Recipes for healthy dieting

Dominicans

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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.

Monasticism flourished within the Christian Church in the post-Roman era in Europe. Monks and nuns belonged to different ‘orders‘, each with its own name and rules. One such group was the Dominicans who were approved by the Church in 1215. The order takes its name from its founder, Dominic de Guzman, who had been sent from Spain to southern France to preach. First, he set up a convent for women who had converted due to his preaching. Then he decided to train religious men to be good preachers, and what’s more, to have the learning to preach effectively. Because of this, the group called themselves the Order of Preachers. Before that, preaching was the privilege of bishops only. Dominic began with 16 members who agreed to live as mendicant friars: that is, men who traveled about [instead of living in monasteries] and who lived in poverty, accepting hand-outs from others. The group wore white robes covered by black capes and, in time, they came to be known as the Black Friars. The order valued learning, so soon the major universities of Europe had Dominicans on site. A smudge on the order’s reputation came with the Inquisition, when the Dominicans were the prosecutors. They were also prominent missionaries during the colonial era of European domination. Theologists, philosophers, educators, there have been many famous Dominicans in the past, and the order continues today around the world.

Because the Dominicans eschewed meat, our meals derive their protein from eggs at breakfast and from cheese and nuts at dinner. Both meals are from Southern France, where the Dominicans were founded.

Basquaise Sauce ScrOmelette: 153 calories… 9 g fat… 1 g fiber… 10 g protein… 2.5 g carbs… 50 mg Calcium…   NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Basquaise Sauce takes eggs to a new level and it is so easy to use if you already have a batch in the refrigerator or freezer.

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.  ++++  2 rounded Tbsp Basquaise Sauce** ++++ 1 oz apples Or ¼ cup blueberries ++++ 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]

Heat a non-stick saute pan which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper to taste and pour into the pan. As the eggs just begin to set, spread the Basquaise Sauce over half of the egg. Fold and continue cooking to your liking. Plate with the fruit and serve the beverage of your choice. Have a spicy day.

**BASQUAISE SAUCE: makes 5 cups ½ cup = 89 calories 5 g fat 3 g fiber 2 g protein 8 g carbs 21.4 mg Calcium Excellent for eggs, chicken, fish, pork, polenta.

2 Tbsp olive oilHeat the oil in a large sauce pan
1 cup onion +++++ 2 cloves garlic +++++ optional: 2 oz Bayonne/Serrano ham/pancetta +++++ 3 c./13 oz red bell pepper +++++ 3 c./13 oz green bell pepper +++++4 c. tomatoes, seeded Chop onions. Crush and chop garlic. Dice peppers and tomatoes.  If using, dice the meat. Add these ingredients and cook over medium-low heat until peppers are tender, 8-10 minutes.
½ cup red wine +++++ 5 g ‘esplette’ pepper or ground cayenne pepper ++++ 2 tsp fresh thyme ++++ ½ tsp saltAdd these to the pan.
Simmer 10 minutes more

Pear & Bleu Cheese Salad: 277 calories… 18 g fat… 5 g fiber… 17 g protein… 22 g carbs… 215 mg Calcium…  PB GF Such a delightful melange of flavors!

2½ cups mesclun [baby greens] ++++ 2 oz pears ++++ 1 oz bleu cheese, sliced or crumbled ++++ 1½ oz tomato, cubed or cherry-type ++++ ¼ oz walnuts ++++ 1 oz cannelli beans, rinsed, drained ++++ 1 tsp olive oil ++++ ¾ tsp white Balsamic vinegar

Toast the walnuts by putting them in a heavy, dry pan and tossing/stirring over medium-high until the nuts become fragrant and slightly browned. Whisk oil and vinegar in a wide, shallow bowl. Add the white beans and the salad greens along with a pinch of finishing salt. Toss to coat with the dressing. Put onto the serving plate and garnish with the remaining ingredients. Amazing.

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

60 calories whole-wheat pita bread3 two-oz eggs 
watermelonsugar + rice vinegar
halloumi cheesesoy sauce + funikake
Berry Lassicucumber + chives
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

cooked chicken breastpurchased Chinese dumplings: pork, chicken
2-oz hard-boiled egghoisin sauce
deglet noor datesblack vinegar
chickpeasbok choy + soy sauce
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Toni Morrison

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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.

Chloe Wofford was born in 1931 in Ohio. Her neighborhood and schools were not segregated, yet racism was all around. At age 12, Chloe became a Catholic and took Anthony of Padua as her baptismal name. From then on, she was called “Toni”. She loved to read and at high school she participated in drama and the yearbook staff. Undergraduate studies at Howard University showed her other types of segregation, both on campus and in Washington, DC. Next came a Masters Degree, then teaching in Texas and at Howard where Toni met her hus-band. Despite divorcing after six years, she kept his last name, becoming Toni Morrison. While working as a fiction editor, Morrison wrote and published her first novel, the Bluest Eye, in 1970. By her third work in 1981, Toni was acclaimed as a writer of note and could quit her day job. Her most famous novel Beloved was made into a film and was the basis of an opera. Over her career, Chloe had many firsts: 1st member of her family to attend college; 1st Black woman to win Nobel Prize in literature; 1st Black person to earn a chair at an Ivy League university. Morrison often said that her real self was Chloe Wofford — that Toni Morrison was her writer’s name, not who she really was. Whatever her name was, Chloe/ Toni Wofford/ Morrison was a force in American Literature up until her death on August 5, 2019.

Morrison wrote about food a lot. It was a metaphor for love and life and the Black experience. Our breakfast is an old staple of Black Southern cuisine, and the dinner is for the author’s enjoyment of fish and fresh vegetables throughout her lifetime.

Hoe Cakes with Fruit & Egg: 183 calories… 5.6 g fat… 5.4 g fiber… 9.5 g protein… 23 g carbs… 44 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the main meal only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB GF This recipe harks back to Colonial Days in the American South. Everyone from enslaved people to President George Washington ate hoe cakes.  HINT: This recipe makes 6 hoecakes – enough for 2 servings of 3 each. Originally this would be made with white cornmeal, but the yellow has more nutrition.  NB: Hoe cakes were never ‘cooked on a hoe’ by farm workers, as some claim. Silly notion.

3 Tbsp yellow cornmeal – even polenta meal would do +++++  2.5 Tbsp hot water Combine by stirring well to make a mush.Let sit for 15 minutes
1 oz egg white ++++++ ¼ tsp yeastStir into the warm cornmeal mush and let sit for 1 – 12 hours.This was 125 ml in volume
2 Tbsp cornmeal +++++ 2 Tbsp water +++++ ¼ tsp saltMix into the cornmeal mush. If you take some up on a fork, it will sit on top with a little batter dribbling through. If it is not like this, add more cornmeal or more water. This was ½ cup in volume.
Using 2 tbsp of batter per cake, drop onto a hot griddle sprayed with non-stick spray. This should make 6 cakes. Cook on both sides. Best if eaten while fresh.
¼ cup raspberries ++++ 1 tsp honey ++++ one 2-oz eggPut the fruit and honey in a small dish and microwave for 30 seconds.Fry the egg.
Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]Plate 2 of the Hoecakes with the egg and the other with the berry syrup.Pour with your beverage of choice.

Dear Husband enjoyed this very much and so will you.

Fish Roasted with Summer Vegetables: 288 calories… 5.6 g fat… 8 g fiber… 30 g protein… 18 g carbs… 186 mg Calcium…  PB GF Delicious one-pan meal. AND it is low in calories and fat. Can you believe that a women’s magazine had a similar recipe for 425 calories!!

4 oz pollock or other white fish ++++ ½ slice [0.2 oz] American/streaky bacon ++++ 3 oz zucchini in ½” chunks ++++ 3 oz string beans, cut in half ++++ 3 oz eggplant, cut in cubes ++++ 3 oz cherry tomatoes, cut in half ++++ 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese ++++ 

Set the oven at 450 F. Cook the bacon in an 8” oven-proof pan, such as cast iron. Remove bacon, chop it and set aside. Put the prepared vegetables in the pan and toss to coat with the bacon fat. Salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove the pan of vegetables from the oven. If you think they will need more cooking, put them back in for 2-3 minutes. They will not be cooked through at this point. Turn oven down to 400 degrees F. Move the vegetables aside so the fish will sit on the hot pan, with the vegetables next to it. Salt and pepper the fish. Return the pan to the oven and bake 5-10 minutes more, depending on the thickness of the fish. Sprinkle the entire contents of the pan with Parmesan cheese and bacon. You could eat it right from the pan.
 

Lammas Returns

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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.

It is fun to have special occasions to punctuate the year. Ancient people, who told time by the sun and its position in the sky, observed that twice a year, the day and night were the same length [we call those “equinoxes”]; and that one day was exceptionally long and one day was equally short [we call those “solstices”]. They held great holidays at those times, to honor the sun. Then, half-way between those days, there were other holidays, giving eight in total, spaced through the year at 1.5 month intervals. Lammas, the Harvest Festival, is one of the four minor celebrations. Since the early Christian church had a way of preempting the non-Christian festivals, the former Celtic holiday of Lughnasa became “Our Lady’s Mass” or “Loaf Mass” [the word ‘lady’ means ‘loaf-kneader’], which was slurred into “Lammas”. The celebration of Lammas begins on August 1st and lasts 2-3 days. Celebrate!

The Lammas festival is all about the harvest, especially grains. If it weren’t a FAST Day, we would enjoy Lammas Bread — but we can have that tomorrow since Lammas is a multi-day occasion! Today we will indulge in ripe summer vegetables, at breakfast and at dinner — and even include a hearty slice of whole-grain bread.

Broccoli-Olive-Tomato ScrOmelette: 150 calories… 8 g fat… 2 g fiber… 13 g protein… 9 g carbs… 91 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Sometimes things in the ‘fridge say, “Put us in eggs for breakfast.” Who am I to deny their wishes?

1½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.+++++ 1 oz broccoli +++++ 1 Tbsp cottage cheese ++++ 1 oz tomato ++++ ½ black olive ++++ ¾ tsp Parmesan cheese ++++ pinch of basil ++++ 2 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]

Dice the tomato and drain in a strainer, overnight if possible. Drain the cottage cheese overnight if it is very liquid. Steam the broccoli and chop it finely. Chop the black olive. Into a hot saute pan spritzed with non-stick spray, add the tomato, broccoli, and olive. Stir until warmed. Whisk the eggs with the cottage cheese and pour over the vegetables in the pan. Scramble or fold as an omelette, hence ScrOmelette, and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Prepare the beverages and plate the berries. Bliss.

Sicilian Caponata: 282 calories… 14.5 g fat… 9 g fiber… 8 g protein… 35 g carbs… 95.5 mg Calcium… PB  GF – If using GF bread  From Jamie Oliver, a taste of Summer in Sicily. Lots of fresh vegetables go into this meal, and it is delicious. Do not be put off by the high fat content: the olives and almonds contribute most of it, and those are healthy fats.

True to form, I forgot to add the garnishes! It was still delicious…
Adaptation = 2 cupsHeat oven to 400 F.
2 tsp olive oil ++++++ 2 c eggplants, in ¾” chunks ++++1 tsp dried oregano/Italian herbs ++++++ Sea saltPut eggplant and seasonings on a small, rimmed baking sheet or on a cast iron skillet. Drizzle with oil and stir to mix. Roast 10 MINS. Take from oven.
½ cup red onion ++++++ 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced ++++ ½ small bunch flat-leaf parsleyFinely chop onion + parsley.In saute pan on cooktop, cook these 2 mins in cooking spray.
1 Tbsp capers, drained +++++6 pitted black olives ++++ 1-2 T. herb vinegarAdd these to the pan, and cook until vinegar evaporates.
16 oz ripe tomatoes, OR 1½ c. canned diced ++++ cooked eggplantRoughly chop tomatoes, add to pan with eggplant, simmer 15 mins until tomatoes are tender.Take off heat.
Parsley leaves ++++++ 2 T. slivered almondsLightly toast almonds. Add pepper/ salt/vinegar to taste, top with these.
1 oz Wh-grain bread Serve on bread Or on pasta OR as a side dish 

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

1 two-oz egg = US large + egg white1.5 two-oz eggs 
yellow corn meal Basquaise Sauce: bell pepper + tomato + garlic >>>>
yeast + honey>>onion + red wine + esplette pepper + thyme
raspberriesblueberries
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

4 oz pollock or white fish/servingsalad greens + pear
bacon + Parmesan cheesebleu cheese + walnuts
cauliflower or broccoli + carrotscannelli beans + tomato
Brussel sprouts + cherry tomatoesolive oil + white balsamic vinegar
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Tainan

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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.

In the 1500s, Portuguese traders in western Asia sailed past an “Ilha Formosa,” or beautiful island. Had they stopped there, they would have found it inhabited by indigenous Austronesian people who had been there for 15,000 years. Life on the island changed in 1624, when ships from the Dutch East India Company landed. Their goal was to establish a trading foot-hold in Asia, so they built Fort Zeelandia on land that they called ‘Taiwan’ — perhaps derived from the native Sirayan word for ‘meeting place’. The city that grew up around the fort became Tainan, the oldest city of the island nation of Taiwan. Meeting place indeed! Although the Dutch controlled the island, in 1661 waves of Chinese from Fujian arrived. Twenty years later, the Qing Dynasty of China extended its dominion over the land. From 1895-1945, the Japanese were in charge. Then in 1949, Chang Kai Shek and his anti-Communist followers arrived. Since then, the island has been called the Republic of China, although the government on the Chinese mainland does not accept their independence. Every time a new ethnic group took over, a new language would be imposed on the citizens. Today, there is an effort to revive the indigenous languages. Tainan City has the oldest Confucius Temple [1665] and the oldest Mazu Temple [1683] on the island. The city is known for its ancient streets and houses, as well as for its lively street food scene. All this year, Tainan will be celebrating its 400th anniversary with festivals, exhibitions, and special events.

For the Dutch, who started it all, a very Dutch Breakfast. For dinner, a very Taiwanese shrimp dish. Happy Birthday, Tainan.

Dutch Breakfast 210 calories… 10 g fat… 3.6 g fiber… 14 g protein… 16 g carbs… 164.5 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. GF – if using GF bread  This meal is inspired by a breakfast I enjoyed in Amsterdam in 1969. It was memorable because it is so good. Dear Husband’s opinion? “This is one of my favorite Fast breakfasts.”

++++ one 2-oz egg, hard-boiled or coddled HINT: the hardboiled egg can be made days before  ++++ ½ oz ham, 3% fat ++++ ½ of an Arnold Multi-grain Sandwich Thin [50 cal] OR ½ slice 70-cal multi-grain bread [35 cal] OR one “Holland Rusk” [30 cal] ++++ [½ oz cube] Jarlsberg cheese [if you used less bread, you could have more cheese] ++++ 2 oz fresh peach or melon OR 1.5 oz apple or pear ++++ Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++OR ++Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [75 calories] ++++

Warm the ham in a skillet, toast the bread, prepare your beverage, slice the fruit, cube the cheese. Are you ready to savor?

Taiwanese Shrimp Meefun: 270 calories… 6 g fat… 3 g fiber… 19 g protein… 33.6 g carbs… 84.4 mg Calcium…  PB GF This recipe is from Susan Livia New York Times Cooking. Some recipes call for dried shrimp, some for smoked tofu. For convenience, I used frozen shrimp.  HINT: Recipe is enough for two [2]. Enjoy the other half of the recipe warm or cool for lunch or dinner later this week.

2 servings Non-stick skillet. Wok.
2 oz rice vermicelliSoak in cold water until softened, 5-10 mins. Drain, save water and warm it. 
2 dried shiitakesSoak until hydrated + softened, ~10 mins. Drain, reserving water. Slice ¼” thick.
Cooking spray +++++ 1 two-oz egg, lightly beatenHeat skillet over medium, spray with PAM. Add egg, swirl to create a thin, even layer. Cook until set + cooked through, ~1 min. Remove egg, cool, slice thinly. 
1 tsp oil ++++++ 2 T shallot, thinly sliced ++++++ soaked mushrooms Put a wok on stove + raise heat to medium-high. Add these and sprinkle with salt. Cook, stirring often, until shallots begin to brown, 3-4 mins.
1 cup carrot, shredded ++++++saltAdd carrot and salt, then cook, until softened but still crisp, 1-2 mins.
1½ c cabbage, shreddedAdd cabbage to wok. Season + cook, stirring,  1-2 mins until slightly wilted.
4 oz shrimp +++++++ 1 Tbsp soy sauce ++++ drained vermicelli ++++++soaking waterCut shrimp in pieces and add to wok with soy sauce, drained rice vermicelli. Add water from steps 1 and 2, in ½ cup increments. Cook, stirring often, until noodles absorb the water, 5-6 mins.
½ tsp white pepper +++++++ Reserved cooked egg  +++ cilantroSeason with pepper, add reserved egg and stir to combine. Serve topped with chopped cilantro.

Religions: Baha’i Faith

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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.

The early 1800s, were a time of religious ‘awakening’ around the world. In North America: Adventists, Shakers, and Latter-Day Saints. In Europe: Revival movements occurred. In Persia [modern Iran], Siyyid ‘Alí-Muhammad was a merchant who might well have been unaware of religious stirrings in other lands. In the spring of 1844, he met a traveler at the gates of his city of Shiraz, and invited him home for dinner. They talked all night, delighted to find in each other a kindred spirit in their views of life and spirituality. The next morning, Siyyid declared that he was the “gate [‘Bab’] to God”, that soon 17 other people would spontaneously recognize him as such, and that this would be the start of a new phase of religion. To them, he preached about the unifying of all the world’s religions and that people would live in peace, prosperity, and spiritual harmony. The words of “The Bab” spread widely. He was not the one to lead the people to this new world, but another would arise. Clerics all over Persia called for his death, which happened by firing squad in 1850. After the Bab’s death, his disciple, a young nobleman named Mírzá Husayn ‘Alí, declared himself to be the one who would manifest the teachings of the new religion. He was given the name Bahá’u’lláh (“the Glory of God” in Arabic], and he is the founder of the Bahá’í Faith. The founder was imprisoned in turn, then exiled from Iran. He spent the rest of his life writing and teaching while in an out of prisons. Bahá’u’lláh’s many writings set forth the new religion’s laws and beliefs: unity of the races; equality of men and women; elimination of extremes of poverty and wealth; harmony of science and religion; and several other ideas. Despite pogroms in the past which killed tens of thousands of Bahá’ís, today there are 5 million faith members world-wide, and they are the largest religious minority in Iran.

On July 25, 1942, the Bahá’í Faith arrived in Jamaica in the person of Dr. Malcolm King. Since 2003, that date is celebrated as Bahá’í Day. To celebrate, we feature the flavors of the Caribbean at breakfast, and a traditional Persian meal at dinner.

Caribbean Breakfast: 228 calories… 7.4 g fat… 4.4 g fiber… 5 g protein… 40 g carbs… 24.6 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB  Although the protein values are low, this makes for a lovely little tropical meal.

1.8 oz mango ++++ 1.5 oz roasted plantain slices ++++ 1.5 oz pineapple ++++ ½ oz goat cheese ++++ 1 coconut dumpling** ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++ 

**COCONUT DUMPLINGS: makes 9   A Caribbean favorite.   Each: 73 calories…. 4 g fat…. 2 g fiber…. 1.6 g protein…. 9 g carbs…. 3.6 mg Calcium ½ cup [37 g] coconut, grated, unsweetened +++ 1½ cups white whole wheat flour ++++ 1 Tbsp vegetable oil ++++ 1 Tbsp butter ++++ ¼ tsp salt ++++ 125 ml water [NB: that’s correct: there is NO leavening. I think there should be… Use your judgement]

Put everything except the water in a bowl and work the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers. Once it is all incorporated, stir in the water with a fork. Knead slightly on a work surface and roll into a cylinder which is about 1½“ in diameter. Slice off equal pieces. To cook them, bring a pan of heavily salted water to a strong simmer. Add several of the dumplings. They will sink to the bottom and stay there. After 10-15 minutes, remove them and put on a cloth towel to dry and cool. Cook remaining dumplings.

Persian Chicken Kababs: 282 calories… 9 g fat… 4 g fiber… 24.5 g protein… 27 g carbs… 69 mg Calcium…  PB GF – if using GF bread or none When served as a street food, ‘Jujeh Kabab’ is popular in Iran. The recipe is adapted from one found at tappersia.com.  HINT: serves 2 [two].

Sv 2
2 T. saffron in ¼ c hot watersteep saffron in a bowl with water until cool.
6 oz chicken breastcut chicken in 1” pieces, add to saffron 
1 onions, cut in large chunks +++++ saltSprinkle salt on cut onion. In a bowl, knead onion chunks with hands until softened. Add to chicken.
¼ tsp red pepper ++++ ¼ tsp black pepper ++++ 1 tsp turmeric +++ 1 tsp paprika ++2 T. plain, nonfat yogurtAdd spices to yogurt, and toss well with chicken pieces. Put in ‘fridge 1 hour
1 T. olive oil ++++ Add to chicken, stir it all, refrigerate 4-12 hrs.
1 bell pepper, cut in 1” chunksPut chicken on skewers, alternating with bell pepper and onion chunks, until all are used.
Grill over charcoal or gas or broil.
1 oz lavash bread per servingUse lavash to nudge the foods off the skewers, then eat it all.

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

1 hard-boiled two-oz egg = US large1.5 two-oz eggs 
Holland Rusk  or 50 calories whole grain breadbroccoli + tomato
3%-fat ham + Jarlsberg cheeseblack olive + 2%-fat cottage cheese
melon or appleParmesan cheese + strawberries
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

rice vermicelli + raw shrimpeggplant + oregano + red onion + capers
dried shiitake mushrooms + peanut oilItalian parsley + garlic + black olives
shallot + carrot + cabbage + 2-oz eggherb vinegar + 1# ripe tomatoes
soy sauce + pepper + cilantro/parsleyslivered almonds + artisan whole-grain bread/pasta
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Edward Hopper

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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 travelexotica who is now Following.

Edward Hopper was of the ‘Realist’school of painting. He was born on July 22, 1882, as the Impressionists’ new style was sweeping the art world. Depicting the “world as it was” had been a style in the US since John Copley in the 1700s. It progressed through the landscapes of the Hudson River School to the in-your-face realism of George Bellows. By the time Hopper visited Paris in 1906, Cubism and Abstract art were on the rise. After art school classes steeped in the Old Masters, he found the Impressionists to be a revelation, changing his color choices and brush strokes as a result. But water lilies and fields of flowers with lovely women were not Hopper’s subject matter. In the 1920-30s, his work began to gain notice, due in part to Early Sunday Morning which made a splash with its strong lines and colors. His work is about isolation and loneliness. And mystery. Whether we see people in their apartment [as if we glimpse them from the elevated train as it flies by], or a house at dusk, the mood is brooding, as if something is going to happen. He and his wife Jo divided their time between New York City and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Painting in oil or watercolor, Hopper pursued his muse in an effort to escape boredom. He enjoyed painting houses, with windows and doors [and the view in or out] taking a major role in the scene. In Hopper’s best-known work, Nighthawks, we look into the diner, as if from a 1st floor window, through the diner’s huge plate-glass windows. The people can’t see us and do not know that they are being watched — would it matter to them? Such is the emotional tug of Hopper’s work. Dear Husband and I are big fans. To the end, he considered himself an Impressionist.

Why a “Winter Solstice Bake” for Edward Hopper? Because of the cold, thin, wintry light that illuminates his paintings. And for dinner? A meal for the Nighthawks at the diner.

Winter Solstice Bake: 141 calories… 7.6 g fat… 1.3 g fiber… 9 g protein… 12 g carbs… 51 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  For the change of the seasons, a meal to mark the occaision. The olives represent Autumn and the cured meat evokes Winter. A great combination any time.

One 2-oz egg ++++ ¼ oz proscuitto ++++ 2 Kalamata olives ++++ 1 clementine ++++ pinch of winter savory or rosemary ++++ 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]

Chop the meat and the olives. Spritz a ramekin with non-stick spray. Whisk the eggs. Stir in the meat and olives, and pour into the ramekin. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes. Plate with the fruit and pour the beverage of choice

Meatloaf: 236 calories… 11 g fat… 5 g fiber… 23.5 g protein… 13.4 g carbs… 40 mg Calcium… PB Here it is – meatloaf, the kind my mother used to make and you can eat it on a FAST DAY! Amazing!

one 3-oz slice of meatloaf** ++++++ ½ cup peas +++++ 2 Tbsp beef gravy 

Prepare and bake the meatloaf. Slice into 6 pieces. Plate and enjoy one serving now, with peas and gravy, of course. Cool, wrap and freeze the remainder for a Slow Day or another FAST Day.

**Meatloaf one 18-oz loaf Makes 6 slices, serves 6
½ of a whisked egg [0.9 oz] ++++ 3 Tbsp milk +++++ 1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs, NOT dried ++++++ 2 Tbsp minced onion +++++ ½ pound [8 oz] ground beef ++++ ¼ pound [4 oz] ground veal +++++ ¼ pound [4 oz] ground lean pork ++++ 1 tsp salt + pinch of pepper Combine the ingredients thoroughly. Pat gently into an ungreased 4×8” loaf pan. 
Bake 20 minutes at 350 F.
Pour off and discard any fat before removing from pan. 

Nelson Mandela

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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.

He was born as Rolihlahla Mandela on July 18, 1918, in village called Mvezo. When he was in elementary school, his teacher gave all the children a “Christian” name, so henceforth he was called “Nelson.” As Nelson grew older, native Africans became more and more disenfranchised by the White minority government. Black people were crowded into ‘reserves’, and voting rights were taken away. After his father’s death, the 9-year-old Nelson was sent to live with another family. He completed secondary education and was enrolled in the only Black college in South Africa. Nelson enjoyed everything at Fort Hare University College — the athletics, the scholarship, the friendships — all except the food. For participating in a demonstration for better meals, he was booted out. Life in Johannesburg lead to meeting a wider circle of people who also wanted more rights for the Blacks. He began to study the law and married for the first time. In 1948, the government of South Africa imposed apartheid with its draconian segregation rules. Mandela co-founded the only black-owned law firm in the country and was a member of the African National Congress [founded in 1912]. An arrest in 1956, lead to the end of his first marriage, but during the trial, Mandela met and married Winifred Madikizela. He became more convinced that peaceful resistance would not work against apartheid, although he never committed violence. In 1961, he was arrested again, for treason and inciting rebellion. Put on trial with fellow ANC leaders, they might have faced the death penalty. In his statement from the dock, Mandela said, “I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” He was sent to Robben Island Prison for 18 of his 26 years of imprisonment, where he demonstrated great stoicism and dignity. Mandela’s release in 1990 was heralded the world around. The next year, apartheid was annulled after decades of inter-national condemnation, and he shared the Nobel Peace Prize with FW de Klerk. In 1994, Mandela was elected as the first freely-elected president of the Union of South Africa — who else could they possibly have chosen?

For breakfast, a South African favorite that incorporates corn — the American type which was introduced in the 17th century. When Mandela and his fellow Africans suffered under laws that oppressed “Blacks”, we must remember that the laws lumped all ‘non-whites’ in together, including the many immigrants from India. For dinner, a food typical of India. You can add a little corn to it, to make it more African. July 18 is International Nelson Mandela Day.

Mealie Bread Breakfast: 190 calories… 2.5 g fat … 3 g fiber… 13.4 g protein… 25.4 g carbs… 73 mg Calcium  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB GF – if using GF flour in mealie bread  Mealie bread [meaning ‘made from corn’] is a staple all over southern Africa. It is simple to prepare and you will like it. Here it is part of a breakfast containing four typically African foods and flavors.

3 Mealie Breads** ++++ 4 oz watermelon ++++ 1½ oz chicken breast meat, cooked ++++  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] 

Prepare and cook the mealie bread or warm from the freezer. Cut chicken into strips and watermelon into chunks. Plate and enjoy with another African flavor: coffee.

**Mealie Bread:  makes 24 pieces using a 1½ Tbsp scoop 1 piece = 73 calories… 0.5 g fat…. 1 g fiber…. 1 g protein…. 5.6 g carbs… 20 mg Calcium Southern Africa is the land of Mealie Bread. I cooked it as patties, scooped onto a griddle.
A fine flavor at breakfast or dinner.

¼ c milk ++++ 2 Tbsp melted butter ++++ 1 two-oz egg ++++ ½ c white whole wheat flour ++++ ++++ ½ c cornmeal ++++ 1 Tbsp sugar ++++ 1 tsp baking powder ++++ ½ tsp salt ++++ ½ tsp paprika ++++ ++++ 1 cup cooked corn kernels

Combine all the ingredients to form a moist, fairly thick batter. If too dry, add a little milk or water. If too wet, add a little flour. Heat a griddle to medium high and spritz with non-stick spray. Scoop batter onto it, then flatten out to make 3” patties. Turn when the bottom is set and a little brown, then cook the other side. When cool, they freeze well.

Tandoori Chicken and Vegetables: 265 calories… 5 g fat… 9 g fiber… 20 g protein… 32.6 g carbs… 99.5 mg Calcium… PB GF TIP: You can buy jars of tandoori sauce in most supermarkets. Be sure it does not contain corn syrup or sweeteners. Aim for 70-80 calories/quarter cup

2 oz chicken, cooked or raw ++++ ½ cup eggplant, cubed ++++ 2 oz broccoli ++++ 2 oz bell peppers, cut in chunks ++++ 2 oz zucchini, sliced or cubed ++++ 2 oz carrots, sliced ¼” thick or use ‘baby carrots’ cut in quarters ++++ ¼ cup brown rice, cooked ++++ ¼ c tandoori sauce, store-bought ++++ ++++ 2 Tbsp plain, non-fat yogurt ++++

Cook the vegetables together in a little water until they are tender. Add the chicken and the sauce. Warm it all. If the chicken is raw, be sure to cook it through. Either stir the yogurt into the sauce or serve it atop the meal. Plate the brown rice [warm it if cold] and serve the chicken and vegetables on top. Perfect for eating on a hot night or a cold one.

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

1 two-oz egg = US largemango + pineapple + vegetable oil
kalamata olivesplantains + goat cheese
clementinegrated unsweetened coconut + butter
winter savory or rosemarywhite whole wheat flour
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

egg ++ non-fat milksaffron + chicken breast
onion ++ lean ground beefonion + red pepper flakes + black pepper
ground veal +++ lean ground porkturmeric + paprika + olive oil
peas +++ beef gravyyogurt + bell pepper + lavash bread
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Good Saint Swithun

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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 skygrooves who is now Following.

What will the weather be on July 15?? Ever since the reburial of Saint Swithun in 971 CE, the weather on July 15th has been considered a predictor of days to come. Swithun was Bishop of Winchester, England, and tutor of the young Alfred who became “The Great” as an adult. Despite that, Swithun was a humble man. His wish was that instead of being buried in a crypt in the cathedral, he be interred outside, where the rain would fall on his grave. So upon his death in 862, he was buried outside of the church. In 971, King Edgar gave money for a shrine for Swithun, and he was reburied inside. Torrential rains followed. Thus July 15th became a pivotal day in the summer weather calendar. If it is fair that day, more fair weather will follow.

Our foods for Saint Swithun are made of plants that ripen in summer after sufficient rain.

Leek & Tomato Bake: 124 calories… 5 g fat… 2 g fiber… 7.5 g protein… 12 g carbs… 61.5 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF  This makes for a quick and delicious breakfast.

1 two-oz egg ++++ 1 oz tomato, cut in ½ “ dice ++++ ½ oz leeks, sauteed in non-stick spray until limp [I keep a small bag of these in the freezer] ++++ pinch of dried basil + pinch of garlic powder++++ 1-2 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]

Combine the tomato, leek, and seasonings, and pour into an oven-safe baking dish. Whisk the egg with salt and pepper to taste and pour into the baking dish. Bake at 350F for 12 minutes or so. Plate with the cool, crunchy fruit.

Vegetable Quiche: 268 calories… 14 g fat … 3 g fiber… 24 g protein… 12.5 g carbs … 293 mg Calcium…  PB GF  I made this recipe with the idea of a crustless quiche [some might call it a fritatta or a tortilla] that didn’t break the bank on calories. Although the recipe should serve two, my portion was too large to finish. Use your judgement.

4 two-oz eggs ++++ 2/3 cup/ 2 oz zucchini, grated ++++ ¼ cup red onion, chopped ++++ 1 cup broccoli, diced ++++ 1/3 cup/ 1.75 oz diced red bell pepper ++++ 4 Tbsp cottage cheese, lower fat ++++ 2 Tbsp plain yogurt ++++ 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese ++++ lots of chopped fresh herbs ++++ 3 oz/ ½ cup tomato, diced ++++ 1 oz mozzerella cheese, grated ++++ salt + pepper ++++ ½ cup lettuce, shredded ++++ ½ tsp balsamic vinegar

Prepare the vegetables [except the tomatoes] and steam them over simmering water for 3-4 minutes. Drain over an empty bowl to capture any remaining liquid. Put the vegetables into an oven-proof dish [I used a 9×7” oval] which has been spritzed with non-stick spray, and spread around them evenly. Salt and pepper at will. Stir the cottage cheese, yogurt, Parmesan, and herbs until well-combined. Whisk the eggs well, then whisk in the cheese mixture. Pour over the vegetables. Chop the tomatoes and distribute them on top, then sprinkle with the grated mozzerella. Bake at 400 F. for 30 minutes – should be puffed and a little golden on top and set in the middle. Let the quiche sit while you shred the lettuce and toss it with the vinegar.

Going Green

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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.

What does ‘green’ mean to you? Is green the color of envy? Green is the color of money. Does it evoke nature? To the physicist, green is a wave of visible light who’s length is 495–570 nm. To the envi-ronmentalist, ‘going green‘ means that you do what you can, at home or on the road, using green energy for a sustainable future. Ask a politician about the Green Party, just to see what they will say. Green is the particular color of Islam, found on flags and mentioned in the Quran. Artists know that green is a color made of varying combinations of yellow and blue, which makes it a ‘secondary’ color. Green is considered to be soothing. Hospital walls are painted green, as are the rooms back-stage to calm down the actors. Pastoral villages used to have a ‘green’ in the center, where townspeople could pasture their cows or outdoor meetings could be held. Green is the color of safety, as a green traffic light means that it is safe to proceed. A ‘Green Card‘ in the USA gives the holder permission to live and work in the country, even though they are not citizens. Green means many things to many people. It is my favorite color, even though Kermit The Frog said that its not that easy being green…

Our meals today feature two famously green food items: avocados and spinach. These meals are so good that others will envy your choices, but you will eat them with calm because they are beneficial for your health.

Guacamole Eggs: 145 calories… 11.4 g fat… 1 g fiber… 11 g protein… 5 g carbs… 45 mg Calcium…  PB GF Avocado and eggs are a very good combi-nation. Both are high in fat, but the plant fat helps to mitigate effects of the animal fat. Here, we use Haas avocados.

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.++++ 3 Tbsp Guacomole, homemade** or purchased ++++ 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]

**Guacamole: ……makes 1 cup…….. 1 jalepeno pepper, chopped [Remove seeds for less hotness] ++++ 1 cup diced tomatoes, canned or fresh ++++ 1½ avocados ++++ 1/3 cup minced onion ++++ ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves ++++ salt + lime juice + hot pepper flakes to taste

Peel, seed, and mash the avocados. Stir in the other ingredients and mash again or pulse in the food processor.

Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper and pour them into a pan which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Cook, without stirring or scrambling, until the top is almost set. Spread the guacamole on half of the eggs, then fold the omelette over. Serve with optional beverages. Mocha coffee would be the more traditional choice for a Mexican food theme.

Ham Florentine Crepes: 299 calories… 11 g fat… 5.6 g fiber… 15.6 g protein… 33 g carbs… 307 mg Calcium… PB Peter Christian’s Tavern was a very popular New Hampshire restaurant and their cookbook was a local best seller. The restaurant has closed but Peter Christian’s Recipes is a goldmine and it served as the source of this meal. Very easy if the galettes/crepes and Bechamel sauce are pre-made.

Ham Florentine Filling: makes 1½ cups ½ cup no-cheese Bechamel Sauce ++++ 1 cup ham in ¼” dice ++++ 1 cup [5 oz] cooked spinach, fresh or frozen ++++ ½ cup chopped celery ++++ ¼ cup chopped onion ++++ celery salt + dill + granulated garlic + basil Be sure to squeeze the spinach until most of the liquid is out of it. [save the liquid] Spritz a saute pan with non-stick spray and add some of the spinach liquid. Cook the celery and onion until onions are transluscent, adding more spinach liquid as needed. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on low heat until warmed through. 

For the Dinner: 2 galettes/crepes ++++ ¾ cup Ham Florentine filling ++++ 1 oz carrots + 1 oz cauliflower florets + 1 oz broccoli florets

Set the oven to 250 F. If the crepes are frozen, thaw and wrap in a tea towel. Put them in the oven as it warms. When the crepes are soft and pliable, lay them on a baking sheet, covered with the tea towel. Warm the Ham Florentine filling and spoon over half of each crepe. [I saved out a bit of the filling.] Fold the crepes over the filling and pat in place. Put the crepes in the oven until warmed through. Top with reserved filling before serving.

Medical Fasting

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Two days each week, eat meals with a calorie total of less than 600 for the entire day. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle!

The other week, there was a memorial service for our friend Suzy M. She was a lively, engaging woman who threw herself into living life — until her life was cut short by colon cancer. The best way to detect colorectal cancer is by getting periodic colonoscopies. Too many people avoid that proce-dure because they think it sounds horrible [hello! you are sound asleep for it and it does not hurt] or they dread ‘The Prep’ [the bowel-cleansing regime that precedes the process.] That Prep involves ‘fasting’ for medical purposes, and taking prepa-rations that hasten bowel evacuation. The first time I did this, it meant drinking a saline solution that made me want to vomit. Not useful. The second time, it involved drinking polypropoylene glycol in water, which is tasteless but boring. So I evolved my own method which is more palatable and spread over 3 days. My method is based on the doctors’ suggestions on how to Prep, but tweeked to make it more flavorful and less drastic.

First, I mix up some ‘Elixir’: 6 cups water, 1/4 cup honey + 1/4 cup cider vinegar. Set aside. Then, I make some Leek Broth: 2 cups cleaned, trimmed, sliced leeks cooked in 3.5 cups water. After the soup is cooked, strain out the leeks [save to top a pizza or as an add-in for eggs], divide the liquid into two portions, and refrigerate. This is from the book French Women Don’t Get Fat in which the author, Mireille Guiliano, describes how this soup helped her to lose weight when she was a pudgy, unhappy teen. The soup is very flavorful. We make it here not for weight loss but because it is ‘filling’.

On C-day minus 3, one eats foods very low in fiber: croissants or white toast with ham for breakfast, along with orange juice and coffee/tea. For dinner, a crab cake or broiled fish with summer squash and white rice or plain pasta.

On C-day minus 2, one again eats meals that are very low in fiber. An egg for breakfast, along with orange juice and coffee. For lunch, cottage cheese. For snack, cheese.

For C-day minus 2 dinner, 2.5 oz chicken breast meat, cubed + 2.5 oz cooked white rice + 1/2 cup chicken stock. Combine the rice, and the meat, and the stock and heat until warmed through. This produces a flavorful chicken-rice stew.

The reason for these days of low fiber, is so that when you get to the last day, when laxatives are taken, there is very little left in the bowel to get rid of.

After dinner, mix three different beverages and store them in quart jars in the ‘fridge: ………………………………….. A] Combine 32 oz White Cranberry or White Grape Juice with 60 g of Polyethylene Glycol …………………………….. B] Combine 32 oz of Elixir with 60 g of Polyethylene Glycol …………………………………………………………………………. C] Combine 32 oz water with 60 g of Polyethylene Glycol

C-Day minus 1: This is the true ‘Fasting Day’, since you will have no solid food, no caffeine, no dairy, and no alcohol. For “breakfast”, a cup or two of herbal tea with honey [but no dairy] plus one cup of Leek Broth, warmed with some added salt.

At 10 am, take two [2] tablets of Ducolax  [bisa-codyl] laxative. At 11 am, Drink 8 oz of Mixture C [the water one]…. At 11:20 am, Drink 8 oz of Mixture A [the juice one] …. At 11:40 am, Drink 8 oz of Mixture B [the Elixir one] …. At 12 noon, Drink 8 oz of Mixture C …. At 12:20 pm, Drink 8 oz of Mixture A …. At 12:40 pm, Drink 8 oz of Mixture B …. At 1:00 pm, Drink 8 oz of Mixture C …. At 1:20 pm, Drink 8 oz of Mixture A …. At 1:40 pm, Drink 8 oz of Mixture B …. At 2:00 pm, Drink 8 oz of Mixture C …. At 2:20 pm, Drink 8 oz of Mixture A …. At 2:40 pm, Drink 8 oz of Mixture B……………………. C-day minus 1 dinner: one cup of Leek Broth mixed with 1 cup Beef Bouillon from a bouillon cube.

And you are done with the Prep. I have had very good success with this method: a cleaned bowel, with no explosive diarrhea, no abdominal cramps. At least, that is how it works for me. Good luck. If you are over 40 years old, haven’t had a colonoscopy ever or in more than 10 years, please, schedule one now.