Following the Fast Diet Lifestyle

Susanna

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle. 

The name “Susanna” can conjure up several associations. There is the American folk-song “O, Susanna”, written by Stephen Foster in 1848, for performance at Minstral Shows. Today, O Susanna is sung as a humorous children’s song, full of funny contradictions, but it originally had offensive lyrics. Going back farther than that, chapter 13 of the Book of Daniel gives us the first mention of a Susanna. [NB: there is no Chapter 13 in the Old Testament of the modern Bible. Instead, it is contained in the Apocrypha.] The story is told of the comely matron who bathes daily at a certain spot. Two elderly judges get into the habit of spying on her bath, and then press their attentions on her. Shocked, the virtuous Susanna rebuffs them. In the original MeToo moment, they accuse her of being lascivious, which would carry the death penalty. The youngster Daniel suggests separating the accusers while they give their evidence, and since it is contradictory, Susanna is acquitted. The theme of ‘Susanna and the Elders’ became a popular one for artists. Lastly, there is Saint Susanna, who lived in the 3rd century CE. She was the daughter of a noble Christian family in a time when that religion was forbidden. The Emperor Diocletian wanted her to marry one of his protégées, but she refused. So Susanna, her family, and the Emperor’s emissary [who had been converted by Susanna] were all arrested. She was beheaded and Diocletians’ closeted Christian wife buried her in secret. Susanna’s family home became a church, and in 1921, it was declared to be the official church of American Catholics in Rome. Since then, Susanna has been delisted as a saint, and her church is closed. Her feast day is August 11, and you can still celebrate it if you want to.

For Susanna’s feast day, a breakfast from ancient Rome, and a dinner from the Levant, which was also part of the Roman Empire during Susanna’s brief lifetime.

Cato’s Breakfast: 235 calories… 4 g fat… 2 g fiber… 13 g protein… 47 g carbs… 89 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB Cato, the Roman orator and senator, included Libum in his book de Agricultura. The other elements of the meal were popular in ancient Rome.

++2 Libum [33-grams of dough each] ++++ 2 oz pear ++++ 1 deglet noor date ++++ 1 oz chicken breast meat ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++

Bake the Libum and plate with the other ingredients. Although Cato probably would have served wine, that would not be your best option at breakfast.

LIBUM: –225 g/1 cup light ricotta cheese——113 g/1 cup white whole wheat flour—1 oz = ½ egg—–
2 Tbsp honey		Combine these ingredients to a Play-Doh consistancy.
0.2 oz pine nuts, about 45 pinonsForm dough into 11 balls, each made with 2 Tbsp dough [33-g]. Top each ball with 4-5 pine nuts.
11 bay leaves —-TIP: you can do all this the night before and bake in the morning.Lightly spritz a baking pan with non-stick spray and lay the bay leaves on it. Place one dough ball on each leaf.
Warm honeyBake at 350 F for 20 minutes. While still warm, brush with honey.

Felafel with Feta Salad:  285 calories… 14 g fat… 7 g fiber… 12.5 g protein… 29 g carbs… 180 mg Calcium…  PB GF  What a healthy plate of food! When you have felafel in the freezer, this meal becomes almost instant.

++ 6 felafel patties** ++++ 1 cup lettuce [I like to slice large leaves cross-wise into ½” strips]++++ 2 oz tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or cut in ½” cubes ++++ 1 oz carrots, grated ++++ 1 oz beets cut in large dice ++++ ¾ oz Feta cheese in cubes or large crumbles ++++ ¾ tsp flavored olive oil ++++ ¾ tsp white wine vinegar ++++ salt + pepper to taste++

Thaw the felafel patties and warm them. If unbaked, heat them in a 400 F. oven for 10-15 minutes. Prepare the vegetables for the salad. Whisk the vinegar and oil, then toss the salad vegetables in the dressing. Top with the felafel and feta crumbles.

Felafel each patty= 30 cal… 1 g fat… 1 g fiber… 1.6 g protein… 4 g carbs… 8.5 mg Calcium… GF PB From the Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen, these are easy to prepare and set you up for several servings of future meals.

+++ 2 cups canned chick peas [if you use dried chickpeas, you will get a grainer product. Factor in the time to reconstitute and cook them] ++++ 1½ cloves garlic, crushed ++++ ¼ cup celery, minced ++++ ¼ c. scallions, sliced ++++ one 2-oz egg ++++ 1½ tsp tahini ++++ ½ t. cumin ++++ ½ t. tumeric ++++ ¼ t. cayenne ++++ ¼ tsp black pepper++++ 1½ tsp salt ++

Combine in food processer until ingredients form a uniform paste. Scoop into a bowl and chill 1 hour. Form into balls on a silicone mat or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. I used a 1½ Tbsp scoop and then flattened the patties. TIP: You don’t have to bake them now. You could freeze the patties on a cookie sheet, then put them frozen into bags to cook later. Bake at 400 F, 10-15 minutes. The patties should be heated through and have an outside ‘crust’ which is firm to the touch. In most recipes, you will cook them further. At this point you want them to be firm enough to store well. There will be 25 or 30 of them. Use now or cool and freeze for later use.

Buddy Holly

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to the Fasting Lifestyle.

What was the day the music died? February 3, 1959. That was the night that a small airplane took off in a snow storm and crashed in Iowa. On board were the original ‘Rock Stars’ — the pioneers of Rock ‘n’ Roll — Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper [aka: Jiles Perry Richardson Jr.], and Ritchie Valens. The best known of the group was Buddy Holly, born Charles Hardin Holley [sic] in Lubbock, Texas in 1936. His family were all musical, and his older brother, who called him ‘Buddy’, taught him to play guitar. Holley formed performing groups when he was still a child, but after he saw Elvis on stage, Holley knew that he wanted be a professional singer, too. In high school, he was a regular on a local radio show. At age 19, he bought the Fender Stratocaster guitar which became his trademark. Holley signed a recording contract, but he wanted more creative control. Incidentally, it was Decca Records that misspelled his last name, making him forever after “Buddy Holly”. Holly struck out for New Mexico, where he worked with an independent recording studio, and there he really hit his stride. He performed with a group called the Crickets [the name “Beatles” was derived from that], cutting their first hit “That’ll Be the Day” in 1957, followed by “Peggy Sue“. The group adopted a ‘preppy’ clothing style, and Holly established the composition of a Rock ‘n’ Roll band: lead guitar, drums, rhythm guitar and bass guitar. Appearances on Ed Sullivan and American Bandstand lead to international tours. It was a whirl-wind life for the young man: touring, marriage, song writing, touring, solo albums, recording, more touring, producing. Holly separated from the Crickets and in 1959, he formed a new group. They were part of the hectic tour that lead up to the plane crash, though none of the three new band-mates was on the plane with Holly. Contrary to Don McLean‘s song, the music didn’t really die in the accident: Buddy Holly influenced John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Kieth Richards, Bruce Springsteen, and Elvis Costello — an astounding legacy.

Our breakfast, made with New Mexico green chilis, is a nod to Clovis, New Mexico, where Holly did a lot of his recordings. Our dinner is a meal that Holly and his fellow musicians might have eaten at a diner on a break from their long rides on the tour bus.

Green Chili Scramble: 137 calories… 7 g fat… 1 g fiber… 11 g protein… 10 g carbs… 59 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Ever since his grad school days in New Mexico, Son v.2.0 urges us to put roasted green chilis in everything. The taste with eggs is classic.

++ Three 2-oz eggs of which you will use 1½ 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. ++++ 1½ Tbsp roasted green chilis from New Mexico ++++ 1½ oz navel orange OR 1½ oz apple ++++  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] ++

Whisk the eggs with the chilies along with salt & pepper to taste. Scramble to your taste in a non-stick-pan spritzed with cooking spray. Plate with the fruit and dream of the New Mexico landscape.

Tuna Melt: 300 calories…  18.5 g fat… 3 g fiber… 33 g protein… 24.6 g carbs… 300.5 mg Calcium…  PB GF – if using gf bread For a quick, comforting meal, you can’t beat tuna melt.



+++1 slice 70-calorie multi-grain bread  [ex: Dave’s Killer Thin-Sliced Bread] ++++ ½ a 5-oz can of water-pack tuna, drained ++++ 1 Tbsp onion, finely chopped ++++ 1 Tbsp celery, finely chopped ++++ 1 pinch celery seed ++++ salt ++++ pepper ++++ 1½ Tbsp 2%-fat cottage cheese OR BECHAMEL ++++ 1 slice Swiss cheese, the deli kind ++++ ½ cup romaine lettuce, shredded ++++ 1 oz tomato, cubed ++++ ½ tsp lemon juice ++++ ½ tsp olive oil ++


Combine the tuna, onion, celery, celery seed, and mayo as you would for tuna salad. Toast the bread. Spread the tuna mixture over the bread and top it with the cheese. Toast or broil until cheese is melting. In a wide bowl, whisk the oil and lemon juice. Toss the lettuce and tomato with the dressing and relax while you dine.

Slow Day: Shad with Corn Cake

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

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

Shad fish, Alosa sapidissima, used to be the iconic symbol of springtime in coastal New England. The Shadbush would bloom in the woodlands, and the shad fish would migrate up-stream from the ocean to spawn. Then the fishing would begin! The most prized part of the shadfish was the roe — two pink lobes of unlaid eggs. Cookbooks had many recipes for shad roe. The flesh was good, but so full of little bones that it might be off-putting. My grandmother loved it nonetheless, crunching it down, bones and all. Nowadays, shad is less common, due to the damming of rivers during the early Industrial Revolution. Happily, it can still be found in some markets, and then I snatch it up. Even better, modern processing of the fish minimizes the little bones to manageable proportions.

This preparation is a combination of recipes [though mostly for the roe] which I turned into a fine meal. Why the pancake in lieu of potato or some grain? In Rhode Island, they love to eat shad with their local cornmeal pancake called “Johnny Cakes.” I made a batch of corn bread batter [Fannie Farmer Cookbook], and cooked it like pancakes instead. That was a hit!

As you can see, I couldn’t wait to eat this meal, so I took a few bites before I took the photo!

Begin by cooking some bacon in a non-stick pan — 1-2 slices per person. Blot the bacon and pour off most of the fat from the pan, but save what your pour off. Prepare batter for a simple cornbread and cook the batter like pancakes in a bit of bacon fat. Make 1-2 per person. [freeze remaining batter for another meal, like breakfast] Set them aside to stay warm. For the shad, get some very fine yellow cornmeal. [NB: If all you have is meal the texture of sugar, run it through the blender to make it more fine.] Put cornmeal on a plate and sprinkle on salt, pepper, and thyme leaves. Dredge 4-ounce shad fillets in cornmeal, then cook in a bit of bacon fat, about 4 minutes per side. Spray the pan with some cooking spray if the fat cooks away.

Plate the shad with the bacon on top, next to the ‘pseudo-Johnny Cakes,’ and some green beans. This is a genuine old New England treat!

Slow Days: Springtime Cookies

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

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

Who doesn’t like a good cookie? [The Brits call cookies biscuits. The French call cookies bisquits secs. The Germans call them kekse.] Oh, all right, eating cookies year-’round is an American thing, and the Toll House Cookie is now ubiquitous. The trend of cookies the size of a salad plate has no doubt lead to the obesity epidemic. There are specialty cookies — think Christmas Cookies! — and there are everyday cookies. The cookies that I propose today are the ones that I save for Springtime. One is Mary Berry‘s recipe for Easter Biscuits, which I cut out as flowers and butterflies. The other is an Italian confection that looks so cheery that it must be the herald of Springtime temperatures and flowers.

24 Easter Biscuits, 2.5” diameter Preheat oven 400F/200C/180C Fan. Line 2 baking trays w/ parchment 
100g/ 3½ oz unsalted butter 75g/ 2¾ oz caster sugar** egg yolk finely grated lemon zest Let butter soften at room temperature. Cream butter and sugar in a bowl until well combined and fluffy. Add the yolk and zest.
100g/ 3.5oz plain flour 100g/ 3.5oz white whole wheat flour 50g/ 1¾ oz currants/raisins 1–2 Tbsp milkSift in flour and mix well. Stir in currants and enough milk to make a fairly soft dough.
Knead dough on a floured surface + roll out 5mm/ ¼” thick. Cut out using a 6cm/ 2½” fluted cutter. Work quickly in a cool area of the kitchen lest dough becomes too soft. If soft after mixing, chill 10 mins or until easier to handle.
Put on baking trays and bake 8 mins.
Egg whiteLightly beat egg white with a fork until frothy. Take biscuits from oven and brush tops with beaten egg white. 
Caster sugarSprinkle with caster sugar and bake 5 mins, or until pale golden brown and cooked though. Cool on trays for a few mins, then longer on a wire rack.
96 Ricotta cookies48 Ricotta cookies350 F/175 C. Cover baking sheet with parchment.
1 cup butter 1¾ cup sugar½ cup butter ¾ cup sugarAdd softened butter and sugar to a stand mixer. Mix together until combined.
2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract1 egg 1 tsp vanillaAdd eggs and vanilla extract. Continue to mix.
2 cups ricotta cheese1 cup ricottaAdd ricotta cheese. Mix again and scrape off bowl sides to be sure that all ingredients are combined.
1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda  4 cups white flour½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda 1 c white flour  1 c almond mealPour in flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix to form a dough.
Portion dough with a 1.5 tsp scoop and put on the baking sheet. Bake 15-20 mins, until bottoms are golden brown.
Take from oven and cool 10 mins.
1 cup 10X sugar   1 T milk  rainbow sprinkles½ cup confectioners sugar 1.5 tsp milk rainbow sprinklesCombine sugar and milk in small bowl, Stirring until smooth. Dip each cookie into frosting and top off with rainbow sprinkles. Let frosting dry, then enjoy.
69 calories… 3 g fat… 0 g fiber… 1 g protein… 10 g carbs… 18 mg Calcium

Slow Days: Aunt Kate’s Chocolate Cake

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

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

A look at my father-in-law’s family tree shows lots and lots of German names — husbands and wives alike. And then, in 1903, one of the German sisters married an Irish man! Kate Haggerty was cousin to Dear Husband’s grandfather, but she was known to all as “Aunt Kate”. She was apparently a great baker, because one of the family’s handed-down recipes is for “Aunt Kate’s Chocolate Cake.” A note says that she developed the recipe herself. It came to me via sister-in-law Bev, who sent me a trove of family kitchen lore. Oddly, Dear Husband did not remember eating said cake as a child. But then, his mother was not a baker. So I prepared this one year for his birthday and he was delighted.

The edges of this cake are iced with the filling mixture, since I had run out of glaze.
One 9” 4-layer cakeTwo 9” cake pans, buttered and lined w/ parchment
½ c butter
1 cup sugar		Cream together
2 eggsWhisk and add to creamed butter
2 squares = 2 ounces bittersweet chocolateMelt and add to batter, stirring well.
1½ c flour
¾ tsp cream of tartar
¾ tsp baking soda		Sift together 3x to combine. NB: when making chocolate cake, I use white whole wheat flour for more nutritional value.
¾ c milk
½ tsp vanilla		Stir together. Add to batter alternately with difted dry ingredients.
Divide between the two pans. Bake at 350F, 25 mins.
Cool, take from pans, slice each layer into 2 layers along the equator.
Spread 3 layers with filling*, stack, cover with glaze**.

The original way to prepare the cake is to bake two layers, and split them to make four layers. For the two of us, or even for a small group of six, I prepare one layer, split it, fill it, and glaze it. Either way, it is a very good cake!

Two layers and lots of filling!
*Chocolate Filling
½ # sweet butter, room temp
1½ c confectioner’s sugar		Cream together.
2 squares bitter chocolate
½ tsp vanilla		Melt chocolate, cool a bit, add to butter-sugar along with vanilla.
Divide equally among 3 of the 4 layers, and spread it evenly.
**Chocolate Glaze
2 T butter
1 square bitter chocolate
3 squares semi-sweet chocolate 1 tsp vanilla		Melt together over low heat to form a very thin glaze. Put filled cake layers on a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour warm glaze over the cake, letting it drizzle down the edges.

End of an Era

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

On January 22, 1901, the Victorian Era ended when Queen Victoria died at the age of 81. She had been on the throne for 63 years, surpassing Henry II as longest-serving monarch of Great Britain. The Victorian Era began when the 18-year old ascended to the throne, enchanting the populace with her youth and charm. When she married her beloved Alfred, they became the Model English Family, setting the tone for stability and morality. After Alfred’s early death in 1861, Victoria wore mourning clothes for the rest of her life, becoming a sad and secluded widow. She set the style for mourning attire and popularized jet as a gemstone suitable for a widow. Victoria’s many offspring married into royal families around Europe, and her grandchildren were rulers in turn: Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, Empress Alexandra of Russia, Queen consort Marie of Romania, Queen consort Victoria Eugenie of Spain, Queen Sophie of Greece. Victoria was truly ‘Grandmother of Europe.’ She reigned so long that few had known another monarch, and she left her stamp on her country and on English rule around the world. Now, to be called “Victorian” is an insult, meaning stodgy, old-fashioned, and prudish. Yet so much progress was made during Victoria’s reign that the mind boggles. Victoria’s strict plans for her funeral created the blueprint for state funerals in the UK to this day: full military honors, the coffin on a gun carriage, a long procession through London, burial at Windsor Castle. In her last years, the queen was confined to a wheelchair and could not see well due to cataracts. She died of a stroke at the royal retreat on the Isle of Wight.

When Victoria was on the throne, it was said that “the sun never set on the British Empire.” That, of course, was because British possessions spanned the globe. Our meals come from the two largest colonized lands: one by size [Canada] and one by population [India]. Both have since gained independence but are still members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Maritime Bake:  155 calories 6.5 g fat 1 g fiber 16.6 g protein 6 g carbs 84 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  To us, the Maritimes of Canada are all about seafood, potatoes, local cheese, and lots of the Herb Savory, winter or summer. Then there are the strawberries: June/July in Nova Scotia; July in PEI; August in Newfoundland. Good people, good food.

1 two-oz egg   ½ oz salt cod [cover with water and soak 30 minutes]             1/8 oz Cheddar OR ADL brand “Old/Fort”, grated  1 tsp dried savory               ½ Tbsp dry potato flakes + 1 Tbsp water  pepper to taste   2 oz strawberries           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]

The night before: 1] stir the potato flakes and water together in a small bowl and let sit to moisten. 2] cover the salt cod with water and soak 30 minutes. Drain and flake into small pieces.            Next morning: Spritz a ramekin with cooking spray. Set the toaster oven at 350 degrees F. Combine the potato, cod, and savory and put into the ramekin. Whisk the egg and pour over the cod. Top with grated cheese and bake 12-15 minutes. Prepare your beverages as you like them and plate the berries.

Tandoori Fish Curry w/ Naan:  294 calories 12 g fat 5.5 g fiber 18.6 g protein 29 g carbs 69 mg Calcium  PB  An easy recipe, made from some off-the-shelf ingredients, that packs a lot of flavor into a meal. The naan is fun to make at home. If you have access to purchased naans, pay attention to the calorie count so it ‘fits’ our needs – cut the naan smaller if needed.

3 Tbsp ‘tandoori simmer sauce,’ purchased  3 Tbsp low-fat coconut milk, purchased        2.5 oz haddock or other firm-fleshed fish  ½ cup small broccoli florets 1.6 oz carrots, sliced as coins   1 oz red bell pepper, sliced  1 naan bread @ 92 calories 

Put the sauce and coconut milk in a saucepan with a little water. Add the vegetables, cover the pan, and simmer until almost cooked. Break the fish into pieces and lay it on top of the vegetables. Cover and continue to simmer another 5 minutes until the fish is cooked. Warm the naan and serve. Delicious.

Slow Days: Chinese Pork Steamed Buns

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

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

Large cosmopolitan cities around the world have many choices of cuisine, and opportunities to get food that one didn’t cook oneself. Chinese food is very popular for take-away. But out here in the woods of New Hampshire, carry-out might involve a drive so long that the food is cold by the time one gets home to eat it. The solution? Make your own. OK, perhaps there is a bit of Yankee self-sufficiency in that course, but it is need-driven.

Chinese steamed buns, Char Siu Bao, are yummy and really not that difficult to prepare. With Chinese New Year coming up, treat yourself and your friends to steamed buns from home. You can make the filling days in advance. If you wish, the filling, or at least the Chinese Roast Pork, could be purchased at an Asian market or from a co-operative Chinese restaurant — I think I might have seen it at a supermarket in the deli case. Not an option? Then make your own filling.

FOR THE FILLING: 

1 T. oil OR 1 tsp oil + spray of PAM
 ⅓ cup finely chopped shallots or red onion		Heat the oil in a wok over medium high heat. Add the onion and stir-fry 1 min.
1 Tbsp sugar         
1 Tbsp light soy sauce ++++1½ Tbsp oyster sauce +++2 tsp sesame oil ++++2 tsp dark soy      
                  		Turn heat down to medium-low, and add these ingredients. Stir and cook until mixture starts to bubble up.
½ cup chicken stock             2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour Add the stock and flour, cooking for a couple minutes until thickened
1½ cups diced Chinese roast pork = 6.75 oz = 193 gTake from heat and stir in pork. Set aside to cool. If you make filling ahead of time, refrigerate covered to prevent drying.

FOR THE BUN DOUGH:

1 teaspoon active dry yeast         ¾ cup warm waterIn the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook (you can also just use a regular mixing bowl and knead by hand), dissolve the yeast in the warm water. 
1 c all-purposeflour  1 c white whole wheat flour        1 c cornstarch
4 tablespoons sugar  ¼ c canola or vegetable oil		Sift together flours and cornstarch, and add to the yeast-water along with sugar and oil. Set mixer to lowest setting and let it mix until a smooth dough ball is formed. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 2 hours.
2½ tsp baking powder
2-3 tsp water 		Add baking powder and turn mixer to lowest setting. If dough looks dry and baking powder won’t mix in, add water. Gently knead with dough hook until it is smooth again. Cover with damp cloth, let rest 15 minutes. Set up your steamer in the wok.
Roll dough into a long tube and divide into 20 equal pieces. Press each piece of dough into a disc about 4½ inches in diameter (it should be thicker in center and thinner at edges).
Add some filling and pleat buns closed. Place each bun on a parchment paper square or cabbage leaf. Put steamer over wok, being sure boiling water does not touch the buns during steaming process. Once the water boils, put buns in the steamer for 12 minutes over high heat.

TO ASSEMBLE AND COOK

1.5 T scoopScoop filling onto a piece of dough. Pleat to close buns. I haven’t mastered that part yet…maybe this year. Here’s another link for pleating steamed buns.
Place each bun on a parchment paper square, and steam. I steamed the buns in two batches using a bamboo steamer Be sure boiling water does not touch buns during steaming process. Once water boils, put buns in the steamer, and steam each batch 12 mins over high heat.

Serve the Cha Siu Bao fresh, with stir-fried vegetables. Freeze any that are left over for a future dinner or even breakfast.

Basil

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Basil is an herb. Basil is a saint. Which one came first? The plant, Ocimum basilicum, has been in use for 4000-5000 years. Quite possibly it originated in China, but it quickly became popular in India — or was it the other way around? As a member of the Mint Family, it is an easy-to-grow plant, which accounts for its rapid spread into the cultures of many countries. It can represent love [Portugal] or hate [Greece]. It is used in medicine [India] and to preserve dead bodies [Egypt]. And, of course, it has culinary uses from Italy — pesto, anyone? — to Africa and Asia. As a male name, it comes from the Greek, meaning kingly or royal. There are versions of this name around the world: Basile in France; Barsegh in Armenia; Vasily in Russia;  Vassilios [Vasiliki for girls] in Greek. Basil the Great of Cappodocia was born around 330 CE into a very pious and wealthy family. He trained to be a lawyer and was headed for a great career as a teacher when he was inspired by Christianity. After travels to Syria and Egypt, Basil sought the life of an ascetic hermit. When he realized that he preferred companionship, he formed the first monastery, where men could withdraw to a simple life and study the teachings of Jesus. Women came and formed their own community, praying and doing good works. Basil became bishop of Caesarea and did much to help the poor. “Why are you wealthy while that other man is poor…are you not a cheater? “ Saint Basil founded a huge care center where the poor could be fed, sheltered, and healed. Basil gave gifts to children and fought against over-bearing governmental edicts. Saint Basil died on January 1, 379. 

Basil’s turf was the Levant, so our meals are of foods that are popular there. Neither one is prepared with basil.

Shakshuka: 158 calories 8 g fat  3.5 g fiber  12 g protein 17 g carbs 144 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF This breakfast from the Eastern Mediterranean is a real treat. If you prepare part of it the night before, then morning meal prep is very easy.  HINT: This recipe serves 2 [two] people. Easily doubled or tripled. This prepares and bakes in one pan!

2 two-oz eggs  1/3 cup sliced onion          1/3 cup sliced red pepper        1 clove garlic, sliced 10 oz whole tomatoes         ¾ oz feta cheese, cubed or crumbled   2 large pinches each of ground cumin + paprika + cayenne                    Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]       Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie[88 calories]

Saute onion and pepper, using non-stick spray, until very soft – about 20 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes more until it is tender. Add spices and cook one minute. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes until mixture is thicker and some of the tomato liquid has cooked off. Add feta cheese.  [TIP: you could do this the night before and stop here] Set the oven to 375 degrees F.  If serving two, the mixture could be divided into two separate dishes for baking/serving or kept in one larger dish. Using the back of a spoon, press an indentation in the vegetables. Carefully break one egg per person into the indentation. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake 7-10 minutes. If you want the yolk to cook, put a lid on the pan for the last 2 minutes. Garnish with cilantro or flat-leaf parsley.

Felafel with Red/Green Salad: 287 calories 14.5 g fat 9 g fiber 11.6 g protein 29 g carbs 113 mg Calcium  PB GF  Looks great, tastes great, SO healthy. Win-win-win.

5 felafel patties*  1 cup baby spinach leaves  ½ cup red cabbage slaw**              ¼ c pickled beets, sliced or cubed ½ hard-boiled egg, chopped                   1 tsp olive oil + 1 tsp lemon juice

*FELAFEL each patty= 30 cal 1 g fat 1 g fiber  1.6 g protein 4 g carbs 8.5 mg Calcium  GF PB From the Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen, these are easy to prepare and set you up for several servings of future meals.

2 cups canned chick peas [if you use dried chickpeas, you will get a grainer product.  Factor in the time to reconstitute and cook them]   1½ cloves garlic, crushed        ¼ cup celery, minced  ¼ c. scallions, sliced  one 2-oz egg   1½ tsp tahini       ½ t. cumin ½ t. turmeric  ¼ t. cayenne  ¼ tsp black pepper  1½ tsp salt

Combine in food processer until ingredients form a uniform paste. Scoop into a bowl and chill 1 hour. Form into balls on a silicone mat or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. I used a 1½ Tbsp scoop, then flattened the patties. TIP: You don’t have to bake them now. You could freeze the patties on a cookie sheet, then put them frozen into bags to cook later. Bake at 400 F, 10-15 minutes. The patties should be heated through and have an outside ‘crust’ which is firm to the touch. In most recipes, you will cook them further. At this point you want them to be firm enough to store well. There will be 25 or 30 of them. Use now or cool and freeze for later use.

**RED CABBAGE SLAW  acouplecooks.com Serves 3-4  PB GF This makes 2-3 cups of slaw. For this recipe you need ½ cup. Save remainder for a future meal.

2 c. thinly sliced red cabbage 1 Tbsp finely chopped red onionPrepare and set aside.
3 Tbsp plain nonfat yogurtDrain yogurt through paper toweling 15 mins. 
1 Tbsp drained yogurt1½ tsp apple cider vinegar1 tsp sugar or maple syruppinch dried dillpinch celery seed2 pinches Kosher saltfreshly ground pepper 
Thoroughly whisk in these ingredients.
Add the cabbage and red onion and toss to combine.
Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.

Thaw felafel patties and warm them. If unbaked, heat them in a 400 F. oven for 10-15 minutes. Prepare the vegetables for the salad. Whisk the lemon juice and oil, then toss the salad vegetables in the dressing. Top with the felafel and the chopped egg. Quick and easy.

Slow Days: Jam-Filled Brioche Wreath

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

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

If you want something special for a holiday breakfast, this delightful brioche wreath fills the bill. The recipe is from Bonne Maman, makers of jams, jellies, and spreads, and of course they want you to use one of their products. You may use any quality homemade or purchased jam you wish. I prepared this for a gathering of the knitting group, and it was a success. The step involving the preparation of the jam-filled balls could be a family affair and is a good way to include little hands in the kitchen. I have broken the recipe into steps over two days, which simplifies the process [I think], and breaks it into steps that are not too time-consuming. And the next day, Voila! a splendid breakfast centerpiece that looks spectacular, but was made with little fuss.

1 large wreath of 18 puffs 10” tube pan or 12” pie plate + ramekin
DAY 1, EARLY
7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
25g golden caster sugar 150 g white whole wheat flour
150g strong white = bread flour zest of ½ orange + ½ lemon 1 tsp salt 		Caster sugar is a fine-grained sugar from the UK. Blitz granulated white sugar in the food processor to make a substitute. Zest the orange and lemon rinds OR USE 2 Tbsp ORANGE PUREE. [chop an orange into large pieces, run through food processor to make a chunky mush] Mix these in the bowl of an electric mixer with a dough hook. Make a well in the center.
50 ml warm milk 3 large eggs, beaten Pour these into center well. Mix on a slow speed 2 mins, then on medium 3-4 mins, until dough is soft, glossy and elastic.
225g/16 Tbsp/2 sticks butter, cubed and very softAdd butter, bit by bit, and mix 4-5 mins. Scrape down bowl to mix thoroughly. Dough will be very soft. Tip into an oiled bowl, cover with film and chill 8-24 hrs until firm.
DAY 1, LATE
18 tsp Bonne Maman Conserve – choose your favorite or make 9 of one flavor and 9 of anotherOn a lightly oiled surface, divide dough into 18 pieces, ~40 g each. Roll pieces in circles 10 cm in dia. Spoon 1 tsp of jam on centre of each. Bring up sides, pinch together, roll into a ball.


Butter a 10” tube pan. OR Put a greased ramekin in center of buttered 12″ pie plate. Put 6 balls, seam side down, around center tube. Put 12 balls in an outer circle. Cover, let sit 2 hrs until puffy –OR– OVERNight @ 40 degrees
DAY 2, MORNINGHeat oven to 170ºC/340F/ gas mark 5.
Egg wash  ½ tsp lemon finishing salt 1 tbsp ground hazelnuts
sliced almonds 		After rising, brush dough with a little egg wash,
sprinkle with salt and nuts.
Bake 20 mins, until golden.
Cover with foil and cook 10-15 mins longer.
Icing sugarCool slightly, remove from pan.  Remove ramekin if using. Dust with icing sugar.

Slow Days: Pennsylvania Dutch Coffee Cake

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

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

The late, lamented Gourmet Magazine had a practice of publishing favorite recipes from readers. One of them was for this coffee cake. What makes it “Pennsylvania Dutch” is probably the method of cutting the butter into the flour to form a crumb, then combining most of the crumbs with the moist ingredients. This is similar to the process of preparing a Shoo-Fly Pie, a classic of Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine. Since the recipe makes two 8″ cakes, there is one to eat and one for gifting or for the freezer.

Fresh from the oven, in an 8×8″ pan. Cut into 9 pieces.
Served with strawberry yogurt, back bacon, mocha cafe au lait, and orange-rhubarb juice.

The coffeecake is delicious and easy to prepare. Have only one egg to use? You can just as simply make one cake from the recipe. Either way, the cake is moist and flavorful. This is a regular in our breakfast rotation.

Two 8 or 9” cakes1 cake or 12 muffins8 or 9” round cake pans
2 eggs 1 c. milk, fat % of your choice1 eggs
½ c. milk, fat % of your choice		Whisk together and set aside.
2 ½ c. white whole wheat flour 1 ½ c sugar or 1¼ c. ½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder ¾ c/12 oz butter		1¼ c. white whole wheat flour ¾ c sugar or 2/3 c.
¼ tsp salt 1½ tsp baking powder 1/3 c/ 6 oz butter		With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut together until mixture looks like a coarse meal.
SAVE OUT ½ OR ¼ CUP OF CRUMBS, set aside
Stir egg-milk into flour crumbs until combined.
Pour into pans, buttered or lined with parchment paper.
½ cup crumbs¼ c crumbsSprinkle tops with crumbs.
Bake @ 375F 25-30 mins, until top begins to turn golden.