Recipes for healthy dieting

World War I — 1740-1763

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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.

Those of us who are history-challenged tend to think of wars as unique events. In the last century, there were two ‘world wars’ which were named ‘One’ and ‘Two’ as if no other wars had happened before them. In 1754, a war began that involved many nations and that had battle sites all over the world. In the USA, we call it the “French & Indian War” — not because they were fighting each other, but because ‘we’, as English citizens, were fighting them. In reality, England and France were fighting for control of all of North America. In Europe, France was allied with Austria, and Sweden against Prussia and they called it the “Seven-Years War” which was a continuation of the “War of the Austrian Succession.” Fighting took place all over — in Canada; in America; battles on the sea; in India; in Germany; in Bohemia; in the Caribbean — making it a ‘world war’ indeed. This war certainly did not end war — it set the stage for the American Revolution 20 years later. On June 16, 1745, a rag-tag group of New Englanders and British forces were attacking the Fortress of Louisbourg in Nova Scotia. By hauling cannon overland, through bog and forest, they took the fortress from the unprotected land side, defeating the French — for the moment.

Since this war took place around the entire globe, a breakfast from India — not the Indians of the ‘French & Indian War.’ Dinner involves a meal with ingredients from France and England.

Tikka Masala ScrOmelette w/ Salmon: 149 calories 9 g fat 0 g fiber 12 g protein 5.6 g carbs 48 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  Had a little Tikka Masala sauce [from a jar], and since we love the combo of curry in eggs, this was a sure thing. Ordinarily, we enjoy fruit with the eggs in the morning, but a curry dish is well complimented by a cool cucumber raita.

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 Tbsp Tikka Masala sauce @ 20 calories/tablespoon 2 Tbsp/1 Fluid oz plain, fat-free yogurt pinch of garlic powder pinch of ground cumin 1/8 c/0.52 oz diced cucumber ½ oz tomato, chopped 1/8 oz cooked salmon   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5 oz Berry Lassi [89 calories] or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Stir together the yogurt, cucumber, and spices, and let sit while you prepare the eggs. Spritz a fry pan with olive oil or non-stick spray, and add the tomato and salmon. Warm them while you whisk the eggs with the Tikka sauce. Pour the eggs into the pan and cook to your liking. Remove eggs to the plate, fold, and top with the raita. Prepare optional beverages. This is a recipe to do again.

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! This is one of our favorite salad meals. If walnuts disagree with you, try pecans or hazelnuts.

2½ cups mesclun [baby greens] 2 oz pear, sliced 1 oz bleu cheese, crumbled 1½ oz tomato, cubed or cherry-type ¼ oz walnuts 1 oz cannelli beans, rinsed and 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 slightly browned. Whisk the 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 into the serving plate and garnish with the remaining ingredients. Amazing.

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

1 two-oz egg + garlic1 two-oz egg + queso fresco 
leek + American streaky baconPimenta sauce
Gruyere cheese + applesaucechorizo paste
plain yogurt/mayonnaisepineapple or banana
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

romaine lettuce + cooked salmon4 oz grouper + cauliflower
green beans + black olives + olive oil4 limpets, 2″ in diameter
white wine vinegar + radishbroccoli + carrots
hard-boiled egg + cherry tomatoesgarlic + butter
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Vikings

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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.

Vikings seem to be popular these days. On Netflix you can choose from several viking titles. Same with Amazon Prime. There are books about vikings. Let’s not forget movies about vikings. Maybe Marvel’s Thor had something to do with it. How accurate are these presentations? Not exactly true to characters and timelines, but then we don’t watch Bridgerton to learn facts about Regency England, do we? The word “viking” refers to a ‘person who is a raider.’ I can’t help seeing a relationship to the Danish/Norse word ‘vik’ which means a bay/river/stream. One advantage that the ‘vikings’ had was that their knarrs [ships] could row or sail far up rivers in shallow water. To “go a-viking” meant to leave Scandinavia on a raiding trip. Why did they do that? In their time, most of the land in Norway and Denmark was already in someone’s possession: many men were Land-Lords, with an estate to feed the family and vassals to pay allegiance to them. This drove others to become Sea-Lords, who lived in coastal manors and derived their income solely from raiding. While the Swedes raided to the East, becoming the Rus, the Norse and Danes raided West, first hitting Lindesfarne, England in 793. After that, the coastal areas of Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales, and France were fair game for raids. Not knowing better, the English called the raiders “Danes.” My ancestor, Bernard ‘le Danois,’ was born and raised in More, Norway — yet history calls him a Dane. The Viking Era ended in 1066, when descendants of the Norse, now living in Normandie, sailed across the English Channel in their knarrs and invaded England.

The “Danes” tended to eat only two meals a day, typical of many Europeans of the era. Porridge, vegetable stew, and meat stew were common meals. But we like a more varied diet: eggs for breakfast with a “Danish” slant. Since the Vikings sailed the Mediterranean, we will serve a popular food of that region: felafel for dinner.

Danish ScrOmelette: 140 calories 10.4 g fat 0.5 g fiber 12 g protein 5.6 g carbs [3 g Complex] 242 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  This breakfast is in honor of the “Danes,” as all Vikings were called by the rest of Europe. The taste of the sea, the Danish cheese, the mariner’s star in the apple: all evoke the Northmen.

++ 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 oz Danish bleu cheese ++++ ½ oz herring marinated in wine ++++ 1 oz apple, sliced so you can see the star inside ++++ 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] ++

Mince the herring. Crumble the bleu cheese and whisk with the eggs. Hold the apple on its side and slice it so that the star of seeds and core in the middle is revealed. Cut a slice parallel to your cut to end up with a slice that weighs 1 oz. Spray a frying pan with non-stick spray and put the minced herring in the pan. Quickly pour the egg-cheese mixture in the pan. As the egg begins to set around the edges, lift the egg with a fork or spatula and tip the pan so that uncooked egg flows underneath. Continue like that until the bottom is fully cooked and the top is set. [Flip the omelette if you dare, or put it under the broiler if you like your eggs well browned.] Slide the eggs on to the plate next to the apple, pour the beverages.

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

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

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

Nathan Hale

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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 Garane Ibrahim who is now Following.

On June 6, 1755, the Hale family welcomed the birth of a son in Coventry, Connecticut. No one knew how famous he would become for being put to death in 1776. Young Nathan was well educated and attended Yale University. He became a school teacher and then war was declared between the American Colonies and Great Britain. Hale’s several brothers enlisted right away and saw action in Massachusetts. Nathan signed up at the end of the school year, joining George Washington‘s army as they moved to New York. Following a loss to the British on Long Island, General Washington realized the need for spies in British-held territory, in order to plan for the next attack. Hale volunteered. There was no training, no handed-down wisdom on how to run a covert operation. Spying was not considered ‘gentlemanly,’ so no one knew how to do it well. Nathan Hale did not do spying well at all. His cover story was that he was a school teacher. Complete with the correct clothing [teachers dressed a certain way back then], Hale slipped over to Long Island in September, 1775. He engaged people in conversations easily enough, but he asked questions too aggressively and acted suspiciously. After confiding his goals to a British counter-espionage agent, Hale was arrested after one week on the job. Tried in a military court in Manhattan, he was hanged the next day. Every school child knows his ‘dying words.’ When asked by a sneering British officer if he had any regrets, Hale is supposed to have said, “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” This was a quote from the play “Cato” by J. Addison, which Hale and his friends at Yale knew well. Did he really say those stirring and defiant words? Possibly not. His college buddies kept his memory alive and might have guessed that he might have said something like that. No one really knows, but eyewitnesses say that he went to his death with courage and dignity. The Nathan Hale Homestead, built over the house where he was born, is an historical site. Hale is Connecticut’s official State Hero. Don’t look at any of his statues to know what he looked like — they were all done posthumously, with no likenesses as a model. One of the statues stands on the campus of CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

A man as patriotic as Nathan Hale deserves an all-American [made with corn] patriotic breakfast such as this one. For dinner, a very New England meal.

Cornmeal Stars with Fruit Yogurt: 133 calories 3 g fat 4 g fiber 7.6 g protein 21 g carbs [8 g Complex] 46 mg Calcium  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB GF  Cornmeal and stars are SO American, that they fit in with any patriotic meal. Are there stars in your nation’s flag? This one is for you too.

Cornmeal Stars: 1 egg white 1 egg yolk, stirred 1 Tbsp white whole-wheat flour 3 Tbsp yellow cornmeal Whip the egg white to soft peaks. Fold in the yolk, the flour, and the meal. Put your largest [3-4”] star-shaped cookie cutter in the center of a non-stick pan. Spray the pan and the inside of the star with non-stick spray. Spoon some batter into the star, nudging it into the corners. As it starts to cook, loosen the mold from the batter and remove it. Cook the star on one side until starting to brown, then turn carefully to cook the other side. Repeat until batter is all used up. HINT: This can be done a day or so in advance, storing the stars in a plastic bag.

Per serving: 1.5 stars 2 Tbsp fat-free Vanilla yogurt 2 Tbsp blueberries 2 oz strawberries, sliced or diced [If frozen, they will need to be thawed and drained]   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] or lemon in hot water 

Plate the stars, slightly overlapping. Dollop the yogurt on top, then strew with fruit.

Crab Cakes: 237 calories 7 g fat 4 g fiber 18.6 g protein 17 g carbs 198 mg Calcium  PB  GF- if using GF bread  Rock and Jonah crabs abound on the coast of New England and they are grand as crab cakes. This recipe is from Todd English’s Olive’s Table cookbook.  Note: this is the full recipe and makes 8 cakes – more than you will eat at one meal. Prepare them all and cook as directed.  HINT: This will provide a few future meals.

½ pound crab meat 2 T [1 fluid oz] plain nonfat yogurt  1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 Tbsp. chopped green or white onion 1 Tbsp parsley, minced one 2-oz egg 1 tsp salt & ¼ tsp pepper 1 slice fresh 70-cal bread, crumbled 4 T. flour 2 tsp oil 5 oz asparagus aioli dressing: 1 tsp low-fat mayonnaise few drops of lemon juice pinch each of tumeric and garlic powder

Gently combine the first eight ingredients in a bowl. Dust a large plate with the flour. Using a ¼ c. measure as a mold, form the crab cakes and turn them out onto the flour. There should be 7-8 cakes. Dust the top of the cakes with some of the flour. Heat a non-stick skillet and add 2 tsp olive oil. Handling them carefully, cook the crab cakes until they are beginning to brown on the top and then turn them to brown on the bottom. Cook the asparagus. Prepare the aioli. Put aioli on crab cakes and asparagus. One Fast Day serving = 1-2 crab cakes. Cool the others, wrap in cling film and freeze. Reheat in a toaster oven, since the cakes will have been previously cooked.

Rhubarb Time

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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.

Spring time is synonymous with rhubarb, ‘the first fruit of the season.’ Rhubarb is not a ‘fruit’ but we treat it like one, adding sugar to make desserts. Rhubarb is very healthy to eat: low in calories, high in fiber, and high in Calcium. Most desserts use large amounts of sugar, which makes rhubarb-eating less healthy. However, there are beverages to be made from the plant’s stalks [the only part of the plant that is edible] which can be very healthy, and today I will share them with you. The beverages’ ingredients include Crushed Rhubarb, Rhubarb Puree, and Rhubarb Juice. [That last one really needs a new name, to sound more appetizing — suggestions will be appreciated.]

Crushed Rhubarb

1.5 pounds rhubarb measured
for cooking.
Rhubarb breaks down after cooking.
6 Cups of Crushed Rhubarb.
Makes 6 cups crushed rhubarb
5 cups/1½# sliced rhubarb
4 cups/1 L. Water 		Simmer in a large pot for 20 minutes or until the rhubarb softens and starts to break down.
Stir, crushing rhubarb with back of spoon. Cool.

Uses: The crushed rhubarb and its juice can be used as the liquid in smoothies instead of orange juice. >>>Berry-Yogurt Smoothie   >>>Blueberry Smoothie  >>>Fruit Smoothie   

Rhubarb Puree 

Rhubarb puree
Orange-Rhubarb Juice

After cooking, run it all through a blender/VitaMix to puree it or use an immersion wand. In our house, we use this puree to supplement orange juice. Why do this? 1] better nutrition 2] makes purchased OJ go further, saving $ 3] less sugar in your diet.

Makes 3 cupscalories fat fiber protein carbs Calcium Sugar 
1 c. rhubarb PUREE, liquid+solid210.2 g2 g1 g4.6 g87.5 mg1.1 g
2 c. orange juice2200 g0 g0 g54 g40 mg48 g
1 c. combined800 g0.6 g0.3 g19 g42.5 mg16 g

Rhubarb Juice — based on a recipe from Fannie Farmer and her cookbook.

Mush on the left, juice on the right

After preparing the Crushed Rhubarb, strain the pulp from the liquid with a sieve or colander. The color of the juice will vary from light pink to greenish-brown depending on the color of the rhubarb stalk. You will now have the clear juice and the solids, aka rhubarb mush. Both have their uses. Yield from full batch of rhubarb: 3-1/2 of juice + 1½ c. rhubarb mush Yield from 2 cups crushed rhubarb: 1½ c juice + ½ cup rhubarb mush USES FOR RHUBARB JUICE with added sugar >>>summer beverage: Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar to 3-1/2 cups warm, strained juice. Chill, and drink over ice garnished with a strawberry and a sprig of mint. Very refreshing. >>>cocktail: ½ cup sweetened Rhubarb Juice + 1 fluid oz rum, served over ice. NOT for a FAST DAY. USES FOR RHUBARB MUSH >>>Rhubarb Pudding >>>Rhubarb Creme Brulee You can also use it as part of the fruit in any smoothie, sweet or savory.

The Crushed Rhubarb, the Rhubarb Puree, and the Rhubarb Juice can easily be hot-water-bath canned for shelf storage throughout the year. Keep the savings going long after the rhubarb patch is covered with snow.

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

1 two-oz eggNext week, the topic will be smoothies.
white whole wheat flourFind a new favorite breakfast in Archives
yellow cornmeal + strawberries
fat-free vanilla yogurt + blueberries
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

crab meat [Jonah or Rock] + asparagus + scallionNext week, the topic will be smoothies.
Plain not-fat yogurt  + Dijon mustard + oilFind a new favorite dinner in Archives
garlic powder + parsley + low-fat mayonnaise
1 two-oz egg + 70-cal whole grain bread + lemon juice
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Jeanne d’Arc

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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 ____ who are now Following.

To say that politics in France in the early 1400s were ‘troubled’ would be a polite way of saying ‘What a mess!!!’ There was no France as we know it. There was no king. Charles VI had been deposed by the English, who declared that English King Henry V and his heirs were next in line for the throne of France. The English controlled one third of what we now think of France, about half the region was controlled by French loyalists, and another portion was the Duchy of Burgundy, independent but favoring the English. Charles, son of Charles VI, should have been crowned but he was weak and lacked authority. Enter a teenager from Lorraine, a duchy just outside of eastern France. Saints had visited her since she was 13 years old, she said, and told her to go to Charles and to save France. This unassuming girl talks local leaders into introducing her to Charles because she says she can get him crowned king. Although Charles hides amid his courtiers, the young shepherdess picks him out of the crowd. The girl, of course, is Jeanne d’Arc, nicknamed ‘La Pucelle’ [‘the Maiden’], and the year is 1429. Charles tests her further by sending her with an army to wrest the city of Orleans from the English. And she does. On the strength of that, Charles and Jeanne went to Reims, the traditional place to crown a French king, to establish him as the head of the nation. The battles went on, Jeanne’s army won often. In May, 1430, she was captured by the Duke of Burgundy’s men and was ‘sold’ to the English. Imprisoned and put on trial, Jeanne was abandoned by Charles VII, by France, and by the church — the pro-England Roman Catholic Church called her a heretic and excommunicated her. On May 30, 1431, Jeanne d’Arc was burned at the stake in front of the Cathedral of Rouen. Twenty-five years later, new inquiries were held, overturning her trial. Jeanne’s restoration was complete in May, 1920 when she was declared a saint, the Patron Saint of France. May seems to be the Month of the Maiden.

Domremy, where Jeanne was born, is in the Lorraine part of France. Lorraine is known as the origin of quiche. In honor of Jeanne’s birthplace, a nod to Quiche Lorraine. Jeanne was killed in Rouen, Normandy, where crepes and galettes are part of the diet. In recognition of Rouen’s role in Jeanne’s death, a meal of galette and local seafood. The life of Jeanne d’Arc impressed me greatly when I read a biography of her in 6th grade. I still am in awe of her courage, her faith, and her life.

Bake Lorraine: 180 calories 11 g fat 1 g fiber 12.5 g protein 7.6 g carbs [4.4 g Complex] 193 mg Calcium  NB: The food values shown are for the egg bake and the fruit, not for the optional beverages.  GF  You’ve heard of Quiche Lorraine? Well, here it is, crustless, yet with all the flavor intact. Very do-able for breakfast. Make sure your next meal has lots of fiber, as this has next to none.

1 two-oz egg ½ slice uncured bacon 3 Tbsp whole milk ½ oz Swiss cheese [Emmentaler, Gruyere] pinch cayenne pepper + pinch nutmeg 2 oz strawberries Optional: blackish coffee[53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water 

Dice the bacon and cook it until crispy. Grate or finely chop the cheese. Spray an oven-proof dish with non-stick spray and put the cheese on the bottom. Whisk together the egg, milk, and seasonings. Pour over the cheese, then sprinkle the bacon on top.  HINT: I did all this the night before. Bake in a 350F oven for 17 minutes. Plate with the fruit. A creamy, delicious treat!

Seafood Galettes: 269 calories  7 g fat 3 g fiber  18 g protein 19 g carbs [10 g Complex]   142 mg Calcium   PB  This recipe is a terrific idea for a quick meal – IF you have Bechamel sauce and galettes in the freezer.  HINT: This recipe makes enough to serve 2 [two] people.

7 oz Ahi tuna fillet OR mixed seafood, cooked and cut in ½” bits 1 wedge Laughing Cow cheese  2 buckwheat galettes  6 Tbsp bechamel sauce without cheese 2-3 Tbsp fish stock 1.5 oz cauliflower florets 1 oz carrot ‘coins’ 2 oz zucchini slices

If your tuna isn’t cooked, poach it gently in fish stock – enough to come half-way up the fillet. Reserve the stock as you will use some of it later. Cut the fish into small chunks. Gently heat and whisk the bechamel with 2 Tbsp fish stock and the cheese until the cheese melts. Add the fish/seafood to the sauce, adding more stock if you wish. Prepare the vegetables and begin to cook them. Warm the galettes, wrapped in tea towel, in the microwave. When the fish and sauce are warm and the vegetables are cooked, plate the vegetables and place the galette on the plate too. Divide the fish and sauce between the two galettes and serve. Delicious!

William of Ockham

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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 heard of ‘Occam’s Razor‘? It is often referenced in movies — the idea that the most simple answer is probably correct. William was born c.1287 in Occam/Ockham, Surrey, England. Some time before age 13, he was schooled at a Franciscan monastery in London. At age 23, he studied theology, either in London or at Oxford, but he did not complete the program. He returned to London where he began to write about theology and philosophy. His views were not well-received. First, he was called to explain his ideas to the Franciscans’ regional meeting, then he was accused of heresy and journeyed to Avignon, France to face Pope John XXII. [Remember that at this time the Papal Court was not in Rome, the Papacy having been hijacked by the French king in 1309.] Also at Avignon was the head of the Franciscans, Michael of Cesna. As a follower of Saint Francis, Michael believed that religious men and women should live lives of poverty. This put him at odds with the Pope who lived lavishly. [The famous vineyards of Chateauneuf du Pape were owned by the French popes.] Michael asked William to review the scriptures and the writings of John XXII to see who had the correct idea. William declared that not only was Michael backed up by the Bible, but that the pope was a heretic. You can imagine how that went over. On May 26, 1328, William, Michael, and some companions sneaked out of the papal compound and fled to the protection of Louis of Bavaria who was at odds with the pope. William continued to write. He was never convicted of heresy, but the church never forgave him for criticizing the pope. Most of that is forgotten, but William’s way of ‘cutting away’ competing ideas has had a long life.

For the rich life in the Papal Court at Avignon, eggs served with truffle cream. For Occam’s stay in Bavaria, pork for dinner.

Truffled Omelette: 146 calories 9.4 g fat 1 g fiber 9.5 g protein 6 g carbs 43.5 mg Calcium  PB GF  Truffle cream adds amazing flavor to food and just a little gives a big kick. This is a simple meal with a complex taste.

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 Tbsp truffle cream  1¼ oz apple   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Whisk the eggs and pour into an oil-spritzed saute pan. Cook, undisturbed, until the eggs begin to set. Spread the truffle cream over half of the egg, fold the omelette, and cook further to your liking. Plate with the apple.  TIP: there will be lots of truffle cream left in the jar. Portion it into smaller containers, label and freeze.

Pork Schnitzel:  233 calories 10 g fat 3 g fiber 14.4 g protein 23 g carbs [10 g Complex] 31 mg Calcium  PB  If you find breaded pork loin cutlets at the butcher shop, snap them up for this easy, yet low calorie meal. Have the butcher verify that the cutlet is indeed 3-3.5 oz in mass. [Each ounce = 62 calories 3 g Fat  0.3 g fiber 4 g Protein  4.4 g carbs  6 mg Calcium]

3-3.5 oz breaded pork loin cutlets 2 oz beets 1 oz roasted red potatoes ½ oz mushrooms

Set the oven for 425F. Slice the red potatoes in half and place in an oven-proof pan. Spray liberally with non-stick spray, sprinkle on sakt and pepper, and place in the oven. Set timer for 15 minutes. [Check the potatoes for done-ness at 15 minutes. They may need another few minutes – your call.] While the potatoes cook and the beets warm up in a pan, spray a heavy non-stick skillet with non-stick spray. When it is hot, begin to cook the pork schnitzel. Cook for 2-3 minutes on one side, then flip it over and put the mushrooms in the pan as well. Cook both for another 3 minutes. Plate the pork and vegetables. Pour the mushrooms on top of the schnitzel along with any pan juices. Very simple and satisfying.

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

1 two-oz egg + strawberries next week, I will present ways to prepare rhubarb
uncured American baconin beverages and in breakfast dishes.
whole milk + Swiss cheeseFind a new breakfast favorite in the Archive.
cayenne pepper + nutmeg
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

Ahi tuna + Laughing Cow CheeseFind a new favorite dinner in the Archive.
Bechamel without cheese  + fish stock 
2 buckwheat galettes
Cauliflower + carrot + zucchini
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Star-Crossed Lovers: Dante & Beatrice  

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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 R.M.P. Marotta who is now Following.

My mother said that there are seven basic plots in literature and one of them is the story of the “Star-Crossed Lovers.” This plot centers around two people who are in love yet because fate intervenes in one way or another, they are kept apart. Shakespeare coined the term, implying that one’s astrology [stars] controlled one’s destiny. In real life there are star-crossed lovers and one such famous pair is that of Dante/Durante Alighieri and Beatrice Portinari. They lived in 13th century Firenze, one of the great city-states of Italy. They met as children, since they lived down the street from one another and their families summered in the same village, and Dante said that he was sweet on her even then. But Dante wrote of seeing her in the Church of Saint Margaret, Santa Margherita dei Chechi, when they were in their teens. He fell in love with her on the spot because she was his ideal of womanhood. Unfortunately, Dante had been betrothed at age 12 to another woman, Gemma Donati — surely a marriage arranged to the benefit of two wealthy families. Beatrice married at age 22 to a banker, since her father was a banker — another arranged marriage? She died at age 25, possibly in child-birth, but Dante never forgot her. Four years after her death, he published his first book of poems La Vita Nuova containing sonnets about his love for Beatrice. Dante also places Beatrice as his guide in heaven in his greater work, The Divine Comedy/La Commedia. Never once did he write a sonnet to his wife. The lore of Dante and Beatrice was resurrected in the Victorian Age by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, who painted pictures of them and wrote about them as examples of romantic love.

A breakfast created for Beatrice Portinari, nicknamed ‘Bice’ [pronounced Bee-chay], is based on eggs Benedict. The dinner is from their hometown and honors Florence’s most famous exile.

Egg for Bice: 228 calories 10 g fat 2.5 g fiber 15 g protein 25 g carbs 207.5 mg Calcium   PB ‘Bice’ was the nickname of Dante’s adored Beatrice. Eggs Benedict, when made with ham, become Eggs Beatrice. Due to the ‘Florentine’ sauce, this is a perfect meal for the ‘perfect woman.’

½ whole wheat English muffin, @ 50 calories 1 two-oz egg, poached 0.4 ham, a slice from the deli 1.8 oz grapes 3 Tbsp Florentine Sauce   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] or lemon in hot water

Florentine Sauce: ¼ c Bechamel sauce with cheese ½ oz cooked spinach ¼ tsp ground nutmeg Warm the béchamel gently. Squeeze the excess liquid from the cooked spinach. Chop it and stir into the béchamel along with the nutmeg. Keep warm until you assemble the meal.

Poach the egg while the English muffin toasts. Warm the sauce gently while the ham is heated in a dry skillet. Plate the muffin and spoon 1 Tbsp of sauce onto it. Top with the ham, then put the egg atop the ham. Spoon the rest of the sauce over the egg. Plate with the grapes.

Dante Sandwich: 260 calories 7 g fat 4 g fiber 9.6 g protein 22 g carbs 38.5 mg Calcium  PB  A sandwich shop in Firenze was the inspiration for this delight, dubbed the ‘Dante’ on the menu. Our older son introduced this to us. One is amazed that it fits our Fast Day calculations.

1 Foccacio roll** 1 Tbsp truffle cream 2 tsp stracciatella cheese OR 2 tsp whipped cream cheese ¼ oz lettuce or arugula 2 slices/0.65 oz capicola 2 oz roasted sweet potatoes pinch of microgreens cooking spray

Set the oven to 425F. Put parchment paper on a small baking pan and spray with cooking spray. Peel and thinly slice the sweet potatoes to produce the right amount. Arrange the slices on the parchment and spray with cooking spray. Put in oven for 10 minutes. I was using ‘baby’ sweet potatoes, cut on the diagonal. Slice a foccacio roll in half, like a hamburger bun. On the bottom half, spread the truffle cream. On the top half, spread the cheese. Put the capicola on the bottom half and top with the lettuce. Turn the sweet potatoes after 10 minutes, spray with more oil, sprinkle with lots of salt and pepper. Roast for 10 more minutes. Plate it all, with the micro greens on the side, and enjoy every delicious bite.

Slow Days: Rhubarb Crumb Cake

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

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

We love rhubarb. We’d better — our rhubarb patch has 16 clumps, each with multiple crowns, each crown producing five stalks at a time. We share crowns with friends and neighbors. For the town’s Rhubarb Festival, much is harvested for pies to sell. The town’s Library sells crowns from our patch. And still there is more! Pies and coffee cakes go into the freezer, to last into the winter. This is one of our favorite coffee cakes, adapted from a recipe in the New York Times. Dear Husband is a big help: he prepares the crumb, and we both assemble it for baking.

A perfect Sunday breakfast with fruited yogurt and chicken sausages.
12-16 slicesPreheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9” springform pan.
FRUIT16 oz [1#] pound rhubarb 
¼ cup sugar 2 tsp cornstarch ¾ tsp ground ginger		Slice rhubarb ½-inch thick and toss with other ingredients.Set aside THE FRUIT.
CRUMB1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt ½ cup/1 stick butter, melted
¾ cup all-purpose 1 cup White whole wheat flour 		In a large bowl, whisk sugars, spices and salt into melted butter until smooth. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon. It will look and feel like a solid dough. Leave it pressed together in the bottom of the bowl and set aside THE CRUMB.
WET1/3 cup plain yogurt /sour cream  1 large/2 oz egg
1 large egg yolk OR 3 oz egg total 2 tsp vanilla extract		In a small bowl, stir these ingredients together to form the ‘Wet Mixture.’ Set aside THE WET MIXTURE



B
A		½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup white whole wheat flour 
1/3 cup sugar  ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt		Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix these ingredients together.. 
T
T		6 Tbsp softened butter 1 Tbsp of above Wet MixtureCut butter into 12 pieces. Add these to above. Mix on medium speed ’til flour is moistened. Increase speed, beat 30 seconds
E
R		½ of Wet Mixture = 3 oz other ½ of Wet Mixture = 3 ozAdd Wet Mixture in 2 batches, beating 20 secs after each addition, scraping down sides of bowl. Pour batter into pan.
Spoon rhubarb over batter. 
With your fingers, break/squeeze crumb mixture into big crumbs, ~½” -¾” in size. Sprinkle over rhubarb and cake. 
Bake 45-55 min until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean (it might be moist from rhubarb). Cool ~10 mins,then remove collar of pan. Cool completely before serving.

The Dark Day

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

On May 17, 1780, a long drought in the Ontario Province of Canada, caused a raging wildfire. In New England, people noticed that the sun had a reddish hue. On May 19, people in New England woke up to a day without a dawn. It was dark and as the morning went on, the sky became even darker. By noon, the sky was inky black, animals went to sleep, candles were lit, and people were very worried. Churches filled, as residents sought reassurance and answers. No real answers were possible. Meterology was not yet an acknowledged field of study. Today, satellite photos would have shown the reason, and TV weather-casters would have told about the clouds of ash from the fires to the West, as occurred last July in Boston. Ministers preached about the Second Coming, schools closed early, and state legislatures considered adjournment. A stalwart Connecticut lawmaker, Abraham Davenport, declared that if the world were to end, he’d rather that it found him doing his job. Poems were composed, sermons were written citing Joel 3, v 14-16, and Matthew 24, v 29-31, and to this day The Dark Day of New England is remembered.

On the Dark Day, some people thought it was the end of the world — or maybe a recurrence the 10 Plagues of Egypt. Thus, we will have a Passover-style breakfast. What would you eat for dinner if the world were going to end that night? This dinner is delicious, special, easy to prepare, and one of our favorites.

Reuben Matzo Egg: 168 calories 10 g fat 1.5 g fiber 14 g protein 18.6 g carbs [2.5 g Complex] 54 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB  The flavors of a Reuben but Kosher for Passover! What’s not to love? Delicious, filling breakfast. The original recipe is from Kosher in the Kitch.

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 matzo cracker [14 g], like Streit’s brand  ¼ oz corned beef, sliced thinly and minced 2 Tbsp sauerkraut, drained 1.5 tsp Russian Dressing** freshly-ground black pepper  Optional: black coffee with 1 tsp sugar [16 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water  Optional: 4 oz Kosher orange juice [56 calories]

**Russian Dressing  22 calories/1.5 tsp  1 tsp mayonnaise ¼ tsp catsup 1/8 tsp hot sauce 1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce pinch paprika  Whisk everything together.

Whisk the eggs vigorously, then stir in most of the corned beef and sauerkraut. Pour into a non-stick pan which was spritzed with olive oil. Scramble until done to your preference. Carefully break your half of the matzo in two or three pieces. Spread most of the Russian Dressing on the matzo crackers, then top with the eggs. Garnish with remaining corned beef, a dollop of the Dressing, and black pepper.  Delish.

Ham & Asparagus Popover: 300 calories 10 g fat 3.5 g fiber 18.5 g protein 28.5 g carbs 154.6 mg Calcium What a fine way to recycle the components of a Sunday dinner.  HINT: Recipe serves 2 [two] people. Easy to cut in half or to double.

3 oz ham [from a roast, this has 11% fat] 6 oz asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces ½ cup Bechamel sauce  ½ oz Swiss cheese   per person: 1 popover **

** Makes 12 popoversRecipe from SeriousEats
7 oz shelled eggs
150g all-purpose flour
175g whole milk
2g kosher salt = ½ tsp
25g water = 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp 		Combine eggs, flour, milk, water, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until a smooth batter is formed.
Let batter rest at room temperature, 30 mins or overnight in the ‘fridge. Remove from ‘frige while oven preheats and whisk it.
Put oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 450°F /230°C. 
4 Tbsp butter/beef drippings/lardDivide fat evenly among wells of one 12-well standard muffin tin.
Preheat tin in oven ~10 mins.
Take tin from oven and divide batter evenly among wells, filling each about ½- way. 
Immediately return to oven and bake until deep brown all over, 18-20 minutes.
Serve immediately.
Put left overs in a zipper-lock freezer bag, and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat in a hot toaster oven before serving.

Snap off the woody ends of asparagus. Slice the spears and cook until tender. Cut ham into ½” chunks. Dice/grate the cheese and add it to the Bechamel sauce in a sauce pan. Warm gently until the cheese melts. Add the ham and asparagus and season to taste.  HINT: This could be done hours in advance. Bake the popovers until puffed and browned but not dry. Heat the ham/asparagus sauce gently while the Popovers bake. Break open popovers and spoon the ham filling over/in it. Very Special.

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

1 two-oz egg + spinach, fresh or frozen1.5 two-oz eggs  
1/2 whole wheat English Muffin [50 calories]truffle cream
slice of deli ham 3%-fat + nutmegblueberries
bechamel sauce w/ cheese
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

Foccacio bun: bread + white whole wheat flour 3 oz breaded pork cutlet
capicola hambeets
truffle cream + sweet potatoessmall red potatoes
Stracciatella cheese or whipped cream cheesemushrooms
arugula + microgreens
sparkling watersparkling water

Potatoes

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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 Freelancer Remote Jobs who is now Following.

Around 4000 BCE, the Inca people of Peru were growing potatoes. Not only did they grow potatoes, they used selective breeding — as Luther Burbank did in the 1900s — to combine the traits of many varieties to improve them. Those tubers were small and multi-colored and they were a major part of the diet. Introduced to Spain in 1570, potatoes caught on there and in Ireland. Potatoes were once considered the best food for feeding the starving poor: they were easy to grow, stored well, and had a lot of carbohydrates to make one feel full. By some, they were scorned as ‘lazy man’s bread’ since the growing of potatoes was less trouble than wheat. A boiled or baked potato is a source of nutrients. But as they became ubiquitous in the Standard American Diet — as an ingredient in foods that were processed and fried — potatoes were blamed for causing weight gain. Potatoes have a high Glycemic Index: that is to say, they are easily converted to sugar in the body. Eating a lot of potatoes at a sitting [“Bet you can’t eat just one!” said a snack chip advert] can cause your blood sugar to soar. This is because the white potato contains simple carbohydrates when compared to other plant starches like whole grains. All of this makes potatoes a less than optimal choice for people who want to lose weight and avoid diabetes. Are potatoes good as food or are they bad? The answer, as always, lies in preparation and in portion size.

You can still eat your white potatoes, especially in combination with other vegetables. Presented here today, a Scottish combo of potatoes and turnips, and a Netherlandish dish of potatoes and carrots. More complex carbohydrates, more fiber, more flavor. Try them!

Neeps & Tatties:  ½ c = 76 caloreis 0.5 g fat 3.6 g fiber 3 g protein 14.5 g carbs 69 mg Calcium  PB GF  This classic side dish of Scotland and Northern England is best served with sausages, roast beef, or haggis.  HINT: makes 2 cups 

5 oz Russett potatoes, peeled and cubed 5 oz rutabega, peeled and cubed 1 tsp dry mustard powder [Coleman’s] salt & pepper ½ c scallions, chopped

Put vegetable cubes in water to cover and cook until tender. Drain, saving water for baking. Mash the vegetables, adding more liquid if you wish. Stir in the mustard, and add salt, pepper to taste. Either stir in the scallions or sprinkle on top.

Hutspot:  1/2 cup = 76 calories 0.6 g fat 3 g fiber 2 g protein 17.4 g carbs 29.6 mg Calcium   PB GF This is a revered national dish in the Netherlands where it is associated with the victory over the Spanish and the Relief of Leyden in the 1500s HINT: makes 1 cup

2 oz potato, peeled 2 oz carrots, peeled 2 oz onion salt and pepper to taste

Cube potatoes and put into a sauce pan with water half-way up. Cut carrots in coins and put on top of potatoes. Slice onions and put them on top of the carrots. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until all vegetables are soft. Drain, reserving the liquid. Mash vegetables, adding reserved liquid if needed. Season to taste.