plant based + gluten free recipes

James Beard

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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. Welcome to tn289 who is now Following.

Chef James Beard , cookbook photo.

When our sons were very young, they would help in the kitchen by fetching ingredients and cookbooks for me. Before they could read, they learned the name and appearance of each book. Fannie Farmer was gold. Craig Claiborne was green or blue. One day, I asked for James Beard’s American Cookery. Looking at the cover photo, one son said, ‘The book with the fat man?’ Yup, James Beard was over-sized [6’3″, 300 pounds], and the non-PC nickname for that cookbook stuck. James Andrews Beard was born in Washington State, USA on May 5, 1903, and he would have an over-sized influence on cooking in the United States. His English-born mother ran a boarding house and his father was a customs inspector. The family was comfortably off, spending summers on the Oregon coast. Beard was admitted to Reed College, but was told to leave due to his homosexuality. Next, he went to London, hoping to go into theater or opera. His ambitions were to no avail. A few weeks in Paris were revelatory, introducing him to sexual freedom and great food. Next, he went to New York, but still couldn’t break into performing.  To pay the bills, Beard started a catering business in Manhattan, which marked the beginning of his career as a Foodie. His first cookbook, Hors d’Oeuvre & Canapés, came out in 1940, followed by a book on outdoor cooking. The war years saw him setting up canteens for the United Seamen’s Service. After the war, Beard starred in the first US television cooking show — “I Love to Eat” in 1946 on NBC. A cooking school in New York established him as the go-to-guy for simple American food. In addition, Beard tirelessly wrote columns for magazines and newspapers; appeared on radio and TV shows; and wrote 20+ cookbooks. To his shame, he endorsed a string of kitchen products and foods in an effort to support his school and his profile. Although it was clear to anyone who knew him that he was gay, Beard never “came out”. His “beard” was Mary Hamblet, a childhood friend from Oregon. On his birthday, the winners of the James Beard Awards will be announced, recognizing chefs, culinary writers, restaurant critics, and restauranteurs for excellence in promoting authentic cuisine. The James Beard Foundation is a lasting legacy for the man who was considered the Dean of American Cooking.

Our meals reflect two early influences on James Beard’s culinary development. The family’s Chinese cook gave him a life-long love of Chinese food. His stay in France after leaving college opened his senses to the flavors and savors of French Cuisine. Would James Beard have benefitted from the Fasting Lifestyle? You bet. But all his appetites were huge, and moderation was not in his repertoire.

Swiss Chard Fritatta: 154 calories… 8.4 g fat… 1.3 g fiber… 12 g protein… 5.7 g carbs… 58 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Susan Herrmann Loomis is a cookbook author whom I trust, so when I saw this in her French Farmhouse Cookbook, I had to try it. She serves it as an appetizer or main-meal, and by reducing the recipe, it makes a great breakfast.

++ 1½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. ++++  1 oz Swiss or rainbow chard, coarsely chopped or sliced; stems removed ++++  sprinkles of garlic powder ++++ 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese ++++ pinch salt ++++ pinch paprika ++++ 2 oz strawberries OR 1 oz grapes ++++ 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] ++

In a saucepan, simmer the chard in water and add some pinches of garlic powder. Cook, uncovered, about 15 minutes until the leaves are limp and the water has cooked away. [keep a good eye on it so it doesn’t stick or burn]  HINT: I did this the night before. Find a small [8” diameter] heat-proof skillet which can be used both on top of the range and under the broiler. Spray it generously with non-stick spray and spread the cooked chard over the bottom. Whisk the eggs, then add the cheese, salt, and paprika. Whisk again and pour the eggs over the greens. Place on the stovetop over medium heat for 3-4 minutes while the eggs cook on the bottom but the top is still liquidy. Place under the broiler until set and slightly browned. Plate with the fruit. [Loomis wants you to invert it on the plate, but we preferred the puffy top to be on top] Delicious!!

Shrimp Fu Yung: 239 calories… 14 g fat… 2 g fiber… 23.4 g protein… 9 g carbs… 132 mg Calcium…  PB GF Here is the Cantonese classic, as delicious as ever. Americans seem to think it should have brown chicken gravy on top – not very authentic. I have recreated the look using a very savory sauce.

+++ 1¼ oz shrimp, cooked or raw ++++ ¼ stalk celery [substitute: leaf rib of Swiss Chard] ++++ 2 Tbsp chopped mushroom ++++ ¼ cup mung bean sprouts [substitute: chopped cabbage] ++++ 1½ scallions [spring onions] ++++ ¼ tsp ginger powder ++++ 2 two-oz eggs ++++ 1 oz spinach leaves ++++ garlic powder ++++ ¼ tsp sesame seed ++++ ½ tsp sesame oil ++++  Sauce: 1 tsp hoisin sauce ++ 1 tsp soy sauce ++ 1 tsp oyster sauce ++

Cut the shrimp into small slices and put in a bowl with the mushrooms. Slice the celery ¼” thick and put into another bowl. Slice the scallions and add to the same bowl, along with the sprouts. Combine the sauce ingredients and set aside. Whisk the eggs with the ginger. In a non-stick pan sprayed with non-stick spray and a tablespoon of water, cook the spinach, stirring, until it is just limp. Remove from heat, stir with a sprinkle of garlic powder. Plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Return the pan to the stove over high heat. Spray again and add the sesame oil. Put the vegetables into the pan and stir for 60 seconds. Add the shrimp/mushrooms and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds. Pour the eggs in a circular motion into the pan, trying not to disturb the other items. Tilt the pan as you lift the edge of the eggs to let the uncooked egg down to the pan. After a few minutes, flip the egg disk to the other side to cook. [I put a plate over the pan and inverted it, then slid the egg disk back into the pan.] Soon the bottom will be cooked. Slide the eggs onto a cutting board and slice into quarters. Arrange them on the plate next to the spinach. Drizzle the sauce on top and enjoy every bite.

Slow Days: Tomato Relishes

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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, examples follow.

In mid-September, there are still plenty of tomatoes left in the garden. Even if you don’t have a garden, you can get lots of tomatoes to prepare small quantities of relishes — suitable for use all Winter, or as gifts for friends and relatives. Contact your local farm stand or producer and ask if they will sell you their ‘seconds.’ These are the not-so-good-looking tomatoes that can’t get full price for the grower. Sometimes they are called ‘canners’ or ‘Grade B’ or ‘Number 2s’, and they are sold by the bushel or by the pound. They will all be different shapes and sizes, they might be partially green, they might have blemishes on the surface. But, like people, they are all the same under the skin, no matter their color or appearance or differences.

Grade B tomatoes, after ripening for a few days. The wrinkly one in the lower left ought to be cooked right away, after cutting away the too-soft parts. Use in tomato sauce for pasta.

The greenish tomatoes are perfect for making Chow. Other green ones can be put in a sunny window where they will ripen nicely in a few days. Let the fun begin! You can prepare Tomato Salsa, Bruschetta Relish [the tomatoey stuff for on top of bread], or Corn-Tomato Salsa. These are small-batch recipes, so they are quick to fix and do not need many pounds of materials. If you want to prepare more, double or triple the recipes.

TOMATO SALSA:  makes 3 cups This salsa is useful many ways: as a dipping sauce for chips; as a dressing for cooked fish; as an ingredient in tacos.

2 cups chopped tomatoes 1 cup/5.3 oz chopped green sweet peppers 1 cup chopped onion ½ cup jalapeno/serrano peppers, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp salt ¼ c cider vinegar Stir everything together and let sit 15 minutes to marry the flavors.

BRUSCHETTA SAUCE: In addition to serving on bread as an appetizer, spread on toasted bread and top with an egg for breakfast.

makes 2 cups 
½ pound plum tomatoes + 1 scallion
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic + 1 tsp fresh tarragon
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp salt + 1 tsp fresh oregano 2 Tbsp fresh basil + 1 tsp fresh marjoram		Core and quarter the tomatoes.
Peel and crush the garlic.
Slice the scallion.
Chop the herbs.
Put all of these ingredients into a food processor and pulse off and on to make a chunky sauce.
½ pound plum tomatoesCore and quarter the tomatoes. Add to food processor, and pulse a few more times.
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1½ teaspoons red wine vinegar		Pour the tomato-herb mixture into a bowl and stir in the vinegars.

CORN-TOMATO SALSA  makes 1½ cups  Serve as a side dish or mix with eggs for a bake or scramble.  

1 cup corn kernels 1 cup diced tomato 2 Tbsp minced red bell pepper 2 Tbsp diced red onion 2 Tbsp cider vinegar ¼ tsp dry mustard 1/8 tsp turmeric ¼ tsp sugar 2 dashes ground cumin Stir together all ingredients and let sit to mellow the flavors.

An ordinary stock pot becomes a hot-water-bath canner when you use some kitchen item to raise the canning jars from the bottom of the pot: a small cake pan, left, or a pressure-canner insert, right.

PRESERVING: If you wish to preserve the flavor of Summer, you can “put up” some jars of the Tomato Salsa and Bruschetta using a hot-water bath method. [NB: the Corn Salsa does not have enough vinegar in it to make it safe to can this way.] Canning is rather straight-forward and requires no extra equipment, if you have a nicely-stocked kitchen. You will need: canning jars [1 or 1/2 cup size] and the two-part canning lids that go with them. These are available at hardware and grocery stores. You’ll need a Dutch oven, large saucepan or stockpot deep enough to hold the jars [in one layer] with water covering them by 2 inches. Then you need something to elevate the jars above the bottom of the stockpot: the grill from part of the BBQ; the metal rack from a pressure-canner; a metal pie plate or cake pan that is 1-2″ smaller than the bottom of the stockpot.

Put 4″ water and the empty jars in the stock pot, and bring water to a strong simmer. Using tongs, dip the jar lids into the hot water, then lay them on a dish-towel on the counter. In a saucepan, bring your relish to a low simmer. When relish is hot, remove the sterilized jars to the dish towel and fill them with relish to within 1/2″ of the top. Run a clean chopstick around the inside of each jar, to break any air bubbles and to settle the contents. Wipe the jar tops and rims, and put on the 2-part lids.

Put the ‘bottom-protector’ into the pot, then arrange the jars upright in the simmering water in a single layer. Add enough water to cover the tops of the jars by 2″ and cover the pot. As the water starts a low boil, set the timer for 15 minutes and clean the kitchen. When the timer rings, remove the jars and set them on the dish towel to cool thoroughly.

Rodin

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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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. 

When Dear Husband went to Paris for the first time, one stop he just had to make was the Rodin Museum: The Thinker. The Kiss. The Burghers of Calais. What feeling those statues evoke — it bowls you over! Auguste Rodin was born on November 12, 1840. His struggles at school made him turn increasingly to sketching — undiagnosed with myopia, he could see his sketches, but not the black-board. At age 13 he took art lessons and eventually became skilled as a ‘decorative artist.’ But making ‘pretty’ things was not his goal. He wanted to show emotion and realism. Twice Rodin entered ‘Man with a Broken Nose‘ in the Paris Salon. It was rejected — twice. At last his work, The Vanquished [aka: The Age of Bronze], won him the acclaim that began his career. Although famous, he was never rich. His studio was in an abandoned mansion which he and other artists took over as squatters. He lived there with his life-long partner Rose Beuret. Upon his death, he left his works to the French Nation with three conditions: that they make his studio into a museum; that the work of his muse/student/lover Camille Claudel be displayed; and that a fund be set up to help young artists financially.

Rodin, as a creator of art, was always working and re-working his ideas. In clay, in plaster, in metal, he would make small models of a larger plan until he got it right. Instead of a full-sized quiche, we’ll enjoy mini-quiches tomorrow, served with slices of the mini-pear, Forelle. As an impoverished artist, a nourishing stew of chickpeas would have been a real hit with him and Rose. And Camille.

Mini-Quiche Breakfast: 144 calories 7.4 g fat 1.4 g fiber 9.6 g protein 9 g carbs 189 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF A delightful way to breakfast. So simple, too.

3 mini-quiches** 1-1/2 oz pear   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  

To Make 4 mini-quiches: 1 two-oz egg herbs + salt + pepper 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp ricotta 0.6 oz mozzarella 2/3 Jarlsberg 1 oz broccoli 1/3 oz onion Spritz 4 of the holes of a mini-muffin pan with non-stick spray. Whisk the eggs with the ricotta, herbs, salt, and pepper. Grate the hard cheeses and mix them gently but thoroughly in a bowl. Steam the broccoli and onion, then chop and stir together to combine. Divide the vegetables among the 4 muffin holes, ~ 1 Tbsp/hole Then distribute the hard cheeses on top of the vegetables. Pour the egg mixture over the cheeses, then stir each quiche with a wooden skewer or chopstick. Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes – take out of the oven when they are puffed and golden. Let cool briefly before removing from muffin tin. 

Prepare the mini-quiches. While they are baking [or coming to room temperature if baked previously], cube the melon and mix with the blueberries in a pretty dish. Plate with the quiches and pour the beverage of choice. There’s a nice start to your day!

Chickpea Ragout with Meat: nb: entire batch has 484 calories, so divide into portions. The portion size you choose would be dictated by the type and quantity of meat. GF PB divided in 2:  242 calories 5 g fat 10 g fiber 11.7 g protein 40 g carbs 51 mg Calcium divided in 4:  121 calories 3 g fat 5 g fiber 6 g protein 20 g carbs 26 mg Calcium

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 excellent prepared as a main course with seafood or or meat for more protein. Here, you have three meat options from which to choose.

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 1½ cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed if canned ½ cup chicken stock ½ tsp salt + ½ tsp pepper

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. If using now, separate out your portion and keep warm. Cool the remaining ragout and freeze it in serving portions.

3 oz chicken breast: if cooked, mix in with the ragout to warm the meat. If meat is raw, add to the pan along with the tomatoes and chickpeas 3 oz pork tenderloin: if cooked, mix in with the ragout to warm the meat If meat is raw, add to the pan along with the tomatoes and chickpeas 2 oz lean beef — not ground beef: if cooked, mix in with the ragout to warm the meat. If meat is raw, add to pan along with the tomatoes and chickpeas

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………. single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg + apple/applesauceNext week, I will
crushed tomatoes + chicken breastdiscuss soups.
plain yogurt + green chili pepperChoose a new favorite
Monterey Jack + cornmealbreakfast from Archives
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

ground bison + red onionChoose a new dinner
diced tomatoes + garlic favorite from the
green sweet pepper + ground cuminArchives
canned red beans + chili powder
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Henri IV

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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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Henry of Navarre. Le Bon Henri. What ever you call him, Henry IV was the best king France ever had. He was born in Pau, in the Bearn region of far southern France. He was the King of Navarre and a Protestant. This latter fact made it impossible for him to be King of France. But by lineage, he was the heir to the throne. Eventually, he decided, “Paris vaut une messe,” [Paris makes it worth going to Mass] and he accepted the kingship in exchange for becoming a nominal Catholic. As King, he signed the Edict of Nantes which made the Protestant religion legal in France, ending, for the time being, the Wars of Religion. He provided street lights in Paris. He built the ‘Pont Neuf‘ [‘New Bridge’] in Paris in 1604, which is still standing. He insisted on stone buildings in cities to prevent fires. He promoted prosperity while minimizing social disparity, seeking a goal of ‘a chicken in every pot.’ [Yes, that is the origin of the political pledge.] Sadly, King Henri was assassinated on a street of Paris in 1610.

Hailing from Gascony, Henri would appreciate today’s menu choices. The breakfast highlights the fruits of the fertile South-West. The dinner is a nod to the Basque people of Aquitaine and their love of peppers.

Fruit Souffle Omelette:  128 calories 5 g fat 2.2 g fiber 8.7 g protein 9 g carbs [6.5 g Complex] 34 mg Calcium   PB GF  From the fruited hills and valleys of Gascony comes this dessert which, with a few tweeks, goes to the breakfast table.  HINT: This serves two. The recipe is difficult to cut to serve one, so enjoy it with a friend or save for dessert tomorrow.

2 egg yolks 3 egg whites ¼ c blueberries ¼ c raspberries ¼ cup goldenberries [feel free to substitute strawberries or cherries] 2 tsp [5 ml] Armagnac, the brandy of SW France 1 tsp sugar

If the fruit is frozen, put it in a sieve while it thaws to catch extra juices. Heat the fruit and sugar in a small saute pan. Add the Armagnac and flame it, gently swirling the pan to be sure all the alcohol is burned off. Remove from heat. Warm the oven to 375F. Find a saute pan that can be used on the cook-top and in the oven as well. Whisk the yolks with a pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt. Using a rotary or electric beater, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Whisk a bit of the whites into the yolks to lighten them, then fold the whites and eggs together. Pour into that saute pan which has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Cook on the cook-top until the bottom sets and starts to brown. Pour the fruit on top and put in the upper third of the oven. Cook until the eggs are set and puffed. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar. A fine treat.

Chicken Basquaise: 263 calories 4 g fat 4.7 g fiber 31 g protein 21 g carbs [15 g Complex] 87 mg Calcium PB GF Here is another meal inspired by airplane [Air France] food. Once you have prepared the Sauce Basquaise, you can enjoy it as often as you like since the recipe makes lots. 

4 oz chicken breast ¼ c Sauce Basquaise++ 1 slice polenta  2 oz green beans OR 1.5 oz snow peas 1 tsp Dijon mustard

++SAUCE BASQUAISE:  makes 5 cups  1/2 cup = 89 calories 5 g fat 3 g fiber 2 g protein 8 g carbs [7.7 g Complex] 21.4 mg Calcium 

2 Tbsp olive oilHeat the oil in a large sauce pan
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped 
optional: 2 oz Bayonne/Serrano ham or pancetta, diced  3 cups red bell pepper, diced [2 large peppers, abt 13 oz]  3 cups green bell pepper, diced [2 large peppers, abt 13 oz]  4 cups tomatoes, seeded and diced		Add the onion, garlic, ham, peppers, and tomatoes. 
Cook over medium-low heat until peppers are tender.
½ cup red wine
5 g ‘esplette’ pepper or ground cayenne pepper
2 tsp fresh thyme
½ tsp salt		Add these to the pan and simmer 10 minutes more
Easy to prepare. Freezes well, but taste for seasoning after thawing.

Choose a saute pan with a lid. Add 3 Tbsp water, Sauce Basquaise, and the chicken. Cover and braise the chicken over low until it is almost cooked. Remove the lid to see if the sauce has cooked down to a thick consistancy. Continue to cook, without lid, if necessary. Cook the green beans separately. In a small fry-pan, cook the polenta slice on both sides using non-stick cooking spray to prevent sticking. Plate with the sauce on top of the chicken and the dab of mustard on the side. A first-class meal.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday ……… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg  + tomato1.5 two-oz eggs  
feta cheese + Kalamata olivetomatoes
lamb meat + spinachapples + scallions
oregano + peach/nectarinemushrooms
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

beef + carrot + cabbageeggplant + onion + garlic
parsnip + green beanscorn kernels + zucchini
red potato + spinach + herbscooked chicken + Monterey Jack
white beans + stones [optional]corn tortillas + enchilada sauce
Sparkling waterSparkling water

H. W. Longfellow

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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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Between the dark and the daylight, When the night is beginning to lower, Comes a pause in the day’s occupation, Which is known as the Children’s Hour. The Children’s Hour, 1859

So wrote a contented Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, describing the joys of being the father of a growing family. He was happy, at last, following the death of his first wife after she miscarried; and his efforts to establish himself as a working poet following not-so-fulfilling years as a college professor. Success came with his poems written in the Romantic Style: Evangeline and Song of Hiawatha, which eulogize the American landscape and people. The mid-1800s were fertile ground for Longfellow’s poems, stories, and essays. But sadness called again, when his wife died of burns from a horrible household accident. Longfellow, in his grief, traveled West of Boston to Sudbury, Massachusetts to escape familiar scenes and people. There he formed the idea for his next famous collection, Tales of the Wayside Inn — a frame-story set in a country tavern where travelers swap yarns. Although widely-read and memorized 150 years ago, only a few of his poems are recognized today: Paul Revere’s Ride and the Wreck of the Hesperus are best-known. I still love his lyrical way with words, which can be stirring and comforting at the same time.

“…Then read from the treasured volume the poem of thy choice And lend to the rhyme of the poet the beauty of thy voice. And the night shall be filled with music And the cares that infest the day Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs, And as silently steal away.” The Day is Done , 1844

Although born in Portland, Maine, Longfellow is most associated with the Boston area. Thus our breakfast references local foods. The dinner is one that might indeed have been served at the Wayside Inn. Read some Longfellow today.

B-O-S-T ScrOmelette: 161 calories 7.6 g fat 1.5 g fiber 11 g protein 9 g carbs [8 g Complex] 220 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  The beans are for Boston’s nickname: beantown. The green onions are for the Green Monster at Fenway Park. The shrimp are for the strong maritime tradition of the port. The tomatoes are for New Englanders’ fervent wish to raise just a few ripe tomatoes before the end of summer.

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. 1-1/2 oz nectarine slices 1 Tbsp canned white beans, preferable small ‘navy’ beans 2 Tbsp green part of scallions, sliced 1 oz tomato, diced and drained in a sieve overnight 1/4 oz shrimp, preferably tiny Northern shrimp OR larger shrimp chopped Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait or lemon in hot water Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Put the beans, onion, shrimp, and tomato in a warm non-stick pan spritzed with non-stick spray or olive oil. Cook briefly until warmed. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper and pour over the other ingredients in the pan. Scramble or cook as an omelette. Pour the beverages of your choice, plate the fruit, and plate the eggs. 

Red Flannel Hash: 249 calories 9.2 g fat 1.9 g fiber 12.6 g protein 17.8 g carbs [16 g Complex] 43 mg Calcium  PB GF  This is a venerable New England farm meal, with the recipe coming from Hayden Pearson’s  Country Flavors Cookbook .

1 cup cooked diced beets (1/3” dice), fresh or canned 1/3 cup diced potatoes (1/3” dice) ¼ cup diced onions 2 slices Canadian Bacon/back bacon, diced one 2-oz egg lots of salt and pepper to taste

Cook, peel, and dice the beets and set aside to cool. [HINT: do this the day before] Peel and dice the potatoes. Put into a pan of tap water and put the pan on the burner. Turn on the heat and let the pan sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until the water starts to boil around the edges. Take off the heat and leave potatoes to cool in the water. Then drain and set aside. Dice the onions and bacon. Spray a saute pan with non-stick spray and add the Canadian bacon. Cook it as crisp as you wish, or not so crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside. Add the onions with 2-3 Tbsp water, and cook until the onions are transluscent and the water is mostly gone. Now put the potatoes in the pan with the onions, add salt and pepper to taste. Stir until the potatoes are cooked. Add the beets and bacon to the pan and continue to cook until heated through. Meanwhile, fry the egg: sunnyside-up or over easy as you prefer. Plate the hash and top with the egg. Ah! Country dining.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday ……… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg2 two-oz eggs 
chivesmilk + flour
ham from a roast or the delisugar + clementine
pineappl10 sweet cherries
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

salt cod + garlic + fennel seedhard-boiled eggs + onion
potato + cauliflowergarbanzo beans + garlic
olive oil + milk + fennel seedtomatoes in their juice + broccoli
tomato + cucumber + carrotsSwiss or Gruyere cheese
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Telling the Bees

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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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Bees, in the ancient world, achieved almost mythical status. The 7th century BC people of Rhodes had a Goddess Honeybee. The Celts thought that bees were messengers between this world and the next. Honey was a valuable commodity, so a hive of bees was prized. Seemingly without reason, bees swarm out of the hive and go away — a real calamity for a homestead. Thus, superstitions grew up around bees. One is ‘telling the bees’ about any changes in the household: births, marriages, departures, deaths. It was feared that if the bees weren’t told, they would up and leave. John Greenleaf Whittier wrote a poignant poem, Telling the Bees, about the death of a young man’s girlfriend and how the bees were being informed.

My friend Hilda B., who kept bees with her husband David, died last week. I hope he told the bees. Or if there are no more hives at their house, I hope he told the garden that he and Hilda tended so faithfully and happily together.

There is a lot of buzz about cutting down on sugar in our food. People hear that and they think, “OK, I’ll put honey in my coffee instead.” Or agave juice or cane syrup or maple syrup. They must be better — they are all natural, right? Sure those sweeteners are naturally occurring, but sweet is sweet and our bodies use all sugars the same way. ALL sugars are bad for us in excess. If you could eat the recommended amount of added sugar [6 teaspoons per day], then you can have your sugar and eat it too. One teaspoon = 4 grams of sugar. 6 teaspoons = 24 grams. Try putting 6 teaspoons of sugar in a small dish. Use some of that sugar when you sweeten your coffee/tea. If you eat one medium chocolate chip cookie, take out another teaspoon. Check the cereal box to see how many teaspoons to remove for a bowl of cereal. The sugar in fruit? Don’t worry about that since it isn’t added to the fruit. See how far into your day you get before you run out of sugar. Then think about it: how much sugar do you really need.

Here’s what Harvard School of Health says about sugar in the foods we eat: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/added-sugar-in-the-diet/ Below, find a recipe for a meal that could be for breakfast [with the coffee] or for dinner [with another felafel patty added and vegetables in lieu of fruit]. It shows how a meal can be good tasting and filling but low in added sugar.

Felafel Plate:  219 calories 5 g fat 4.8 g fiber 16.3 g protein 30 g carbs [25.7 g Complex] 165 mg Calcium  NB: Food values given are for the main meal only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB GF  A simple meal, yet full of nutrition and flavor.

4 felafel patties 4 oz canteloupe melon or pineapple 3.5 oz fat-free Greek-style yogurt ½ tsp mint leaves   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea

Warm the felafel patties or use at room temperature. Chop the mint leaves and combine with the yogurt. Prepare the beverage of choice and plate the food to please the eye.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday ………………………………………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg + pear1.5 two-oz eggs 
green bell pepper + celeryDanish bleu cheese
onion + cajun seasoningherring marinated in wine
cottage cheese + Tabasco sauceapple
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

White whole wheat flour + shrimpBéchamel without cheese +dill
egg white + scallion + lobsterham + spinach + celery
white fish + soy sauceonion + celery salt + basil
rice vinegar + chives + garlicgarlic powder + 2 crepes
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Astrid Lindgren

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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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

When our sons were little, we read to them at bedtime and nap-time. Every children’s book was grist for our mill. At some point, we discovered The Tomten and The Fox, by Astrid Lindgren and we were all charmed by it. We read it again and again, along with The Tomten and the Christmas Tomten. Astrid Lindgren was born on November 14 in 1907 on her family’s farm in Vimmerby, Sweden. She grew up to be an author with world-wide recognition for her books, especially the best-selling Pippi Longstocking series. Astrid Lindgren was also a life-long activist for equality; for animal rights; for fair government; for fighting violence against children. She wrote: ‘A childhood without books – that would be no childhood. That would be like being shut out from the enchanted place where you can go and find the rarest kind of joy.’ Read to a child today. Give books to children for birthdays and holiday gifts. Share the joy.

The Swedes like their smoked sausage. We’ll have to substitute for their favorite ‘falukorv‘, but you’ll get the idea when you cook it with eggs at breakfast. Dinner involves, what else — herring, one of the staples of the Scandinavian diet since forever.

Smoked Sausage ScrOmelette: 299 calories 10 g fat 2.7 g fiber 19 g protein 37 g carbs 206 mg Calcium   NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF Having been gifted with Dakin smoked chicken sausage, we decided to make it a breakfast. The sausage adds a nice smokey Autumnal flavor to the eggs. If substituting another sausage, choose one that has 30 calories per ounce.

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.   3/4 oz Dakin Farm cob-smoked chicken sausage, diced 1.5 tsp each oregano and parsley, chopped 2 oz apple OR apple sauce, unsweetened  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 a well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick pan and spritz it with oil or cooking spray. Add the prepared sausage and stir to heat . Whisk the eggs with the herbs and a grind of pepper and pour into the pan, stirring to incorporate the sausage. Cook to your favorite degree of doneness. Plate the fruit, pour your optional beverages and off you go.

Herring Salad:  278 calories 6 g fat 6.8 g fiber 16 g protein 24 g carbs 103 mg Calcium  PB GF  Eating herring goes back centuries in Scandinavia. This fine Old World recipe is from Luchow’s German Festival Cookbook. NB: if you take a MOIA anti-depressent, be aware that herring has high amounts of tyramine. 

 1- 1/2 oz herring marinated in wine, drained 1/4 cup beets, cooked, cooled and diced 1- 1/2 oz apple, peeled and diced 1/4 cup white beans, drained and rinsed 1/2 hard-boiled egg, sliced 2 Tbsp onion, minced 1/2 oz dill pickle, chopped pinch sugar 2 tsp vinegar, or more 1 cup lettuce, shredded

Put the vinegar and sugar in a bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Add remaining ingredients and toss gently until everything is well-incorporated. Taste to see if it needs more sugar or more vinegar. A herring-lover’s delight.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday ……… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg1.5 two-oz eggs  + Bing Cherries
kippered herring
3% fat ham + leek or scallion
white whole wheat flour
garlic + mushrooms
milk + pear or apple
chicken liver or chicken liver pate
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

shrimp/prawns + parsley
chicken breast + marinara sauce
haddock or other white fish
optional: puff pastry		Parmesano cheese + fresh bread crumbs
smoked haddock + milk
mozzarella + cottage cheese
onion + cloves + spinach
butter + flour + bay leaf
baby greens + carrot + vinaigrette
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Corn

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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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

“Cornscateous” is one of the favorite weather words of the Old Farmer’s Almanac. They define it as ‘hot humid weather that is good for growing corn.’ Corn is native to the Americas and was cultivated extensively by First Nations people. Field Corn is for animal feed. Indian or Flint Corn is for grinding and for Autumn decorations. Sweet Corn, in all its variety, is for EATING! When I was a child, our family would have a ‘corn dinner’ every summer — the entire meal consisted of ears of sweet corn, all you could eat. Even the cat liked it.

Here are 4 recipes for corn: two for breakfast, two for dinner. Two made with fresh corn, two made with corn meal. Enjoy it while it is ripe.

Ham-Cup Egg with Corn: 140 calories 6.7 g fat 1.3 g fiber 10 g protein 11 g carbs [10 g Com-plex] 36.8 mg Calcium PG GF Ham and corn are such a grand combination. Easy to prepare ahead for a quick breakfast. 2-oz egg + red bell pepper + slice ham + fresh polenta + watermelon For the full recipe, see Scout + Jem

Hoe Cakes with Two Toppings 183 calories 5.6 g fat 5.4 g fiber 9.7 g protein 23 g carbs [17.4 g Complex] 44 mg Calcium PB GF This recipe harks back to Colonial Days in the Ameri-can South. Everyone from enslaved people to President George Washington ate hoe cakes. HINT: This recipe makes 6 hoecakes – enough for 2 servings. Originally this would be made with white cornmeal, but the yellow has more nutrition. NB: Hoe cakes were never ‘cooked on a hoe’ by farm workers, as some will tell you. Silly notion.

3 Tbsp yellow corn-meal [even polenta meal would do] 
2.5 Tbsp hot water  		Combine by stirring well to make a mush. Let sit for 15 minutes
1 oz egg white
¼ tsp yeast		Stir into the warm cornmeal mush and let sit for 1 – 12 hours This was 125 ml in volume
2 Tbsp cornmeal
2 Tbsp water
¼ tsp salt 		Mix into the cornmeal mush. If you take some up on a fork, it will sit on top with a little batter dribbling through. If it is not like this, add more cornmeal or more water. This was ½ cup in volume.

Using 2 tbsp of batter per cake, drop onto a hot griddle sprayed with non-stick spray. This should make 6 cakes. Cook on both sides. Best if eaten while fresh.
¼ cup raspberries
1 tsp honey
one 2-oz egg		Put the fruit and honey in a small dish and microwave for 30 seconds. Fry the egg.
Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] Plate 2 of the Hoecakes with the egg and the other with the berry syrup.

FRESH POLENTA: 1 serving = 1/3 cup = 80 calories  fresh or frozen corn kernels + unsalted butter + freshly-ground pepper + salt From Jacques Pepin, this is excellent served with a simply prepared fish. For the complete recipe, see Second Fiddles I-9-’19

POLENTA: makes 6 slices 1 slice: 51 calories 0.2 g fat 0.6 g fiber 1.8 g protein 10 g carbs 26 mg Calcium A fine side dish for poultry or fish. Polenta corn meal + skimmed milk + Italian herbs For the full recipe, see SIDEKICKS II 4-Oct-2017

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday ……………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg1.5 two-oz eggs 
tuna, fresh or canned + melonapple + cinnamon
frozen spinach + anchovy
light cream
mediterranean vegetables
sugar + butter
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

halibut + spinach
pork tenderloin + broccoli
shallot + Thai red curry paste
apples + chicken stock
chicken broth + scallion
Bechamel sauce
light coconut milk + lime juice
carrot + thyme + sage
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Lascaux

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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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

17,000 years ago, in the caves of South-Western France, people were painting realistic representations of animals on the walls of caves. On 12 September, 1940, four boys searching for their lost dog, were the first to see the painting since a landslide had sealed it during pre-history. Named Lascaux, the cave was opened to the public in 1948. By 1963, the cave’s visitors had introduced, unintentionally, so much CO2 and so many mold spores that the paintings were covered over and the caves were closed. For the next 20 years, a remarkable copy of the most famous parts of the original cave was created. Archaeologists, geologists, and artists worked to create an exact duplicate [right down to similar materials and ‘brush-strokes’] of the original cave. Sealed, illuminated, and with climate controlled air circulating through, Lascaux II was opened in 1983. It is fabulous. When we visited in 1999, even though I knew it was a copy, the paintings in their setting took my breath away. Visitors are admitted in small groups and the guides are amazing: Dear Husband, who does not speak French, was able to understand the narration. Which was good, since I was too much in awe to translate. Absolutely amazing art: vivid and dramatic.

Thinking of cave art makes one think of the PaleoDiet. On the surface, this popular “next best thing” seems similar to the Fast Diet: protein and vegetables and fruit. The main difference is that the Paleo menu is limited to foods available 12,000 years ago and it is heavy on red meat. The Fast Diet is not so restrictive and thus is much more flexible and sustainable. Our foods today work for either diet plan and are delicious.

Swiss Chard Fritatta: 154 calories 8.4 g fat 1.3 g fiber 12 g protein 5.7g carbs [5 g Complex] 58 mg Calcium  PB GF  Susan Herrmann Loomis is a cookbook author whom I trust, so when I saw this, I had to try it. She serves it as an appetizer or entre; but by reducing the recipe, it makes a great breakfast.

1 ½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.  1 oz Swiss or rainbow chard, coarsely chopped or sliced; stems removed sprinkles of garlic powder 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese pinch salt + pinch paprika 2 oz strawberries  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

In a saucepan, simmer the chard in water and add some pinches of garlic powder. Cook, uncovered, about 15 minutes until the leaves are limp and the water has cooked away. [keep a good eye on it so it doesn’t stick or burn] HINT: I did this the night before. Find a small [8” diameter] heat-proof skillet which can be used both on top of the range and under the broiler. Spray it generously with non-stick spray and spread the cooked chard over the bottom. Whisk the eggs, then add the cheese, salt, and paprika. Whisk again and pour the eggs over the greens. Place on the stovetop over medium heat for 3-4 minutes while the eggs cook on the bottom but the top is still liquidy. Place under the broiler until set and slightly browned. Plate with the fruit. [Loomis wants you to invert it on the plate, but we preferred the puffy top to be on top] Delicious!!

Pork Salad: 144 calories 4 g fat 2.4 g fiber 17 g protein 7 g carbs [6.8 g Complex] 43 mg Calcium  PB GF When there is leftover meat from a roast, the easiest meal is to turn it into a salad with lots of yummy components.  NB: I sprinkled each serving with ¼ oz flax-seed corn chips [not Paleo, I know] which added 40 calories, only 2.5 g fat and 4 g carbs.

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

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

Ingredients for next week: 

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

1 two-oz eggNext week I will offer several
meals involving Corn.
sourdough rye bread
choose a new favorite breakfast
from the Archives
3% fat ham + yellow plums

Hamelin or Camembert cheese

Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

2 pounds beef chuck/shoulder
Next week I will offer several
meals involving Corn.
sweet paprika + onion
choose a new favorite from the Archives
tomato paste + oil + green beans

beef stock [optional noodles]

Sparkling waterSparkling water

Zucchini Haze

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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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to slimmingteas48 who is now Following.

Its that time again: end of Summer, when the zucchinis multiply like rabbits. You take a tour of the garden after breakfast and spy six dear little squashes, making note to harvest them before dinner. But by late afternoon, they have assumed the proportions of zeppelins and are suitable only for Zucchini Bread or to leave on your neighbors’ doorsteps under cover of darkness. Happily, there are many delicious recipes for this Meso-American squash with the Italian name. [BTW, ‘zucchini’ means ‘squash’ in Italian, so don’t be redundant by calling it ‘zucchini squash.’] We are having zucchini for breakfast and zucchini for dinner. Splendid.

Zucchini Nests for Egg: 122 calories 7 g fat 1.7 g fiber 8 g protein 7.6 g carbs [7 g Complex] 50.7 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg and nest only, not the optional beverages. PB GF Found this recipe online, then I changed it to fit our calorie restriction requirements. Note: the egg used for the photo is a pullet egg, which weighs in a 1.5 oz instead of the 2 oz eggs we usually use. If you can find them, pullet eggs can be useful as they give you the egg flavor but with reduced fat and calories. Pullets, as you know, are merely young hens which lay small eggs until they grow up enough to lay larger eggs. HINT: This recipe makes enough for 2 nests which serve 2 people. Hmmm, I’m not sure how that piece of toast got into the photo, but I’d ditch it and replace it with some fresh fruit!

1 tsp olive oil ¼ cup diced onion 2 tsp fresh sage or 1 tsp dried sage, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed large pinch hot pepper flakes or 1 jalepeno, chopped 1 c. zucchini, grated on the coarser holes of the box grater 2 tsp cider vinegar 1 oz roasted red pepper parsley, chopped salt and black pepper 2 eggs [2-oz or pullet]  Optional: blackish coffee or frothy mocha cafe au lait  or blackish tea Optional: 5-6 oz berry-yogurt [88 calories] smoothie or green smoothie 

In a non-stick pan, spritz lightly with olive oil or add 1 tsp. Cook the onions until lightly browned, 4-6 minutes. Add the sage, garlic, and hot pepper and stir for 30 seconds. Add vinegar, zucchini, some black pepper, and ¾ tsp salt. Cover and cook about 6 minutes longer. Add roasted pepper and parsley. Cook 6 minutes longer ‘until zucchini is light brown.’ Mine never looked light brown, but it looked done to me! HINT: Do this part the night before to save time in the morning. 

Next morning: Divide cooked vegetables into two heaps [scant ½ cup each] in the saute pan and make an indentation in each heap to form the ‘nest’. Cover and heat for 1 minute. Uncover and break egg into each ‘nest.’ Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then cover and cook on the stove top for 4-5 minutes longer or until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Prepare your optional beverage and/or smoothie. Now that’s something different!

Zucchini, Stuffed: 300 calories 6.2 g fat 5.4 g fiber 28.8 g protein 25.3 g carbs 141.5 mg Calcium PB GF You can prepare this meal any time of year that you find zucchini at your store. Avoid the notion of using a door-stop zucchini for this recipe. HINT: this recipe makes enough for 2 [two] servings 

In this case, the pound of zucchini produced four boats for stuffing.

1 pound Zucchini, which is 2-3 slim zucchini 5 oz chicken, cooked ¼ tsp olive oil ½ cup onion, chopped 1 clove garlic ½ cup cooked brown rice 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated ½ tsp salt + ¼ tsp paprika + ½ tsp dill weed + black pepper