Recipes for healthy dieting

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.

Croissants

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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.

When in Portland, Maine, we always buy croissants like this at Standard Baking Company.

The croissant is practically synonymous with eating in France. Of course, they are made around the world now, from supermarkets to premium bakeries. What is the origin of these tasty, toasty, flakey pastries? In the 13th century, there was a yeasted, crescent-shaped bread called kipferl [crescent] that was popular in Austria. Legend has it that while the Ottoman Turks were besieging Vienna in 1683, bakers, at work in the predawn, heard digging and thus thwarted an attack on the city walls. For their assistance, the bakers were granted the right to bake their rolls in a crescent shape [the crescent is the sign on the religion of Islam]. Probably apocryphal, since the crescentic rolls predate that. Stories abound concerning how the kipferl came to France. Did Marie Antoinette import them from her homeland? Did Viennese bakers, striking for higher wages, move to Paris? No, and no. In the early 1800s, a baker named August Zang set up shop in Paris. At his ‘Boulangerie Viennoise’, he sold the pastries of his home city, including a flakier version of the original kipferl, made with brioche dough. The locals enjoyed ordering those ‘croissants’ [crescents], as they dubbed them, and the tradition began. A century later, Sylvain Claudius Goy recorded the recipe that made the croissant what it is today — laminated puff pastry layers that melt in your mouth and make an excellent vehicle for Brie or fruit jam. oh. Sorry….I’m supposed to be promoting FASTING. But with the Fasting Lifestyle, you can eat croissants on Slow Days. BTW, the pastries with chocolate inside are not ‘chocolate croissants’ — they are chocolotines or pains au chocolate, depending on where you are in France. And the general word in France for edibles of this sort is ‘Viennoiserie’, just so you know. FYI: In the King Arthur Cook Book, there are two different methods for making the dough these days: Croissants de Boulonger [with yeast and fewer laminations] and Croissant de Patissier [full-on puff pastry].

January 30, 2025 is International Croissant Day. One might not think it possible to eat croissants on a Fast Day, but here are some menus to do just that. In both meals, they are paired with figs — very French. I’m not sure that I would eat both of these meals on the same day, due to their low fiber and protein, but you can decide.

Croissant & Fig: 186 calories… 8 g fat… 2 g fiber… 5 g protein… 23.5 g carbs… 37.5 mg Calcuim… PB  Who would have thought that one could even think of a croissant on a Fast Day?!? How ’bout half a croissant with some figs enrobed in dried ham? Ooh-la-la! That is a good breakfast! Dear Husband loved the fig-ham combo.  HINT: This recipe serves 2 [two] people.

++ 1 plain croissant weighing 2.5 oz ++++ 4 fresh figs or 4 dried Turkish figs [total weight = 2 oz/80 g] ++++ 0.7 oz Prosciutto ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Hours before: soak dried figs in water until they are soft. [Not necessary if you have fresh figs.] Gently heat the croissant. Slice the Prosciutto into four lengthwise strips and wrap them around the figs. Cut the warm croissant in half cross-ways. Distribute the food between the two plates, and enjoy with a hot beverage.

Goat Cheese with Figs: 287 calories… 20.6 g fat… 2 g fiber… 18.5 g protein… 25 g carbs… 57.5 mg Calcium…  PB Joanne Harris, in her French Market cookbook, offers this as a salad. But we saw it as a Summer dinner and we were very pleased with it. Easy to prepare – as long as you can find fresh figs.

++ 3 fresh figs, each ~½ ounce ++++ ½ oz Bayonne or Serrano ham ++++ 1 oz chevre cheese, a creamy type ++++ 4 fresh mint leaves ++++ salt & pepper ++++ ½ plain croissant

Cut the stems from the figs. Cut down into the fig, from top to almost-the-bottom. Make another cut at right angles to the first, so that the fig now is a bud with four petals. Slice the ham into ¼” slices and chop the mint leaves. Cream together the cheese, ham, and mint, along with some flavorful salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into 3 equal portions. Open the petals of the figs and spoon the cheese mixture into the center. Warm the croissant and plate it with the figs.

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

1.5 two-oz eggs 1 two-oz egg  + crab meat
apple or orangesoy sauce + ginger
New Mexico roasted green chilisbean or other sprouts
garlic powder + pear + scallions
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

Slice 70-calorie multi-grain breadbeef liver + soy sauce
canned tuna + onion + celerysesame oil + sugar + fresh ginger
Reduced-fat mayonnaise or Bechamel saucecanola oil + oyster sauce
Swiss cheese + side salad + tomatosnow peas OR cabbage-garlic-soy sauce-fish sauce
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Viollet-Le-Duc

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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.

By Xabi Mendoza, in homage of Le-Duc

Notre-Dame de Paris was in ruins, and decisions had to be made. Should the old cathedral be torn down? This was not April, 2019, when the church went up in flames. This was 1842. Notre Dame then was not in good shape since its building 682 years before. Worse, the angry citizens really trashed the place during the French Revolution. But now it was the age of Romanticism, when old things were of value and people, influenced by Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame [in French, Notre-Dame de Paris] had a new interest in preserving the church. Enter Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc. He was born in Paris on January 27, 1814, into a family of architects. From his youth, Eugène was interested in how buildings were put together. He learned from architects, from builders, from traveling the country to visit historic places, from sojourning in Italy. When he was only 28 years old, Viollet-Le-Duc and colleague Jean-Baptiste Lassus were given the chance to rescue Notre-Dame. Having restored another church, Le-Duc had an idea of how to proceed, which was handy since Lassus died soon afterward. Le-Duc’s idea of restoration was not to put a structure back the way it was before. He wrote: “To restore a building is not to preserve it, to repair, or rebuild it; it is to reinstate it in a condition of completeness which could never have existed at any given time.” In other words, make it the way Le-Duc, an ardent medievalist, thought that it ought to be. He added windows and ornamentation. Most famously, he created the spire over the transept and the Chimerae on the roof. Through several changes in national government, Le-Duc continued to find favor and work ‘restoring’ buildings. In addition to Notre-Dame, he worked on nine other churches, two town halls, six castles, and the walls of Carcassonne. Le-Duc’s work and writings influenced generations of architects and artists. He died in 1879.

Our meals are from France [of course], with breakfast from Western France, and dinner from the South near Carcassonne.

Pissenlit ScrOmelette: 142 calories… 8 g fat… 1.5 g fiber… 12 g protein… 4.6 g carbs… 121 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Susan Loomis found this recipe in the Dorgogne Region of France, and included it in her French Farmhouse Cook Book. If you like slightly bitter greens, you’ll enjoy this.  HINT: This recipe is for 2 [two] servings. Use the rest, wrapped in a crepe or galette for lunch tomorrow.

++ 3 two-oz eggs ++++ 1 Tbsp water ++++ 1.4 oz/ 40 g/ 2 cups dandelion leaves, trimmed and washed ++++ ½ tsp garlic, minced ++++ 1 slice/0.7 oz uncured bacon ++++  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] ++

First collect your dandelion leaves, which I did the day before. Cut the leaves off just below the ground surface.  TIP: You could just purchase the leaves. Trim off any dead leaves and roots. Put the leaves in a large bowl of cold water and agitate the water to remove any soil. TIP: You can do this the day before.

Dice the bacon and mince the garlic. Heat a saute pan to medium, and cook the bacon for 4 minutes: it will be almost cooked, but not crisp. There should be only a little fat in the pan – pour off any extra. Add the garlic and continue to cook 1½ minutes: the garlic should not be browned. Take the dandelions out of the water and give them a brief shake before adding them to the saute pan. Cook 4 minutes, stirring now and again, until leaves are wilted. Whisk the eggs with the water, plus some salt and pepper. Pour over the dandelions and rearrange them if they are not evenly distributed. As the eggs set, lift one side of the omelette and let the liquid egg run underneath to cook. Put a lid on the pan and cook for two minutes more. Fold and plate the omelette.

Camargue Bowl:  288 calories… 4 g fat… 10 g fiber… 23.5 g protein… 29 g carbs… 98.5 mg Calcium…  PB GF This meal is all about the flavors and products of the central Mediterranean coast of France, the Rhone Delta: vegetables from the sunny gardens, garbanzo beans [introduced by the Berbers], shrimp from the shallows, and Camargue rice from the marshes. HINT: This recipe serves 2 [two] and it is worth making the whole thing.

++ 1½ cups Mediterranean Vegetables, without chickpeas ++++ 1 cup chickpeas ++++ 4.5 oz shrimp, shelled, tails removed, cut in ½” pieces if large ++++ ½ cup cooked red Camargue rice ++

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, if canned. Gently heat the Vegetables and chickpeas until warm. Place the shrimp on top. Cover the pan and heat further until the shrimp are cooked, about 6 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice and heat through. Heap the servings into bowls and love it.

Pie Day

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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 a Fasting Lifestyle.

There is PI Day on March 14, celebrating the mathematical number 3.14 [and so on],  which is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. But now we are talking about PIE Day, to celebrate the eating of pie. Those of us in Northern New England do love our pie — any time of day. E. B. White once wrote:

“To foreigners, a Yankee is an American. To Americans, a Yankee is a Northerner. To Northerners, a Yankee is a New Englander. To New Englanders, a Yankee is a Vermonter**. And in Vermont, a Yankee is somebody who eats pie for breakfast.”  [**Here in New Hampshire, we take great exception to that!]

When our far-flung sons come home for a visit, we serve pie for breakfast, so they can reassert their Yankee-ness. But I digress. January 23 is National Pie Day. Why? Because a teacher from Colorado proclaimed that his birthday was “National Pie Day” in the 1970s. The American Pie Council [????!] has sponsored the celebration since 1986. You can look online for the ‘favorite dessert pie in the USA’, and you will get many different answers. The top 5 pies seem to be: Apple, Cherry, Pumpkin, Pecan, and Blueberry, in no particular order. For dinner, one could enjoy Chicken Pot Pie, Shepherd’s Pie, Spanokopeta — need I say more? Eat pie! You can even do it on a Fast Day!

A good wholesome fruit pie is a fine way to start the day, and a meat pie is splendid at dinner. Our breakfast of Flameusse is a pie with flavor but no fuss. The dinner is a classic, re-invented.

Blueberry Flameusse: 206 calories… 5.5 g fat… 1.5 g fiber… 14 g protein… 24.5 g carbs… 143.5 mg Calcium…  NB: the food values given are for the plated items only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF  Fruit + eggy batter = flameusse. This meal is very simple and very good. I urge you to try it since I am sure you will like it.  HINT: this serves 2 [two]

.++ 2 two-oz eggs ++++ 6 oz skimmed milk ++++ 1 oz [by weight] = 4 tsp white whole wheat flour ++++ 1.5 Tbsp sugar ++++ ½ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen ++++ 1 chicken breakfast sausage @ 33 calories each ++++ 1/2 of a clementine ++++Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] 

Spritz 2 ramekins or an oven-proof dish with 1.5 cup capacity with non-stick spray. Distribute the blueberries over the bottom of the dish. Whisk eggs until foamy, then add flour and sugar, whisking until there are no lumps. Stir in the milk and pour the batter over the berries. Bake at 375 F. for 20 minutes. Serve with the sausage and a hot beveage for a delicious start to your day.

Steak & Mushroom Pie: 277 calories… 5 g fat… 7 g fiber… 27 g protein… 25.6 g carbs… 34 mg Calcium…  PB Two very compatible flavors together again, topped [not encased] in puff pastry. Similar to a meal enjoyed at The Sign of the Angel in Lacock, Wiltshire, England. A real treat. HINT: recipe serves 2 [TWO], photo shows one serving.

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

Thaw the frozen puff pastry for 40 minutes on the counter. Rewrap and return one sheet to freezer. Remove one of the sheets, unroll it carefully, and cut the sheet into 6 squares. [TIP: stack the remaining 5 pieces with waxed paper or cling wrap between the layers. Pop into a zipper bag and freeze for later use.] Cut the steak into ½”-1” cubes. Combine the meat with the mushrooms, wine, onions, seasonings in an oven-proof dish just large enough to hold the meat mixture yet large enough to be topped with the puff pastry. Heat the meat mixture until it is warm. Lay the puff pastry on top, decoratively slitting the crust. Bake at 400 F. about 15 minutes, until the crust is well-browned. Cook the peas and imagine that you are in an English country restaurant.

Cheese

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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.

Eight to 10 thousand years ago, people were eating cheese. At least, that’s what the archeologists tell us. The early cheesemakers were pastoralists, with flocks to milk. Perhaps some milk was stored in a bag made of a mammal’s stomach, and residual rennet turned the milk to cheese. Good a guess as any. During the Roman Empire, many cheeses were being made in Italy, and the legions exported a taste for the product to far-flung outposts. Medieval monks made cheese. Centuries later, as Europeans colonized the New World, cheese was introduced to new areas. For a long time, cheese-making was mostly an activity for household consumption, with perhaps some extra to sell. The first commercial cheese factory in the USA was operated in western New York State in 1851. Today, there are around 2000 different cheeses made in the world. One of the oldest types is Roquefort, mentioned by Pliny the Elder in 70 CE.  Pont l’Eveque was cited in a poem from 1200 CE. Whether you like a fresh cheese [cottage/pot cheese], or a soft cheese [Brie/Camembert], or a hard cheese [Emmental/Cheddar], there is a cheese for every taste. My favorite is Cabécou, a goat cheese from  Périgord in South-Western France.

Cheese in eggs, cheese in a salad…. There are so many ways to consume this healthy dairy food. Yes, it is high in fat, but the high protein and Calcium are a bonus. Plus, cheese is low in carbohydrates, so it can be enjoyed in moderation by most of us. Even on the Fast Diet.

Cheese ScrOmelette:  154 calories… 9.6 g fat…  1 g fiber… 12 g protein… 5 g Carb… 108 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF What a classic. Why not eat this often?

++ 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. ++++ ¼ oz cheese, ex: Cheddar or Gruyere ++++ 1.5 oz apple or 2.5 oz strawberries ++++ 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 seasonings to taste. Grate the cheese. Put the eggs into a hot pan spritzed with cooking spray. Once the bottom of the eggs is set, sprinkle with cheese, fold and plate. Slice fruit, prepare optional beverages, and have a grand day.

Chef’s Salad: 296 calories… 15.5 g fat… 4.6 g fiber… 16.7 g protein … 5 g carbs… 255 mg Calcium…  PB GF – if using GF cracker  This salad has been part of our repetoire for many years, yet we never ate it on a Fast Day. Now we can, and so can you.

++ 1½ cups mesclun/mixed salad greens ++++ ½ c chopped cabbage ++++ 1½ oz 4%-fat ham, cubed ++++ 1½ oz cheese, cubed – Jarlsberg or Mozzarella ++++ 1 oz cherry tomatoes ++++ 1 tsp olive oil ++++ 1 tsp wine vinegar ++++ ¼ tsp Dijon mustard ++++ 1 piece whole-grain Wasa bread ++

Whisk oil, vinegar, and mustard in a single-serving salad bowl. Toss greens and cabbage in dressing. Strew ham, cheese, and tomatoes over top, and enjoy your salad with a crisp cracker.

Pongol

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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.

See the pot of rice overflowing as the sun comes up? See the happy cow, decked out for the celebration? Must be Pongol.

It is time for Pongol! In January, the Tamil Hindus of southern India and Sri Lanka celebrate a multi-day festival in honor of the sun. This observance traces back to 200-300 CE, and has been pretty much unchanged since then. On the first day of the festival, old belongings are burned — out with the old! On the second day, rice dishes are prepared — sweet ones and savory ones. The word ‘pongol’ implies ‘overflowing’. Rice is cooked in a pot outside, on the East side of the house, facing the sun. The pot is supposed to come to a boil and overflow as the sun rises. Rice is taken to the temple as an offering, and eaten in the family. The third day is devoted to thanking the cattle for their work on the farm, as draft animals and as suppliers of milk. On the fourth day, girls offer prayers for the continued health of their brothers and for a good harvest; food is given to the poor. This is very much an agricultural occasion, recognizing that farming is hard work and that the harvest is a cause for celebration.

In 2025, Pongol begins on January 14, and runs to Friday, January 17. Eat rice and give a lot of thought to the people who grow and harvest all the food that you eat.

Pongol Breakfast Rice: 223 calories… 6 g fat… 1.5 g fiber… 6.5 g protein… 37 g carbs… 119.5 mg Calcium  PB GF Celebrate Pongol with milk-boiled rice. It is unusual and yummy. The recipe is my own adaptation of several that were found online.

Pongol, unadorned.
Pongol with raisins.

3 Tbsp dry brown rice ++++ 6 Tbsp non-fat milk ++++ 2 Tbsp dry coconut flakes, sweetened ++++ Optional: 0.2 oz cashews [add 33 more calories] or 5 raisins ++++  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]

Measure rice, milk, and coconut into a small saucepan, and add 3 Tbsp water. Cover and cook over very low heat, adding water if needed, until the rice is soft and expanded, and the liquids are absorbed. Scrape into a bowl and add optional topping.

Indian Vegetables with Turkey and Naan: 299 calories… 13 g fat… 6 g fiber… 17.6 g protein… 31 g carbs… 78 mg Calcium…  PB This delicious meal needs 2 things in advance: Rogan Josh Sauce and Naan breads, both of which you can purchase, although it is fun and easy to make your own naan.

++ 1 naan flatbread, 106 or fewer calories/piece ++++ 3 Tbsp Rogan Josh Sauce ++++ ½ cup zucchini, in ½” dice ++++ ½ cup cauliflower, in ½” pieces ++++ ½ cup tomato, in ½” dice ++++ 2 oz ground turkey [I used 15% fat but would have prefered less fat] ++++ ¼ tsp Indian curry powder ++ 

Cook the vegetables and turkey in a little water until softened and turkey is fully cooked. Drain, saving the cooking water for baking or soup stock. Add the sauce to the vegetables and meat, and heat gently. Warm the naan in the oven or on a hot, dry skillet. Plate to suit your preference. W.o.w.

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

1.5 two-oz eggs = US large2 two-oz eggs 
Gruyere or Cheddar cheesefat-free milk + white whole wheat flour
apple or strawberriessugar + blueberries [fresh or frozen]
33-calorie chicken breakfast sausage
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

salad greensGrilled sirloin steak left-overs + thyme
Jarlsberg or Cheddar cheesemushrooms + red wine
olive oil + prepared mustardcreamed onions + peas
lemon juice + herbs to tastesheet of purchased puff pastry
Sparkling waterSparkling water

George Fox

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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.

George Fox was a Dissenter. After the Church of England broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in the 1500s, they took a dim view of all who did not toe their religious line. Thus the Puritans and other groups were called Dissenters. Fox grew up in a community of Puritans in Leicester-shire, England, where his father was a prosperous weaver. From a young age, George was religious and serious. He was sent to work as a shepherd, and he enjoyed the quiet and simplicity of that life. By his late teens, George was annoyed by people who lived in wealth, far from his idea of a Christ-like life. Over the next few years, his ideas coalesced around worship without clergy, where each participant was free to hear the voice of God for him/herself. In 1652, while on Pendle Hill in Lancashire, Fox had a vision of a huge crowd of people who thought as he did, so he set out to find them. He became an itinerant preacher and gathered a group of believers who were willing to go out to preach also. Fox was an accomplished and convincing speaker, and he inspired many to join him, despite the fact that vocal Dissenters could be imprisoned or beaten due to their beliefs. He and his wife, the widow Margaret Fell, were often in jail. Nonetheless, The ideas of the Society of Friends [nicknamed ‘Quakers’] spread far and wide, many members going to the New World for religious freedom. Fox decided to visit them and he traveled extensively — Barbados, Jamaica, North Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania. He conversed with the powerful [Thomas Cromwell], the influential [William Penn], and the ignored [American natives], yet remained humble and true to his convictions. George Fox died on January 13, 1691, and was buried at Quaker Gardens, Islington, UK.

Our breakfast is from northern England, home of George Fox. The dinner is from Philadelphia, The City of Brotherly Love, founded by Quakers and influenced by them for hundreds of years.

Kipper Bake: 138 calories… 7.5 g fat… 1 g fiber… 11 g protein… 5.4 g carbs… 90.4 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PG GF  Kippers and eggs are a classic combination for breakfast, and here they are in an easy bake.

One 2-oz egg ++++ ½ oz kippered herring ++++ ¼ tsp dry mustard, such as Colman’s ++++ 1 Tbsp reduced fat ricotta cheese ++++ 1 oz apple ++++ 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: soak the kippered herring in warm water for 1-2 hours. Remove from water, rinse, and flake or chop finely.  In the morning: Spritz a ramekin or other oven-safe dish with non-stick spray. Set the toaster oven at 350 F. Whisk everything, except apple, together and pour into the baking dish and bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes. Plate with the fruit and have a fine day.

Philly Cheesesteak en Casserole: 264 calories… 11 g fat… 1 g fiber… 33.7 g protein… 11 g carbs… 263 mg Calcium…  GF The iconic street food of Philadelphia has been made over for Fast Day. By the way, provolone is the original cheese for this dish – NOT Cheeze-Whiz.

+++ 2½ oz rare roast beef, shaved ++++ 0.8 oz Provolene cheese ++++ 1 oz onions, sliced ++++ 1½ oz broccoli florets ++++ 1 slice 70-80-calorie whole-grain bread [Martins’ is the best] +++

In a small skillet sprayed with non-stick spray, cook the onions in a little water until they are limp but not browned and set them aside. Take a slice of Martin’s potato bread and cut out a bell shape using a 3-4” cookie cutter. Lightly toast the bread. Add the beef to the pan and cook the meat while chopping at it with a metal turner. Add the onions when the beef is grey-colored and soft. Boil/steam the broccoli while the meat cooks. Lay the cheese over the meat and take the pan off the heat. The cheese will melt onto the beef. Make room in the pan for the broccoli and top with the bread bell. Enjoy your taste of Philadelphia while you hum the theme to Rocky.

Fort Sumter

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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.

Fort Sumter, December 1860. NPS photo.

Fort Sumter is on an island in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina, USA. It was built after the War of 1812, to strengthen the defense of the harbor, since the town of Charleston had been a key site in the War of Independence in the 1770s. It was named after Thomas Sumter, an heroic fighter in the Revolution. But as the 1800s advanced, independence of other sorts came into question: many in the US wanted independence for the many enslaved people of the American South, and the slave owners of the South wanted the independence to do live as they pleased. As the fort neared completion in the late 1850s, the separatists in South Carolina told the US President Buchanan to remove the troops from the fort, and from nearby Fort Moultrie. He refused, and the fort was besieged. The soldiers there held out from December into January, but supplies were running low. A ship was sent from New York, with soldiers, ammunition, and food, but on January 9, 1861, as it neared the fort, it was fired upon. The ship retreated. In early April, the new President Lincoln told the South Carolinians that he would resupply the fort. The South Carolinians said that would be a declaration of war. The South began a bombardment of Fort Sumter on April 12, and on April 13, the 80 soldiers on the island struck their flag, and left the fort. The American Civil War had begun.

Thomas Sumter’s name was surely based on the word ‘sumpter’. The word originally meant a pack animal, but it became an occupation. Sumpters operated traveling grocery stores around the nation during peacetime, and during wars, they often sold food and sundries to soldiers. A popular item that a sumpter would sell to soldiers was an egg — at exorbitant prices. Eggs are more available to most of us, so we will have them for breakfast. Much better for us than the local Charleston favorite — Krispy Kreme doughnuts! The dinner is made with two popular food items of the Carolinas: ham and sweet potatoes.

Egg-Salad Toast: 167 calories… 8 g fat… 4.5 g fiber… 12 g protein… 22 g carbs… 101 mg Calcium…  PB Toast ‘n’ Egg for breakfast takes a new twist. If you must grab-and-go, this is a good choice. 

1 slice whole-grain bread [70 calories, 3 g fiber] ++++ one hardboiled 2-oz egg ++++ yellow Sriracha, ad lib ++++ 1 Tbsp reduced-fat ricotta -OR- reduced-fat cottage cheese ++++ 1 oz sliced tomato OR halved cherry tomatoes ++++ 2 oz strawberries -OR- 1 oz blueberries ++++  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]

Slice the tomato and salt it to develop flavor. Shell the egg and mash it with a fork on a plate. Squirt some Sriracha on it, add the ricotta, and continue to mash and squirt until you get the consistancy you like. Add salt and pepper and herbs to taste. Lightly toast the bread and spread with the egg salad. Top with the tomato and plate with the fruit. Wholesome and hearty.

Ham Dinner: 297 calories… 8 g fat… 6 g fiber… 19 g protein… 40 g carbs… 41.5 mg Calcium…  PB GF This is a classic Easter Dinner in many homes, as well as being a popular diner order. From the succotash to the sweetened sweet potato to the pineapple garnish, this meal is a classic.

++ 3 oz ham, sliced 3/8” thick ++++ ¼ c. lima beans ++++ ¼ c corn kernels ++++ 1 oz sweet potato ++++ 1 tsp brown sugar ++++ ¼ c canned pineapple ++

Cube the sweet potato and simmer in a small pan until tender, ~10 mins. Heat the ham slice in a non-stick pan over medium, until ham begins to brown. Heat the vegetables together. When the ham is cooked and the sweet potato is tender, plate the ham and drain the potato. Put the potato in the ham’s pan, along with a bit of the potato water. Stir to incorporate the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Then stir in the brown sugar until the potato is covered with the sugar. Plate everything, putting a pinch of salt on the vegetables. Place the pinapple chunks on the ham and tuck into an all-American meal.

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

1 two-oz egg = US largeuncooked brown rice
kippered herringfat free milk
dry mustard powder + appledry, sweetened coconut flakes
reduced-fat ricotta
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

shaved rare roast beef106-calorie Naan bread + onions
provolone cheeseRogan Josh sauce + zucchini
broccoli + onionstomato + cauliflower
Martin’s potato bread or whole-grain breadIndian curry powder
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Befana

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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.

January 6 is the feast of the Epiphany,”Festa dell’Epifania” in Italian, celebrating the visit of the Wise Men to the Child Jesus. This is celebrated around the Christian world. But in Italy, it is associated with another tradition: a visit from Befana. [Some say her name is based on the local word for Epiphany.] Tradition says that she was an old woman in the Marche Region who prided herself on her clean house. As the Three Wise Men traveled to Nazareth, they stopped at her house to ask directions. She had never heard of the Baby Jesus, nor where he was to be found, but she invited the three men to stay the night. The Wise Men left the next day, and suggested that the kindly woman come with them to find the baby. But no, Befana had her housework to do. Within a few hours, she reflected that she would like to see this wonderful child and to give him a small gift. She filled a basket with sweets and toys, took up her broom, and set out to follow the trail of those Wise Men. No matter how far she wandered, Befana could not find the Christ, but she gave treats to every child that she met. Still today, she travels the length and breadth of Italy searching for the holy child and leaving gifts for good children. Thus it is that Italian children must wait until the very last day of the Christmas season to get presents — not from Saint Nicholas, who gives gifts on December 6; nor from Santa Claus, who leaves gifts on the night of December 24 — they wait until January 6th. A lesson in patience.

Our breakfast is flavored with the famous sauce of Naples in western Italy. Our dinner is from the Marche on the Adriatic coast, the source of the mussels in the meal.

Puttanesca Bake: 130 calories… 6 g fat… 0.6 g fiber… 8 g protein 10 g carbs… 78 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. —PB GF— Once you have Puttenesca Sauce in the freezer, preparing this breakfast is very easy.

++ one 2-oz egg ++++ 2 Tbsp Puttanesca sauce, drained of excess liquid ++++ ½ Tbsp Parmesan, grated ++++ ¼ cup peaches, fresh or canned in light juice ++++  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] ++

Set the toaster oven at 350 degrees F. Spritz an oven-proof ramekin or small casserole [if serving 2 or more] with non-stick spray. Whisk the eggs with the sauce and cheese. Pour into the baking dish and heat for 12-15 minutes. Portion the peaches and prepare the beverages. Que bella!

Moscioli Pasta:  296 calories… 10 g fat… 7.5 g fiber… 20 g protein… 37.5 g carbs… 91 mg Calcium…  PB GF – if using GF pasta  This dish from the Marche region of Italy features the small local mussels. Traditionally, the pasta is spaghetti, but I have substituted a small penne or gemelli for ease of eating.  HINT: Serves four [4] diners.

Sv 4
1 T. EVOO +++++ 1/3 c. onion, mincedCook onion in oil until wilted
2 T tomato paste +++++ 1 T parsley, chopped ++++++++2 cups water ++++ salt & pepperAdd these to pan, stir, cook until thickened.
227 g mussel meat +++ ½ c mussel liquor or clam juiceChop mussel meat, add to sauce with mussel liquor.
8 oz whole-grain or chickpea penne/ gemelliCook and drain, add to sauce
1 T. parsley, choppedSprinkle with parsley, serve

Sci-Fi Day

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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.

Storyboard from the silent film A Trip to the Moon.

Are you a fan of Science Fiction? I have been, ever since I first read Ray Bradbury‘s short stories when I was in 6th grade. This literary genre traces back to the second century CE, to a story about extraterrestrials written by Syrian author Lucian. In the 1600s, when science emerged from the Dark Ages, Sci-Fi tales were penned by Francis Bacon, Johannes Kepler, and Cyrano de Bergerac. The first Sci-Fi movie was A Trip to the Moon by Georges Méliès in 1902. Unfamiliar with the term? ‘Fun Holiday’ states that Science Fiction “explores the effect of imaginary change through technological innovations, scientific discoveries, natural events and disasters and evolution on people and their relationships. Usually, works of science fiction (sci-fi) are set in the near or distant future…” This is a big tent: from hard-core science based on real facts to ‘space westerns’, fantasy, ‘space operas’, utopian and dystopian tales, and elements of the supernatural. In the 1920s and 30s, Sci-Fi was the poor relation of literature, offering stories of swamp monsters and aliens. After we entered the Atomic Age, there was a flowering of good writing: Fahrenheit 451, I, Robot, Starship Troopers. Then in the 1960s, the Space Race made science fact seemed as unreal as science fiction. This lead to the book Dune [1965] and the first Star Trek [1966] on television. Science Fiction Day was begun in 2012, and is held on January 2, the official birthday of Isaac Asimov, the prolific author of the 1900s.

For breakfast, have a smoothie from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, such as the one that Luke Skywalker drinks. For a hot beverage, ask for “Earl Grey, hot” as Captain Jean-Luc Picard does on Star Trek: Next Generation. For dinner, travel to the planet Dune, where the Fremen eat a stew of small animals and root vegetables. And because our’s is a curry, it contains “Spice“! Get it?

Blueberry Smoothie: 118 calories… 0 g fat… 3 g fiber… 5.5 g protein… 30 g carbs… 99 mg Calcium… — PB GF — From the people at Wild Blueberries of North America comes this excellent smoothie. Take the calories into account when you meal-plan.  HINT: Recipe makes enough for 2 servings.  The food values above are for one serving. To make a complete meal, add a protein source, such as eggs.

++ 3 oz banana ++++ ½ cup plain, fat-free yogurt ++++  ½ cup blueberries ++++ ½ cup orange juice OR  crushed rhubarb ++

Put banana, yogurt, and berries into the blender and process until smooth. Add the juice and blend on low. Wonderful berry flavor!

Japanese Curry w/ Meat: 297 calories… 12 g fat… 6 g fiber… 24 g protein…. 32.6 g carbs… 89 mg Calcium…  — PB GF —  Curry is popular in Japan. So popular, that there are many good pre-fab curry mixes available: add vegetables/meat and you’ve got a meal. This meal is no more difficult to prepare than chopping vegetables.  HINT: This recipe serves two [2] people. Good for a subsequent lunch.

2 oz parsnips, cut as coins ++ 4 oz onions, sliced ++++  3 oz carrots, cut as coins ++++  6 oz any raw meat ++++ 1 clove garlic, slicedCut vegetables and put into a bowl. If meat is raw, cut into small strips and add to vegetables.
If meat is cooked, cut into small strips and put aside to add later.
¼ cup brown rice ++++ ½ cup waterAdd rice to boiling water. When it boils again, lower heat, cover, cook 35 mins.
1 tsp sesame oil ++++ cooking spray +++++ 3-4 oz water ++++ prepared vegetables and meatWarm a wok over medium heat. When hot, add oil and a good spritz of non-stick spray. Stir-fry meat and vegetables for approximately 5 mins.
1 cup waterAdd water to wok and bring it all to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10-15 mins.
27 g curry sauce mixture
cooked meat, cut in strips		Take off heat, add curry ‘brick’, broken in crumbles. If meat is already cooked, add it now. Return to low heat and stir until curry is totally dissolved. Simmer 4-5 mins, stirring, adding water if needed. 
per person: ¼ c brown rice, cookedServe with rice

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

1 two-oz egg = US large1 two-oz egg, hard-cooked 
peaches canned in juice or freshsriracha + skim milk ricotta
puttanesca sauceWhole grain 70-cal bread
Parmesan cheesetomato + strawberries
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

olive oil ++ onion 3/8” thick slice of ham 
tomato paste ++ parsleylima beans + corn kernels, frozen or fresh
227 g mussel meat ++ clam juicesweet potato + brown sugar
whole grain or chickpea penne or gemellicanned pineapple chunks
Sparkling waterSparkling water