Recipes for Intermittent Fasting Days

A is for Apple …

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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 sanoncpa who is now Following.

…and that is as American as apple pie. Mary Azarian‘s primer A Farmer’s Alphabet depicts life in Northern New England via woodcuts, all the way through the alphabet.  “A” is of course for “Apple” and this year our small orchard had a bumper crop.  There have been pies for Slow Days, and applesauce for Fast Days. There is apple cider and slices of apple to accompany breakfast. Apples are great! Other fine Fasting foods that start with ‘A’ include artichoke hearts, avocado, almonds, asparagus, arugula, aubergine, alfalfa sprouts, anchovies, and apricots.

Today, our recipes begin with “A” and they illustrate how easy and delicious it is to follow the Fasting Lifestyle, starting with apples in the breakfast.

Apple-Bacon Bake:   270 calories…  6.5 g fat …  3.5 g fiber…  14 g protein…  37 g carbs…  220.5 mg Calcium…  PB GF   What a perfect taste for Autumn or any time of year.

Apple-Bacon Bake w: pears

++ 1 two-oz egg  ++++ ¾ oz apple, peeled, cored, sliced thinly ++++ 1/8 oz bacon, diced  ++++  1 Tbsp ricotta cheese, drained if too liquid ++++ ¼ tsp Parmesan cheese   ++++ ¼ tsp prepared mustard   ++++  pinch of sage   ++++ ¾ oz pear  ++++ optional: blackish coffee or tea  ++++ optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or unpasturized apple cider

Spritz a ramekin with cooking spray. Set the toaster oven at 350 degrees F.  In a saute pan, cook the bacon until done. Drain away the fat and blot the bacon in paper towel. Chop the bacon. In the same pan, saute the apple slices  until softened but not mushy. Put apple and bacon in the ramekin. TIP: This can be done the night before to save time and effort in the morning.  Whisk the egg, ricotta, Parmesan, mustard, and sage together, and pour into the ramekin. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Prepare the beverages and the pear. How pleasant.

Antipasto with Tuna: 282 calories…  10.6 g fat…  9 g fiber…  20 g protein…  24 g carbs… 250 mg Calcium..  PB GF  This one is a keeper: simple, off the shelf, pretty on the plate, good to eat. The photo shows enough for 2 people. Invite a guest who is Fasting, too.  The amounts shown in the recipe are for ONE person but the photo below is enough for TWO diners..

Amtipasto w: herbs

++ 1 oz roasted red pepper, without oil [I roast my own, slice and freeze them]  ++++ 1 oz mozzerella, cut into ‘sticks’ [I buy blocks of mozzerells for slicing] ++++ 2 0z tuna, packed in water, drained and broken into large chunks  ++++ 2.5 oz tomato slices  ++++ 1.5 oz whole green beans, steamed, drained   ++++ 3/4 oz marinated mushrooms  ++++  3 Tbsp garbanzo beans, drained if canned  ++++   2 black olives, pitted and sliced  ++++  1.5 slices pepperoni, chopped  ++++  1/2 tsp flavored oil  [optional]  ++++ salt +  chopped fresh herbs to taste

Prepare the ingredients as described, and keep separate. On a platter, arrange the ingredients in rows as shown in the photo. Suit your own artistic nature as to what goes where. Be liberal with the fresh herbs.

Completely Different

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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.

It’s been a merry round of holiday eating, so let’s have something completely different!  Eggs Foo Yung for breakfast?  Why not! Liver & Onions while dieting?!?  Yes!  Bet you’d be happier if you weighed less on Friday — eat these menus on Thursday and see what happens.

Foo Yung ScrOmelette:   283 calories  8 g fat  2.5 g fiber   18 g protein  38 g carbs  241.4 mg Calcium  PB GF  Here we take the Cantonese classic and prepare it for breakfast. Filling and nutritious.Fu Yung 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.                                                                                       2 Tbsp crab meat                                                                                                                                                            3/4 tsp soy sauce                                                                                                                                                          ¼ c mung bean sprouts                                                                                                                                        ¼ oz mushrooms                                                                                                                                                            green parts of one scallion, sliced                                                                                                                                 ¼ tsp ground ginger                                                                                                                                          splash of hot sauce                                                                                                                                                       1 oz pear or applesauce                                                                                                                                            blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                                                                                 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie

The night before, combine the crab, soy, sprouts, mushrooms, scallion, ginger and hot sauce in a small bowl. Next morning, spritz a non-stick saute pan with oil or non-stick spray and briefly cook the crab mixture to heat it thoroughly. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper and pour into the pan, scrambling to incorporate the crab mixture. Cook to your favorite degree of doneness. [Alternately, cook like pancakes: put half of the egg in the pan, then distribute half of the crab mixture on top. When done on the bottom, turn to cook the top. Repeat with other half of ingredents.] Dish up the fruit, brew your hot beverage, and prep the smoothie. And your fortune cookie says: “You will lose weight.”

Liver & Onions:  273 calories  10.4 g fat  2.9 g fiber  25 g protein  20 g carbs  43.5 mg Calcium When my father was away on business, my mother would serve us liver and onions which we came to regard as a special treat. Still a favorite on diner menus, still full of protein and Iron.  Liver & onions                                                                                                                                                                                     4 oz beef liver                                                                                                                                                                 2 tsp flour + salt + pepper                                                                                                                                          ½ cup onion, sliced                                                                                                                                               ½ tsp butter                                                                                                                                                              ½ cup green beans

Cook the onions in a non-stick saute pan with a little water to prevent scorching. Set the onions aside. Blot the liver on paper towels. Put 2 tsp flour on a plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge the liver in the flour, and shake off any extra. Melt the butter in the pan the onions were in and cook the liver over low heat until done. If the pan gets too dry, spray it with non-stick spray. Meanwhile, cook the beans and salt them. Just before the liver is done, add the onions to the pan to reheat.

Newton

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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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Tomorrow marks the birth of one of science’s giants: Isaac Newton, born Christmas Day 1642, in Wollsthorp, Lincolnshire, England.  His mother had been widowed a few months earlier and her baby was premature — a dismal start for any child. Despite a difficult childhood — his mother gave him away to her parents to raise when she remarried — Isaac somehow grew up to be a mathematics prodigy.  He invented the Calculus; wrote the three Laws of Motion; determined why the moon stays in orbit around the Earth; developed the concept of gravity — all before his 24th birthday. Newton served as the Director of the National Mint, in charge of stamping coins and also countering counterfeiting. He demonstrated that light from the sun is actually made of seven different wavelengths which we see as colors. Newton was typical of his age in that science was the hobby of a gentleman. He had a prickly personality, being scornful of those who did not understand his new ideas, but he was elected a member of the Royal Society and became its influential president. Newton was one of the leading lights of the Age of Enlightenment, able to ‘see’ farther than other scientists and academics because he “stood on the shoulders of giants.”

We will observe his natal day and the birth of modern physics with some very English meals: Toad in the Hole and Pork with Apples.  ‘Apples.’  Get it? Newton saw an apple falling from his tree [it did NOT hit him on the head] and intuited the effect of gravity on all things. Whew.

Toad in the Hole:  298 calories   1.7 g fat  3.9 g fiber  14.5 g protein   79 g carbs  190 mg Calcium This whimsically-named meal is of old English origin – shades of Kenneth Graham and Beatrix Potter. The recipe is from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. It begins with a Yorkshire Pudding batter which you need to prepare in advance. The Yorkshire Pudding recipe is from the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook. HINT: make the batter the night before to save time in the morning.

Toad in the Hole w: Apples

Yorkshire Pudding Batter:       one 2-oz egg      ½ tsp salt           1/2 cup unbleached flour                                                            ½ cup white whole wheat flour         ½ cup water         ½ cup fat-free milk                         Mix all the ingredients together and let the batter stand at room temp for 30-60 minutes or in ‘fridge overnight. You will need 1/4 cup of the batter per person. HINT: The remainder can be frozen in 1 cup or 1/4 cup batches for future meals. When it is time to use the batter, beat it with a rotary beater until it is frothy.

For the breakfast:                 1 breakfast sausage [chicken sausage @ 50 cal/link]                               1/4 cup Yorkshire Pudding batter, well beaten                         pinch of crumbled sage                                                                                                                                         2 oz pear or apple       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]

Heat the oven/toaster oven to 425°F.  Cook the sausage, using a bit of water in the bottom of the pan since the sausage will render no fat. Pour out any remaining water from cooking the sausage. Spritz 5 holes of a mini-muffin pan with non-stick spray. Dice the sausage or slice into 20 pieces, and put the sausage in the mini-muffin pan. Beat the batter until it is foamy, adding crumbled sage. Pour the batter over the sausage bits in the pan. Pop the pan into the oven for 15 minutes. Slice the fruit, shake your smoothie, brew your beverage, and settle down to a quickly-prepared, fun-to-eat meal.

Pork with Apples:  273 calories   8.1 g fat   4 g fiber  22.7g protein   18.8 g carbs   84 mg Calcium  PB   Long a favorite combination in lands where apples grow; where local meats and local fruits are blended in hearty meals, the flavor of pork with apples is a winner.

Pork & Apples

3 oz pork tenderloin, raw or cooked                                   2 oz round slices of apple, unpeeled                                                                                                               ½ oz cubed apples, unpeeled                                1/4 cup chicken stock                                                                                                                                                           4 Tbsp Béchamel sauce, no cheese                 thyme/sage salt + pepper to taste                                                                                                                       1 oz broccoli florets            1 oz cauliflower florets                         1 oz carrots 

Poach the apple slices in the stock until they are tender. TIP: if cooking for 2, this may require poaching in 2 batches. Remove slices and reserve. Slice the pork into rounds about 1/4” thick. If pork is raw, braise it briefly in the hot stock, and remove from stock. Put 1 Tbsp stock in the oven-proof pan in which you will cook the dinner. Combine diced apples, Béchamel, seasonings, and remaining stock in the sauce pan, stirring until apples are soft and sauce is medium-thick. Adjust seasonings. Arrange alternating slices of pork and apple in the baking pan. Nap with the sauce and bake at 350 until warmed through, about 20 minutes. Steam the vegetables and enjoy a hearty winter meal.

Land of the Long White Cloud

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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 Soul On Rice, who is now Following.
Tomorrow will be the 375th anniversary of Abel Tasman‘s first sighting of the Maori people of New Zealand in 1642.  Aotearoa, as the local Maori call the country, means the Land of the Long White Cloud. Sailing along the coast of New Zealand, the Dutch ship and her crew met the locals in a tense encounter, to be followed in later days by rock-throwing and shouting as the newcomers were repulsed by the indigenous population.  Our meals today reflect the modern residents of New Zealand, who style themselves as “Kiwis,” a nod to the flightless national bird.  We will eat kiwi fruit at breakfast and dinner as we look at photos of a distant land of Hobbits and Haka.

Parmesan-Chive Bake:  279 calories  7.5 g fat  3.7 g fiber   15 g protein  30 g carbs   275 mg Calcium   PB GF  While I was away for 10 days, Dear Husband invented this breakfast to take advantage of the fresh chives in the garden. Clever man.Parmesa-Chive Bake w: kiwi

One 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                                                  1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated                                                                                                                      1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped   OR use the green part of a scallion                                                                   1.5 tsp reduced-fat ricotta cheese                                                                                                                           1 oz kiwi fruit                                                                                                                                                              5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider                                                     blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

First set the toaster oven to 350° F.  My Dear Husband is the one who prepares the breakfasts. He says to start the coffee next and then to prepare the smoothie. Spritz a ramekin with oil or non-stick spray. Whisk the egg with the cheeses and chives and pour into the ramekin. Bake in the toaster oven for 12-15 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Prepare the kiwi fruit, pour the beverages and have an easy day.

Strawberry-Chicken Salad:  200 calories   8.3 g fat   4.8 g fiber   16.7 g protein  16 g carbs   110 mg Calcium   PB GF   Sometimes you go through the recipe drawer and look at all the clippings and photocopies, and wonder, “Where did these come from?” This is one of those recipes, but I think it might be from Eating Well.   It is as delicious as it is lovely to look at.Strawberry-Chicken Salad

2 oz [½ cup] cubed cooked chicken breast                                                                                                       ½ cup sliced strawberries                                                                                                                                                ¼ cup kiwi, peeled and sliced                                                                                                                                                               1.5 cups fresh spinach                                                                                                                                                 1 Tbsp slivered almonds, toasted                                                                                                                                1.5 tsp poppy seed dressing*** OR a red wine vinegar dressing with poppy seeds + a pinch of dried mustard added

***Poppy Seed Dressing – 2 tsp red wine vinegar   +     1 Tbsp olive oil   +    pinch salt    +    ½ tsp dried mustard   +    1 tsp poppy seeds                    Whisk together vigorously.

Toss 1 and a half tsp of dressing with the spinach. Toast the almonds in a heavy dry skillet on the stove-top until just starting to brown. Plate the greens and arrange the chicken and fruit on top. Sprinkle with the nuts. A real hit in our family.

Tycho

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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.

Tomorrow will be the birthday of Tycho Brahe, born 1546, in Copenhagen, Denmark.  The son of a wealthy merchant, he grew up to be a rock-star astronomer — the most famous in all of Europe.  While still a young man, he discovered a ‘Stella Nova‘ [what we call a Supernova] where no star had been seen before.  This called into question the idea that all the Earth and sky had been created at once.  The discovery made him a house-hold name, and he lived LARGE at his Uranibourg Research Station [first in Europe] on the Island of Hveen. Scientists from all over would come to study with him. He lead a wild and crazy life, all the while contributing to the study of weather, chemistry, and astronomy. Happy Birthday, Tycho.  If it weren’t a Fast Day, we’d raise several glasses of wine to you. You would like that.

Our foods for today highlight Danish flavors at breakfast and codfish — a Baltic favorite — for dinner.

Danish Omelette:   294 calories…  10.7 g fat…  2.4 g fiber…   17.6 g protein…  34.6 g carbs…  242 mg Calcium…  PB GF  This breakfast is in honor of Tycho Brahe, famous astronomer and Denmark’s pride. The taste of the sea, the bleu cheese, the star in the apple: all sing praise to him.

Danish Omelettte

++ 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  ++++ 1/4 oz  bleu cheese, Danish if you can find it ++++                                                                                                           ½ oz herring marinated in wine  ++++   1 oz apple, sliced so you can see the star inside   ++++   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] ++ 

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 cooked.] Slide the eggs on to the plate with the apple, pour the beverages, and meditate on the wonders of astronomy.

Baked White Fish with cheese:  for the fish & cheese only:   145 calories…   6 g fat…   0 g fiber…   33 g protein…   0.2 g carb…   129 mg Calcium… PB   GF    Another winner from the Fast Diet book.   Add any vegetables of your choosing to fill out the plate and to add another 150 calories.                  

Baked fish w: cheese; snap peas, toms:basil

++ 6 oz firm white fish fillets such as cod or haddock ++++   1/2 oz cheddar cheese, grated  ++                                                                                                                                 Your choice of vegetables to add up to 125 calories:    ½ cup pickled beets [74 calories]                                                                                                                                 3 oz green beans [26 calories]   -OR-  ½ cup peas [62 calories] -OR- ½ cup carrot coins [12 calories]                                                                                                                                                                 3 oz broccoli florets [30 calories]    -OR-  2 oz parsnip, sliced as coins [42 calories]                         1 cups salad greens + ½ tsp lemon juice + 1 tsp olive oil [48 calories]    -OR-   3 oz tomatoes [15 calories]                                                                                                        1.5 cup whole sugar snap peas [39 calories]

Heat the oven to 400° F. Put the fish in an oven-proof dish which has been lightly smeared with olive oil.  Season the fish to taste.  Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables of your choice. How easy it is to be healthy!

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg1 two-oz egg
 Parmesan cheese onion   +  broccoli
 lots of chives blueberries + melon
 kiwi fruit ricotta  + mozzarella
 reduced fat cottage cheese Jarlsberg cheese
optional smoothieoptional beverage
optional beverageoptional smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

Cooked chicken meatwhite/albacore tuna
 Strawberries + 1 kiwi fruit lemon juice, ground ginger
 1.5 cups fresh spinach avocado, celery
 poppy seed mayonnaise
 Slivered almonds baby spinach, bean sprouts
 Dried mustard cherry tomatoes
Red wine vinegarSparkling water
 Sparkling water Sriracha or other hot sauce

Barbara

~ me ~ 1 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.

December 4th is the Feast of Saint Barbara. I have always liked this saint, partly because of frequently seeing the lovely young woman holding a tower during classes in Northern Baroque art; partly because my dear sister-in-law is named Barbara. Living in Heliopolis, Syria, Saint Barbara’s wealthy Roman father wanted to keep his beautiful daughter safe from men who might prey on her, so he locked her in a tower for her own good. In the years she was thus cloistered, Barbara became interested in religions other than the Roman pantheon. The new Christian religion appealed to her, so she studied it secretly and became an adherent. When at last her father chose a husband for her, Barbara rejected him because he was not a Christian. Enraged, her father cut off her head. Is Barbara the pre-cursor of Rapunzel? IDK.  Eid il-Burbara, the Feast of Saint Barbara is celebrated in Christian families in Lebanon.

In some Levantine Christian cultures, barley or wheat is sprouted in shallow trays of soil on December 4. The greenery is used around the Christmas crêche, then in February it is plowed into the fields to bless the crop. In that tradition, our breakfast features bean sprouts. Since a coastal city in California is named after her, we will enjoy “Santa Barbara Salad” from that fair realm for dinner.

Sprouted Bake:  156 calories…   9.7 g fat…   2.5 g fiber…   10 g protein…   9 g carbs…   47 mg Calcium…  PB GF   Time to get the sprouts out of the sandwiches and into the breakfast.

Sprouted Bake w: B-berries

++1 two-oz egg +++ ¼ c radish or alfalfa or mung sprouts ++++1 oz avocado ++++ 1 Tbsp 2%-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 a 1-cup ramekin 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. Rich and smooth.

Santa Barbara Salad:  280 calories…   13.3 g fat…   5.7 g fiber…   16 g protein…   21.3 g carbs…   105.8 mg Calcium…   PB GF   From a Washington Post food column, this salad sings of California. Truly delicious. HINT: This amount serves 2 [two]. Invite a friend or save for lunch later in the week.

Santa Barbara Salad

++ ½ head Boston or buttercrunch lettuce++++1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved ++++ 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 hardboiled egg, sliced in rounds ++++  per serving: 1.5 tsp cinnamon dressing**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

First prepare the dressing and refrigerate. Next, toast the pinenuts in a heavy skillet 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, sprinkle with pine nuts, and arrange the sunny sliced eggs on top.  Play a Beach Boys song and wear your sunglasses.

 **Cinnamon Dressing:     makes 4.5 tsp [you will have some leftover]                                                   ++ ½ shallot [¾ oz]++++1 Tbsp olive oil ++++1.5 tsp balsamic vinegar or raspberry vinegar ++1/8 tsp cinnamon ++                                                 Shake together in a jar. Refrigerate until needed.                                                                                  

 
 

NYC Restaurants

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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.

On November 13, 1927, the Holland Tunnel opened. Linking Manhattan and New Jersey, it was an engineering and transportation marvel: you could get to or from Manhattan Island without going over a bridge!  I remember all-night drives from our home in Connecticut to our Grandmother’s house in Pennsylvania.  My sister and I usually slept soundly while my father drove and my mother rode shot-gun, but once I remember going through a tunnel. It was other-worldly.                                                                                                                                             All this nostalgia makes me think of food in Manhattan, so let’s spend our Fast Day there.  For breakfast, we’ll head to Barney Greengrass on Amsterdam Avenue. Then for dinner, we’ll go to Lüchow’s the iconic German restaurant. Well, we would if we could: it closed in 1982, but I remember dining there with my parents in the 60s. Real German. Happily I have their cookbook to this day.  Let’s eat.

Horseradish-Cheesy Bake: 281 calories 7.8 g fat 3.1 g fiber 14.6 g protein 35 g carbs 240 mg Calcium PB GF David Rosengarten’s unusual cookbook It’s All American Food takes the reader on a tour of American ethnic and regional foods, and tells you how to make those treats in your own kitchen. This recipe is from the Manhattan restaurant Barney Greengrass, where they are renowned for their breakfasts.Greenglass Bake w: apricots

One 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                           ¼ oz Romano cheese, grated                                                                                                                             1 Tbsp cheddar/horseradish spread***                                                                                                             1 Tbsp chives, minced                                                                                                                                                  2 oz apricots  OR 2 oz apple                                                                                                                                 5-6 oz fruit or green smoothie or unpasturized apple cider                                                           blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water

*** 2 Tbsp WisPride Cheddar spread OR Kraft Old English Cheddar spread                                      4 [or more] tsp prepared horseradish [the kind in a jar]                                                                   Cream together thoroughly.                                                                                                                             Save the rest for another day or another use. [stuffed celery?]

Set the toaster oven at at 350 degrees F. Spritz a ramekin with oil or non-stick spray. Vigorously whisk the egg, cheeses, and chives until well combined and pour into the ramekin. Put in the oven [it doesn’t need to be hot yet] and bake 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, brew your beverage, shake the smoothie, and prep the apricots. This will kick-start your day.

Herring Salad:  260 calories   PB  GF    Lüchow’s will live in memory as long as a certain generation lives. And there was a lot to remember about it: the decor, the old-world service, the menu. TIP: This doubles easily to accommodate a guest or provide lunch for tomorrow.

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                                                                                                                                   2 Tbsp onion, minced                                                                                                                                   1/2 oz dill pickle, chopped                                                                                                                   pinch sugar                                                                                                                                                 2 tsp vinegar, or more                                                                                                                                1 cup lettuce, shredded                                                                                                                           1 hard-boiled egg, sliced

Put the vinegar and sugar  in a bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Add remaining ingredients [except the egg] and toss gently until everything is well-incorporated. Taste to see if it needs more sugar or more vinegar.  Garnish with slices of egg.

New Favorites

~ 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.                                                                                 Some reading for you: http://www.cheatsheet.com/health-fitness/easiest-ways-to-shed-pounds-without-the-gym.html/?a=viewall 

Welcome to Jahid, Holly, and Carspot who are now following this blog.

Sometimes we go back to an old favorite, sometimes we develop new favorites. As long as the calories are low, the protein is high, the carbs are low, and the flavor is super, we are good to go.

Enchilada Bake:   290 calories  6.3 g fat   2.7 g fiber   19.9 g protein   42 g carbs    249.5 mg Calcium  PB GF     Since we enjoy enchiladas for dinner, why not have the same flavor at breakfast? Basically, this recipe is based on one by famous chef Rick Bayless.                                        You will notice that a ScrOmelette is pictured. There was a power outage that morning, so scrambling the ingredients seemed a better option.  Same proportions.  Great Flavors.Enchilada ScrOmelette

1 two-oz egg                                                                                                                                                                   1 Tbsp crushed tomatoes, slightly drained                                                                                                    ½ oz green chili pepper, minced and drained                                                                                                                        1 Tbsp plain, non-fat yogurt                                                                                                                               ¼ oz chicken breast, cooked and chopped                                                                                                       1/8 oz Monterey Jack or Cheddar                                                                                                                               ½ tsp cornmeal                                                                                                                                                          2 oz apple OR applesauce                                                                                                                          blackish coffee, blackish tea, or lemon in hot water                                                                                  5-6 oz fruit of green smoothie or natural apple cider

Spritz a ramekin with non-stick spray and set the toaster oven to 350 degrees F. Put the cornmeal and minced chilis into an ungreased cast iron skillet and toast it over direct heat until cornmeal becomes darker in color and fragrent. Do not let it burn or scorch. Remove from hot pan to a bowl. Into the ramekin, put the chicken and the cheese. Whisk together the egg, cornmeal, chilis, half of the yogurt, and seasonings, and pour over the eggs. Bake 12- 15 minutes while you portion the fruit and prepare the beverages. Top the eggs with the remaining dollop of yogurt.

Fish Timbale:   276 calories      17.3 g fat     1.6 g fiber      23.5 g protein   8 g carbs      95 mg Calcium  PB GF   Sounds high-falutin’ but really very easy.  The word ‘timbale‘ is based on an Arabic word for ‘drum.’  It refers to the shape of the ramekin as well as to what is cooked in that shape.Fish Timbale w: chard

3 oz fish [mackerel or salmon & haddock or cod]                                                                                                    3/4 oz egg [either part of a whole egg or a white from a large egg]                                                                                                1/3 oz white beans, rinsed, drained, and mashed                                                                                              2 Tbsp cream + 2 Tbsp spinach + 1/2 Tbsp shallot                                                                                         1 oz Swiss chard                                                                                                                                                       1/8 tsp olive oil                                                                                                                                                nutmeg + granulated garlic

Wash the spinach and leave water on the leaves. Put in a lidded pan along with the chopped shallot and a little water.  Put on the lid and cook briefly until the spinach is limp. Remove, chop, and squeeze the water out of the spinach. Thoroughly mash the white beans and add the cream. Stir the spinach/shallot into the bean/cream. If fish is raw: Put in a pan with a little water. Cover and steam until fish is cooked. Flake the fish and combine with the other ingredients, except the chard. Turn into an oil-spritzed ramekin and bake at 400 degrees F. for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, coarsley chop the chard and cook it in a little water until done. Drain and season with nutmeg and garlic. Run a knife around the sides of the timbale and invert the plate over it. Turn the plate right-side-up and remove tht timbale. Plate the chard.

Reformed

~ 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.

500 years ago today, Europe woke up to a new world view.  Martin Luther had posted his 95 Theses which sought to reform the Roman Catholic Church, not to over-throw it.  The printing press made his ideas ‘go viral.’  Among his radical ideas: printing the Bible in the language of the country so that people could read it for themselves. [Literacy soared as a result.]  Luther also got congregations singing in church [a grand experience] and many fine hymns resulted.  According to Martin Marty, Luther’s gospel of forgiveness means that tomorrow is a new day.  And let’s not forget education for both boys and girls. The Reformation swept Europe and local leaders preached in France, England, Switzerland — all due to the influence of Martin Luther.

One of the best books that I can recommend for your reformation is the Fast Diet by Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer.  How are we reformed since reading it?  We are slimmer for sure. We eat in moderation.  We are more mindful of what we eat and when we eat it.  Reform your diet method.

How do today’s menus relate to the Reformation of 1517?  Well, since our sons have reformed our tastebuds by introducing us to flavors we never imagined, the breakfast is a real eye-opener from our younger son.  The dinner is in honor of Martin, the good German monk, who surely would have enjoyed sauerkraut and sausage.

Thai ScrOmelette:   279 calories   8.5 g fat   2 g fiber   16 g protein   36 g carbs   249 mg Calcium  PB GF Our younger son prepared a marvelous Thai fried rice dinner for us which bowled us over with its flavors. Here are the same flavors, without the white rice. Still marvelous.

Thai 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, crack three 2-oz eggs into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.                                                                                                                                                                    1 clove garlic, chopped               3 Tbsp scallions, sliced                                                                                                                                            2 Tbsp cooked, chopped spinach [about ½ oz]       ½ tsp Thai fish sauce                                                                                                                                          ¼ tsp Thai hot chili sauce         big pinch dried basil [Thai basil if you have it]                                                                                                  1.5 oz melon OR applesauce                   blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                                                                                5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasturized apple cider

Combine the garlic, scallions, spinach, the 2 sauces, and basil. Spritz a fry pan with olive oil or non-stick spray. Heat the pan and stir the vegetables until they are warm and soft. Whisk the eggs and pour them into the pan, stirring to mix with the vegetables. Cook until done to your liking. Plate with the fruit and enjoy with the beverages.

Sauerkraut and Sausage:   255 calories    5.7 g fat     12.6 g fiber     21.3 g protein      33.5 g carbs 196.4 mg Calcium    GF PB     Does this meal make you picture over-weight Teutons? Brunhilde, anyone? Now look at the calorie count.

Sauerkraut & Sausage w: collards

1.5 cups sauerkraut, canned or bagged or fresh               2 tsp caraway seed                                                                                                                                                    2 oz applesauce, unsweetened                   1/2 cup onions, chopped coarsely                                                                                                                          1 cob-smoked chicken sausage with apple [OR any other sausage with 110 calories]                                                                                                     1.5 cups raw collard greens, chopped or sliced cross-wise in 1/4” strips [chiffonade]                                                        salt + garlic powder + pepper to taste.

Thaw the sausage if it is frozen. Leave it whole or slice it into ½” chunks. Combine the sauerkraut, caraway seed, applesauce, and onions in a saucepan large enough to hold the sausage [if leaving whole]. Cook slowly, uncovered until half of the liquid is gone. Add the sausage, cover, and continue to cook until everything is hot. Meanwhile, put the collards into ½ cup water with seasonings, and cook covered until the greens are tender, about 10 minutes.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg1.5 two-oz eggs
 crushed tomatoes  +  chicken meat 1 Tbsp baked beans
 fat-free plain yogurt + green chili pepper 1/4 oz pork loin
 Monterey jack  +  1/2 tsp cornmeal Worcestershire sauce  +  HP sauce
 1 oz apple or pear strawberries
Whatever you need for your smoothieWhatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverageWhatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

 3 oz fish, cooked or raw 1.5 cups fish stock
 1 eggcod or hake, 4 oz
 white beans, canned bacon
 cream +shallot  +  spinachonion  +  parsley
 Swiss chard2% milk [or skimmed or 1%]
 nutmeg + granulated garlic potato
Sparkling waterSparkling water
  

Run of the Mill Diet?

~ 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.

When I look at what some people eat when dieting, it seems so lack-luster. Drink this smoothie for breakfast every day.  Eat this salad for dinner every day.  If that’s dieting, I’ll take a pass.  In our house, we like variety and we get it every Fast Day.  Here are two of our favorite menus which are unusual and delicious.

Leek & Smoked Salmon ScrOmelette:   290 calories   9 g fat   1.7 g fiber   15.6 g protein   34 g carbs   226.4 mg Calcium   PB GF   This classic flavor combination makes for a superb breakfast.Leek & Smoked Salmon 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.                                                                                                  ½ oz smoked salmon                                                                                                                                           ½ oz leeks, sliced thinly                                                                                                                                     dill + salt + pepper                                                                                                                                                  1 tsp light sour cream [optional]                                                                                                                         1 oz applesauce                                                                                                                                                 blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                                                                                      5-6 oz green or fruit smoothie

Spritz a hot saute pan with non-stick spray and stir in the leeks, salmon, and dill to soften the leeks and warm the salmon. Whisk the eggs with the seasonings and sour cream. Pour into the pan and scramble to your taste or prepare as an omelette. Pour the beverages and dish the applesauce. Meals like this make Fasting easy.

Ratatouille with Chicken & Polenta:   228 calories   4.4 g fat   9.1 g fiber   29 g protein   32 g carbs   115.6 mg Calcium   PB   Oddly enough, the inspiration for this meal was a dinner on an airplane. I was determined to duplicate and improve the meal, and I think I succeeded. The polenta needs to be made ahead, and the Med Veg  could come out of the freezer. All ready in about 20 minutes with those preparations beforehand. I urge you to simplify your life by preparing these items in advance.Ratatouille Chicken

1 slice of polenta [posted in Sidekicks II October 4, 2017]                                                                                 1 cup Mediterranean Vegetables  [posted in Sidekicks II October 4, 2017]                                                                                                                                 3 oz chicken breast, skinless and boneless  [raw or pre-cooked leftovers]                                                                                                  large pinch herbes de Province OR thyme

Pour the Mediterranean Vegetables into a small saucepan and add a little water if there isn’t much liquid. Lay the chicken meat on top of the vegetables and sprinkle with pepper and herbes de Province. Put the lid on the pan and simmer until bottom of chicken is cooked. Check to see if you need to add more liquid to prevent the vegetables from scorching. Turn the chicken, cover and continue to cook until it is done. Meanwhile, spritz a heavy skillet lightly with non-stick spray and heat it. Cut the slice of polenta in half so it is about 1/3” thick. Cook it in the hot pan on both sides until it is warm and beginning to brown. Plate the polenta, spoon the vegetables around the polenta, then arrange the chicken on top.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg 1.5 two-oz eggs
 1/2 oz salt cod  1 oz gizzards. cleaned
 dry potato flakes  + herb savory garlic
 Cheddar or ADL Old/Fort cheese  sage
 strawberries  1 oz applesauce
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:

 3 oz mussel meat  Roast beef to make 1 cup ground
 mussel broth from cooking mussels 1 two-oz egg
 curry powder +  2 tsp flour  cauliflower + potato for mashing
 green beans  1/2 cup low fat beef gravy
 Gruyere cheese  peas or salad with vinaigrette
 Sparkling water Sparkling water