Johannes Kepler

December 26, 2018February 15, 2025 ~ 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.

Although there is a space telescope named after him, most people would be hard pressed to recognize the name of Johannes Kepler. Yet he revolutionized how we view the solar system and brought us out of the Middle Ages of astronomy once and for all. He was the assistant to the famous Tycho Brahe [cf 13 December 2017] in Bohemia and inherited the detailed written observations of his mentor. By applying his superior mathematical skills, Kepler developed his 3 Laws of Planetary Motion. Today’s breakfast illustrates those theories. 1] Planets move in elliptical [egg-shaped] paths around the sun. [In his time, the 1500-year old ideas of Ptolemy said that orbits were perfect circles.] 2] When planets reach the point of their orbit where they are farthest from the sun, they travel slower, but go faster closer to the sun. The two figs mark places where a planet would go faster or slower in its orbit. 3] The time it takes a planet to orbit the sun [many scientists in the 1500s held that the Earth was in the center of the Solar System] is proportional to its distance from the sun. In the photo, the ‘orbital path’ of the spinach leaves would be shorter if it were closer to the egg yolk [egg yolk = sun.] These ideas were huge in their day and yet they made few ripples in the scientific community, with no scandal of excommunication. The time was almost right for recognizing that the old ideas were based on opinion and that scientists could prove, by observation and calculation, that their theories were correct.

Since Kepler’s side hustle was as an astrologer [the magic side of star-gazing], dinner gives a nod to the recent Winter Solstice, a time of dread and disruption in the ancient Solar Calendar. Kepler’s birthday is tomorrow. He was a Capricorn.

Fig & Chèvre Plate: 294 calories 8.7 g fat 5.7 g fiber 17 g protein 43 g carbs [33 g Complex] 325 mg Calcium PB GF Simple, elegant, and much more filling than it looks.

½ hard-boiled egg 1 dried fig, mass = 0.65 oz or 16 g 1 oz chèvre cheese ¼ oz baby spinach Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Rehydrate the dried fig by covering with water and microwaving or heating for 1 minute. Let the fig sit in the water for another few minutes, then cut in half. Arrange the spinach leaves in an oval. Dab the leaves with crumbles of the goat cheese. Plate the egg half and the fig halves. HINT: I composed the plate the night before, covered it with a plastic bag, and kept it cool until breakfast. Instant breakfast!

Winter Solstice Pizza: 281 calories 10 g fat 2.8 g fiber 16 g protein 15.6 g carbs [7.8 g Complex] 223.4 mg Calcium PB On the solstice, we like to prepare a pizza with elements of the season past [mushrooms represent Fall] and of the season to come [cured meats stand in for Winter]. Fabulous flavors!

1 whole wheat tortilla [ex: Herdez 8” Fajita-style Tortilla], must be 170 calories or less 1.5 Tbsp crushed tomatoes + pinch granulated garlic 1 oz mozzerella cheese, grated 1 oz mushrooms, chopped 1/3 oz prosciutto 1 Tbsp onion, chopped generous sprinkling of Italian Herbs + crushed red peppers to taste

Heat the oven to 400 F. Spread the tortilla with the crushed tomato sauce and garlic. Chop the prosciutto roughly and combine it with the mushrooms, onion, and cheese. Distribute over the pizza shell. Sprinkle with herbs, crushed red pepper, or other seasonings to taste. Bake for 5-10 minutes. Light some candles and enjoy pizza on the longest night of the year.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion

Next week I will discuss options for	American bacon + mushrooms
New Year’s Eve entertaining	Cheddar cheese + chicken stock
choose a favorite from the Archives for breakfast	Yorkshire Pudding Batter [..Not by Bread…18-Feb-2018 OR Arnold Sandwich Thin [100 calories]
	white whole wheat flour
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion:

Next week I will discuss options for	cooked pheasant meat
New Year’s Eve entertaining	carrots + cabbage + onion
choose a favorite from the Archives	pheasant or chicken gravy
for dinner	Arnold Sandwich Thin [100 calories]
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Adam & Eve

December 23, 2018December 23, 2018 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Thursday, eat the meals that will be posted on Wednesday. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to GlutLust who is now Following.

Tomorrow will be the Feast Day of St Adam and St Eve. Bet you didn’t know they were saints, did you? Me neither. Medieval and Renaissance artists loved to depict the once- happy pair — after all, they were naked!! So we see them being created in sculpture by Lorenzo Maitani; succumbing to temptation in painting by Lucas Cranach and in engraving by Albrecht Dürer; and being expelled from Eden in fresco by Masaccio; One of my favorites* is from bronze doors of Bishop Bernwald in Hildesheim, Germany begun in 1015. It shows God pointing accusingly to Adam, who fairly writhes in embarrassment over his nakedness. Adam points to Eve to blame her for their mistake. And Eve points to the Devil [a small dragon at her feet] to blame him, as if to say ‘the dog did it’! A wonderful examination of human nature. *[thanks, Pflug] Going from the sublime to the ridiculous: in old diner parlance, if the waitress yelled at the cook, “Adam and Eve on a Raft” it meant an order of poached eggs on toast. We will extend the ‘raft’ simile a bit to include the toast that is served under any food. At breakfast, the toast will hold the trendy avocado as well as the Adam/Eve egg, while at dinner it will be bread with Vietnamese toppings.

Avocado Toast: 273 calories 10.4 g fat 5 g fiber 14.4 g protein 32.5 g carbs 210 mg Calcium PB GF – if using GF bread Avocado Toast has been all the rage in celebrity diets, so we decided to try it. Very nice with the egg on top and a hearty whole-grain bread underneath.

1 two-oz egg o.8 oz avocado 1 slice 70-calorie whole-grain bread blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water ¼ cup unpasturized apple cider or 3 oz fruit smothie or green smoothie

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

Banh Mi: 300 calories 7 g fat 4.8 g fiber 20 g protein 36.7 g carbs 47 mg Calcium PB The recipe for this popular Thai/Viet street sandwich came in the mail from Eating Well’s Shape magazine. Just a few tweeks and it worked splendidly for a Fast Day. Dear Husband is fan. Bahn Mi

3 oz pork tenderloin, previously cooked or raw 1 tsp Asian sweet chili sauce + ½ tsp soy sauce 1.5 oz cucumber, cut in 2-3” strips 1.5 oz red sweet pepper, cut in 2-3” strips 2 oz carrot, shredded 2 Tbsp pickle brine [juice from a jar of pickles] + ½ tsp sesame oil + ¼ tsp ground ginger + ¼ tsp ground garlic + pinch sesame seeds 1-1/2 oz baguette slices, cut 1/4” thick

Slice the pork thinly and brush with Asian chili + soy sauce mixture. If meat is uncooked, briefly sauté until just pink. Combine the pickle brine with the sesame-ginger -garlic-sesame to make a dressing, and set aside in a small bowl. Slice and grate the vegetables and toss in the sesame-ginger dressing. Slice the bread and arrange it on the serving plate. Top with pork, then with vegetables. Serve remaining vegetables on the side. Done! We ate everything with our fingers.

Very Grimm

December 19, 2018May 10, 2024 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Monday, eat the meals that will be posted on Sunday. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Children’s and Household Tales were first published on December 20, 1812. Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm did not intend their work as happy bed-time stories for children. Their intent was to collect German folktales before they disappeared in an increasingly industrial society. The stories were to re-educate the German public about their cultural past and to earn money for their impoverished brothers and sister. [Food or a lack thereof is a constant theme in their stories.] The book was a best-seller, partly due to the fact that it fit well with the Romanticism of the era: stories set in the wild forest; tales that harked back to a simpler if not a kinder time. Popular in our own time, ‘fairy tales’ show us the darker sides of human nature, but in the end things usually work out. That’s reassuring.

In the theme of Grimm’s tales, we will eat porridge for breakfast — but not cook it to excess as in the story Sweet Porridge. We will know when to stop. Many of the stories take a truly gruesome turn as in The Juniper Tree [a film Disney will never make!], so we will have organ meats in the form of haggis spring rolls for dinner. Re-read some of the works of the Brothers Grimm today.

10-Grain Porridge: 300 calories 1.5 g fat 5.1 g fiber 16 g protein 50 g carbs [39 g Complex] 215 mg Calcium PB Delicious hot cereal for any day of the week.

1/4 cup uncooked Bob’s Red Mill 10-Grain Cereal 2 Tbsp cottage cheese 1 tsp maple syrup 1.5 Tbsp applesauce, unsweetened pinch of nutmeg + pinch of cinnamon blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water 3 oz fruit smoothie, green smoothie or natural apple cider

Put the cereal in 3/4 of a cup of boiling water, turn down to a simmer and cook, covered, for 8 minutes. HINT: Do this the night before. Cool the cereal, then mix in the cottage cheese, maple syrup, applesauce, and spices until well-combined. Put into a microwave-safe bowl and cook in the microwave for 45 to 60 seconds [if cold from last night] OR for 30 seconds until hot through. Pour the beverages and you will have a warm, filling start to your day.

Haggis Spring Rolls: 262 calories 12.8 g fat 2.8 g fiber 23 g protein 26 g carbs 41 mg Calcium The first time I enjoyed these was at the Whiski Rooms in Edinburgh, along with a wee dram of single malt. Today, the whisky is in the dipping sauce to complete the fusion of Asian-Scottish flavors. This meal has my husband’s approval. Haggis Spring Rolls

4 six-inch rice spring roll wrappers/skins ++++ 8 Tbsp haggis filling see Spicy 12-September-2018 ++++ 1 cup lettuce leaves sliced into <1/2” strips ++++ 1/2 oz carrot, grated ++++ cherry tomatoes ++++ 1 tsp flavored olive oil ++++ 1 tsp red wine vinegar finishing salt ++++ 1.5 tsp Thai hot chili sauce ++++ ½ tsp single malt Scotch whisky

Put water into a wide, shallow dish such as a pie plate. Lay a tea towel on the counter. Place one spring roll wrapper in the water. Initially, the wrapper will look like a piece of thin, stiff, whitish plastic. Soon it will become more transparent, colorless, and pliable. Remove it from the water while still a little stiff [do NOT let it become limp] and lay it on the tea towel. Place 2 Tbsp haggis filling on the lower 1/3 of the wrapper, arranged as a little log. Roll it up, folding the sides in after the 1^stturn. Move finished roll to the side as you repeat the steps. Heat a 10” cast-iron skillet over medium flame and spray with non-stick spray. Place the spring rolls in the pan with room between them. Cook slowly on one side, then roll onto another side. Continue until all the rolls are browned on each side. Prepare the salad and plate it. Combine the chili sauce and the whisky in a dipping cup. Plate the haggis, and try not to read Grimm’s Fairy Tales while you dine.

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg	1 two-oz egg, hard-boiled
avocado	baby spinach
whole-grain bread	chèvre cheese [goat cheese]
	fig, dried or fresh
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your hot beverage

Dinner, single portion:

pork tenderloin, roasted or raw + sesame oil + pickle juice	whole-wheat tortillas, 170 calories each
ground ginger + soy sauce + ground garlic	crushed tomatoes + onion
cucumber + carrot + red bell pepper	mozzarella cheese
baguette + Asian sweet chili sauce	mushrooms + prosciutto
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Saint Lucy’s Day

December 12, 2018July 9, 2019 ~ 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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.How this Fast Diet

December 13 is one of our favorite days. I read the Swedish legend of Saint Lucy when I was in 6th grade and was charmed by the idea of a daughter taking breakfast in bed to her parents while wearing a wreath of candles in her hair. So I made a white robe [my mother never asked where that sheet went], and a pine-cone wreath, and wrote some new words to the tune of “Santa Lucia” — and the rest was history. Saint Lucy visited our house annually when our sons were little [a new song was written then], and she will make an appearance this year too. We devote the evening to decorating the Christmas Tree while enjoying an easy-to-eat dinner. It is possible to have a family celebration and still remain on the Fast Diet — try these menus. Or, change your Fast Day to the day before the festival day or the day after. Since the original Lucy/Lucia was born in Sicily, we’ll prepare eggs with the flavors of that island. For dinner we move to the Baltic region with a meal that followers of her northern version would recognize.

Sicilian ScrOmelette: 298 calories 11 g fat 2.4 g fiber 19 g protein 31 g carbs 290 mg Calcium PB GF A protein-packed salad meets eggs for breakfast.

1-½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. ¼ oz salami sausage ¼ oz mozzerella 2 Tbsp chopped wild greens [ex: dandelion] or arugula optional: blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water optional: 5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasturized apple cider

Chop the sausage, the cheese, and the greens, and combine them gently. Heat a well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick pan and spritz it with oil or cooking spray. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper, then pour into the heated pan. As the eggs set, sprinkle the sausage mixture over the eggs. Scramble or fold as an omelette and enjoy with the beverages of choice.

Herring Salad: 278 calories 6 g fat 6.8 g fiber 16 g protein 24 g carbs 103 mg Calcium PB GF Luchöw’s Restaurant will live in memory as long as a certain generation still breathes. And there was a lot to remember about it: the decor, the old-world service, the menu. Not a hokey tourist trap – it was the genuine article. This is one of their fine Old World recipes. NB: if you take a MOIA anti-depressent, be aware that herring has high amounts of tyramine. 1 -1/2 oz herring marinated in wine, drained 1/4 cup beets, cooked, cooled and diced 1 -1/2 oz apple, peeled and diced 1/4 cup white beans, drained and rinsed 1/2 hard-boiled egg, sliced 2 Tbsp onion, minced 1/2 oz dill pickle, chopped pinch sugar + 2 tsp vinegar, or more 1 cup lettuce, shredded

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

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion

Search the Archives for a new	Bob’s Red Mill 10-Grain Cereal
favorite breakfast.	cottage cheese + nutmeg
	maple syrup + cinnamon
	blueberries or raspberries
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion:

Search the Archives for a new	Haggis filling [Spicy II, 12-Sept-2018]
favorite dinner.	rice spring-roll wrappers
	lettuce + carrot + cherry tomatoes
	flavorful oil + good vinegar
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Emily Dickinson

December 9, 2018December 3, 2018 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

If you were to list New England poets, Emily Dickinson would be right up there. And yet, no one heard of her work until after she was dead. The Belle of Amherst Massachusetts was born on 10 December, 1830, smack-dab in the middle of a cultural revolution. In religion there was the Second Great Awakening. In politics, there was the growing abolitionist movement. In literature, there was Emily Dickinson penning poems in obscurity as she baked [one poem written on a chocolate wrapper] or cleaned [one poem written on the label for silver polish]. She kept house for her lawyer father and brothers and, according to legend, hardly ever went further afield than the garden of the family home. Her correspondence took her far away as she wrote to distant friends. After her death, her sister had her poems published, leaving readers bemused and/or excited by her verse. In 1955, her collected works and her letters were printed and Emily Dickinson were rediscovered by an enthusiastic audience. The poem that haunts me the most is The Bustle in a House, one of her most approachable poems about death. Dickinson wrote that she thought in a ‘New-England-y’ way. So true. Emily Dickinson did the cooking in the household, and I approve of good food made from scratch. When she wrote to her ‘mentor’ H.W. Higginson describing her cooking for the household, she said, “People must have puddings.” In that spirit, breakfast is based on a French pudding, the flameuse which Emily would have liked. And dinner is an old New England favorite.

Cherry Flamusse: 291 calories 5.3 g fat 2.2 g fiber 15.4 g protein 46.7 g carbs [34 g Complex] 316 mg Calcium GF – if using GF flour This breakfast custard is borrowed from the dessert section of the cookbook, and it works very well either way! It is similar to a clafouti, but simpler. Served with cherries or any fresh fruit, it is sure to be a hit. HINT:This makes enough for 2 [two] servings: share with a a friend or save the rest for a future breakfast or dessert. [Without the morning beverages, the dessert has 177 calories.] Cherry Flamusse

2 two-oz eggs 6 oz milk 4 tsp flour OR tapioca flour 1.5 Tbsp sugar 10 sweet cherries, pitted ½ clementine blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water 3 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie

Spritz 2 ramekins [or an oven-proof dish with 1.5 cup capacity] with non-stick spray. Cut the cherries in half and arrange on the bottom of the dish. Whisk eggs until foamy, then add flour and sugar, whisking until there are no lumps. Stir in the milk and pour the batter over the cherries. Bake at 375 F. for 20 minutes. Turn the flamusse out of the dish so that the cherries are on top. Plate with the clementine sections, serve with the beverages. You won’t believe this is a ‘diet.’

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

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

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

St Nick

December 5, 2018November 23, 2021 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

In art, Jolly Old Saint Nicholas has evolved physically over the many years since he was born in the 3rd century in what was then Greece but is now Turkey. As early as the 4th century, he was shown as a normally-sized, generic bishop. And it was the same in the 1600s in England, where celebrating Christmas was frowned upon. When we get to the 1800s the Good Saint, as depicted by Thomas Nast in 1881, looks like a man who should try the Fast Diet. So does the Coke-swilling Santa of the ads beginning in the 1930s. “Miracle on 34th Street” in 1947 had him slimmer. Have you seen the ‘picture’ of Saint Nicholas, as determined by a forensic pathologist? He looks a little healthier. Santa today is still depicted as chubby, if not fat. If you don’t want to look like the ‘Nast Santa’ or the ‘Coca-Cola Santa’, with all the health problems that come with that physique, then it might be time to start Fasting. Just saying… Our breakfast reflects the Asia Minor origins of the real Nicholas. And for dinner we have the classic beef stew of Hungary where the saint distributes gifts to children on December 6. In our household, we enjoy the gulyàs every Saint Nicholas Day.

Mediterranean Bake: 288 calories 8 g fat 2.4 g fiber 14.6 g protein 38.5 g carbs 234 mg Calcium PB GF Oh! Those sunny flavors!

one 2-oz egg 3 Tbsp Mediterranean Vegetables 1 Tbsp chèvre cheese salt + pepper + large pinch of Herbes de Province 2 oz applesauce or melon 6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasteurized apple cider blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

Set the toaster oven at at 350° F. Spritz a ramekin with oil or non-stick spray and spoon in the Med. Veg. Pop the ramekin in the warming toaster oven for 30 seconds to warm the vegetables. Whisk the egg with the cheese and seasonings. Pour in the egg mixture over the vegetables and bake in the toaster oven for 12-15 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Brew your warm beverage; shake and pour the smoothie; plate the fruit. A fine way to anticipate the joys of Summer.

Gulyàs: 283 calories 9.5 g fat 2.9 g fiber 40.4 g protein 8 g carbs [7.6 g Complex] 42.6 mg Calcium GF This version of the famous Hungarian stew is from Craig Claiborne’s International Cookbook. HINT: The recipe makes 8 servings, so make it once and freeze in serving sizes.

2 pounds beef chuck [shoulder], cut in 1” cubes 1 Tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika 1 tsp salt + 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp olive oil 2 onions, chopped 2 Tbsp tomato paste 1.5 cups beef stock per serving: 1 oz green beans optional per serving: ¼ oz egg noodles which add 27 calories 1 g fiber 2 g carbs [simple]

Heat the oven to 300 F. Toss the beef chunks with the paprika, salt, and pepper. On the cook-top, heat the oil in a Dutch oven [large, heavy, heat-proof, covered pot] and brown the beef in batches. Move the beef around in the pan to prevent it from sticking. Add non-stick spray or a little water if necessary. Remove the beef to a plate. Add some water to the pan and saute the onions until they are transluscent. Return the beef to the pan and pour in 1.5 cups beef stock. Stir thoroughly, scraping brown bits off the bottom. Cover the pot and cook in the oven for 2-3 hours. Every hour, check the pot and stir, adding more water as needed. Taste for salt at the end. Divide into 8 portions, reserving the remainder for future meals. TIP: Freezes very well. Plate with the green beans and optional noodles. A real Winter treat.

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion

2 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
fat-free milk + 10 sweet cherries	salami sausage
flour	mozzarella cheese
sugar + clementine	wild greens or arugula
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your hot beverage

Dinner, single portion:

beets	Herring marinated in wine + vinegar
potato	beets, canned or fresh cooked
Canadian or back bacon	Apple + lettuce + onion
onion + one 2-oz egg	white beans + hard-boiled egg + pickle
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Francisco Xavier

December 2, 2018December 2, 2018 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Francisco Xavier was a well-traveled man! Born in 1506 in the Navarre Region, now part of Spain, he went to Paris to study theology at the Sorbonne. There he met Ignatius of Loyola and Pierre Favre. In 1534, they formed the Society of Jesus, aka: the Jesuits. Their burning desire was to take their message of religion to the world. Hearing that the Portuguese king wanted missionaries for his outposts, Xavier volunteered. Traveling by sea around the tip of Africa, he preached and taught in Goa, in Malacca, in the Maluku Islands, and in Japan. His next stop was to be China, but a fever killed him on December 3, 1552. Our meals today will follow in St Francis’ goals and journey. Since he died on an island off the coast of China, our breakfast is the Chinese-inspired Fu Yung Bake. For his pan-Asian agenda, there is the All-Asian meal of Dim Sum, with its contributions from India, Thailand, and China.

Fu Yung Bake: 294 calories 5.7 g fat 2.9 g fiber 18 g protein 41 g carbs [25 g complex] 349 mg Calcium PB Straight out of China, a no-fuss bake.

One 2-oz egg 2 Tbsp crab meat 1 tsp soy sauce 3 Tbsp sprouts [I used broccoli sprouts, but suit yourself] 2 tsp semolina flour pinch ground ginger + pinch granulated garlic 1 Tbsp scallion, sliced across for garnish 1 clementine blackish coffee, blackish tea, or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz smoothie or natural apple cider

Mix the crab meat with the soy sauce. Combine the semolina with the ginger and garlic powder. Lightly oil or spritz an oven-proof dish. Distribute the crab over the bottom of the dish, then sprinkle the sprouts over top. Whisk the egg with the seasoned semolina and pour over the sprouts and crab. Add salt and pepper if you wish. Bake at 350° F. for 12 minutes. Plate and top with the scallion. Enjoy with the clementine and pour the beverages.

Dim Sum: 302 calories 5.6 g fat 1.1 g fiber 32 g protein 30 g carbs 28.5 mg Calcium I like to think of Dim Sum as the Asian version of Tapas or Meze: tastes of several different delicious foods. With prepared parts in the freezer, this meal is easy to assemble. Dim Sum Plate

2 oz raw chicken cubes 1 tsp prepared Satay Sauce ½ tsp creamy peanut butter 2 Momos [see Deli & Delhi, 25 Feb- 2018] 2 Wontons [see Go West 18 Feb- 2018] 2 tsp chicken stock 1 oz Chinese BBQ Pork for steamed buns [46 calories/oz] 2 oz tomato

Thaw the chicken. Cream the Satay Sauce with the peanut butter and mix with the chicken meat. Let sit several hours. Thaw the momos, the wontons, and the pork. Combine the stock with 2 tsp water and put the wontons in the broth. Put over heat until the wontons are hot through. Remove them and continue to heat the stock until reduced back to 2 tsp. [Using ceramic soup spoons, I put 1 tsp of stock in each spoon and topped it with a warm wonton.] Thread the chicken onto a skewer and broil for 10-15 minutes, turning to cook the other side. Place the momos in a steamer for about 15 minutes, until they are cooked through and the wrappers are translucent. Heat the pork in the microwave for about 1 minute. Slice the tomato and plate the Dim Sum components in the manner of your choosing.

Gertrude Jekyll

November 28, 2018November 26, 2018 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Tomorrow will be the birthday of Gertrude Jekyll, the English gardener who was born in 1843. The Jekylls [pronounced ‘GEE-kal’] were a talented and well-connected family. She chose gardening as her life’s work [how many Victorian ladies had a ‘life’s work’?] and became hugely influential in the design of garden landscapes. Her training at art school taught her to view the land with an Impressionist’s eye, to understand perspective, and to have a strong knowledge of color theory — of great importance in garden design. 400 gardens on 2 continents, 1000 articles, and 4 books have helped us to remember Jekyll to this day. Her well-crafted gardens have been restored at Munstead Wood [be sure to click this link to see the garden]. “The best purpose of a garden,” wrote Jekyll, “is to give delight and to give refreshment of mind, to soothe, to refine, and to life up the heart in a spirit of praise and thankfulness.” Jekyll’s concept of the ‘perennial border‘ is a joy to behold and set the standard for all time, whether or not you recognize her hand at work. For Gertrude Jekyll’s love of all things grown in gardens, our meals are heavy on the herbs and plants. Herbs flavor the eggs at breakfast and the dinner contains 5 vegetables [!] plus the pepper sauce. Be sure to plant herbs, even on a window sill, and to include herbs in your foods for flavor. I plant rosemary all over the garden, so pleasant is it to know that at every few steps one may draw the kindly branchlets through one’s hand, and have the enjoyment of their incomparable incense; and I grow it against walls, so that the sun may draw out its inexhaustible sweetness to greet me as I pass, said G. J.

Ricotta-Herb ScrOmelette: 294 calories 7.8 g fat 2.6 g fiber 17.6 g protein 35 g carbs 234.5 mg Calcium PB GF Easily prepared with ingredients on hand. Ricotta-Herb Scromlette w: applesauce

1 ½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. 1 Tbsp low-fat ricotta cheese, drained in a sieve overnight 1 ½ Tbsp fresh herbs – any ones you have – chopped salt & pepper 1.5 oz applesauce blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasturized apple cider

Whisk the cheese and herbs into the eggs and scramble or cook as a folded omelette. Enjoy with the hot beverage, smoothie, and applesauce.

Fish Kabobs: 236 calories 8 g fat 4.3 g fiber 27 g protein 22 g carbs [all Complex] 77 mg Calcium PB GF Any firm fish will work for this simple meal. The Fresh Polenta is from Jacques Pepin and it is a keeper. Fish Kabobs w: fresh Polenta

3.6 g firm fish [swordfish, tuna, halibut], cut in 1-2” cubes 1 oz eggplant cut in 1” chunks, skin left on 1 oz cherry tomatoes 3/4 oz red or yellow bell pepper, cut in 1” squares 2 tsp Pimenta do Queilo or other red pepper sauce ½ cup fresh polenta*** ½ cup side salad

Combine the pepper sauce with 2 tsp water in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Toss the eggplant and bell pepper in the pepper sauce and microwave for 30 seconds. Remove the bell peppers and microwave the eggplant 45 seconds longer. Cool the vegetables and save the marinade. Prepare the polenta.*** Assemble the kabobs on skewers and brush with remaining marinade. Sprinkle with a little dalt and pepper. Broil 4 minutes, then turn the kabobs, brush with marinade, and broil for 4 minutes more. Prepare the side salad and plate to applause.

***Fresh Polenta: 1 serving = 1/3 cup = 80 calories 1.25 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen 1 tsp unsalted butter freshly-ground pepper + salt Puree the corn in a blender until smooth [it won’t be like whipped cream, but you shouldn’t see whole kernels]. Put butter in a warm pan, then add the corn, pepper and salt. Cook about 30 seconds or until it becomes thicker.

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg + crab meat	1 two-oz egg
soy sauce + ginger + scallions	Mediterranean Vegetables [see Sidekicks II, posted 4 october, 2017]
semolina flour + sprouts	chèvre [goat] cheese
garlic powder + clementine	herbes de Province + melon
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your hot beverage

Dinner, single portion:

Chicken breast + chicken stock	2# beef chuck/shoulder
2 momos [25-Feb-’18] + satay sauce	beef stock + onions
2 wontons [18-Feb-’18] + peanut butter	sweet paprika + tomato paste
1 oz Chinese BBQ Pork + tomato	green beans + egg noodles [optional]
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Rick’s Cafe

November 25, 2018February 2, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

In the dark days of WW2, Churchill and FDR needed a place to meet. News blackouts forbade revealing the location, but one clever radio reporter began his story by saying, “I was over at Rick’s Cafe the other night…” And everyone knew that he was in Casablanca. Such was the power of the popular movie of that name which was released November 26, 1942. Bogie, as cynical night-club owner Rick Blaine, and Ingrid Bergman, as resistance-fighter Ilsa Lund, were the star-crossed lovers of the tale, with Dooley Wilson singing “As Time Goes By” in the background. The plot follows several memorable characters and a classic love triangle. Who is not stirred by the scene where they sing the Marseillaise to counter the Nazis? Who is not in tears during the airport scene?

Our menu today will echo the plot of the movie. We’ll have a breakfast right out of a Parisian charcuterie, because Rick and Ilsa fell in love there and because “We’ll always have Paris.” And since the entire movie revolves around people trying to evacuate to Lisbon, our dinner will feature Portuguese Fish & Chips in honor of Ilsa and Victor’s escape.

Charcuterie Bake: 278 calories 10 g fat 3.2 g fiber 17 g protein 37 g carbs 198 mg Calcium GF One Sunday, we invited friends over for what we call a “French Lunch” – bread, sausage, cheese, fruit, wine, and good fellowship. My Dear Husband thought, “I know what breakfast will be.” And he was correct: left-overs reborn as breakfast. Charcuterie Bake w: pears

One 2-oz egg 1/2 oz chorizo sausage ½ Tbsp chèvre cheese, the creamy type ¼ tsp Dijon mustard large pinch Herbes de Province 1-1/2 oz pear blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon juice & hot water 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider

Set the toaster oven at 350 degrees F. Cut the sausage into a small dice. Cream together with the goat cheese, mustard, and herbes. Spritz an oven-proof ramekin/dish with olive oil or non-stick spray. Whisk the egg with the sausage mixture and pour into the dish. Bake for 12-15 minutes while you pour the beverages and slice the pear. As simple as the meal which preceeded it.

Portuguese Fish & Chips: 260 calories 6.3 g fat 4.7 g fiber 24 g protein 28 g carbs [27 g Complex] 60 mg Calcium PB GF – if using GF flour From our favorite dinner place in Souris, PEI, 21 Breakwater comes this house specialty from the chef’s native cuisine. The batter is so light that it lets the lime-infused fish shine through. The recipe takes little time to accomplish. I have described it in detail so you can be successful. Portugese Fish & Chips

3 oz tilapia or hake 1 fl. oz lime juice or lemon juice 1 egg white + 1 egg yolk 2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour 3 oz sweet potato, peeled ½ tsp canola oil ½ tsp granulated garlic ¼ tsp paprika black pepper 2 oz asparagus

Marinate the fish in the lime juice with a pinch of salt and pepper for up to 30 minutes. Set the oven to 425 F. Peel the sweet potato and cut lengthwise into 1/4” slices. Cut each slice into 1/4” sticks. Put the oil in the non-stick pan that you will use to cook the fish. Add the potato sticks to the pan and toss about to coat with oil. Combine the granulated garlic, paprika, and pepper, and sprinkle on the potato sticks. Toss to distribute the seasonings. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil with the dull side up. Spray liberally with non-stick spray. HINT: You could do this 1-2 hours in advance.Distribute the potatoes on the pan so they do not touch. Put in oven for 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, put the asparagus on to cook. Take the fish from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Dredge lightly with flour. Whip the egg white into soft peaks. Fold in the egg yolk and remaining flour from dredging the fish. Heat the non-stick pan and spray with non-stick spray. Remove the fries from the oven and turn them over. Return to oven for 10 minutes more. Dip the fish in the egg batter so that it is coated on all sides. Cook the fish on one side over medium heat for 6 minutes, then on the other side for 6 minutes or until fork tender. When fries are done, turn off oven, open the door, and leave the fries in there for up to 5 more minutes. Plate all that good food and live it up.

St Cecilia

November 21, 2018July 9, 2019 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

There are many famous saints, and Cecilia is one of them. Why? According to the Golden Legend, she was a patrican Roman who was determined to remain chaste as a commitment to Christianity. On the night of her parent-induced wedding, she told her groom, Valerian, that if he touched her he would be killed by her guardian angel. So he converted to Christianity and they lived as brother and sister. She died a martyr, as did Valerian. But the story has holes. Cecilia or Cecily lived in the 1^stcentury or the 2^ndcentury; in Rome or in Sicily. She is not mentioned in the early lists of martyrs and does not come on the radar until the late 5^thcentury when Pope Gelasius wrote her name into his Book of Sacraments. In 1599, her body was found in the catacombs [no inscriptions or other identification], and as proof of her saintliness, it was not decayed. Did Cecilia exist? Probably not, according to Franciscanmedia. Even Catholic Online suggest that her Romeo and Juliet story of Platonic Love was written to counter then-popular sensual love stories writtten in Greek. At any rate, Cecilia was associated with music and inspired a flowering of tunes written specifically for church services. Cecilia is remembered more today for the music festivals and works of art she inspired, rather than for her faith. She has been depicted in music by Handel, in art by Raphael, in poetry by Dryden, and in a choral piece with words by W.H. Auden with music by Benjamin Britten.

Because both ‘sweet cecily‘ and ‘valerian‘ are the names of herbs, our meals today will feature chives, thyme, oregano, and rosemary in a symphony of flavors.

Chive-Parmesan Scramble: 300 calories 10 g fat 2 g fiber 19.5 g protein 27.6 g carbs [10 g Complex] 390 mg Calcium PB GF This is the Scramble version of my Dear Husband’s ‘Bake’ of the same ingredients. Still wonderful!

1 ½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 3 Tbsp minced fresh chives 1 oz kiwi fruit 5-6 oz fruit smoothie, green smoothie, or natural apple cider blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water

Whisk together the chives, cheese, and eggs. Turn into a hot pan spritzed with oil or non-stick spray. Scramble to perfection and plate with the fruit. Pour your choice of beverages and dig into a bright breakfast, even on a grey day.

Chicken Parmesan: 238 calories 2.6 g fat 4.7 g fiber 31 g protein 11.4 g carbs 242.5 mg Calcium PG GF – if using GF bread At last! The restaurant classic made suitable for Fasters. And it is delicious.

3-½ oz raw chicken breast meat, boneless, skinless 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated 1 tsp dried oregano + 1 tsp dried thyme ¼ oz whole-grain breadcrumbs, fresh not dried 1 Tbsp milk ¼ cup marinara sauce, homemade [ SAUCY, 6 December, 2017] or jarred rosemary ¾ oz mozzarella, grated 2 Tbsp low-fat cottage cheese 1 cup baby greens + ½ oz grated carrots ½ tsp olive oil + ½ tsp red wine vinegar

Heat the toaster oven to 350°F. Spritz an oven-proof pan with non-stick spray or olive oil. Pour the milk onto a small plate. On another plate combine the Parmesan and bread crumbs with salt and pepper. Cream the mozzarella and cottage cheeses together until well-combined. Dip the chicken in the milk on both sides. Dredge the chicken in the crumb/cheese/herb mixture to coat it completely. Place on the oven-proof pan and spray with olive oil. Bake the chicken about 10 minutes, until golden. Top the chicken with the marinara sauce, then mound the cheese over it. Broil for 5 minutes until the cheese is melty and starting to brown. Prepare the salad ingredients and toss with dressing.

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
chorizo sausage	low-fat ricotta
chèvre + pear	herbs, dried or fresh
Dijon mustard + Herbes de Province	applesauce
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion:

tilapia + white whole wheat flour	firm-fleshed fish [swordfish/tuna]
sweet potato + canola oil	eggplant + red/yellow bell pepper
granulated garlic + asparagus	cherry tomatoes + salad fixings
paprika + lime juice + egg	corn kernels + butter
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

	me on Let Me Entertain You… Di…
	Mya on Let Me Entertain You… Di…
	Peter Eppig on Robert Gould Shaw
	me on 10 Years of FASTing
	Karen Loudon on 10 Years of FASTing

Eating well, with creative recipes, to follow the Fasting Lifestyle according to Michael Mosley's "Fast Diet."

Join me in following the Fasting Lifestyle, with recipes & tips

Recipes for Intermittent Fasting Days

Johannes Kepler

Adam & Eve

Very Grimm

Saint Lucy’s Day

Emily Dickinson

St Nick

Francisco Xavier

Gertrude Jekyll

Rick’s Cafe

St Cecilia

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