Antipodes

August 29, 2018August 24, 2018 ~ 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.

“Antipodes” is a word which I first encountered in Alice in Wonderland. As Alice fell down the rabbit hole, she wondered where she would end up — perhaps the antipodes..? Of course for years I pronounced it ann’-tee-podes instead of ann-tip’-o-dees. But now I know better. Once we sat down with our sons and an atlas to determine where the antipode of our NH community was. It was in the Indian Ocean. When I recently asked Google to do the search, the answer was that Boston, Massachusetts was the antipode [or at least the nearest community to it] of Augusta, Western Australia. Have fun figuring out your antipode. Today’s meals represent the antipodes of Boston and Augusta. The breakfast is full of Boston references, while the dinner features chicken. I always associate Australia with lamb, but statistics show that more people prefer poultry in that sun-burnt country, so chicken is for dinner.

B-O-S-T ScrOmelette: 302 calories 7.9 g fat 3.4 g fiber 16.5 g protein 38 g carbs [33 g Complex] 220 mg Calcium PB GF The beans are for Boston’s nickname: beantown. The green onions are for the Green Monster at Fenway Park. The shrimp are for the strong maritime tradition. The tomatoes are because summer is too short. BOST ScrOmelette

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 white beans, preferable small ‘navy’ beans 2 Tbsp green onion, green part of scallions sliced 1/4 oz shrimp, preferably tiny Northern shrimp OR larger shrimp chopped 1 oz tomato, diced and drained in a sieve overnight 1-1/2 oz nectarine slices black coffee or black tea or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie

Put the beans, onion, shrimp, and tomato in a warm non-stick pan spritzed with non-stick spray or olive oil. Cook until warmed. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper and pour over the other ingredients in the pan. Scramble or cook as an omelette. Pour the beverages of your choice, plate the fruit, and plate the eggs.

Chicken Tetrazzini: 281 calories 5.6 g fat 3.9 g fiber 26.6 g protein 23 g carbs 103 mg Calcium PB This well-known dish is infamously high in fat and calories…. Until now. Enjoy it without guilt. Chicken Tetrazzini w: broc:carrots

3 oz chicken breast ¼ cup Béchamel sauce without cheese [see Sidekicks II, October 4, 2018] 1 tsp sherry wine 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese 1 oz capelli d’angelli pasta [angel hair] nb: 100 calories/1 oz 1 oz carrot + 2 oz broccoli

If the chicken is raw, slice it thinly and poach it in water until it is just cooked through. Start cooking the pasta and the vegetables. [TIP: if you have a steamer, you could do it in the same pot at the same time.] Warm the Béchamel sauce, then add the sherry, Parmesan, and chicken. Taste for seasonings. Drain the pasta and stir into the sauce. Plate with the vegetables. Delicious.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg	Left-over Salmon Quiche from Monday
watercress sauce [Sidekicks II, 4 Oct 2017]
ricotta cheese
peach

Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

6 two-oz eggs	sliced roasted chicken breast
cooked salmon	BBQ sauce
zucchini	90-calorie slider rolls, whole wheat
onion + dill we	coleslaw [see Sidekicks II, 4 Oct, 2017]
reduced-fat ricotta cheese
plain yogurt
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Crossroads: Mediterranean

August 26, 2018February 20, 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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle. Welcome to Nourish Naturally who is now Following.

There are some locations so remote you wonder how Lonely Planet finds them. Then there are other places that have had so many waves of ‘visitors’ that you wonder how they have their own identity. Malta and Sicily, the islands off Southern Italy, are such crossroads. The Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Minoans, the Romans, the Arabs, the Normans, the crusaders: all left their mark. Every one seems to have been there: Odysseus sailed through the Strait of Messina [Scylla + Charybdis] and even Saints Luke and Paul set foot on the islands.

Are you ‘between Scylla and Charybdis’ about your health and dieting? You want to lose weight, but you don’t know how to begin? Eat these meals tomorrow and see how you like Fasting. The breakfast features many of the flavors of Malta in one savory meal. The dinner combines tuna [common in the Mediterranean] with local produce to make a fine, quick meal for any time of year.

Maltese ScrOmelette: 293 calories… 8.4 g fat… 3.5 g fiber… 18 g carbs… 252 mg Calcium… PB GF With the fish, the vegetables, and the fruit, these flavors have “Malta” written all over them.

Maltese ScrOmelette

++ 1 ½ 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 ++++ 1/4 oz cooked tuna ++++ 2 Tbsp frozen spinach ++++ 2 Tbsp Mediterranean Vegetables, chopped ++++ ½ clementine ++++ Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++++ Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [75 calories] ++

Thaw and chop the spinach, and drain it through a small sieve. Break the tuna into small bits. Combine all vegetables with the tuna. Heat the ingredients briefly in an oil-misted non-stick pan, then pour in the whisked eggs. Cook to your preference. Serve with the fruit and the beverages of choice. Sunny flavors!

Tuna with Grilled Vegetables: 244 calories… 7 g fat… 4 g fiber… 29 g protein… 14.6 g carbs… 32.5 mg Calcium… PB GF The recipe comes from the Fast Diet Book and it is wonderful. So pretty on the plate.

+++ 5 oz tuna steak ++++ 4 oz red bell peppers ++++ 5 oz zucchini++++ 2 oz cherry tomatoes ++++ 1 tsp olive oil ++++ splash of lemon juice ++

Cut the peppers into long strips. Same with the zucchini. Toss all the vegetables with the olive oil. Cook the tuna and vegetables on a grill pan or grill, 3 minutes on each side. Serve with the lemon juice. Delicious and quick.

Rosa of Lima

August 22, 2018November 29, 2025 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a total of 600 calories. On Monday, eat the meals that will be posted on Sunday, another day of 600 calories. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

Isabel Flores de Olivia was born on August 20, 1586, to a family of Spanish colonists in Peru. To her parents’ dismay, she died with the name Rosa of Lima. Little did they suspect that she would become the first Catholic saint born in the ‘New World.’ The beautiful girl was slated for marriage, but defied her parents by wishing to become a nun. They grudgingly agreed, permitting her to live a secluded life in a hut in their garden. There Rosa fasted, lived an ascetic life, and helped the sick and poor. Her elevation to sainthood was a boost to the faith of the inhabitants of Peru and all of South America.

Many foods we commonly eat today are from Peru, and in honor of Rosa, we will sample several. The breakfast contains tomatoes and anchovies, both typical ingredients which Rosa would have known. The dinner contains Lima beans, of course, in a traditional meal of Western Hemisphere First Peoples.

Peruvian ScrOmelette: 289 calories… 8.3 g fat… 3 g fiber… 17.4 g protein… 37 g carbs… 231.6 mg Calcium… PB GF Traditional foods of Peru from land and sea combine with the new taste of coffee, now grown in the mountains.

++ 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, crack three 2-oz eggs into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week++++ 2 oz diced tomato, drained++++ ¼ oz [2 tsp] anchovies canned in olive oil, drained but not rinsed ++++2 oz melon OR mango ++++ optional: blackish coffee or blackish tea++++ optional: 5-6 oz green smoothie, fruit smoothie or pure apple cider++

Night before:After you dice the tomato, put it in a strainer over a bowl to reduce the moisture. In the morning: Chop the anchovies and add to the eggs. Spritz a non-stick pan with non-stick spray and add the tomatoes. This will cook them a bit and warm them. Whisk the egg/anchovy and pour into the warm pan. Scramble or cook as an omelette. Plate with the fruit, pour the beverages, and dream of the Andes.

‘Original’ Succotash: 270 calories… 2.6 g fat… 9.3 g fiber… 18 g protein… 50 g carbs… 71 mg Calcium… PB GF The Mystic Seaport Cookbook contains many quaint and curious old recipes. What follows is my combination of two of them. It is ‘original’ because it gets us back to what succotash once was [a maindish, not a side] and because it is my own version. HINT: This recipe makes 3 cups of succotash, which could be 3 servings.

++ ½ cup lima beans [Green Giant frozen Fordhook] ++++ ½ cup green/snap beans ++++ ½ cup corn kernels++++ ++++ ¼ cup canned navy beans ++++ 2 oz corned beef [New England style is grey because it contains no nitrates] ++++ 1 slice cornmeal mush aka: polenta++++ sage + pepper + salt to taste [mind that the corned beef might be salty] ++

Cook the vegetables until they are tender. Drain the cooking water and reserve ½ cup. Mash the navy beans and whisk into ¼ cup vegetable water. Put all vegetables and the meat into a pan along with the mashed beans. Add sage and pepper to taste and more vegetable broth if you wish, and heat. If it needs more salt, add it too. In a non-stick pan, saute the corn mush on each side until it is warm. Start with one cup of succotash, as it is very filling.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1.5 two-oz eggs	1.5 two-oz eggs
tuna	canned white beans [navy]
frozen spinach	green onion + tomato
clementine	shrimp
Mediterranean Vegetables	nectarine or peach
optional smoothie	optional hot beverage
optional hot beverage	optional smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

tuna steaks	chicken breast
red bell peppers	sherry wine + angel hair pasta
zucchini	carrot + broccoli
cherry tomatoes	sherry wine [not cooking sherry]
olive oil	Bechamel sauce without cheese
	Parmesan cheese
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

St Bernard

August 19, 2018June 29, 2023 ~ me ~ 2 Comments

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 Michael H-A who is now Following.

In the 6th century, St. Benedict decided that the Roman Church needed reform, and so he established the austere Benedictine Order of monks. In the 11th century, a further reform was deemed necessary, and the Cistercian Order was begun in France. Enter St Bernard of Clairvaux. A handsome, well-educated, well-spoken, wealthy young man [born August 20], he could have had success in any field. But he wanted a vocation in the church more than anything. After the death of his mother, Aleth, he decided to follow her example of piety and charity. He, along with most of his brothers and friends, a group of around 30 men, went to join the Cistercian Abby at Cîteaux . Bernard threw himself into austerity and soon was sent to start a new monastery at Clairvaux in Burgundy. So influential was his preaching, that he had to found more monasteries to accommodate his recruits. When he went on a preaching tour, mothers locked their sons in their rooms and wives kept their husbands home for fear that they would follow this charismatic priest into the cloister. The best preserved of his ‘daughter’ houses is the lovely Fontenay Abbey, founded 900 years ago. Despite a sickly life, made worse by starvation rations and quack ‘cures’, Bernard became one of the most influential men of his time: advisor to kings and popes; arbitrator of many disputes; and, unfortunately, the champion of the ill-fated Second Crusade. His fervent rejection of materialism should make each of us re-evaluate our relationship with ‘things’ and ‘stuff’ in our lives.

In honor of the Good Bernard, we will enjoy some meals of the French countryside. Wild mushrooms go into the eggs which go into the crêpe for breakfast, despite the fact that crêpes are from Brittany the home of Bernard’s philosophical rival Pierre Abelard. And for dinner, the staple of the diet of monasteries: salt cod, here made into the homey meal of brandade.

Egg-Mushroom Crêpe: 294 calories 6 g fat 4 g fiber 15 g protein 43 g carbs [36 g Complex] 200 mg Calcium PB This is yummy. The eggs are creamy, the mushrooms are earthy, and the crêpe is nutty. Mushroom-Egg Crepe

1 crêpe, see Sidekicks II4 Oct-’18 for recipe [HINT: When I make a batch, I often cook all of them, then layer them with waxed paper and freeze what I don’t need now for later.] one 2-oz egg 1 oz mushrooms, chopped 1/2 Tbsp chives, chopped 1/2 tsp thyme generous dash of granulated garlic 1 oz raspberry blackish coffee, blackish tea, or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz smoothie or natural apple cider

Spritz a non-stick saute pan with oil or spray and gently cook the mushrooms. Put the chives, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper in with the egg and beat it up. Put the mushrooms in a baking dish which has been spritzed with oil, then pour the egg mixture into the dish and bake at 350 F for 12 minutes -OR- Scramble the egg lightly with the mushrooms, keeping the eggs moist. Warm the crêpe until it is pliable but not crisp. Turn the egg out on the crêpe and fold the crêpe over the egg. Plate the fruit. Sip your beverages and have a good day.

Codfish Brandade: 250 calories 5.8 g fat 5.7 g fiber 77 g protein 22.3 g carbs 270 mg Calcium PB GF Since salt cod is so popular all over southern France, it follows that Brandade is a favorite meal. The garlic, olive oil, and fennel mark this version as Provinçal. [HINT: This batch serves 4. Either invite friends or use what you need and freeze the remainder.] The recipe is from Jacques Pepin. Brandade w: tomatoes & Carrots

8 oz salt cod ¼ cup potatoes in <1/2” cubes 6 oz cauliflower, in 1″ florets ½ cup milk 4 cloves garlic 1 tsp olive oil ¼ tsp fennel seed + ¼ tsp pepper, more to taste per serving: 4 oz sliced tomatoes + 2 oz raw carrot sticks or coins + parsley to sprinkle

The day before: Soak the cod in water for 8 hours. Drain and put in a sauce pan covered with cold water. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low and cook gently for 5 minutes. Drain. Pick over the fish to break it into 1” pieces, removing bones, skin. The next day: Put fish in a pan with potatoes, cauliflower, garlic, fennel, and milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and gently simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes until vegetables are tender. Pour it all into a food processor and process it for about 10 seconds. Add the pepper, then add the oil with the machine running. Mixture should be smooth and thick. Adjust seasonings. Slice the tomatoes and spread with brandade, then sprinkle with parsley. Serve remaining amount in a bowl with the carrots stuck into it. Very traditional flavor.

Footnote: one of my favorite memes involves Filippino Lippi‘s painting “The Apparition of the Virgin to St. Bernard.” Unfortunately, to me, he looks like a petty bureaucrat telling a single mother, “I don’t make the rules, madame. You left line 34 blank, so you must go to the back of the line or return tomorrow.”

Salad Days

August 15, 2018August 4, 2018 ~ me ~ 2 Comments

Shakespeare coined the term ‘salad days‘ in the play Antony and Cleopatra in 1606. He used it to mean the time when we were callow, carefree, and young. Nowadays, it is used in the headlines of summer food articles, all touting beat-the-heat dinners. Doesn’t Summer seem to be the very essence of the term ‘salad days’? Indeed, we take advantage of the summer’s bounty and eat from the garden a lot these days, and salads seem cooler and lighter to eat when the weather is hot. But beware! A nice healthy bowl of lettuces can be transformed into a danger zone by contaminated leaves [carrying Salmonella and other pathogens], not enough nutrition, and great lashings of fatty, sugary dressing. Today we will eat a salad’s-worth of spinach at breakfast in baked eggs, since baking is a good way to kill bacteria. And for dinner a real salad with lots of nutrient-dense and delicious add-ins.

Spinach Fritatta: 276 calories 7.2 g fat 3.8 g fiber 16.4 g protein 35.6 g carbs [31.5 g Complex] 289 mg Calcium PB GF Whether it is breakfast or dinner, Spinach Fritatta checks off all the boxes. Spinach Frittata

1 two-oz egg 1/6 cup [3 Tbsp] cooked spinach, squeezed and chopped [equivalent of 2 cups raw spinach] 1 Tbsp cottage cheese 1/8 oz [2 Tbsp] chopped scallions, white or green parts ¼ oz Manchego OR Cheddar cheese, grated dash of grated nutmeg + dash of granulated garlic 2 oz strawberries OR kiwi slice + strawberry slice, as shown blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz fruit smoothie, green smoothie or natural apple cider

Cook the spinach, drain it, and squeeze it in your hands to remove excess water. [TIP: save the drained water for baking or for cooking vegetables/pasta] Chop the spinach and mix with scallions, both cheeses, nutmeg, and garlic. Lightly spray a baking dish with oil or non-stick spray. Pour the vegetable-cheese mixture into the dish and arrange so it is evenly distributed. Whisk the egg and pour over the mixture. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Plate with the berries and pour the beverages.

Santa Barbara Salad: 280 calories 13.3 g fat 5.7 g fiber 16.2 g protein 21.3 g carbs 105.8 mg Calcium PB GF From a Washington Post food column, this salad sings of California. HINT: This amount serves 2 [two]. Invite a friend or save for lunch later in the week.

½ head Boston or buttercrunch lettuce 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes ½ medium apple, cored and diced ½ cup diced chicken breast ¼ cup chickpeas 1 oz soft goat cheese 1.5 tsp pinenuts 1 Medjool date 1 hard-boiled egg, sliced per serving: 1.5 tsp cinnamon dressing see SPICY from 23 May, 2018

First prepare the dressing and refrigerate. Next, toast the pinenuts until they just begin to brown. Take off heat and set aside. Shred the lettuce and put in a bowl along with all the other ingredients. Toss with 1.5 tsp dressing per serving. Play a Beach Boys song and wear your sunglasses.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
mushrooms	tomatoes
1 crêpe [see Sidekicks II, 4 Oct, 2018]	anchovies

	mango or melon
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

salt cod + garlic cloves	lima beans
potato + cauliflower	canned white beans
milk + olive oil	green snap beans
fennel seed + black pepper	corn kernels
carrot	corned beef
slicing tomato	polenta [Sidekicks II, Oct 4, 2017]
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Morning to Night: avocado

August 12, 2018August 2, 2018 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Do you ever find an ingredient that is SO versatile that you could eat it morning, noon, and night? Avocado is one of those. I never ate them as a child, and my husband as a younger man thought they tasted like green soap. But we have evolved and found that there is more to the fruit than guacamole. The origin of avocados is Southern Mexico, around 9,000 years ago. It was a popular food in Central and South America for the Aztecs and Mayan people and today most of the world’s avocados are grown in Mexico. Until 1915, this giant berry was called the Alligator Pear, due to its shape, but that shape has also lead to some confusion with the the words for testicle and lawyer in several languages. They are popular today due to their creamy taste and healthy benefits. Go ahead, eat some avocados.

Avocado Toast: 273 calories 10.4 g fat 5 g fiber 14.4 g protein 32.5 g carbs 210 mg Calcium PG GF if using GF bread Avacodo 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 high-nutrition 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.

Mixed Sushi: 275 calories 11.6 g fat 4.9 g fiber 16 g protein 28 g carbs 39 mg Calcium PB GF Our younger son introduced us to this recipe. Imagine: ‘Sushi’ without raw fish or seaweed. Good use for leftover beef and avocado. HINT: This serves 2 [two]. Invite a friend or save for lunch or dinner another day. Made to be served at room temp.

1 cup brown rice, cooked and cooled HINT: Make the day before and refrigerate or use leftovers from a previous meal 1 tsp rice wine vinegar 1 egg 1 tsp soy sauce 3 oz avocado, in long slices 1 oz grilled beef, in long strips OR substitute grilled chicken 2 oz smoked salmon, in long slices 2 oz cucumber OR zucchini in long slices

Combine the rice with the vinegar and let sit. Whisk the soy sauce with the egg and cook the egg as a flat omelette in a lightly-spritzed non-stick pan. Remove from the pan and cut into long strips. Slice the avocado, beef, salmon, and cucumber in long strips, but not longer than the diameter of the bowl in which you will serve it. Put the rice into two bowls with a wide diameter. Distribute the rice evenly over the bowl. Lay the other ingredients on top of the rice in what ever arrangement pleases you. Serve with extra soy sauce and enjoy a quick meal.

Izaak Walton

August 8, 2018October 30, 2018 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

“I have laid aside business, and gone a-fishing.” Sounds like a familiar sign tacked on the door of a poorly-run country store. Those words were penned by Isaac Walton who was born on August 9, 1593. He was a successful London clothier who’s claim to fame was his love of fishing. He was active in his church who’s vicar, John Donne, was Walton’s fishing buddy. In 1653, he published The Compleat Angler, in which the fictional character Piscator [Walton’s alter ego] instructs a companion about fish, fishing, and the need to preserve the environment to keep the fish healthy. A man ahead of his time. Today the name of his book is widely known by anglers all over the world and places sacred to trout fishers are named after him. In the USA, the Izaak Walton League brings together avid fishermen who also speak to environmental protection. May the same be said of all of us. Today’s menus feature trout, the fish which most people associate with Walton. Smoked trout with crisp apples for breakfast and trout sautéed with nuts for dinner. If you can catch them yourself, Izaak would be smiling. If they were caught in a pristine country stream, so much the better.

Trout with Apples: 267 calories 3.9 g fat 2.4 g fiber 15.6 g protein 43 g carbs 199 mg Calcium PB GF At the Inn at Saint Peters, we enjoyed their Smoked Trout with Apples appetizer. It occurred to me that this could be a fine breakfast for those who enjoy a savory/seafood taste in the a.m. I substituted mackerel gravlax for the smoked trout, just because that was on hand, but it was a grey-brown instead of the lighter hue of the trout or the pink of a salmon. gravlax-apples

1 oz smoked trout [DuckTrap brand is very good] OR 1 oz mackerel gravlax 2 oz Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced; each slice cut into 1/2-moons ¼ c blueberries + 2 raspberries for color blackish coffee, blackish tea, or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz smoothie or natural apple cider

Slice the fish with the grain to create thin slices. Arrange the fish and apples in overlapping slices around the plate. HINT: I did this the night before, covered it with clingwrap and put it in the ‘fridge. So quick the next morning!! Brew your hot beverage, blend or shake your smoothie, dish out those healthy blueberries, and breakfast elegantly.

Trout with Hazelnuts: 267 calories 18 g fat 3.3 g fiber 21 g protein 6.3 g carbs 75 mg Calcium PB GF From Savoie, France comes this recipe, via Anne Willem’s French Regional Cooking. Hannibal is supposed to have dined on local trout as he crossed the Alps with his elephants. Very easy to prepare [the trout, not the elephants] and absolutely delicious. Trout w: hazelnuts + haricots

3 oz trout, skinned, boned and trimmed 1 tsp butter ½ oz hazelnuts, coarsly chopped 2 oz French green beans [haricots]

Start cooking the beans. Heat a heavy saute pan and spray with non-stick spray. Put in the trout and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slowly [slow cooking will keep the fish tender] cook the trout on one side for about 3-4 minutes. Add the butter to the pan along with the nuts. Continue cooking everything slowly until the fish is done, roughly another 3 minutes. Drain and season the beans, plate them with the trout, and top the fish with the nuts in butter. Enjoy your culinary visit to the French Alps.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg	1two-oz egg
avocado	2 cups fresh spinach leaves
70-calorie whole-grain bread	scallions
	cottage cheese + Cheddar cheese
	kiwi fruit + strawberry
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

cooked and cooled brown rice	Boston lettuce + cherry tomatoes
1 two-oz egg	apple + Medjool date
avocado + cucumber	chick peas + chicken breast
grilled beef	goat cheese + 1/2 hard-boiled egg
smoked salmon	pine nuts + shallot
soy sauce + rice vinegar	cinnamon dressing [23 May, 2018]
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Lammastide

August 1, 2018July 20, 2025 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

According to the ancient calendar of northern European “pagan” culture, we are now 5/8 through the solar year. Those worthy sun observers noticed 4 major astronomical events: 2 solstices and 2 equinoxes. Those were ‘Quarter Days’ and deserving of a festival. Split those in two, and you have the 4 Cross-Quarter Day. There were calendars in most of the pre-Christian cultures, based on the sun and/or moon, marked often by the location of the sun over standing-stones. The parts of the year therefore have different names in different cultures: Thorri, Goa, Einmanudur, Harpa, in Iceland. Imbolc, Beltain, Luignasa, and Samhain to the Irish Celts. Candlemas, May Day, Lammas, and Martinmas to the Christian peoples of England. Lammas is the harvest festival, marking the gathering-in of wheat or other cereal crops. Despite its Christian associations, it is steeped in pagan traditions: baking special breads, crafting corn dollies, feasting and dancing.

Baking bread with sprouted grain is part of a Lammas festival, so we will have sprouts in our eggs at breakfast. The yield of the field will be evident in the dinner, made with fresh vegetables, wrapped in a grain-based crêpe.

Sprouted Bake: 270 calories… 5.6 g fat… 3.7 g fiber… 13.8 g protein… 36.6 g carbs… 226 mg Calcium… PB GF Time to get the sprouts out of the sandwiches and into the breakfast.

++1 two-oz egg ++++ ¼ c radish sprouts ++++1/2 oz avocado ++++1 Tbsp low-fat cottage cheese ++++¼ cup blueberries++++optional: blackish coffee or blackish tea ++++ optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie, green smoothie or natural apple cider

Mash the avocado and mix with the cottage cheese. Heat the toaster oven to 350 degrees F. Spritz an oven-proof dish with cooking oil or spray and put the sprouts in it. Whisk the egg with the avocado mixture and pour over the sprouts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Portion the fruit and pour the beverages.

Crêpes with Chicken Ratatouille: 249 calories… 5 g fat… 6 g fiber… 27.6 g protein… 32 g carbs… 190 mg Calcium… PB Galettes/Crêpes are wonderful to have on hand for use with a variety of fillings. If you had the crêpes and the filling previously-made, then the meal goes together in no time.

+++2 buckwheat galettes** ++++ 1.5 oz chicken breast ++++ ½ cup Mediterranean Vegetables++++1/2 Tbsp goat cheese ++++ 1 Tbsp low-fat cottage cheese ++++ herbes de Province OR tarragon++++ 3/4 oz carrots+++

If making galettes from scratch now: prepare the batter and let stand 30+ minutes. If using frozen galettes, put them in a plastic bag on the counter and let them thaw. Turn on the oven to 250 degrees. Cut the chicken into <1/2” pieces. Put into pan with the Med.Veg. and heat enough to warm the veg, reduce the liquids, and cook the chicken. Take off heat. Prepare the crêpes: either cook them now from batter or finish the thawing process by putting them in a warm oven. Add cheeses to mixture in the pan, and stir to combine. Toss in lots of herbes de Province or fresh herbs to taste. Arrange the crêpes on a cookie sheet and divide the filling among them. Fold over, pressing down gently. Heat in the warm oven and serve with the happy crunchy carrots. **BUCKWHEAT GALETTES: 1 batch makes 20 galettes, each using 3-4 Tbsp batter each galette = 50 calories … 0.5 g fat … 1.4 g fiber… 2 g protein… 8.5 g carbs… 6 mg Calcium… TIP: Keep some cooked galettes in the freezer for ‘instant’ use.

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

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

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

On Monday, I will discuss Fasting while	fresh, tart apple, such as Granny Smith
traveling if you eat at restaurants only.	smoked trout
	Blueberries/raspberries


	Whatever you need for your hot beverage
	Whatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

On Monday, I will discuss Fasting while	trout fillet
traveling if you eat at restaurants only.	butter
	hazelnuts [filberts]
	haricots or green beans


Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Emily Bronte

July 29, 2018March 16, 2025 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Have you ever found that you were wandering over the Yorkshire Moors calling, “Heathcliff! Heathcliff!” OK, maybe not, but the yearning of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff for each other transcends time and leaps off the page at you. Emily Brönte, under the pseudonym “Ellis Bell,” wrote the deathless novel Wuthering Heights in 1847. Tomorrow will be the 200th anniversary of her birth. Like her heroine, Emily could not bear to be away from her Yorkshire home, even though she was supposed to go off to work to contribute to the family’s income. She was a woman of conservative political beliefs who nonetheless was swept up in the Romantic Era‘s ideas of literature. Bronte was the daughter of a clergyman yet she wrote a book about a passionate, illicit love. Though she lead a sheltered life, Emily successfully played the stock market and ran a house on a frugal budget. She died at age 30 having produced one book and several poems.

Kippers, preserved herring from Northern waters, would have been popular in Yorkshire, even away from the coast. The economical Emily would have made sure that the parsonage was well supplied. Fish cakes, which also serve a household inexpensively, are what we will have for dinner. Is the wind howling around the house? Are there voices on the wind? Curl up with a good book.

Kippered Eggs: 294 calories 9.4 g fat 3 g fiber 18 g protein 34 g carbs [31 g Complex] 217 mg Calcium PB GF Kippers are traditionally served with eggs, but why not have them in eggs? We did and it is terrific!

++ 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 ++++ 1/2 oz kippered [smoked, salted, dried] herring ++++ ¼ tsp dried mustard ++++ 1 tsp lemon or lime juice ++++4 sweet cherries ++++ optional: 5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie ++++ optional: blackish tea or blackish coffee ++

The night before: Soak the kipper fillet in warm tap water for 30 minutes. Mince the fish. In a small bowl, combine the juice and mustard, then mix in the fish. Leave it until morning. Next morning: Put the fish with its flavorings into a lightly-spritzed hot non-stick or cast iron pan to warm. Whisk the eggs and pour over the fish. Let the eggs cook without disturbing them, then fold and plate with the cherries. The beverages are a nice counterpoint to the savory richness of the eggs and herring.

Fish Cakes: 212 calories 4 g fat 5 g fiber 9.6 g protein 34 g carbs 52 mg Calcium [food values for dinner using ONE 1/3 cup-size cake and side dishes.] PB GF This recipe is fromLegal Seafood Cookbook, from the restaurant chain in Boston, Mass. Fish cakes have been popular where ever there are folk who want a little fish to go a long way. NB: The Fish Cake recipe produces 6 cakes, each 1/3 cup in size. >>Each cake = 92 calories 1.7 g fat 0.8 g fiber 8 g protein 11.8 g carbs 22 mg Calcium NB: The Fish Cake recipe produces 8 cakes, each 1/4 cup in size. >>Each cake = 69 calories 1.3 g fat 0.6 g fiber 5.3 g protein 8.8 g carbs 16 mg Calcium 1/3 cup green or white onion, chopped 1 2/3 cup mashed potatoes [no milk, no butter] ¼ tsp dry mustard + salt + pepper 1 two-oz egg 2 Tbsp milk 6 oz cooked fish [cod, haddock, salt cod, salmon or a mixture], flaked into small pieces 1 tsp butter ½ cup pickled beets 1 cup baby greens or sliced lettuce leaves + ½ tsp olive oil + ½ tsp vinegar + salt + pepper

Combine the onion, potatoes, egg, seasonings, and milk, stirring well. Stir in the fish, gently but thoroughly. Using a 1/3 cup measure as a mold, portion the fish/potato mixture into 6 cakes. Put on a plate or cookie sheet while the pan heats up. Heat a heavy fry pan, such as cast iron, and spray with non-stick spray. Cook the fish cakes on one side, flattening them slightly with a turner. Remove from the pan and add 1 tsp of butter to the pan. Spread the butter around, return the fish cakes, and cook them on the other side until they are browned. Serve while hot. What you don’t eat today, let cool completely, then freeze with waxed or parchment paper between the cakes.

Hot Enough?

July 25, 2018July 21, 2018 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

‘Hot enough for ya?’ [my father scorned people who said that.] ‘Hotter than the hinges of Hades.‘ [my mother would say this one.] ‘Hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk.‘ ‘Some like it hot.’ ‘Hot town, summer in the city…‘ How hot has it been in your Northern Hemisphere location this summer? Some people find it easier to diet in the summer, some the reverse. We find it easy to prepare simple foods which meet our requirements for a Fasting day as well as for enervating weather conditions.

The breakfast is based on ingredients from a favorite restaurant’s pizza. The pizza was baked in a brick oven and came sizzling to the table. In your own kitchen, under cooler circumstances, you can make a no-fuss breakfast. The dinner is simplicity itself since the roasting was done in advance, and it can be carried to the nearest shady spot for consumption.

ForeStreet ScrOmelette: 278 calories 8.7 g fat 3 g fiber 15.8 g protein 35 g carbs 228 mg Calcium PB GF Based on a pizza from one of our favorite Portland, Maine restaurants, these flavors are teriffic together. Forestreet Bake w: S-b

Three 2-oz eggs of which you will use 1 ½ 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. 1/8 oz bleu cheese 1/4 oz mushrooms 1/8 oz leeks 1 oz pear Blackish coffee or tea or lemon with hot water 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider

Spritz a non-stick pan with olive oil or non-stick spray. Slice the leeks and saute with the mushrooms until both are cooked. Whisk in the eggs and pour over the leeks and mushrooms. As the eggs begin to set, crumble the bleu cheese on top. Scramble or cook as an omelette. Plate with the pear, serve with the beverages of choice. Breakfast in a cool kitchen on a warm morning.

Pork Salad: 144 calories 4 g fat 2.4 g fiber 17 g protein 7 g carbs [6.8 g Complex] 43 mg Calcium PB GF When there is leftover meat from a roast, the easiest meal is to turn it into a salad with lots of yummy components. NB: I sprinkled each serving with 1/4 oz flax-seed corn chips which added 40 calories and only 4 g carbs. Pork Salad w: Flax-Corn Chips

2 cups salad greens, cut as chiffonade if leaves are large 2.5-3 oz pork tenderloin, cooked, sliced 2.5-3 oz tomatoes 1 oz red bell pepper, cut in 1/2” dice 1 oz whole fresh cranberries, not dried 2 oz zucchini sticks 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar + ½ tsp olive oil + 1 tsp blue cheese herb mustard

Prepare all the vegetables as described. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a wide bowl and toss with the greens. Plate the greens and decorate the salad with the other components. That was fast!

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1.5 two-oz egg	1 two-oz egg
kippered herring	low-fat cottage cheese
dry mustard	radish sprouts
lemon juice	avocado
cherries	blueberries
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

6 oz cooked fish	2 crepes [see Sidekicks I, 17 Sept ’17]
1 two-oz egg + dry mustard	chicken breast
mashed potatoes + butter	carrots + chèvre/goat cheese
green or white onion	low-fat cottage cheese
beets + salad greens	Mediterranean Vegetables [see Sidekicks II, 4 Oct 2017 for recipe]
olive oil + vinegar	Herbes de Province or tarragon
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

Antipodes

Crossroads: Mediterranean

Rosa of Lima

St Bernard

Salad Days

Morning to Night: avocado

Izaak Walton

Lammastide

Emily Bronte

Hot Enough?

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