Recipes for healthy dieting

Elizabeth I

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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 nickidoeshair who is now Following.

Elizabeth Regina. Gloriana. The Virgin Queen. Good Queen Bess. When little Elizabeth Tudor was born to Anne Boleyn in 1533, she was never intended to be a reigning monarch. Her father, Henry VIII, desperately wanted a son to inherit his throne, so daughters need not apply. Eventually, a son was born who became King Edward VI at age nine. But he died young, and his will stipulated that his cousin Jane Grey should become queen. That was short-lived as Mary, Edward and Elizabeth’s older half-sister, positioned herself to be queen. When Mary died in 1558, Elizabeth came to the throne. She had been well educated and reigned ably for 44 years. Having seen how powerless wives could be — her mother was beheaded at her father’s order, and Mary’s mother had been divorced — Elizabeth never married. Besides, she said that she was married to England. She enjoyed being queen: the jewels, the palace intrigue, the parties and dancing. During her reign, the arts flourished: Shakespeare wrote plays, Spenser wrote poems, the lute and viol were played. Internationally, the Spanish invasion of England was curtailed by the loss of the Spanish Armada, and the protestant Church of England was firmly established. Stability at home lead to vigorous trade and the growth of a middle class. Elizabeth was famously vain, which is why her skin looks so pale in portraits. To hide her smallpox scars, she painted her skin with a white, lead-based makeup. To look younger, she put it on thicker as she aged. Her vanity may have caused the health problems of her older age. Elizabeth I is buried at Westminster Abbey.

In her youth, Elizabeth was not coddled — but your breakfast egg can be. The dinner is classic English cookery, just as Gloriana was a classic Renaissance queen.

Coddled Egg: 143 calories… 6 g fat… 2 g fiber … 9.5 g protein… 12.4 g carb… 71 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. – PB GF– if using GF bread – A really retro breakfast. So nice.

++ one 2-oz egg ++++ 1½ tsp grated Parmesan cheese ++++ seasonings to taste ++++ ½ slice 70-calorie whole-grain bread ++++ ¼ cup 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] ++

Bring a small pan of water to a simmer. Use enough water to cover the egg coddler by 1”. Spritz some cooking spray into an egg coddler. Break the egg into the coddler, and add cheese with salt/herbs to taste. Screw on the lid of the coddler and lower it into the water. Put the lid on the pot. Simmer 4.5 minutes then turn off the heat and leave the eggs in the water for about 3 minutes more. Toast the bread and plate with fruit. Pour your beverages of choice. You will feel coddled and cossetted when you treat yourself to this breakfast.

Pheasant Casserole: 250 calories… 9.5 g fat… 5.4 g fiber… 22.5 g protein… 21.6 g carbs… 86 mg Calcium… – PB –  This recipe is based on one from English Provincial Cooking by Elisabeth Ayrton and it dates back to the18th century. Whole partridges were stewed with onion, carrot, and cabbage for 2.5 hours and served on thick slices of bread. Well, this is a modified version and it is delicious. This uses left over cooked pheasant meat and works well. You could substitute cooked turkey or chicken – or partridge.

++ 2½ oz cabbage, sliced 1-1½” thick ++++ 1½ oz baby carrots, cut in half lengthwise ++++ ¼ oz onion, cut in rings ++++ 2 Tbsp chicken or pheasant gravy ++++ 2 oz pheasant meat, cooked and taken off the bone ++++ ½ Arnold Multi-Grain Sandwich Thin +++

Prepare the carrots, cabbage, and onion and steam them for 25 minutes until the carrots are tender. If the cabbage is not yet done, leave it in the steamer with the lid on but off the heat until needed. Warm the pheasant in the gravy + 2 tsp of the water from the steaming liquid. Warm the Arnold Thin in the toaster oven. Plate the bread. Spoon a tablespoon of gravy on top. Place the meat atop the bread. Stir the warm vegetables into the warm gravy and plate them. Put the raw onion rings on top and pour any remaining gravy over the meat.

Magritte

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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.

René Magritte was a Surrealist artist. That style of art bloomed in the inter-war period, in France. Magritte was born on November 21, 1898 in Belgium. His father was a tailor-turned-textile merchant, his mother was a former milliner. The family was prosperous and they encouraged young René’s interests by providing drawing lessons when he was 10 years old. Two years later, his mother drowned herself after several attempts at suicide. Magritte tried a lot of art styles before he found his favorite. Early on, René painted in the Impressionistic style, then he was pulled toward Cubism. He studied for two years at the Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, but left because he did not like the instruction. René painted female nudes in the style of Futurism, roses for a wallpaper manufacturer, and was a graphic artist for an advertising firm. In 1927, he showed his first exhibition of surreal paintings. It was such a critical failure that he moved with his wife to Paris, where he worked with Andre Breton, the founder of Surrealism. The Surrealists, in a reaction to the trauma of World War I, created art that challenged rational ideas. The dream-scape, sometimes nightmarish quality of the genre was influenced by the work of Sigmund Freud. After World War II, Magritte chose themes that were more playful and whimsical than his previous work. At the same time, René painted forgeries of the paintings of Cubists and also engaged in making false bank notes. His work was introduced to the US at an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art [New York City] in 1965. I remember being bemused, delighted, and perplexed when I first saw his work. From then on, his paintings such as Son of Man and Golconda were spoofed and memed in tribute to our pondering of his art. René died in 1967. His paintings still fascinate me.

Our meals are Francophone and not at all surreal.

‘Pan Bagne’ ScrOmelette: 149 calories… 10 g fat… 1 g fiber… 11.4 g protein… 6 g carbs… 63 mg Calcium… NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Pan Bagne is a wonderful layered sandwich which we enjoy in the summer. Each of the 7 layers is a distinct yet complimentary flavor. This recipe combines several of the components, without all the oil, tuna, and bread. The result is delicious at 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. ++++ ½ black olive, pitted and chopped ++++ ½ Tbsp chevre cheese ++++ 1 Tbsp crushed tomatoes ++++ ½ Tbsp spinach, cooked and chopped ++++ ¼ tsp dried basil ++++ 1 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] ++

Stir and cream the olive, cheese, tomatoes, spinach, and basil until nicely blended. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper to taste. Continue whisking as you add the vegetable/cheese mixture and blend as thoroughly as possible. Scramble to taste. Brew your beverage and shake the smoothie. Slice the apple and settle in for a flavorful meal.

Beef & Asparagus Galettes: 302 calories… 9 g fat… 5 g fiber… 19 g protein… 31.5 g carbs… 56 mg Calcium… – PB – This is quick and easy – for left-over galettes, meat, vegetables.

++ 2 galettes** ++++ 2 oz lean beef, raw or cooked ++++ 3 oz asparagus ++++ 2 oz bell pepper ++++ 2 tsp oyster sauce ++++ 3 Tbsp chicken stock ++++ 2 tsp cornstarch ++

Slice the beef and pepper into thin strips. Cut the asparagus into 1” pieces. Spray a saute pan with non-stick spray and heat over medium. Add the beef and vegetables. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the oyster sauce, stock, and 3 Tbsp water. Cover the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Cook longer if vegetables are still uncooked. Stir the cornstarch into 3 Tbsp water, then stir into the pan of hot ingredients. Cook and stir until thicker. Warm the galettes and spoon the filling over them. Fold and serve.

**BUCKWHEAT GALETTES:  1 batch makes 20 galettes, each using 3-4 Tbsp batter each one = 50 calories… 0.5 g fat… 1.4 g fiber… 2 g protein… 8.5 g carbs… 6 mg Calcium…  TIP: Keep some cooked galettes in the freezer for ‘instant’ use.

++ 1 cup unbleached flour ++++ ¾ cup buckwheat flour ++++ scant 2 cups water ++++ 2 eggs ++++ ½ tsp sea salt ++

Whisk the flours and the water until batter is smooth. Add the salt, then the eggs one at a time. Whisk vigorously. When you lift the whisk, the batter should fall off in ‘ropes.’ Let sit for 2 hours or over night. HINT: batter could be divided into 1 cup or ½ cup portions and frozen.  If using frozen batter, whisk it vigorously after it thaws, and add a bit of water. Heat an 8” cast-iron pan or ceramic saute pan. Lightly spritz with oil. Dip a ¼ cup measure into the batter and let the extra drain off. Grasp the handle of the cook pan with one hand as you slowly pour the batter into the center of the pan. Tilt the pan quickly in a swirling pattern to let the batter form a circle roughly 6” in diameter. Don’t get hung up on perfectly round or perfectly flat. Watch the galette cook and look to see when the edges start to dry and curl a bit. Using a heat-resistant but non-scratching tool [I use my fingers], lift the galette and turn it over. Cook the other side until done. Time will vary, depending on the heat of your pan. Lift the cooked galette out, put it aside, and cook the next one. HINT: if storing them for later today or tomorrow, let them cool on a tea towel, then stack and store in a plastic bag.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large1.5 two-oz eggs 
Parmesan cheeseScallion + mushrooms
70-calorie whole-grain breadpear + plain, fat-free yogurt
blueberriespaprika + marjoram
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

cooked pheasant meat + carrotschicken stock + potato + beef
cabbage + chicken or pheasant gravycabbage + carrot + onion + sauerkraut
onionbutter + dill weed + parsley
Arnold Multi-Grain Sandwich Thinwhipped cream cheese + dark rye bread
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Time Zones

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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 Claudia D’Arcadia who is now Following.

When people traveled on foot or by boat or by horse/coach, time did not matter much. When you set out, and traveled three hours, when you arrived it would be indeed three hours later at your destination. When the world became larger in 1492, people still traveled slowly. Timepieces were set at noon, which was defined as the moment when the sun was at its zenith. Everyone everywhere had a noon, but when it was noon in New York, it wasn’t noon in San Francisco — in fact, the sun was barely up. With the advent of faster travel, such as the railroad train, time and distance created a dilemma. Faster communication methods, such as the telegraph, exacerbated the problem. Setting a train schedule for a vast nation such as Canada was a conundrum. When a railroad engineer missed his own train, he realized that time had to be standardized. Sandford Fleming was the engineer, and he proposed four ‘time zones’ for Canada. All locations within a given zone would set their clocks to the same time. The width of a zone would be 15 degrees of the 360 degree circle of the Earth. That was arrived at by dividing 360 degrees by the 24 hours that it takes the Earth to revolve once. Fleming’s idea was adopted first by railroad lines in Canada and the US, and was implemented on November 18, 1883. Prior to that date, there were 144 different time regions in North America! A very large country like Russia has 11 time zones. Please note that this has nothing to do with Daylight Savings Time, which came later and is a silly idea. But it does explain why you have to reset your analog wrist watch when you drive across the border from Texas to New Mexico.

Our breakfast is from the Gulf Coast of the USA, which is 1 time zone West of my present location. Travel 12 time zones West from there, and you arrive in eastern China, home to our dinner.

Creole Bake: 137 calories… 6.5 g fat… 2 g fiber… 8.4 g protein 11.6 g carbs… 67.3 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.– PB GF – Creole flavors add zip to the morning eggs.

++ 1 two-oz egg ++++ 1 Tbsp tomato dice or puree ++++ 1.5 tsp onion, minced ++++ 1 Tbsp bell pepper, minced ++++ 1 Tbsp bacon, chopped and measured raw ++++ 1.5 tsp Cheddar cheese,finely grated ++++ Pinch file powder ++++ 1.5 tsp creole seasoning ++++ 2 oz pear or 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] ++

Put the tomato, onion, bell pepper, and bacon in a small pan and cook until the bacon is mostly cooked. HINT: You could do this the night before. Spritz an oven-safe pan with non-stick spray and set the oven to 350 F. Whisk the egg and then stir in the cheese, vegetables, and seasonings. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 12-15 minutes. Prepare your beverages of choice and slice the fruit.

Shrimp Egg Rolls:  238 calories… 3.5 g fat… 2.5 g fiber… 15.6 g protein… 29 g carbs… 46 mg Calcium…  – PB – I learned to make egg rolls when I worked for Jerry Willis at his first restaurant. These have always been a favorite. But they are NOT deep-fat fried, which keeps their calories and fat down to permissable levels.  HINT: This recipe makes 4 rolls and one serving = 2 rolls. Put 2 in the freezer for another day or eat for lunch later in the week.

++ 3 oz shrimp, fresh or frozen, shells removed ++++ 1 Tbsp oyster sauce ++++ 1 Tbsp soy sauce ++++ one slice of ginger, minced ++++ ½ garlic, sliced ++++ 2 oz carrot, sliced ++++ 1 oz onion, sliced ++++ 3 oz cabbage, sliced ++++ 4 six-inch egg roll wrappers ++++ 1 tsp canola oil ++++ 3 oz tomato slices ++++ duck sauce + hot sauce [wasabi or Sriracha] ++

If shrimp are frozen, thaw them in advance. Then slice in half across the body and mix with the oyster and soy sauces, the garlic and onion. Prepare the vegetables and put them all into a hot wok or wide saute pan with ¼ cup water and a squirt of Sriracha. [If the pan gets too dry, add a bit of the marinade combined with a few spoonsful of water.] Stir-fry the ingredients for 4 minutes or until the vegetables are just a little shy of done. Add the shrimp and marinade and stirfry about one minute longer – shrimp should be thoroughly cooked. Put everything from the wok into the food processor and run until coarsely chopped. [If a lot of liquid remains, cook it down some more until it is thick and add back to the ingredients.] Lay one of the wrappers on a flat surface and moisten the edge farthest from you with water. Measure out 1/3 cup of the filling and roll up the wrapper. There are usually diagrams on the back of the package to show you how. Put the oil in a clean, flat-bottomed pan and heat it. Put the egg rolls in the pan and roll them around to coat with the oil on all surfaces. Heat until the rolls are beginning to get brown and blister-y on one side, then turn to cook on the other side. You could continue in this way or you could put the pan in a 375 degree oven until they are crispy. Plate with the tomato slices and the dipping sauce.

Booker T. Washington

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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.

Booker Taliaferro was born in 1856, in Virginia, USA. His mother was the enslaved cook of James  Burroughs, his father was an unknown White man. For nine years, Booker was enslaved and worked on the farm. After the end of the Civil War, Booker’s mother moved her four children to Malden, West Virginia to join her husband there. The boy worked: packing salt, mining coal, then as a house boy — all before he was 12. The woman who’s house boy he was taught him to read and to write. Then he went to a school for the formerly enslaved. There he took the surname ‘Washington’ — either after his step-father or for the 1st president. In 1872, Booker walked back to Virginia to apply at the Hampton Institute. In his three years there, he was an outstanding student and he became a supporter of Samuel Chapman Armstrong, the White man who founded the school. After teaching for a few years back in Malden and at Hampton, Washington was recommended by Armstrong to head a fledgling school for Blacks at Tuskegee, Alabama. On July 4. 1881, the school had 30 students and classes were held in a donated outbuilding [described as a shanty]. Within 20 years, Washington had built it into a well-respected training school with 1100 students and 80 faculty. The curriculum was based on ‘industrial’ topics: farming, and skilled trades that Washington believed were more important for economic stability than learning the liberal arts. Some people, seeing how far he had come in his own life, thought that Washington was slighting the academic potential of African-Americans. He was certainly a trail-blazer — he was invited to speak in 1895 at a big conference in Atlanta, where he appeared on stage with White speakers. In 1901, he dined at the White House with President Teddy Roosevelt, which shocked Southern society. Booker T. Washington wrote seven books, the most famous being Up From Slavery. He worked tirelessly to promote the Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University, and to empower Blacks to improve their lives and their communities. Was he too accommodating to White expectations? By modern standards, yes — but he lived in a post-slavery world where no one quite knew how to raise up the formerly enslaved within the hostile environment of the former enslavers. He did a lot for his people until the day he died on November 14, 1915.

Our meals are taken from the Teacher’s Room menu at the Tuskegee Institute. Washington proposed the menu himself to showcase foods produced at the Institute by the students.

Breakfast with Booker T.: 181 calories… 7 g fat… 4 g fiber…12 g protein…20 g carbs… 41 mg Calcium.. — PB GF — if using GF bread — The menu specifies ‘fruit’, but not what type. Melons grow well in the South, so I chose them. The bread might have been corn-bread, but I substituted the easier to standardize whole-grain variety.

++ 2 oz sliced ham ++++ 1 slice/1 oz 70-calorie whole-grain bread ++++ 2 oz melon of any sort ++++ Optional:  5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++++ Optional: blackish coffee  [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [75 calories] 

Warm the ham in a pan, if you wish, toast the bread, and plate with the fruit.

Dinner at Tuskegee: ..304 calories… 5.3 g fat… 6 g fiber… 36 g protein… 26 g carbs… 29 mg Calcium.. — PB GF– A simple yet nutritious meal from the menu at the Tuskegee Institute, consisting of products of the farm.

++4 oz roast beef ++++ 2 oz tomatoes ++++ 1/2 cup green [English] peas ++++ 2 oz sweet potato slices ++

Peel the sweet potatoes, and roast at 400F for 15-20 minutes. Cook the peas. Slice the beef and tomatoes, and plate along with the other vegetables. Good tasting and easy to prepare.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large + file powder1.5 two-oz eggs 
tomato, fresh or pureed + baconcooked spinach + black olive
onion + green sweet pepper + Cheddargoat cheese/chevre
Creole seasoning + apple or pearbasil + apple
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

shrimp, fresh or frozen + soy sauce + ginger2 buckwheat galettes: buckwheat flour, 2 eggs
oyster sauce + garlic + carrot + onionbeef, raw or cooked + red bell pepper
cabbage + 6-inch egg roll wrappers + tomatooyster sauce + chicken stock
canola oil + duck sauce + hot saucecornstarch/cornflour + asparagus
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Watercress

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

On right, watercress beds at New Arlesford, England.

Three millennia ago, the Persians ate watercress [Nasturtium officinale], and they liked it. They also knew that their soldiers were healthier when they at watercress often. Greeks and Romans ate it, as did American natives. Not only did they enjoy the flavor, but they ascribed medicinal properties to it: to cure blood disorders and scurvy, to sweetening bad breath. The plant is a member of the Cabbage Family and it has a spicy, tangy taste. It grows in slightly alkaline streams of slow-flowing, non-polluted water. In the 1500s, a German in Erfurt began to grow the plant commercially, rather than harvesting it from the wild. The idea spread to Holland, then to England in the 1800s. ‘Cress became very popular around 1865, when the watercress beds of New Arlesford [pronounced ‘Allsford’], England were linked by a new train line to London and the Midlands. This was a real boon after the local wool boom crashed around 1850. In the shallows of the River Itchen, watercress grew wild. Then cement ‘troughs’ were built for planting the herb, and water was pumped up from deep wells to irrigate the plants. Since the water is of consistent temperature, the ‘cress could grow year ’round. We were astonished at the volume of watercress that we could see as we walked the “English Camino” in October. The “Watercress Line” ran huge quantities of the fresh greens to London until it was replaced by a modern route. Today the train is run by volunteers as a 10-mile heritage train. Watercress is wildly healthy and easy to use in salads, in a stir-fry, and a simple garnish. No wonder it is found in cuisines from China to the Mediterranean to Canada.

Watercress at breakfast in New Arlesford.

Here is a simple, versatile sauce made from watercress, to use with eggs or on seafood. WATERCRESS SAUCE  Terrific for adding to eggs or as a sauce for fish.  TOTAL = ..143 calories… 5 g fat… 2.7 g fiber… 7 g protein… 20 g carbs… 297.5 mg Calcium.. 1 of 18 ‘ice cubes’ = ..8 calories… 0 g fat.. 0.1 g fiber… 0.4 g protein… 1.5 g carbs… 16.5 mg Ca.. ++ 8 oz [by weight, not volume] watercress, well rinsed and trimmed of tough stems +++ 1 medium-large onion [4 oz] +++ 1 tsp olive oil +++ 1 cup vegetable or meat stock ++ 

Put the onion in a food processor and run until completely chopped. Heat oil over medium heat and cook onions for 10 minutes until softened. Add watercress to processor, and process until finely chopped. Add to the onion and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in the stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve immediately or cool and store. I froze it in ice-cube trays and got about 18 cubes. The cubes were put in a bag in the freezer for future use. 

Watercress Bake: 139 calories… 6 g fat… 1 g fiber… 9 g protein… 6 g carbs… 90 mg Calcium… NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. —PB GF— Watercress is so versatile and so healthy. When you see it in the market, turn it into Watercress Sauce and freeze in small amounts [from ice cube size to ½ cup] for use all year ’round.

++++ 1 two-oz egg ++++ 2 Tbsp [1 cube] Watercress Sauce, drained ++++ 1 Tbsp ricotta cheese ++++ 1/8 oz mushrooms ++++ 1 oz fresh peach ++++ ¼ oz fresh blackberries ++++ 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] ++++

The night before: thaw the watercress sauce in a sieve over a small bowl overnight. Chop the mushrooms and cook in a little water for 15 seconds in the microwave. Next morning: Combine the ‘cress, mushrooms, and ricotta. Spritz an oven-proof ramekin or other dish with non-stick spray. Whisk the eggs and add the cress mixture. Whisk again and pour into the prepared dish. Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes. Prepare the beverages and the fruit. What a simple, sumptuous meal.

Watercress Soup: ..157 calories… 5.4 g fat… 3 g fiber… 8.4 g protein… 22 g carbs… 63.5 mg Calcium… —PB GF– Jacques Pepin’s Good Life Cooking is the source of this recipe and the stream that flows to the beach is the source of our watercress. So low in calories, you might want to add some Finn Crisp crackers for filling fiber or the Caprese Salad for more protein or a hard-boiled egg. HINT: This recipe makes 5 cups of soup which serves 4-5 people.  

++ 2 tsp canola oil ++++ 4 oz [weight, not volume] watercress leaves and tender stems ++++ 1 cup celery, coarsely chopped ++++ 2 cups onion, coarsely diced ++++ 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed ++++ 2½ cups good stock – vegetable/chicken/beef ++++ ¾ tsp salt ++++ 10 oz [weight, not volume] potatoes, peeled, cut in 2” chunks ++++ 2 oz [weight, not volume] sweet potato, peeled and cut in chunks ++++ Optional: 1 Tbsp chevre cheese – 40 calories/ 3 g fat/ 0 g fiber/ 2.5 g protein/ 0.5 g carbs/ 10 mg Calcium ++++  Optional: Caprese Salad – 46 calories/ 2 g fat/ 0.6 g fiber/ 4 g protein/ 2.6 g carbs/ 115.6 mg Calcium PB GF ½ oz mozzerella cheese, thinly sliced ++2 oz tomato, thinly sliced and sprinkled with salt++ fresh basil leaves++ There should be equal numbers of cheese slices as tomato. Arrange the cheese, tomato, and basil overlapping like shingles on the plate. ++++  Optional: hard-boiled egg  70 calories/ 4.8 g fat/ 0 g fiber/ 6 g protein/ 0.4 g carbs/ 28 mg Calcium PB GF Cut the egg lengthwise in quarters and nestle into the plated soup. Optional: 2 Finn Crisp crackers – 40 calories/ 0 g fat/ 3 g fiber/ 1 g protein/ 10 g carbs/ 0 mg Calcium PB GF

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the cress, celery, onion, and garlic, and saute for 2 minutes. Put the stock, salt and potatoes into the pan and bring to a boil. [NB: my stock was very dark, which changed the color of the soup to a darker shade of green] Turn down the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Cool slightly then puree in blender/food processor or with immersion wand. If not thoroughly pureed, run through a sieve. Heat the soup before serving. In the bowl, put the chevre in the center, let it soften a bit, then swirl it into the soup. Serve the salad on the side.

Marie Sklodowska Curie

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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.

Madame Curie (1867-1934), noted physical chemist, poses in her Paris laboratory.

Maria Sklodowska was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1867. Her parents were teachers, but their income was insufficient to educate their youngest daughter beyond high school. Marie took a job as a governess to support herself, meanwhile studying science in her spare time. Her married sister offered Marie lodging with her in Paris, so that Marie could study there. Sklodowska jumped at the chance, enrolling in the Sorbonne University to study physics and mathematics. Three years later, she met a fellow scientist, Pierre Curie, and they soon married. The pair started work as researchers at the School of Physics and Chemistry where they investigated the new field of radioactive elements pioneered by Henri Becqueral. Together, the Curies discovered the new element which they called Polonium after Marie’s natal nation. In 1903, they received the Nobel Prize in Physics, along with Becquerel. She also earned her PhD in Physics. After Pierre died in a traffic accident, Marie took over his job as Physics professor, the first woman to achieve that position. She continued to study radioactivity, earning an unheard of second Nobel Prize in 1911. Marie saw the value of using X-rays from radiation for medical purposes, and developed X-ray machines. As World War I loomed, she produced portable machines that could be used at the front lines. Curie and her 17-year old daughter Irene took the “Petit Curie” machines into the war to examine soldiers for broken bones and shrapnel. From the end of the war to her death in 1934, Marie was heaped with honors from around the world. As a path-finder and a dedicated scientist, she deserved them. Her death was no doubt the result of long-term exposure to radioactivity.

To celebrate Marie’s birthday on November 7, our breakfast has flavors of the Baltic Region where Marie was born. The dinner is a low-cost French meal that represents the lean years for the Curies in Paris.

Cucumber-Smoked Salmon Sandwich: ..143 calories… 3 g fat… 3.5 g fiber… 10 g protein… 18 g carbs… 75.5 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values are for the meal and fruit only and do not include the optional coffee. PB GF – if using GF bread Such a simple and delicious way to start your day!

++ 1 slice 70-calorie whole grain bread [Dave’s Killer Bread is perfect] ++++ 1 Tbsp cottage cheese +++ 1½ teaspoons chives, chopped ++++ 1 oz smoked salmon, thinly sliced ++++ ¼ cup [4 slices?] Swedish Cucumber Salad** ++++ 1 oz strawberries ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Lightly toast the bread. Cream the cottage cheese and chives together with some grindings of fresh black pepper. Spread the cheese mixture on the bread. Place the salmon on top, then the cucumbers on top of that. Serve with the sweet, fresh berries. Wonderful.

**SWEDISH CUCUMBER SALAD:  1 cup = 2 servings   each serving = 23 calories.. 0 g fat.. 0.3 g fiber.. 0.4 g protein.. 5.2 g carbs.. 14 mg Calcium..  1 cup sliced cucumber ++ 1.5 tsp sugar ++ 1 oz white wine vinegar ++ ½ tsp cold water ++ salt and freshly ground pepper ++ ½ tsp dill Combine the sugar, vinegar, water, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Slice the cucumbers, spread them out on towels and pat dry. Stir the cukes into the liquid, wetting all the slices. Chill for at least one hour.

Chickpea Ragout with fish: ..121 calories… PLUS calories from the fish you choose… 3 g fat… 5.3 g fiber… 6 g protein… 20 g carbs… 26 mg Calcium…  GF PB Prepare the simple ragout, add the fish of your choice. This is from Jacques Pepin’s Fast Food My Way. Although he doesn’t mean my kind of ‘Fast Food,’ Pepin has long been a proponent of healthy cooking. He presents this as a side dish, but for our purposes it is best prepared as a main course with seafood for more protein. 

With Halibut. The spinach adds a nice touch of color.

½ cup Chickpea Ragout** ++++ 1/4 cup fresh spinach leaves ++++ plus your choice of fish:  – 4 oz swordfish, 139 calories –OR–  4 oz cod, 92 calories –OR– 4 oz salmon, 160 calories –OR–  4 oz halibut, 124 calories –OR–  4 oz smelts, 110 calories –OR– 2 oz shad, 140 calories –OR–  2 oz haddock, 90 calories —

Put the Chickpea Ragout in a small pan with a few tablespoons of water. Place the fish on top. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until fish is cooked. Off heat, toss in spinach, cover and let it wilt a bit. All done. All delicious.

**CHICKPEA RAGOUT:  entire batch, ~4 cups, has 484 calories, so divide into parts PB GF   ++ ½ tsp olive oil ++++ ½ cup diced onions ++++ ½ cup scallions, chopped ++++ 1 Tbsp garlic ++++ 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, stock, 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.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large2 oz slice of ham
reduced fat ricotta + mushrooms70-calorie whole-grain bread
peach + blackberries3 oz melon
watercress sauce: cress, onion, olive oil, stock
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

canola oil + watercress + celery4 oz roast beef
onion + good stock + potatotomatoes
sweet potato + chèvre cheesegreen peas
optional: mozzarella, tomato, Finn Crisp crackerssweet potato
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Eugene Field

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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.

“Have you ever heard of the Sugar-Plum Tree?” My mother used to sing that as a lullaby, and I sang it to my sons. In my adulthood, I found that it was a poem by Eugene Field, a newspaper writer in the 1800s. He was born in 1850 in St Louis, Missouri. Roswell Field, his father, was a prominent lawyer best remembered for defending the Scott family in the doomed but influential Dred Scott Case. Eugene’s mother died when he was six years old, and he was sent to live with his father’s sister in Massachusetts. The lad loved humor and playing jokes on people, but he seemed not to enjoy getting an education. He was popular at all the schools he attended [Williams College, Knox College, University of Missouri], was especially remembered for the pranks he pulled — one got him expelled! — and was never graduated from any of them. A job writing for the St. Louis Journal came his way, and his humorous column was a real hit. He married his friend’s 16-year-old sister Julia Comstock with whom he had eight children. Then Field took an offer to be the managing editor and to write for the Denver Tribune. While there, he began to write poems for children and published two volumes of poetry. His gossipy brand of humor and constant mocking of Western life was less appreciated in Colorado, so in three years he moved his family to Chicago. Field wrote for the Chicago Morning News, and his column “Sharps and Flats” became syndicated. Although Chicago liked Field, he did not return the affection. He called it “Porkopolis” and disliked the dirty city that was always under construction. In all, Field wrote A Little Book of Western Verse (Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1903); The Tribune Primer (Henry A. Dickerman & Son, 1900); and Love-Songs of Childhood (Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1894), and came to be known as the Children’s Poet. Oddly, when their mothers were not looking, Field would make horrid faces at babies and children. He thought he was a great father. He died on November 4, 1895. Are you familiar with his work? Some of his poems are very well known [Wynken, Blynken and Nod] but some of them always struck me a soppy and “Little Boy Blue” is NOT a poem for children to read! You many draw your own conclusions. 

Our breakfast contains corn from the Heartland origins of Field. And for dinner, a meal to evoke your childhood.

Corn-Cilantro Salad Bake: ..128 calories… 7 g fat… 1 g fiber… 7 g protein… 7 g carbs… 39 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF Having some of this delicous salad left over from a week-end meal, I decided to add it to eggs. Heavenly!

++ one 2-oz egg ++++ ½ oz corn-cilantro salad** ++++ 2 oz melon ++++ 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] ++

**Corn-Cilantro Salad  makes 2 cups 3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar ++ 1 Tbsp canola oil ++ ¾ tsp sesame oil ++ 1 cup fresh corn kernels ++ ½ c snipped chives ++ 1¼ oz chopped cilantro ++ Whisk the vinegar and oils together. Stir in the corn and herbs. Let sit for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.

Chicken Noodle Soup: ..212 calories… 3 g fat… 5 g fiber… 23 g protein… 23 g carbs… 105.5 mg Calcium…  PB If you have some in the freezer already, then this is really easy meal! HINT: This makes enough for two servings. Invite a friend or freeze for another easy meal.

++ 3 cups chicken or turkey broth ++++ 2 oz chicken white meat, diced or shredded ++++ 1 oz broken spaghetti or linguine ++++ ¼ c. white beans, drained and rinsed if canned ++++ 1.5 oz carrot, diced ++++ 1.5 oz green beans, cut into 1” pieces ++++ 1 oz Canadian or back bacon, slivered ++++ seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, dried thyme, dried sage ++++  Per bowl: 1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese + generous sprinkling of parsley ++++ Per person: [optional] 2 Finn Crisp crackers which adds 40 calories.. 0.5 g fat.. 2 g fiber.. 2 g protein.. 10 g carbs.. 0 mg Calcium.. 

Bring the broth to a simmer and cook the noodles until almost tender. If the chicken is raw, throw it in the pot to cook. Add the beans, carrot, green beans, Canadian bacon and seasonings. When heated through, ladle into bowls and top with the cheese and parsley. Yum. Yum.

Allantide

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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.

Playing Snap Apple involves jumping up to snatch an apple with your teeth.

It happens on October 31st. It involves bobbing for apples, and carving Jack o’ Lanterns — can you guess this holiday? No! it is not Hallowe’en — it is Allantide! Hard on the heels of England’s modern Apple Day, comes the older apple celebration of Saint Allan. In Cornwall, the feast of Saint Allan/Elwin/Alan/Alain marks the end of Summer and the start of Winter. The other crops would have been harvested but apples would still be on the trees. To the folk of Cornwall, apples meant fertility, but also of life — since they can keep into the cold months if properly stored. Thus, when the old year died and the croplands were barren, the apple was a sign of life to come. So who was Allan?? He was a 6th century saint from either Cornwall or Brittany — the two regions have been culturally linked for centuries. Not much is remembered about him, but his feast day was October 31st. The old suffix ‘tide’ means ‘season of’ or ‘time of’, so October 31 is the season of St. Allan. Particularly large red apples [called Allan Apples] are set aside or purchased for Allantide, to give as treats to special friends or relatives. Many games are played involving apples, and apples are said to help foretell the name of a girl’s future husband. In a resurgence of Cornish cultural pride, Allantide is regaining popularity.

Of course our foods will involve apples: apple pancakes at breakfast and a splendid dish of roasted vegetables and apples to accompany your main dishes all Autumn long.

Apple-Ricotta Pancakes: ..161 calories… 4.6 g fat… 2 g fiber… 8.4 g protein… 16 g carbs… 106.6 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the main meal only, and do not include the optional beverage PB Special enough for a week-end breakfast, this fine pancake can become a staple of the Fast Day. HINT: makes 8 pancakes, so it can feed a crowd. Freeze what is not eaten today.  One serving = 1 pancake.

1 cup white-whole-wheat flour ++++ ¾ tsp cinnamon ++++ 1 cup buttermilk ++++ ¾ c reduced-fat ricotta ++++ 1 tsp sugar ++++ 1 cup diced apples, peeled or not ++++ 1 tsp butter + cooking spray ++++ per serving: 1 chicken sausage [33 calories each] ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or  mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Stir together all the ingredients. Use butter and cooking spray to grease a well-seasoned pan, then wipe out excess with a paper towel. Save the towel to re-grease the pan after every two pancakes. Pour 1/8th of batter into the pan and cook on both sides. Cook sausage and serve with a favorite beverage.

Pheasant with Roasted Parsnips/Apples/Carrots: ..309 calories… 14 g fat… 4 g fiber… 28.6 g protein… 17 g carbs… 45.7 mg Calcium  –PB GF– Fall is the time for hunters to stalk the stubblefields for game birds, and also the time to savor root vegetables. Apples are still available, so all the flavors of Fall are on this plate.

++ 3 oz roast pheasant ++++ ½ cup Roasted Parsnips/Apples/Carrots ++

Sv 8 ~ ½ cup/serving ++Preheat oven to 375°F
11 oz parsnips +++ 10 oz carrots ++++ 5 oz onions, in ½” slices ++++ 10 oz apples Peel parsnips + carrots, cut in half lengthwise, then quarters. Cut into 1” chunks. Quarter shallots. Core apples, cut into ½” pieces. Put in a big bowl.
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil ++++½ tsp sea salt ++++½ tsp ground black pepper ++1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves Whisk these, then toss well with vegetables.Put on rimmed pan lined with parchment paper.
Roast 30-40 mins, depending on size. Toss at whiles, until tender and lightly golden.
Coarse salt++fresh thyme leaves ++chopped parsleyPour onto serving platter, sprinkle with a little bit of coarse sea salt, fresh thyme or chopped parsley.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large 70 calorie whole-grain bread + chives
corn-cilantro salad: rice wine vinegar + corn kernels2%-fat cottage cheese + smoked salmon
chives + cilantro + sesame oil + canola oilSwedish Cucumbers: cucumbers + sugar + dill
melonwhite vinegar +++++ strawberries
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

chicken/turkey broth + white meat chicken4 oz fish per serving +
Parmesan cheese + spaghetti or linguineChickpea Ragout : olive oil + onion + scallion
bacon [back or belly] + white beanstomato + garlic + chickpeas
carrot + green beans + optional Finn Crisp crackerschicken stock
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Erasmus

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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.

Desiderius Erasmus was one of the most influential figures of European thought in the 1500s. He was born to a loving but unlikely couple in Rotterdam — his mother was a doctor’s daughter and his father was a Roman Catholic priest. Although priests were not supposed to have families, young Erasmus and his brother moved with their mother from town to town as their father took on new duties within the church. The family was broken up when the parents died of the plague when Erasmus was 14 years old. The lad was then fostered by a kindly widow who continued his education. From his youth, Erasmus had many bouts of illness, possibly malaria, and he was never wholly well. In his late teens, he became a novice in the Augustinian order, impelled, in part, by poverty. Erasmus loved the Classical Languages; learning; traveling; and a fellow novice [unrequited]. He did not like monastic life and he began to see many ways in which the Church should be reformed. Throughout his life, he traveled widely, forming friendships with many of the major religious leaders of Europe. From his association with Thomas More and his daughters, Erasmus learned that women were actually intelligent and capable of deep scholarship! He became the tutor of the sons of wealthy men, which expanded his circle and helped him to develop a philosophy on education. As a reformer, many thought that he would side with Martin Luther, but Erasmus published a criticism of Luther’s ideas which was so centrist that it attracted the ire of thinkers on both sides. In fact, the most conservative Catholics considered Erasmus to be a ‘radical’, which he never was. Erasmus was a gifted translator and writer. His topics included education; folk sayings and adages; the life of Saint Jerome; voluminous correspondence; and an improved translation of the New Testament. His questing mind was stilled in 1536, but debate raged on about his work.

For Erasmus’ birthday [born October 28, 1466], our breakfast will include a cheese from Gouda where his father worked for a few years. For dinner, a meal from Paris, another one of the scholar’s frequent stopping places.

O-M-G Bake: 141 calories… 7.4 g fat… 1 g fiber… 9 g protein… 9 g carbs… 110 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. — PB GF —  Think: Oh My Goodness! Or: Olive-Mushroom-Gouda. What Flavor!

++ 1 two-oz egg ++++ 1 olive, chopped ++++ ½ oz raw mushroom, chopped ++++ ¼ oz Gouda cheese, grated ++++ 1 oz orange OR 2 oz applesauce ++++  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] ++

First set the toaster oven to 350 F. Dear Husband is the one who prepares the breakfasts. He says to start the coffee next and then to prepare the smoothie. Spritz an oven-safe dish with oil or non-stick spray. Put the olive and mushroom in the dish. Whisk the egg with the cheese and pour into the ramekin. Bake in the toaster oven at 350F 12-15 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Dish up the applesauce and pour the beverages. Delicious.

Beet & Bleu Cheese Salad: 288 calories… 11 g fat… 5 g fiber… 14 g protein… 19.5 g carb… 212 mg Calcium… – PB GF — This recipe takes me back to a delightful restaurant 2 blocks north of Notre Dame in Paris. Dinner at Au Bougnat was a treat and eating this meal evokes fond memories.

++ 2½ oz beets, cooked, skinned, sliced or cubed, cooled ++++ 1¼ oz bleu cheese, cubed or crumbled ++++ 1½ oz tomato, sliced or cubed ++++ 3 walnut halves [or use slivered almonds if you don’t eat walnuts] ++++ 1 oz white beans, rinsed and drained if using canned ++++ 2½ c. salad greens ++++ ¾ tsp olive oil +++ ¾ tsp balsamic vinegar ++++ garnishes: pansy, chive, or nastursum flowers; scallions ++

Assemble and prep all vegetable ingredients. Whisk oil and vinegar in a wide bowl. Put greens in the bowl and toss. Place in serving bowl and arrange the other ingredients on top. Add a few garnishes. Voila! A beautiful meal.

Stock Market Crash[es]

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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.

There is something very odd about October — especially if you are heavily invested in the stock market. In 1929, October 24th was called Black Thursday — the day of the biggest sell-off of investment shares in the history of the then 137-year-old Wall Street. Optimism fueled by economic prosperity created interest in investments. Trading houses and banks permitted buying stock with as little as 10% of the cost as downpay-ment, and the loan secured by the value of the stock. It doesn’t take an economist to see the flaws in that scheme. The US Federal Reserve then raised interest rates and tried to cut down on rampant investment. This began to make global economies wobble, since they were all linked. Large companies, fearing lower sales, cut production and laid off workers. People got worried and tried to sell their stocks to get cash. As Stock Market values dropped, fear rippled through the economy — especially when banks ran out of money — causing the Great Depression. Eventually, things returned to normal and in 1954, the Market’s value was again equal to that in 1929. In 1987, a more precipitous drop in market value occurred on October 19, this one known as Black Monday. The Dow Jones lost $500 billion dollars in value in one day! The cause of the plunge was three-pronged: inflated stock value, computerized trading, and a safe-guard system that automatically sold stocks when the market started to fall. Most recently, in 2008, the Market had another disastrous tumble. A roaring US housing market lead to banks to offer mortgages with insufficient financial backing [shades of 1929??]. Then investment firms created securities packages backed by the buying and selling of sub-prime mortgages. When the building of new homes slowed, the cost of real estate dropped quickly, devaluing the stock value. This lead to world-wide worries and stock markets globally wobbled during most of October. On October 24, fears of recession dropped market values around the world, and the unrest lasted into 2009. The moral of these tales? Investing incurs the risk of loss. Investing is not for getting-rich-quick — it is for long-term growth over time. If you are impatient and risk-averse, do not meddle in the market. And watch out for October surprises!

On October 24, a Wall Street fat-cat might find himself breakfasting on avocados and eggs at a trendy coffee bar … and by dinner, he might be able to afford only a simple supper of bean soup. Sic transit gloria mundi.

Avocado-Egg Toast: ..176 calories… 10 g fat… 4.5 g fiber… 10 g protein… 15.6 g carbs… 28 mg Calcium… 3.4 g sugar… NB: The food values shown are for the toast, egg, avocado, and the fruit, not for the optional beverages. —PG GF if using GF bread– Avocado Toast has been all the rage in celebrity diets, so we decided to try it. Very nice with the egg on top and a hearty whole-grain bread underneath.

++ 1 two-oz egg ++++ 0.8 oz avocado ++++ 1 slice 60-calorie whole-grain bread [Dave’s Killer Thin-Sliced Bread is great] ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++ Optional: 3 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [44 calories]

Lightly toast the bread while you fry or poach the egg. Spread the avocado over the bread and top with the egg. Pour the beverages and you are all set for a healthy day.

Three-Bean Soup: 241 calories… 3 g fat… 29 g fiber… 16 g protein… 38.5 g carbs… 134 mg Calcium…  PB GF  A cold evening and a bowl of bean soup – so satisfying and delicious. And economical. HINT: This recipe produces 11 cups of soup. One serving = one cup

Served without spinach leaves
Served with spinach leaves

1 cup dry navy beans** ++++ 1 cup dry kidney beans** ++++ 1 cup dry soldier beans** ++++ 2 Tbsp salt ++++ 4 oz ham bone or ham hock, with some meat ++++ 1 cup onion, chopped ++++ 28 oz crushed tomatoes ++++ 1 tsp chili powder ++++ 1 tsp dried basil ++++ 3 Tbsp lemon juice ++++ salt and pepper to taste ++++  per serving: ½ cup baby spinach leaves cut as chiffonade  **Any combination of beans will do, as will other varieties. Add other types of beans or pulses, such as lentils, to create a 5-10 bean soup.

Rinse the beans in a collander under running water. Put them into a large bowl or cook pot and cover with 3-4” of water. The beans will double or triple in size as they absorb the water.Add 2 Tablespoons of salt and let the beans sit overnight. Next day, drain the water and discard. Put the beans in a large cook pot along with 1½ quarts water and the meaty bone. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cover. Let cook slowly for 2 hours. Add the onion, tomatoes, and flavorings. Fish out the ham bone and cut the meat from it. Dice the meat and add back to the pot. Simmer slowly for one hour. Serve with ½ cup fresh baby spinach leaves stirred into the hot soup in the serving bowl at the last minute.