recipes for Michael Mosley’s 5:2 Diet

10 Years of FASTing

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

I’m astonished to realize that this blog of mine has been running for 10 years — since January, 2014. I started it because I had been sending weekly recipes to friends for a few months. They suggested that I turn them into a blog, and you are reading the result. It has been fun and I have learned a lot. In an anniversary look-back, I am reposting the two most popular of my blog posts: Cousteau and Fannie Farmer. Hope you will enjoy rereading them.

Cousteau posted June 10, 2018  Jacques-Yves Cousteau — you know who he is.  If you are part of my generation, your interest in environmentalism and the ocean are probably due to him.  Back when I was teaching Oceanography, every student knew his name.  He was born on June 11, 1910 in South-Western France.  While growing up, he loved swimming and mechanical tinkering.  During WW2, Cousteau was in a spy ring as part of the French Resistance and during that same time, developed the ‘Aqua-Lung‘ with Émile Gagnan.  It was debuted in 1948, when the two engaged in the first underwater archeology project involving divers using what is now called ‘SCUBA’ gear.  He, his team, his mission, and his ship Calypso were popularized in the hit TV series The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau, which opened the world’s eyes to the wonders beneath the waves.

In sea water, one is nearly weightless  — but not so on land.  Hélàs, out of the water, we are well-aware of our weight.  If you want to do something to transform your body, join me in Fasting 2 days each week.  It can make a big difference.  The featured breakfast uses flavors popular in Southern France: salt cod and garlic.  Put them in eggs for a taste of the sea from Marseille, Cousteau’s home port.  Dinner puts the fish in a ‘boat’: a tip of the hat to finned sea creatures and to Cousteau’s famous ship.

Marseille Omelette:  297 calories  8 g fat  2.6 g fiber  22 g protein  33 g carbs [29 g Complex] 231 mg Calcium PB GF   Garlic, tomatoes, salt cod, and lavender: all flavors of Marseille on your breakfast plate.

Marseille Omelette

1½ 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           1/3 oz salt cod, soaked                                                                                                                                              1 clove garlic, minced                      large pinch dried lavender OR herbs de Province                                                                                       2 oz sliced fresh tomatoes             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]

The night before:  Soak the salt cod in water for 30-40 minutes, until softened. Mince and combine with the garlic and lavender. Next morning: Heat a cast iron or non-stick pan and spritz it with oil or cooking spray. Whisk the eggs with the flavorings and pour into the hot pan. Instead of scrambling it, allow it to cook until the bottom is cooked and the top is firming up. Gently flip it to the other side to cook briefly. Plate with the tomatoes. Serve with the beverages of choice.

Cucumber Boats with Salmon: 258 calories  12.4 g fat   3 g fiber  20.4 g protein   19 g carbs   162 mg Calcium  PB GF  So easy for the summer or anytime.

Cucumber Boat w: salmon and 3-bean salad

  one 3.5 oz cucumber, of which you will use half to serve one person                                                                   1/2 Tbsp watercress sauce, optional         2¾ oz cooked salmon                      1 tsp Dijon mustard                                                  1/8 oz leek               ½ cup 4-bean salad 

Slice the leek and blanch until soft  in a little water in the microwave. In a bowl, break up the salmon and combine with sauce, mustard and leek. Slice cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the seeds with a melon-baller. Mound the salmon into the cucumber boats and plate with the 4-bean salad.

Fannie Farmer posted January 6, 2019   On the shelf in the kitchen is a cookbook that used to have a gold-colored cover. The book’s binding is reinforced with packing tape and the pages are stained with the splatters of cooking. This is the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, 11th edition published in 1965.  On January 6, 1896, the first edition was issued under the title The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook.  Miss Fannie Merritt Farmer, a woman with a disability who did not attend cooking school until the age of 30, had written a book which explained the chemistry of cooking and which established uniform measurement of ingredients that everyone could use. She became a media mogul and culinary icon, the Julia Child or Martha Stewart of her day. The book was an instant success and became the classic of  the American kitchen.  My mother used it faithfully [now I have her copy] and she gave me my own when I became engaged. So many good recipes! My adaptations of several of them have already appeared in this blog, some recipes used as-is. The breakfast for this anniversary is an old favorite of our’s, Shirred Egg [p 103 in my copy] and for dinner, the thrifty housewife’s go-to: Swiss Steak [p 163]

Shirred Egg:   147 calories  8.5 g fat  2 g fiber   10 g protein  10 g. carb  106 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF– if using GF bread       I learned to prepare this dish when working on my Girl Scout ‘Cooking’ badge. We still eat it because it tastes so good. Easy to serve to guests, too.

Shirred Egg

One 2-oz egg                                1 Tbsp half&half   [Blend Cream, 10% milk fat]                                                                                         salt & pepper to taste         1/2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese       half a slice of 70-calorie bread, toasted                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       2 oz apple slices or 2 oz strawberries              Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Heat the toaster oven to 325° F.Spritz a 1-cup ramekin with cooking oil or spray. Break the egg into the cup, and pour the half&half on top. Sprinkle with cheese, add salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 12-15 minutes, then let sit 2-3 mins while you toast the bread. Plate with the toast and fruit. Serve with your choice of beverages.

Swiss Steak:  267 calories  6.5 g fat    6.5 g fiber   28 g protein  27.5 g carbs   104.8 mg Calcium   PB GF — if using GF flour    This recipe, from Fannie Farmer’s cookbook, is one which I fondly remember from my childhood. HINT: This recipe makes enough for two [2], so save half of it for a future lunch or dinner or invite a fellow FASTer.

½ pound chuck steak, cut 1 to 1.5” thick                   1.5 Tbsp white whole wheat flour + salt + pepper                                                                                         8 oz stewed tomatoes                 ¼ cup minced green bell peppers                   ¼ cup minced onion                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              herbs to taste, such as rosemary or parsley                                                                                                                                      per serving: ½ cup cut green beans + ½ cup carrots sliced as coins

Leave the meat in one piece or cut into two parts. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper and dredge the meat in it. If you wish, pound the meat with a tenderizing tool or the edge of a sturdy plate. Combine the tomatoes with the vegetables and herbs. Heat a heavy skillet with a lid and spray it well with oil or cooking spray. Brown the meat on both sides and pour the tomatoes over it. Cover and cook very slowly for 2 hours until the meat is very tender, adding water if the tomatoes are in danger of sticking. This can be cooked on the cooktop at low or in the oven at 325 F. Steam or boil the beans and carrots to serve along-side the beef with its sauce.

Saint Dwynwen

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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.

You have heard of Saint Valentine, but do you know Dwynwen? Probably not. She was born in Wales to a noble father and was said to be the prettiest among her 23 sisters [her father had many servant girls]. Dwynwen fell in love with a local boy, but her father scotched that for he wanted her marriage to cement an alliance with another noble family. When he was turned down, Dwynwen’s enraged boyfriend angrily blamed her. Now afraid of both her father and her boyfriend, the young woman hid in the forest. She prayed that her broken heart would mend; that other people would be able to marry their true loves; and that she would never be married. Heavenly power may or may not have turned her former boyfriend into a big icicle, [which thawed after her intervention], but Dwynwen became a nun who traveled around Wales. At last she settled in Anglesley on the island of Ynys Llanddwyn. She built a church and convent there, the ruins of which still remain. Her grave and her holy well became pilgrimage sites after her death in 465 CE. Now the island is a nature preserve. Since the 1960s, Welsh people have been sending cards on Dydd Santes Dwynwen, and, in a move to revive the native language, they say  ‘dwi’n dy garu di ‘ to those whom they love.

Dwynwen is revered in Wales as the Patron Saint of lovers on her feast day January 25, so our breakfast and our dinner contain foods that are produced and consumed there.

Welsh Breakfast: 144 calories  7.5 g fat 1.5 g fiber 8 g protein 6.6 g carbs 45 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  Eggs, bacon, and Bubble & Squeek constitute a fine breakfast in Wales — or anywhere.

1 slice uncured American streaky bacon 2 oz tomato, sliced  one 2-oz egg            1 Bubble & Squeek** patty [NB: if drinking tea only and no fruit beverage, serve 2 patties]      Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] Optional: 6 oz orange-rhubarb juice [65 calories] 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Cook bacon in a frying pan, remove and blot on paper towel. Cook the egg and Bubble & Squeek patty in the bacon fat. Slice and season tomatoes. Plate and thank St Dwynwen for your loved one.

**Bubble & Squeek makes 4 patties, each 34 calories                     1.4 g fat 1 g fiber 1 g protein 5 g carbs 14 mg Calcium                    ½ c potatoes mashed with skimmed milk  ½ c boiled cabbage, chopped  ¼ c scallion, chopped    Stir together and form into four patties, each about 40 g/ a scant 1/4 cup.

Leek & Mussel Gratin:  278 calories 10 g fat 5 g fiber 17.5 g protein  29 g carbs 240 mg Calcium  PB GF All the components of this meal are typical of Wales, UK. And — these fine ingredients make for a fine meal. If you are lucky, you might find a Welsh cheese.  HINT: The following recipe serves 2 [two].

5 oz /114 g mussels*, weighed after removing from the shells  ½ oz/15 g/2 Tbsp oat bran        ¼ cup/ 118 ml whole milk  6 oz leeks, trimmed, cleaned  Celtic Sea salt             1 oz Cheddar cheese [or the Welsh cheese Penbryn], grated    per person: 3 oz carrots, sliced as coins OR green beans   per serving: ¼ oz Cheddar, grated   *You could use oysters.

If starting with mussels in their shells, cook them briefly [5 minutes] in 1 inch of simmering water then cool and remove from shells. [Save the mussel broth for chowder.] Measure out milk and stir in oat bran. Do this early so it can sit for a bit. Slice the leeks cross-wise in ¼” slices. Steam them in a little water until limp. Drain and put in a saucepan with the mussels, milk-oat, cheese, and salt to taste. Stir to blend and heat over low. Spoon equally into two scallop shells – real or porcelain – or ramekins which have been spritzed with cooking spray. Top with the additional cheese. Bake at 375F for 15 minutes, until hot and the cheese on top is melted and browning. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetable. Plate it all and let your mind go wool-gathering to the mountains of Wales.

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

next week will feature an1.5 two-oz eggs 
anniversary menu retrospectivereduced fat ricotta
dry mustard + peach
Watercress Sauce:
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage       

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

next week will feature ancooked chicken + mushrooms
anniversary menu retrospectiveBrussel sprouts + green beans
quick barley + orzo 
stock + chives or parsley  + thyme
Sparkling waterSparkling water

End of an Era

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

On January 22, 1901, the Victorian Era ended when Queen Victoria died at the age of 81. She had been on the throne for 63 years, surpassing Henry II as longest-serving monarch of Great Britain. The Victorian Era began when the 18-year old ascended to the throne, enchanting the populace with her youth and charm. When she married her beloved Alfred, they became the Model English Family, setting the tone for stability and morality. After Alfred’s early death in 1861, Victoria wore mourning clothes for the rest of her life, becoming a sad and secluded widow. She set the style for mourning attire and popularized jet as a gemstone suitable for a widow. Victoria’s many offspring married into royal families around Europe, and her grandchildren were rulers in turn: Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, Empress Alexandra of Russia, Queen consort Marie of Romania, Queen consort Victoria Eugenie of Spain, Queen Sophie of Greece. Victoria was truly ‘Grandmother of Europe.’ She reigned so long that few had known another monarch, and she left her stamp on her country and on English rule around the world. Now, to be called “Victorian” is an insult, meaning stodgy, old-fashioned, and prudish. Yet so much progress was made during Victoria’s reign that the mind boggles. Victoria’s strict plans for her funeral created the blueprint for state funerals in the UK to this day: full military honors, the coffin on a gun carriage, a long procession through London, burial at Windsor Castle. In her last years, the queen was confined to a wheelchair and could not see well due to cataracts. She died of a stroke at the royal retreat on the Isle of Wight.

When Victoria was on the throne, it was said that “the sun never set on the British Empire.” That, of course, was because British possessions spanned the globe. Our meals come from the two largest colonized lands: one by size [Canada] and one by population [India]. Both have since gained independence but are still members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Maritime Bake:  155 calories 6.5 g fat 1 g fiber 16.6 g protein 6 g carbs 84 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  To us, the Maritimes of Canada are all about seafood, potatoes, local cheese, and lots of the Herb Savory, winter or summer. Then there are the strawberries: June/July in Nova Scotia; July in PEI; August in Newfoundland. Good people, good food.

1 two-oz egg   ½ oz salt cod [cover with water and soak 30 minutes]             1/8 oz Cheddar OR ADL brand “Old/Fort”, grated  1 tsp dried savory               ½ Tbsp dry potato flakes + 1 Tbsp water  pepper to taste   2 oz strawberries           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]

The night before: 1] stir the potato flakes and water together in a small bowl and let sit to moisten. 2] cover the salt cod with water and soak 30 minutes. Drain and flake into small pieces.            Next morning: Spritz a ramekin with cooking spray. Set the toaster oven at 350 degrees F. Combine the potato, cod, and savory and put into the ramekin. Whisk the egg and pour over the cod. Top with grated cheese and bake 12-15 minutes. Prepare your beverages as you like them and plate the berries.

Tandoori Fish Curry w/ Naan:  294 calories 12 g fat 5.5 g fiber 18.6 g protein 29 g carbs 69 mg Calcium  PB  An easy recipe, made from some off-the-shelf ingredients, that packs a lot of flavor into a meal. The naan is fun to make at home. If you have access to purchased naans, pay attention to the calorie count so it ‘fits’ our needs – cut the naan smaller if needed.

3 Tbsp ‘tandoori simmer sauce,’ purchased  3 Tbsp low-fat coconut milk, purchased        2.5 oz haddock or other firm-fleshed fish  ½ cup small broccoli florets 1.6 oz carrots, sliced as coins   1 oz red bell pepper, sliced  1 naan bread @ 92 calories 

Put the sauce and coconut milk in a saucepan with a little water. Add the vegetables, cover the pan, and simmer until almost cooked. Break the fish into pieces and lay it on top of the vegetables. Cover and continue to simmer another 5 minutes until the fish is cooked. Warm the naan and serve. Delicious.

Botany Bay

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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!

For thousands of years the Tharawal and Eora peoples lived on the shores of Kamay. They fished and foraged and all was well. Until the British came to explore, to settle, to displace. The British named the place Stingrays Bay, then Botanist’s Bay, but soon changed it to Botany. Eighteen years after Captain James Cook first saw the bay, Arthur Phillips arrived on January 18, 1788, with the first shipload of ‘colonists.’ What to do with a vast territory 1000s of miles from Britain? Why, turn it into a penal colony and populate it with felons, of course! There were 19 crimes that could get you sentenced to Botany Bay, including: impersonating an Egyptian; stealing fish from a pond or river; bigamy; and clandestine marriage. The First Fleet consisted of three ships and enough convicts to establish a prison encampment. Phillips was told where to build, but he thought the area too marshy and far from the port, so he moved everyone to Port Jackson. More than 162,000 convicts were transported to Australia from 1788 to 1868, and they built a new nation. Yet ‘Botany Bay’ caught on as a popular term for the sentence of deportation and shorthand for the entire continent of Australia. Many folk songs were written about it and the name even showed up in a popular Star Trek episode. Today the Sydney Airport sits at the north side of the Bay. The Kamay National Park is on the south shore.

There is a plant, Tetragonia tetragonioides, that grows wild in Australia. It is called ‘New Zealand spinach’ although it is not related to spinach. In the garden, it grows well, even in hot climates. In the kitchen, one can use it just like the real spinach. Our meals today utilize spinach, as well as Barramundi, a fish from Australia which can be seen in US markets sometimes.

Chevre & Spinach Bake: 132 calories  7 g fat  2 g fiber  9 g protein 9 g carbs 57 mg Calcium   NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF  This one is really delicious.

1 two-oz egg 2 tsp creamy cheese                              2 Tbsp cooked spinach, drained/squeezed and chopped [if frozen, thaw, drain the night before]     lemon-dill seasoning + salt + pepper          2 oz pear OR 2 oz apple OR applesauce      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]

Combine the spinach, cheese, and seasonings. Whisk in the egg and pour into a lightly-oiled or spritzed ramekin. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the beverages of your choice and plate the fruit. What a nice way to start the day.

Barramundi a la Midi:  249 calories 9.4 g fat  6 g fiber 21.5 g protein 30 g carbs 147 mg Calcium  PB GF  Barramundi is a fish native to Australian waters. For some reason, I decided to prepare it with ingredients from Southern France. And it was great!

3-4 oz barramundi fillet   2 oz/2 cups fresh spinach leaves  ¼ c puttanesca sauce          1 Tbsp black olive sauce**  2 cloves garlic  ¼ c Camargue rice, cooked   2 oz green beans

**Black Olive Sauce  makes ¼ cup   good on fish or eggs   1 Tbsp = 44 calories             1 Tbsp lemon juice  ¼ cup pitted black olives  1½ tsp red wine vinegar  ½ tsp lemon zest      ½ tsp Dijon mustard  1 Tbsp olive oil                             Put olives in a food processor and run the machine until they are ground up, but not a paste. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until they are blended.

Cook the rice [3 parts Water: 1 part Rice] with a clove of garlic, cut in half. Broil or bake the fish. Slice the other garlic and cook it in a saute pan with some cooking spray and a bit of olive oil. After 30 seconds, add the spinach and 2 Tbsp water. Stir until the spinach begins to wilt, then add the sauce and mix them together. Plate the fish, topping it with the olive sauce. Place the spinach and the rice on the plate around the fish. Such a treat.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large1 two-oz egg 
salt cod + potato flakesmashed potatoes + boiled cabbage
herb savory + strawberriesAmerican streaky bacon, uncured 
Cheddar cheese or ADL cheese, Old or Fortscallion + tomato           
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

Tandoori simmer sauce, purchasedmussels  + leeks
low-fat coconut milk + carrotoat bran + whole milk
haddock + red bell pepperCheddar or Welsh aged cheese  
broccoli + 92-calorie naan carrots or green beans
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Great Molasses Flood

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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.

Wreckage of buildings in Boston’s North End, mired in molasses.

Molasses was a trade commodity. It was one of the major products that constituted the Triangle Trade of the 17-1800s. Molasses was a bi-product of sugar-making in the Caribbean, and was imported to New England in large amounts. How did they use all that molasses? Some of it went to livestock feed. Most went into making rum. A lot of molasses was used in food preparation — Boston Baked Beans, molasses cookies, molasses puff candy, poured on pancakes — molasses was a popular ingredient when sugar was expensive. By the time of World War I, molasses was used to manufacture some munitions, and also to make distilled alcohol, so there were storage tanks of molasses in a few places around Boston, Massachusetts. The largest of these was near Cobbs Hill in the North End, and it was owned by United States Industrial Alcohol. The company had been told that the tank was leaking, so they painted it brown to camoflague the fact. January 15, 1919 was unseasonably warm. The molasses and fermentation gasses expanded in the tank. And then it exploded. Near-by, buildings collapsed or were knocked off their foundations. Shrapnel in the form of half-inch rivets flew everywhere. The resultant implosion sucked a train off the tracks. Not done yet! When the tank ruptured, a 40-foot wall of molasses flowed down the streets at 35-mph. Twenty-one people died, 150 were injured, many horses and other animals were lost. The company blamed “Italian anarchists” and anything else they could think of — except their own neglect. The smell of molasses lingered for months. Building codes are stronger now in Massachusetts. Good thing.

A breakfast that features Boston-inspired ingredients and a dinner from the Caribbean, the origin of molasses, are ways to commemorate the Molasses Flood.

B-O-S-T ScrOmelette: 161 calories 7.6 g fat 1.5 g fiber 11 g protein 9 g carbs 220 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  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 of the port. The tomatoes are for New Englanders’ fervent wish to raise just a few ripe tomatoes before the end of summer. The perfect beverage would be a cup of tea – for the Boston Tea Party, of course.

1½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.   1 Tbsp white beans, preferable small ‘navy’ beans           2 Tbsp green part of scallions, sliced   1 oz tomato, diced and drained in a sieve overnight       ¼ oz shrimp, preferably tiny Northern shrimp OR larger shrimp chopped   1½ oz nectarine    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]

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. 

Lobster ‘Lambi’ & Plantains: 270 calories  8 g fat 3 g fiber 18 g protein 35 g carbs 51 mg Calcium PB GF A simple meal from Haiti. Easy any season of the year. Ordinarily lambi is made with the meat of the Queen Conch, but if they are unavailable, try lobster tail instead. The plantains are oven-roasted and are a fun new vegetable for us.

3 oz lobster meat – a tail, for example  ½ Tbsp olive oil 1 lime, cut in half             3 oz plantain slices, from a ripe [yellow skin with some black spots] not green plantain         3 oz cantaloup melon   Fresh spinach leaves

Peel the plantains and carefully slice them so they don’t get squished. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with non-stick spray. Brush with the olive oil and sprinkle with a flavorful salt. Bake at 425 F for 10 minutes, then turn the slices and bake for a further 10 minutes.  If the lobster is uncooked, grill it indoors or outdoors while you squeeze juice from half the lime on it. Cut it into bite-sized pieces.  If the lobster meat is cooked already, cut it into bite-sized pieces and squeeze lime juice on it. Place the spinach on the plate with the lobster on top of it. Then arrange the melon and plantains. Keep the other half lime for more juice-squeezing to your taste.

Aldo Leopold

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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.

Do you think that the natural world “as a community to which we belong”? Those are the words of Aldo Leopold, the father of wildlife ecology in the US. Born on January 11, 1887, and raised in Iowa, Aldo loved nature from the start. He observed, journaled, and sketched his environment throughout childhood. Leopold was graduated from Yale’s Forest School in 1909, and became an enthusiastic leader of the US Forest Service in the South West. There he established the first official wilderness area, Gila National Forest. A transfer to Wisconsin opened up new opportunities. He became the first ever Chair of Wildlife Management at University of Wisconsin. His family bought a run-down farm, the land exhausted and the buildings in ruin. Over many years, they revived the land by planting native species while living in “The Shack.” This became the inspiration for Leopold’s idea of the Land Ethic: living in harmony with nature and ethically co-existing with the natural world. A series of his essays were accepted for publication in 1948, and one week later, he died. But the work was published as A Sand County Almanac, considered one of the most important books for explaining the importance of nature to human life. He was right, you know. Humans are part of nature, not separate from it. What we do as individuals affects the entire natural world, right down to how you eat. Think about living ethically with the land, no matter where you live.

Ham and corn are popular products of Iowa, so we will start there for breakfast. A salad with pork and hard-boiled eggs is as close to the ground as it gets. Get a copy of A Sand County Almanac to peruse between meals.

Ham-Cup Egg with Corn: 140 calories  6.5 g fat 1.5 g fiber 10 g protein 11 g carbs  37 mg Calcium   NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF Ham and corn are such a grand combination. Easy to prepare ahead for a quick breakfast.

1 two-oz egg  1 slice “Cottage Ham” [4” diameter thin slice of ham] I used North Country Smoke House brand at 21 calories/slice    1 Tbsp fresh polenta OR ¾ oz cooked corn kernals           1.5 tsp red bell pepper, diced  Sriracha   3 oz watermelon                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]

Fit the ham into an oven-proof container that measures 3.25” in diameter and 1.25” deep. [I used a cleaned tuna can. It was perfect.] You will need to snip the ham on 2 sides and overlap the meat to make it fit better into the mold. Combine the polenta/corn with the diced pepper and season with Sriracha/salt/pepper to taste. Whisk in the egg and pour into the ham cup. HINT: I did this the night before and put it in the ‘fridge. Turn on the toaster oven to 350 F and bake the ham cups for 20+ minutes, until the filling is puffed and set. Prepare the optional beverages and the melon. Use a wide knife to loosten the ham cups from the mold before plating. Some of the egg will have oozed into the mold as it baked, but that is easy to remove too. This is a real treat!

Springtime Pork Salad:  247 calories 8.5 g fat 5 g fiber 18 g protein 27 g carbs  80 mg Calcium PB GF  This is a delightful meal-salad, with clementines of Winter joining asparagus from Spring.  HINT: this serves 2 so invite a friend.

4 cups romaine lettuce, sliced cross-wise   3 oz pork tenderloin, cooked             8 sections clementine  2 oz asparagus, cooked and cut into 1” pieces  ½ two-oz hardboiled egg   2 Tbsp cranberry orchard nut medley   2 oz whole-wheat baguette   dressing: 2 tsp plain yogurt OR mayonnaise  1 tsp Sriracha  pinch garlic powder 2 tsp lemon juice

Slice pork into thin rounds. Slice or chop the egg. Whisk the dressing ingredients, and toss with greens in the serving bowl. Decorate with pork, asparagus, clementine, egg.

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

1.5 two-oz eggs = US large1 two-oz egg  + lemon-dill seasoning
canned white beans + scallion/green onionchèvre cheese
shrimp + tomatospinach, cooked or frozen
nectarine or peachapple or pear               
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

lobster tail + ripe plantainsbarramundi fish + fresh spinach 
fresh lime + olive oil       puttanesca sauce + Camargue rice  + garlic
melon such as cantaloup black olives + Dijon mustard + green beans
fresh spinach leaveslemon zest +  olive oil + red wine vinegar 
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Giotto, Artist

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to bulkads45 who is now Following.

Jean Brodie : Can anyone tell me: who is the greatest Italian painter?     Jenny : Leonardo da Vinci, Miss Brodie.           Jean Brodie : That is incorrect, Jenny. [Miss Brodie unrolls a print of Giotto’s painting “Flight Into Egypt”]  The answer is Giotto. He is my favourite.

While taste in art is subjective, Miss Jean Brodie was on to something. Giotto di Bondone, born around 1265, changed art forever, affecting the work of every artist who followed. How did he do it? By depicting nature and the people in it realistically. When he was born, the predominant art style was the Sienese School which depicted stiff, idealized figures against patterned backgrounds in a 2-dimensional space. Realism and naturalism were not in fashion, Byzantine-style icons were. 

Sienese Madonna and Child, 1270. The Lady’s body has no volume and her fingers are creepy. Baby is cute.
Cimabue’s version, with a crowd of angels like a bunch of grapes. Note that all their faces are the identical.
Another Sienese painting from 1300. Note that all three Madonnas have the same stylized face.

Giotto ‘began’ the Florentine School of art. He put figures with solid, rounded, 3-D bodies into naturalistic spaces. He used perspective before anyone else of his time. His characters had individual faces and contemporary clothing. He brought humanity into the scenes he painted, with people acting like people. Legend has it that he was discovered by the renowned artist Cimabue when Giotto was 10 years old. With his teacher, Giotto traveled. At the Basilica in Assisi, Cimabue began and Giotto finished a series of frescoes about Saint Francis. From that point on, he was in great demand, as an artist and architect. Giotto’s campanile in Florence is amazing. From Padua’s Arena Chapel, to Florence’s Santa Croce, to Rome, Giotto set up studios and taught assistants his style, thus spreading new ideas in art. How did he approach the Madonna and Child? A chubby baby sits on his mother’s arm, clutching her finger. A woman who has volume, and the dignity of an individual person. This is the genius of Giotto. He is my favorite.

Giotto died on January 8, 1337, but a trend to realistic art lived on. Our meals involve foods and flavors of northern Italy, with which he would have been familiar. As Giotto showed us realism in art, we will eat real food that is naturally-occurring, healthy, and traditional. Real food is real good.

Artichoke-Herb Bake: 136 calories  8 g fat 2.5 g fiber 9 g protein 7.5 g carbs 104.4 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg-bake and fruit only, not the optional hot beverage. PB GF  Artichokes, fresh, fragrant herbs, ricotta cheese — we must be in Italy! Fresh strawberries, in season, are excellent at breakfast.

1 two-oz egg  ¼ oz scallion, sliced across   2 tsp chopped mixed fresh herbs          ½ oz artichoke hearts, canned in water, chopped  1 Tbsp reduced fat ricotta  2 oz strawberries  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]        Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Prepare the herbs and vegetables. Put them in a bowl with the ricotta and stir to mix. Add the egg and stir it all together. Heat the toaster oven to 350 F. Spritz an oven-proof dish with cooking oil or spray and put the egg mixture into it. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Plate with the berries for the tastes of the Mediterranean.

Fish Parmesan:  245 calories  2.6 g fat  5 g fiber  31 g protein 11.4 g carbs  242.5 mg Calcium  PG GF – if using GF breadcrumbs  A new version of the restaurant classic, made suitable for Fasters. And it is delicious. For atmosphere, light the candle stuck in the wine bottle while you look at works by Giotto.

1 servingHeat the toaster oven to 350F. 
Non-stick spray      
1 Tbsp milk 		Spritz an oven-proof pan with non-stick spray or olive oil. Pour milk on a plate.
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated  
1 tsp dried oregano and/or thyme  
¼ oz whole-grain breadcrumbs, fresh not dried		Grate Parmesan. Crumble or process bread into crumbs. On another plate combine these with salt and pepper. 
¾ oz mozzarella, grated              
2 Tbsp 2%-fat cottage cheese		Cream the cheeses together until well-combined.
4 oz fish, a firm-fleshed variety   olive oil sprayDip fish in milk on both sides. Dredge fish in crumb/cheese mixture to coat it completely. Put on pan, spray with oil. 
Bake fish 10 mins, until golden. Take out of oven. Preheat broiler.
¼ c. marinara sauce, homemade or purchased           
2 tsp capers 		Stir capers into marinara. Top fish with marinara sauce, then mound the cheese mixture over it.
Broil for 5 minutes until the cheese is melty and starting to brown
2 oz green beansPrepare beans and plate with the fish.

Louis Braille

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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.

Louis Braille was born in Coupvray, France on January 4, 1809, the son of a harness-maker. When Louis was three years old, he pierced his eye with an awl while playing with leather in his father’s shop. A resulting infection spread to his other eye and he was blind by age five. His ability to learn at the village school earned him a scholarship to the National Institute for Blind Youth in Paris. Louis continued to be an excellent student there. When he was 12, he heard about a method for soldiers to ‘read’ communications in the dark — a method developed by Charles Barbier that involved raised patterns of dots on paper. The army didn’t want the idea, but Louis Braille improved it and made it his own. He perfected it by age 16, and published a book called Method of Writing Words, Music, and Plain Songs by Means of Dots for Use by the Blind and Arranged for Them. In 1833, he became the first blind teacher at the Institute. In addition to instructing algebra, history, and geography, Braille was an accomplished organist. He was hired at churches in Paris, and toured the nation to perform. The Institute published the first ever book in the Braille Alphabet, but a subsequent director banned the use of the Braille system. Despite that, the Braille system eventually caught on and was used throughout the world. Louis taught until 1850, when tuberculosis made him too ill. He died two years later: inventor, teacher, musician. Louis Braille’s limitation did not limit him.

How successful would you be at eating if you couldn’t see what was on your plate? Our breakfast stays on the fork well, and the dinner can be eaten with the hands.

Mushroom-Bleu Cheese ScrOmelette: 137 calories 8.4 g fat  0.6 g fiber  10.4 g protein  6.6 g carbs  66.7 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF  Based on ingredients loved in France, these flavors are delicious together.

Three 2-oz eggs, of which you will use 1½ 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 the eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.    ¼ oz bleu cheese     ½ oz mushrooms ¼ oz leeks 1 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]

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. 

Ham & Cheese Street Crepes: 272 calories 9 g fat 2.4 g fiber 21 g protein 25 g carbs 212 mg Calcium  NB: The photo shows a meal for 2 [TWO]. The recipe below is for one serving. This is the familiar street-vendor lunch in Paris, except that the food values will not break the bank on a Fast Day. Very quick and easy to prepare if you had made the crêpe batter before and have it thawed out. HINT: can be prepared in advance and rewarmed later. Good for traveling or planning ahead.

Two galettes per person, this plate serves 2 diners.

2 buckwheat galettes  2 oz sliced deli ham  ½ oz deli sliced Swiss cheese              1 wedge “Laughing Cow” [Vache Qui Rit] cheese at room temperature   2 oz tomatoes 

Cook crepes. Spread the Laughing Cow cheese on one half of each crêpe. Lay the ham on the cheese side of each crêpe and top with the Swiss cheese slices. Fold in half. Heat a heavy skillet, adding maybe a spritz or 2 of non-stick spray. Lay the folded crêpes on the hot skillet to heat one side, then flip to heat the other side. You want the cheese to get melty. Fold each crêpe once more into tidy triangles, and push down on with the turner to flatten them. Plate them with the tomatoes and voilà!

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

1 two-oz egg = US large + scallion1 two-oz egg  + red bell pepper
canned artichoke hearts in water4″-diameter thin, round slice ham
reduced-fat ricotta Fresh polenta or cooked corn kernels  
mixed fresh herbs + strawberriesSriracha + watermelon
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

4 oz firm-fleshed fish + green beansromaine lettuce + cooked pork tenderloin
Parmesan cheese + mozzarella cheeseclementine + asparagus + hard-boiled egg
marinara sauce: homemade or purchasedcranberry orchard nut medley + garlic powder
2%-fat cottage cheese + fresh bread crumbsmayonnaise/yogurt + sriracha  + lemon juice  
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Basil

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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.

Basil is an herb. Basil is a saint. Which one came first? The plant, Ocimum basilicum, has been in use for 4000-5000 years. Quite possibly it originated in China, but it quickly became popular in India — or was it the other way around? As a member of the Mint Family, it is an easy-to-grow plant, which accounts for its rapid spread into the cultures of many countries. It can represent love [Portugal] or hate [Greece]. It is used in medicine [India] and to preserve dead bodies [Egypt]. And, of course, it has culinary uses from Italy — pesto, anyone? — to Africa and Asia. As a male name, it comes from the Greek, meaning kingly or royal. There are versions of this name around the world: Basile in France; Barsegh in Armenia; Vasily in Russia;  Vassilios [Vasiliki for girls] in Greek. Basil the Great of Cappodocia was born around 330 CE into a very pious and wealthy family. He trained to be a lawyer and was headed for a great career as a teacher when he was inspired by Christianity. After travels to Syria and Egypt, Basil sought the life of an ascetic hermit. When he realized that he preferred companionship, he formed the first monastery, where men could withdraw to a simple life and study the teachings of Jesus. Women came and formed their own community, praying and doing good works. Basil became bishop of Caesarea and did much to help the poor. “Why are you wealthy while that other man is poor…are you not a cheater? “ Saint Basil founded a huge care center where the poor could be fed, sheltered, and healed. Basil gave gifts to children and fought against over-bearing governmental edicts. Saint Basil died on January 1, 379. 

Basil’s turf was the Levant, so our meals are of foods that are popular there. Neither one is prepared with basil.

Shakshuka: 158 calories 8 g fat  3.5 g fiber  12 g protein 17 g carbs 144 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF This breakfast from the Eastern Mediterranean is a real treat. If you prepare part of it the night before, then morning meal prep is very easy.  HINT: This recipe serves 2 [two] people. Easily doubled or tripled. This prepares and bakes in one pan!

2 two-oz eggs  1/3 cup sliced onion          1/3 cup sliced red pepper        1 clove garlic, sliced 10 oz whole tomatoes         ¾ oz feta cheese, cubed or crumbled   2 large pinches each of ground cumin + paprika + cayenne                    Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]       Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie[88 calories]

Saute onion and pepper, using non-stick spray, until very soft – about 20 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes more until it is tender. Add spices and cook one minute. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes until mixture is thicker and some of the tomato liquid has cooked off. Add feta cheese.  [TIP: you could do this the night before and stop here] Set the oven to 375 degrees F.  If serving two, the mixture could be divided into two separate dishes for baking/serving or kept in one larger dish. Using the back of a spoon, press an indentation in the vegetables. Carefully break one egg per person into the indentation. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake 7-10 minutes. If you want the yolk to cook, put a lid on the pan for the last 2 minutes. Garnish with cilantro or flat-leaf parsley.

Felafel with Red/Green Salad: 287 calories 14.5 g fat 9 g fiber 11.6 g protein 29 g carbs 113 mg Calcium  PB GF  Looks great, tastes great, SO healthy. Win-win-win.

5 felafel patties*  1 cup baby spinach leaves  ½ cup red cabbage slaw**              ¼ c pickled beets, sliced or cubed ½ hard-boiled egg, chopped                   1 tsp olive oil + 1 tsp lemon juice

*FELAFEL each patty= 30 cal 1 g fat 1 g fiber  1.6 g protein 4 g carbs 8.5 mg Calcium  GF PB From the Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen, these are easy to prepare and set you up for several servings of future meals.

2 cups canned chick peas [if you use dried chickpeas, you will get a grainer product.  Factor in the time to reconstitute and cook them]   1½ cloves garlic, crushed        ¼ cup celery, minced  ¼ c. scallions, sliced  one 2-oz egg   1½ tsp tahini       ½ t. cumin ½ t. turmeric  ¼ t. cayenne  ¼ tsp black pepper  1½ tsp salt

Combine in food processer until ingredients form a uniform paste. Scoop into a bowl and chill 1 hour. Form into balls on a silicone mat or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. I used a 1½ Tbsp scoop, then flattened the patties. TIP: You don’t have to bake them now. You could freeze the patties on a cookie sheet, then put them frozen into bags to cook later. Bake at 400 F, 10-15 minutes. The patties should be heated through and have an outside ‘crust’ which is firm to the touch. In most recipes, you will cook them further. At this point you want them to be firm enough to store well. There will be 25 or 30 of them. Use now or cool and freeze for later use.

**RED CABBAGE SLAW  acouplecooks.com Serves 3-4  PB GF This makes 2-3 cups of slaw. For this recipe you need ½ cup. Save remainder for a future meal.

2 c. thinly sliced red cabbage 1 Tbsp finely chopped red onionPrepare and set aside.
3 Tbsp plain nonfat yogurtDrain yogurt through paper toweling 15 mins. 
1 Tbsp drained yogurt1½ tsp apple cider vinegar1 tsp sugar or maple syruppinch dried dillpinch celery seed2 pinches Kosher saltfreshly ground pepper 
Thoroughly whisk in these ingredients.
Add the cabbage and red onion and toss to combine.
Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.

Thaw felafel patties and warm them. If unbaked, heat them in a 400 F. oven for 10-15 minutes. Prepare the vegetables for the salad. Whisk the lemon juice and oil, then toss the salad vegetables in the dressing. Top with the felafel and the chopped egg. Quick and easy.

Lumière Brothers

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

On December 28, 1895, a roomful of people saw something that astounded them: a motion picture. The pioneering film showed workers leaving a factory at the end of the day, and ran one minute, 56 seconds. It changed the world of entertainment. Auguste and Louis Lumière were the sons of a portrait painter in Lyons, France. Being talented at tinkering, they were educated at the nearby technical school. Their father Antoine saw that photography was gaining in popularity, so he began selling cameras and photographic plates. When Louis was 17, he invented a new photographic plate that did not require processing in wet chemicals. So significant was this development, that the family became rich. Meanwhile, in America, Thomas Edison had invented the kinetoscope. It was a huge device that allowed one person at a time to view moving pictures. Antoine was invited to view Edison’s machine, and returned home with a piece of film. He told his sons to make a better machine, one that would project the images on a large screen for many people to view at once. And so they did. They called it the ‘Cinématographe.’ It was a machine that would record films and play them, weighing 11 pounds, and requiring no electricity to run it. The Lumière Brothers began to film everyday events: feeding the baby; the arrival of a train.  They debuted the films to a small scientific group in March, 1895, who found it to be interesting. By December, Antoine decided to go big — he and two technicians took the Cinématographe to a cafe in Paris, to show the general public. The newspapers were unimpressed, but the public couldn’t get enough of these short movies. By word of mouth, interest spread, and people lined up down the block to see the 15 minute showings. After 10 years, the brothers turned to other pursuits. They developed Autochrome, a process for color photography that was used for 30 years. Louis went into film directing and Antoine reverted to his earlier medical studies. Louis quipped that ever since that day in 1895, people could say, “I went to the cinema.”

‘Moving pictures’ began in France, but quickly took over the world. Our foods today are from two countries with vibrant film industries: breakfast is from the US, home of Hollywood, and dinner is from Italy, home of Roberto Rossellini, Fellini, and Sergio Leone.

Eggs In Sweet Potato Nests: 163 calories 9.5 g fat  1 g fiber 10.6 g protein  9 g carbs 137.5 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg/potato mixture and fruit only, not the optional beverages.   PB GF  Saw this discussed on line and decided to try it. HINT: you will prepare 6 [six] of the nests, but one serving = 2 [two] nests. Preparation is a little fussy but it is done the night before making for an easy morning. HINT: this recipe serves 3 [three]. I’m told these refrigerate well for the next morning.

½ oz/¼ cup grated sweet potato   1 two-oz egg   1 Tbsp grated Cheddar cheese       pinch or two garlic powder  chopped watercress or parsley to sprinkle on top             5 cherries  or half a 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 [65 calories]

Grate the sweet potato and cheese. Toss thoroughly in a bowl with the garlic. Divide among 6 muffin pan cups and push it around, pressing up the sides a bit. NB: I used a flexible non-stick muffin pan which worked well with no sticking. If you don’t have one, use liners or spray the muffin pans very well. Bake the cups in a 375 F. oven for 10 minutes. Whisk the eggs with some salt and pour over the baked sweet potatoes. Sprinkle the egg with chopped watercress or parsley. HINT: I left this on a cool counter/ refrigerator over night. Bake at 350 F. for 15+ minutes or until the eggs are set. Let them sit a bit to firm up before using a knife to loosen the egg nests to plate them. Add fruit and the beverages and try this new flavor combo.

Chicken Tetrazzini:  281 calories  5.6 g fat 4 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.

3 oz chicken breast  ¼ cup Bechamel sauce without cheese                  1 tsp sherry wine   1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese  1 oz capelli d’angelli pasta [angel hair]       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 pot with a steamer insert, you could do it in the same pot at the same time.] Warm the Bechamel sauce and 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 for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

2 two-oz egg = US large + paprika1.5 two-oz eggs 
whole tomatoes: fresh or cannedbleu cheese + leeks
feta cheese + onion + garlic + cuminmushrooms
orange or red bell pepper + cayennepear               
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

5 felafel patties + olive oil2 buckwheat galettes 
hard-boiled egg + pickled beets2 slices deli ham + deli Swiss cheese
red cabbage slaw  1 wedge Vache Qui Rit cheese 
baby spinach + lemon juicetomatoes — cherry size or sliced fresh
Sparkling waterSparkling water