-grain bread  mozzarella  +  bell pepper
 onion + celery + sage + thyme +rosemary  crushed tomato
 pear  apple or applesauce
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:

 3 oz lobster or langoustine meat  3 cups cabbage
 shallot  +  garlic 1/4 cup Béchamel sauce, no cheese
 1 oz cognac/ brandy + 2 oz dry white wine  2 oz corned beef   +  Swiss cheese
 tomatoes, canned diced or fresh
 tomato puree  +  1/2&1/2 [blend cream]
 broccoli  +  carrots
Sparkling water Sparkling water

The Maine Thing

~ 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.

The state to the East of us is Maine, The Pine Tree State. It makes most people think of potatoes, lobster, and hunting, but for us Maine is leisurely drives along rocky, wooded coastlines; the smell of sea salt and pine resin; family camping in the delightful Cobscook Bay State Park; and [of course] L.L.Bean in Freeport.  The food scene ranges from lobster pounds [like Young’s] to diners [like Moody’s] to fine restaurants [like Fore Street and Street & Co.] which feature local fruits, vegetables, seafood, meats, and game.                                                                                                           Our breakfast reflects the bounty of the farms and woodlands while the dinner is an homage to the tradition of the outdoors life and hunting.  Paul Bunyan was supposed to be from Maine, but we won’t eat like a lumberjack today.  For us, the main thing is that we continue the Fasting Lifestyle and stay healthy.

Fore Street Bake:   289 calories   8.6 g fat   3.5 g fiber   14.2 g protein   37.5 g carbs   256 mg Calcium  PB GF   One of our favorite restaurants in Portland, Maine is Fore Street. First time there, I ate a pizza from their wood-fired oven that featured a particular combination of flavors which I have loved ever since. Here’s that marvelous mixture in baked eggs.Forestreet Bake w: S-b

1 two-oz egg                                                                                                                                                                            1/3 oz blue cheese                                                                                                                                                                     ¾ oz leeks                                                                                                                                                                   ½ oz mushrooms                                                                                                                                                       1 oz strawberries                                                                                                                                                            blackish coffee, blackish tea, or lemon in hot water                                                                                         5-6 oz smoothie or natural apple cider

Slice the leeks and chop the mushrooms. Put into a Pyrex custard cup with a little water and cook in the microwave for 45 seconds. Spritz a ramekin with non-stick spray and add the cooked leeks and mushrooms. Whisk the cheese with the egg, then pour into the ramekin. Bake at 350 F. for 12-15 minutes. Portion the berries and pour the beverages and settle in for a taste of Portland.

Venison Stew:   250 calories   4.7 g fat   5.3 g fiber   25.6 g protein   26.4 g carbs   52.5 mg Calcium   GF  What a wonderful meal for an Autumn evening. Rich flavors and low calories – my kind of dinner. HINT: this recipe is for one serving. Double it and freeze half for another fine meal later or invite a friend to share it with you.Venison Stew w: roasted Veg

½ cup chicken stock                                                                                                                                                      2 Tbsp fresh cranberries [NOT dried]                                                                                                             2 oz mushrooms                                                                                                                                                      ½ tsp dried thyme                                                                                                                                                   ½ oz dried apples                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      2.5 oz venison, cooked or raw                                                                                                                              1 Tbsp half&half   [blend cream]                                                                                                                                                    1 oz carrots, cut in coins                                                                                                                                                                  1.5 oz roasted cauliflower florets

If venison is raw, pan sear it 3 minutes on a side to undercook it a bit.  Slice into larger-than-bite-size pieces and set aside.  Spritz a small to medium cast iron pan with non-stick spray and add the carrots and cauliflower.  Spray the vegetables, sprinkle with salt and rosemary. Bake at 400° F. until fork tender.       Put the stock, thyme, cranberries and mushrooms in a sauce pan and simmer until the cranberries start to pop. Add the meat, apples, and half&half.  Simmer until all ingredients are warm.  Taste for seasonings.  Serve with the roasted vegetables.