recipes for Michael Mosley’s 5:2 Diet

Northern Lights

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Like a lot of women my age, I have become interested in genealogy. My grandmother was a professional in the field, so the apple is dropping close to the tree. One thing I found which I didn’t expect is that the “French” branch of the family goes back to Scandinavia. In honor of my Finnish-Norwegian ancestors, I offer these menus.

Nordic Breakfast 297 cal    11.7 g. fat      15.5 g. protein      34.8 g carbs   PB     This is based on a recipe from the Fast Diet book, but I always thought it looked like a puny anount of food.  Not so — this will fill you up!Nordic Bfast3 slices of Finn Crisp crackers                                                                                                                             2 oz smoked salmon                                                                                                                                               2 Tbsp whipped cream cheese                                                                                                                              2 rings red onion, thinly sliced                                                                                                                           ½ cup raspberries                                                                                                                                                        1 oz apple                                                                                                                                                        blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon with hot water                                                                 NOTE: no smoothie

Carefully spread the cream cheese on the crackers. Divide the salmon among them. Arrange the onion rings atop the salmon. Slice the apple and pour your hot beverage. Skip the aquavit.

Baltic Bake:     302 cal        12.1 g fat      11 g protein        27.3 g carbs               GF     Believe it or not, this is from the book Two Fat Ladies Obsessions. The meal has wonderful Eastern European flavors and is so simple to prepare that I assembled it in 16 minutes!!hot dog:kraut in pasta bowl

2 low-fat, low calorie hot dogs [I like Hebrew National reduced-fat]                                                       ½ cup sauerkraut, homemade, canned, or from a bag                                                                                    ¼ c pickled beets                                                                                                                                                                ¼ c sliced onions                                                                                                                                               ½ tsp horseradish                                                                                                                                                1/2 tsp caraway seeds                                                                                                                                             2 Tbsp white beans, drained and rinsed

Put the hot dogs [frozen or thawed] and onions in a saucepan with a little water or some juice from the sauerkraut. Heat until the dogs are cooked and most of the liquid is evaporated. Remove the dogs and add remaining ingredients to the pan to heat. Cut the hot dogs into 5-6 pieces and put them back in the pan until all ingredients are heated through.

Pantry-Stocking

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Stocking Up was the name of a popular book by the Rodale Company in the ’70s. Whether you were a back-to-the-lander then or a prepare-for-the-revolution type, you liked the idea of a well-stocked larder.  Food against the coming winter or apocalypse…  But this is now and the topics are healthy eating and safe dieting. If you have the right foods on the shelf or in the refrigerator, then it will be easy to cook along with Fastingme.

White beans, canned:  navy beans, garbanzos,  it doesn’t matter. If you have a larger amount than the recipe calls for, freeze the remaining beans for future use.  I use these a lot to boost the protein in a meal. Antipasto , Oct. 18, ’15                                                                    Red Beans, canned: red kidney beans are useful and full of protein. Chili non Carne, Nov 4, ’15      Red Beans & Rice, Jun 24, ’15                                                                                               Tomatoes, canned: diced, crushed. For breakfasts Flamenco Eggs, Jul 26, ’15       or dinner  Langoustine with Garlic, Jan 24, ’16   pantry shelfTuna fish, canned: this is a great go-to food for dinners. Have several on hand.   Tuna Melt, Nov. 8, ’15                                                                                                                                            Udon and/or soba and/or somen noodles: handy to have on hand when you need them.  Pork with Soba Noodles, Jan 6, ’16    Shrimp with Udon Noodles Aug 16, ’15                           Corn tortillas, 6″ diameter: useful for breakfast  Tostadas, Nov 8, ’15     Breakfast Burrito, Aug 23, ’15  or for dinner   Seafood Tacos, Jul 26, ’15   Vegetable Pizza, May 27, ’15  Chicken Quesadillas  Jul 29, ’15                                                                                                                                Whole grain bread with less than 70 calories per slice: read the labels! Use if as part of your breakfasts or as a dinner ingredient  Stuffed Clams, Feb 22, ’15

Cabbage, green or Savoy: essential in Shrimp with Udon Noodles [above]   Seafood Tacos  [above]  and  Shrimp Egg Rolls, Nov. 15, ’15  High in vitamins, low in calories!                 Carrots:  useful for side vegetables and as an ingredient in all of the cabbage recipes         Apples:  my go-to fruit at breakfast , you could serve with dinner too                                  Oatmeal: the best complex carb there is for breakfast    Oatmeal Pudding Oct 25, ’15

So stock up and eat healthy food — on Fast Days and on Slow Days, too.

Laughing all the way…

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

Crying Laughing, by Lance Rubin

The holidays may be over, but we can still be jolly.  With the Fasting Lifestyle we can enjoy the food we eat, feel virtuous due to the discipline of Fasting, and enjoy the fun of watching the numbers on the scale go lower. We might not be riding in a one-horse open sleigh, as in the song Jingle Bells, but we can still go laughing all the way through our new way of eating.

Laughing Herb Omelette:    182 calories…. 11 g fat… 1.4 g fiber… 12 g protein… 9.4 g carbs… 142.4 mg Calcium…   PB GF if you use GF toast. Vache Qui Rit cheese is a low-calorie go-to for flavoring Fast Day meals. Here, it melts beautifully in an omelette.

Laughing Herb Omelette

++ 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 section Vache Qui Rit [Laughing Cow] cheese  ++++ 1.5 Tbsp fresh herbs  ++++ 3 oz apple ++++ ½ slice 70-calorie whole-grain bread ++++   optional: 5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or natural apple cider  ++++     optional: blackish tea or blackish coffee ++

Whisk the eggs and herbs together. Take the cheese from the ‘fridge [HINT: keep it cold so that it will slice better] and slice it into as many thin slices as you can. Spritz a hot non-stick or cast iron pan with cooking oil and pour in the eggs/herbs. When the bottom begins to set, lay the cheese slices over half the surface of the eggs. Cook to your degree of doneness, fold and plate. Slice apple, toast bread, shake up the smoothie, pour your hot beverage and laugh along with the cow.

Baked Bean Soup   285 cal…     3.5 g. fat…      11.5 g. protein…       44.6 g. carbs…    PB  GF This old-time classic is from the Fannie Farmer cookbook and it sure hits the spot. Super easy to prepare. OK, the carb count is high, but the carbs are complex and look how low the fat is! Furthermore, baked beans are good for you!

baked bean soup w: grapes & caulifower

++ 1 cup baked beans, canned ++++ 1/8” slice onion, chopped  ++++ 1 stalk celery, chopped ++++  ¾ cup canned or stewed tomatoes  ++++ 1 ½ cup brown stock/beef stock  ++++ dash hot sauce ++++ salt & pepper  ++++    per serving:   2 lemon slices ++++ 1/2 hard boiled egg, sliced ++

Simmer beans, onion, celery, and tomatoes in a covered pan for 30 minutes or until celery is soft. Add brown stock, hot sauce, salt, and pepper and heat through. Run it all through the blender or food processer. Serve with lemon slices and egg slices as a garnish. Fast, easy, inexpensive, good.

First Anniversary

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This posting marks one year of the Fastingme blog. Those of you who have been following faithfully know that I often suggest making a quantity of something and putting some in the freezer. Let’s start our new year by socking away some Fast foods in cold storage — then you can pull them out anytime that time is short and maintain your Fasting Lifestyle.  Sending out for pizza should never be a fall-back!

If you have these in the freezer, you’ll be set for lots of dinners and two breakfasts. Make them one at a time, but build up reserves. Dieting should be easy.

2 of any soups: Minestrone  November 19, 2015                                                     or                          Chicken Noodle  September 23, 2015                                             or                          Baked Bean April 22, 2015                                                                      1 chile:    Chili Non Carne   November 4, 2015                                                            or             Venison Chili November 4, 2015                                                           HINT: package the soups and chilis in 1 cup portions.                                          a batch of Falafel patties:   September   9, 2015                                                salmon: 5 oz pieces for Roasted Salmon Dec. 27, 2015                                          or             3 oz pieces for Salade Nicoise   January 25, 2015                           shrimp, 32 count:  Shrimp Egg Rolls November 15, 2015                                      or        Shrimp with Udon Noodles August 16, 2015                                          crepe batter:    October 14, 2015

Oatmeal Pudding with Blueberries  April 26, 2015                                         French Toast   December 23, 2015                                                                         Yorkshire Pudding batter   March 25, 2015

Here’s a  tip from a professional about healthy eating and nutrition:                  Stock Your Freezer  “Identify three meals you can prepare with pantry staples and start cooking. Store the meals in your freezer so you always have something healthy on hand when hunger strikes. For example, my go-to meals include risotto with frozen shrimp and asparagus, vegetable barley and a red lentil soup. Your goal should be to replace the meals whenever your stash starts running low”. — Christine M. Palumbo, MBA, RDN, FAND, a Chicago area registered dietitian and nutrition communications consultant                                                                         https://www.yahoo.com/health/10-resolutions-diet-experts-want-143451460.html

Obviously, she isn’t talking about Fast meals, but the same principle applies: stock up your freezer “so you always have something healthy on hand” for a Fast Day.

 

New Year’s Resolutions

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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.

Let’s resolve to be healthier this year. Let’s resolve to eat better this  year.  Let’s resolve to lose some weight, and be healthier, and eat better this year.  That sure sound like following the Fasting Lifestyle.  How? prepare the following meals tomorrow.  That means eating the 300-calories-or-less breakfast. Skip lunch but drink lots of water.  Black coffee and tea are fine too. Then eat the 300-calorie-or-less dinner, again with water. Next Sunday, read the next blog in the series and Fast again. Rinse and Repeat.

Basquaise Omelette:     147 calories…    8 g fat… 2 g fiber… 10.4 g protein… 9 g carbs… 80.5 mg Calcium… NB: Food values shown are for the Omelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.   PB GF  This recipe, full of the flavors of the Basques region of SW France, comes to us from Salute to Healthy Cooking, published by the French Culinary Institute. Wonderful book from which we cook all year long. Note that this is a baked omelette, so the method is a little different. Faites bien attention.

Basquaise Omelette

3 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 and 1/2 Tbsp tomato sauce ++++  1 and 1/2 Tbsp bell pepper, chopped ++++ ½ clove garlic or big pinch granulated garlic ++++ 2 tsp parsley, chopped ++++ 1 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated ++++ 2 oz apple or 3 oz melon or 2 oz pear ++++ Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++   Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Heat the oven broiler. In an oven-safe skillet, put the tomato sauce, peppers, garlic, parsley, and 2 Tbsp water. Cook gently until the veg are soft and the water is evaporated. Remove from pan. Add a spritz of non-stick spray and heat the pan. Whisk the eggs with 2/3 of the tomato mixture and pour into the pan. As the eggs cook, gently lift the edge of the eggs and let uncooked egg flow underneath. Do not flip or fold the eggs. Top the eggs with the cheese and put the skillet under the broiler to finish cooking. Prepare the fruit and beverages. Slide the omelette onto the plate and top it with the remaining tomato/pepper mixture. Alternately, if you prepare the omelette in an 8″ cast-iron skillet, you could serve it from there, as shown in the photo.

Pork Somen Noodles   260 calories…   6 g. fat…   11 g. protein…     28.8 g. carb… PB Found on the back of a bag of somen noodles, this recipe is quick and easy and good to eat. HINT: this is enough for TWO. Dine with a friend or enjoy for lunch another day.

pork somen noodles

2 oz somen noodles ++++ 1 qt water ++++  1 tsp oil ++++ 1- 1/2 cup cabbage, shredded OR 1 cup snow peas ++++ 1 cup carrot, shredded ++++ 2 scallions, sliced diagonally ++++ 4 oz roasted pork tenderloin,  sliced into matchsticks   HINT: this uses pork which was cooked previously.  OR you can use raw pork** ++++ 2 cloves garlic, sliced  ++++ 2 Tbsp soy sauce

Heat the water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse, and cool. Slice the pork into 1/2” rounds, then slice cross-wise into sticks. Heat a heavy frying pan or wok. Add the oil and heat it. Add the cabbage, carrots, and scallions. **If using raw pork, add it now.  Stirfry for 1 minute. Then add 1-2 Tbsp water and continue to stirfry for 1 minute more. Add the cooked pork, garlic, noodles, and soy sauce. Saute until contents are warm.

Isn’t it about time?

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Its time to take charge of your lifestyle and stop saying ‘someday’ you will improve your health and maybe lose a little weight.   Today is the day to take a little time to stock the freezer with some foods that you can use for many future meals. [The batter for crepes and the crab cakes freeze well] Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Today is the day to get serious about following the Fasting Lifestyle.

Breton Breakfast:   310 calories               PB                                                               Here is one way to use the crepe batter which we made on October 14, 2015, and you stored in the freezer. You need one crepe per serving. Make some extra for a lunch or dinner later this week.Breton bfast w: apple

1 crêpe                                                                                                                                         1 two-oz egg                                                                                                                            ¼ cup diced zucchini                                                                                                           ¼ cup diced tomatoes                                                                                                                ¼ cup diced bell pepper, any color you want                              ¼ cup diced tomato                               1/4-1/3 tsp curry powder [seafarers brought a lot of spices to Brittany’s ports]                                                                                                                       1 and 1/2 oz apple                                                                                                  5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or apple cider                                blackish tea or coffee or hot water with lemon

Put the 3 vegetables and the curry in a small sauce pan with a bit of water and cook uncovered until the veg are soft and the liquid has almost evaporated. HINT: do this the night before to save time at breakfast. If your crêpe was cooked previously, warm it a little to take off the chill. Cook the egg by frying it in a lightly-oiled non-stick pan. Spoon the vegetable on the crêpe, put the egg on top. Hold briefly, if needed, in a warm oven while you pour the smoothie and warm beverage, and while you slice the fruit.

Crab Cakes w: beans

Crab Cakes:        250 cal     4.7 g fat     24.0 g protein     14.2 g carbs           Rock and Jonah crabs abound on the coast of New England and they are grand as crab cakes. This recipe is from Todd English’s Olive’s Table cookbook. Note: this is the full recipe and makes 5 cakes – more than you will eat at one meal. Prepare them all and cook as directed. HINT: This will provide a few future meals.

½ pound crab meat, not ‘imitation crab’                                                                        2 T [1 oz] plain nonfat yogurt                                                                                              1 tsp Dijon mustard                                                                                        2 Tbsp. chopped green or white onion                                                                           1 T. parsley, minced                          one 2-oz egg                    1 tsp salt & ¼ tsp pepper                                                                                                                                                 1 slice fresh 70-cal bread, crumbled in a food processor if you have one            4 T. flour                               2 tsp oil                      5 oz asparagus OR green beans                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Aioli Dressing: 1 tsp low-fat mayonnaise + few drops of lemon juice + pinch each of tumeric and garlic powder 

Gently combine 1st 8 ingredients in a bowl. Dust a large plate with the flour. Using a 1/3 c. measure as a mold, form the crab cakes and turn them out onto the flour. There should be 5 cakes. Dust the top of the cakes with some of the flour. Heat a non-stick skillet and add 2 tsp olive oil. Handling them carefully, cook the crab cakes until they are beginning to brown on the top and bottom. Cook the beans. Plate the crab cakes and vegetable, and serve with a dab of aioli.

One Fast Day serving = 1.5 crab cakes. Cool the others, wrap in cling wrap and freeze. Reheat in a toaster oven until warm. [the cakes will have been previously cooked]

“If You Want To Lose Weight, Hack Your Living Environment Like Skinny People”         http://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2015/02/02/if-you-want-to-lose-weight-hack-your-living-environment-like-skinny-people/

New Year’s Eve

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Yup, sure enough — New Year’s Eve is on a Thursday, a Fast Day, this year.  What to do? You have choices:           1] blow off the diet, splurge to your heart’s content, and hate yourself on Jan 1;                                                           2] observe a Fast Day on Wednesday or Friday instead of Thursday;                         3] eat strategically on Thursday so you can ‘have your weight loss and eat it too.’   Here’s how:

Vegetable Omelette: 283 calories…  9.5 g. fat…  19.5 g. protein…  30 g. carb PB  [GF if you eliminate the piece of bread or substitute a GF bread]  Take advantage of the goodness of vegetables and use up some left-overs at the same time! Win-win.

++ 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 ++++  1/2 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated ++++ 2 tsp red onion, chopped ++++   1 oz cooked summer squash/ green beans/ broccoli, diced ++++   HINT: prepare extra vegetables at dinner on Wednesday or Sunday and save for this meal the following Fast Day ++++  ½ slice 70-cal bread ++++ salt, pepper, herbs of your choice ++++  1.5 oz strawberries ++++  5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider  ++++ blackish coffee or blackish tea ++

Spritz a fry pan with olive oil or non-stick spray and stir the onions until they are soft. Dice the cooked vegetables and add to the pan to warm. Whisk the eggs and pour them into the pan, stirring to mix with the vegetables. As bottom of eggs begins to set, put the cheese, salt and pepper on the eggs. Cook to your liking, fold and plate with the fruit and toasted bread. Pour your beverages and have a great day.

Now make sure that you drink lots of water today or tea to avoid being hungry or dehydrated.  SKIP LUNCH, just as you would on any Fast Day.

AT THE PARTY:  Stick to the shrimp cocktail.  Fill half your plate with the shrimp and half your plate with vegetables from the veggie platter. Do not eat the veggie dip!  Cocktail sauce is OK, and try dipping the veggies in it too.  About drinking: Sparkling wine has 88 calories per small glass, so have some. Avoid the mixed drinks, the hard alcohol, and the punch — too many calories.  Are your hosts considerate enough to provide sparkling water?  Good for them! Alternate your glass of bubbly with glasses of water. [You do know that a hang-over is mostly due to dehydration, don’t you?]  Less booze means more will power. Just saying.

NEXT DAY BREAKFAST: try the Nordic Breakfast, September 20, 2015. Easy to prepare and very filling.

Happy New Year to you all.  Keep following in 2016 for more new recipes and tips. Tell your friends.  Please remember that the Fasting Lifestyle is not only about losing weight — it is about improving your over-all health while safely losing 1-2 pounds per week. You might find this reading useful:

http://mashable.com/2015/12/28/body-positive-new-year/#g5OgjZ7ptkqd               With a new year comes the all-too-familiar pressure to lose weight. As the ball drops at midnight, the diet industry gears up to welcome women who mark Jan. 1 as the day they will begin restricting and training their bodies into the slim ideal. It’s all a part of the “New Year, New You” mantra we have been taught to value as gospel.

While the pressure to shrink your body is a constant for women year-round, the value of thinness is especially emphasized when New Year’s resolutions are thrown into the mix. It’s a time of year when hating yourself is made easy, packaged and sold by the diet industry as flaws in need of fixing. Many of us buy into it — but we don’t have to.

Body positive activists are constantly advocating for radical body love, but that work takes on undeniable significance this time of year. These women shout above the negative noise, working to build up collective body confidence and self-love in a world where women are constantly marked as needing improvement.

“It’s time for us to stop setting New Year’s resolutions altogether and to start setting revolutions instead — to, rather than resolving ourselves to ‘self-improvement’ defined by systems set up to oppress us, revolt against them. Set goals in terms of treating yourself with more compassion, take more fashion risks, enjoy more time at the beach, go out for brunch more — do all the things that you keep promising yourself you’ll do when you lose ‘X’ number of pounds.

“You don’t need to lose weight to experience your best self. You just need to resolve yourself to living the life you imagine –- in exactly the skin you’re already in. You’d be amazed at how that mental shift can be the best choice you’ve ever made in terms of health and happiness.”  Melissa Fabello, managing editor at Everyday Feminism and body acceptance activist

 

What do we do now?

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Oops. You had a lovely weekend and ate all kinds of good things. And then there’s this coming week with New Year’s Eve and all.  So just chuck it and start fresh in January, right?   NOPE. Tomorrow is Monday, so make it a Fast Day. Then behave yourself and Fast again on Thursday breakfast.  Your will power can remain strong and what ever you gained will come off again. Follow me.

Cottage Cheese & Pears 290 calories        PB GF                                                    This is from the Fast Diet book. You can see some other good recipes there, too. I added the pecans to this for deeper flavor and more protein.Strawberry Cottage Cheese with Pear

1 ripe pear of which Comice is the best and winter is the season for them    ½ cup fat free cottage cheese                                                                                             ¼ c. blueberries                                                                                                                       1 ¼ tsp pecans, finely chopped                                                                                          5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider                                                                                    blackish coffee, blackish tea, or lemon in hot water

Section the pear into 12 slices and remove the core. For the good fiber, do not peel the pears. Fan the segments on a plate in a circle. Place the cottage cheese in the center, sprinkle with the berries and nuts. Pour the smoothie and hot beverage of choice. Good stuff!

Salmon Roasted with Tomatoes: 304 calories          GF  PB                                                One of the earliest recipes we made when starting the Fast Diet. Still a favorite. Quick and delicious.Roasted slamon w: tom + sug-snap peas

5 oz salmon, fresh or frozen [thaw if frozen]                                                                 10 cherry tomatoes [5 oz], cut in half if very large                                                                                                       ½ cup green beans or 2 oz sugar snap peas                                                     seasonings to taste

Spritz a small oven-proof pan with olive oil or non-stick spray. Put the salmon in the pan and sprinkle with seasonings of your choice. Arrange the tomatoes on/around the salmon. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Meanwhile steam the green vegetables. So easy. So yummy.

Christmas Eve

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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.

Just today I was asked if I would be Fasting this week of Christmas. Well, I’ll admit that I’m glad that Christmas will be on a Friday, not Thursday. Fasting can occur as usual on a special day with a little thought. plan A: If you know you must go for the whole Feast for dinner,  have a regular Fast Day until then: a 300 calorie breakfast, no lunch, lots of water, and be sensible in eating at dinner.  plan B: French toast for breakfast and seafood chowder for dinner. The chowder [first posted November 25, 2015] is what we eat on Christmas Eve every year — delicious, out of the freezer [if you made a batch before Thanksgiving in November], and something that you look forward to, instead of feeling deprived.

French Toast    300 caloriesChristmas Tree French Toast

HINT: This recipe makes 4 [four] slices of French Toast. Prepare all 4, but put the other 2 in a bag in the freezer for a really fast breakfast later.                                                                                                         4 slices 70-cal whole grain bread, with a Christmas Tree cut-out                             one 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                    2 Tbsp fat-free milk                                                                                                                  2 oz strawberries, fresh or unsweetened frozen                                                                   1 and 1/2 tsp maple syrup                                                                                                         one 60-cal sausage — I like Al Fresco brand sage breakfast links                         nearly black coffee or tea or lemon in hot water                                                      green or fruit smoothie or natural apple cider

THE NIGHT BEFORE: Whisk the egg and milk together. Cut the pieces of bread into Christmas Tree shapes, using a cookie cutter. [This step is important for the calorie count to come out right, so don’t skip it even if it seems too much like ‘crafty food.’  Feed the remaining bread to the birds or save for preparing Stuffed Clams, [Aug. 9 , 2015] Put the tree-shaped bread into a rimmed pan which is just big enough for the 4 bread pieces. Pour the egg/milk mixture over the bread, making sure it is all wetted. Let stand OVERNIGHT. Also combine the strawberries and syrup in a microwave-safe bowl.

The next morning, cook the batter-soaked bread in a hot non-stick pan with a spritz of non-stick spray. Cook until browned on both sides. Cook the sausage, too. Mash the berries a bit and add the maple syrup.   Warm the mixture a little and smear onto the plated toast. Enjoy with the sausage, hot beverage of choice, and green smoothie.

Seafood Chowder   275 calories  11 g. fat  15 g protein   16 g carb  GF This makes 10 one-cup servings. It freezes nicely, but it is great fresh! My husband found the recipe in Yankee magazine. He prepares this every year. It is wonderful. The directions look long and involved but the results are worth it.Seafood chowder on Wedgewood tile

4 strips thick-cut bacon, diced                                                                                     1 medium Spanish onion, finely diced                                                                                   1 pound baking potatoes, peeled + cut in ½” cubes                                              2 pounds steamer clams in their shells                                                                            one lobster, 1 and ½ pounds                                                                                                                                1 pound scallops                                                                                                                            1 pound shrimp, peeled                                                                                                                                      1 quart whole milk                                                                                                                   4 Tbsp butter                                                                                                                                   2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped                                                                                         ¼ tsp paprika plus salt + pepper to taste

In a medium skillet or saute pan cook the diced bacon until brown and crisp. Remove bacon and reserve. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp fat and add the onions. Cook slowly over low heat, stirring, until translucent [10 mins?]. Set aside with the bacon in a large bowl.

In a separate saucepan, cover cubed potatoes with salted water and boil until almost tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and add to the bacon/onions.

Put clams in a large pot and add 1 quart water. Heat to boiling, cover, and cook until clams open, about 3 minutes. Remove the clams but leave the liquid in the pot. Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with paper towel. Remove the clams from their shells and cut them into smaller pieces if necessary. Add to the potatoes, onion, and bacon.

Put the strained clam broth back into the empty pot and bring to a boil. Add the lobster head-first into the boiling broth. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove lobster and let cool. Crack the shell to remove the meat. Cut the meat into 1/2” chunks and add to the previous ingredients.

Heat the broth until boiling. Add the scallops and shrimp. Reduce heat to low. Simmer about 3 minutes, until the scallops + shrimp are just cooked through.

Add all the previously cooked ingredients, along with the milk, butter, parsley and seasonings. Heat until steaming but not boiling.

Cover and cool. Let the pot sit in the ‘fridge or on a cool back porch for 12-24 hours. This really enhances the flavors. When ready to serve, heat to steaming hot but do not boil. Freeze what is left over in freezer containers which are the same size as a serving.

Simple Pleasures

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Ah! the virtues of the ‘simple life’!  If ‘simple’ means easy to prepare, easy to cook, and good to eat, then this is the day for simple pleasures.  If you prep the Yorkshire Pudding batter the night before, then the breakfast is very quick.  The dinner is as easy as can be.  Welcome to the simple life. Dieting can be that simple while following the Fast Lifestyle. but what about the other days?  I found this on the Yahoo front page, and thought you might profit from it:  25 Things You Did Today That Sabotaged Your Weight Loss Goals

http://news.yahoo.com/25-things-did-today-sabotaged-211858480.html

Toad in the Hole 293 calories     12 g. protein                                                          This whimsically-named meal is of old English origin – shades of Kenneth Graham and Beatrix Potter. The recipe is from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook.Toad in the Hole w: berries & Gr Smoothie

It begins with a Yorkshire Pudding batter which you need to prepare in advance. The Yorkshire Pudd recipe is from the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook. HINT: make the batter the night before to save time in the morning.

Y. Pudd batter:     one 2-oz egg                           1 cup flour                    ½ tsp salt                                 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 1/3 cup of the batter per person. HINT: The remainder can be frozen in 1 cup or 1/3 cup batches for future meals. When it is time to use the batter, beat it with a rotary beater until it is frothy.

To prepare the breakfast:                                                                                                   1 breakfast sausage     [I like the Al Fresco brand chicken with sage @ 50 cal/link. Not the calorie count and stick to it!]                                                                 1/3 cup Yorkshire Pudding batter, well beaten                                                               ½ of a pear or apple   [strawberries are shown but are not in season now]                                                                                                                 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider                           nearly-black coffee or tea; or lemon in hot water.

Heat the oven/toaster oven to 425. Cook the sausage, preferrably in a small oven-proof pan. If you have a small cast iron fry-pan, that would be a good choice, using a tiny bit of oil in the bottom of the pan since the sausage will render no fat. Dice the sausage.  Beat the batter until it is foamy. Pour the batter into the pan then sprinkle  the sausage over the batter. Pop the pan into the oven for 15 minutes. Slice the pear, shake your smoothie [if saved from last meal], brew your beverage, and settle down to a quick meal.

Feta Nicoise Salad  293 calories  22.9 g. fat   12.5 g. protein  10.7 g. carb PB GF

  1 and 1/2 romaine leaves                                                                                                  ¼ cup green beans cut in 1″ pieces                                                                                1 scant cup cucumber, diced                                                                                           1/2 c feta cheese, crumbled or diced                                                                           1.5 black olives                                                                                                                       1 tsp olive oil                                                                                                                          1 tsp white wine vinegar

Steam the green beans; drain, cool and set aside. Slice the lettuce crosswise into 1” pieces. Prepare the other ingredients as described. Pour the oil and vinegar into a wide, shallow bowl and whisk briskly. Put all the other ingredients in the bowl and toss gently to coat with dressing. Welcome to southern France for fine dining.