recipes for Michael Mosley’s 5:2 Diet

Bishop Ussher

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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.

James Ussher

“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”  The quote from Psalm 118 is often read at the beginning of a church service. In 1650, James Ussher wanted to go beyond a general celebration and to get to the date of the actual day that the Earth was made. Ussher, born in Dublin, Ireland in 1581, rushed into his career: entered Trinity College at age 13, became an Anglican priest at age 20, a professor at age 25, and Bishop of Ireland at age 34. He was known as the best Biblical scholar of his time. In his lifetime, science had shaken the faith of Christians, when Galileo proved that the Earth was not the center of the universe. The Reformation had begun only 135 years previously, and as the Protestants were always trying to one-up the Roman Catholics, Ussher was eager to show that he was smarter than the Jesuits. The idea of using the chronology described in the Old Testament [the ‘begats’] to make a guess at the age of the Earth was not a new one. Previous scientists and philosophers bandied about the idea that the Earth has been formed around 4000 years prior to the birth of Jesus. Wishing to be more precise, Ussher spent 20 years visiting libraries in Western Europe, correlating Biblical events with known historical dates. He was a good scholar, using all the information that was available to him in the early 1600s. Through his research, he calculated that the Creator began to form the Earth in 4004 BCE. But what was the exact date? Since the fruit in Eden was ripe, the month must be October. Since theologians of the time believed that God was impressed by astronomical events [like the four divisions of the solar year], then it must be on or near the Autumnal Equinox. Since Genesis said that creation took six days, then the work began on Monday. This was all presented in Ussher’s master-work The Annals of the Old Testament, in which he stated that creation commenced on Sunday, October 23, 4004 BCE. In the years after that declaration, we have learned a lot about ‘telling time’ and determining the age of the Earth. A century later, Buffon deduced that the Earth was 75,000 years old. Study of fossils, of stratigraphy, and the invention of radiometric dating have lead us to conclude that the Earth is 4.6 billion years old. Science is all about challenging older ideas and finding new ones — it is not static. Today’s knowledge will seem quaint in 200 years as more and more is discovered. Do not laugh at Ussher. Rather, celebrate his scholarship — and eat an apple, the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge.

For a man who was a biblical scholar, a breakfast of foods eaten in Old Testament times. For dinner, a meal with apples, of course.

Biblical Breakfast:  237 calories 0.4 g fat 6 g fiber 9 g protein 63 g carbs 229 mg Calcium  NB: the food values given are for the plated items only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB Food historians name them the “Biblical 7”– two grains and 5 fruits that made up the menus of residents of the Iron Age Levant. In this meal, there are 5 of the 7, excepting olives and pomegranates.

When you see apples on this plate, you’ll say, “Hey! that’s not one of the Biblical 7!” But we are discussing the Creation Story today, and apples are rather important there, so apple instead of grapes, OK?

2 Barley Cakes** ½ oz dried Turkish fig ½ oz grapes or 1 oz melon 2 deglet noor dates ½ cup plain, fat-free yogurt   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

**Barley Cakes:  each cake = 51 calories 0 g fat 1.5 g fiber 1.6 g protein 16.5 g carbs 14 mg Calcium

24 barley cakesLarge griddle or skillet.
1½ c barley flour 
½ c white whole wheat flour  ¾ tsp baking powder 
¼ tsp baking soda		Combine thoroughly in a medium-sized bowl.
½ c fat-free milk 
½ c plain fat-free yogurt 
1 oz egg 
¼ c honey, warmed 		To get only 1 ounce of egg, crack open a 2-oz egg, whisk it and use 1 oz.  [give the rest to the cat or use in baking]
Whisk together in a bowl.
Combine wet and dry ingredients and let sit until wetted, while griddle heats.
Cooking spraySpray griddle with cooking spray. Using a 1.5 Tbsp scoop, drop batter on griddle, then flatten slightly with wet fingertips.
Cook until browned on both sides and not squishy on the equator. Freezes well.

Pork with Apples: 273 calories 8 g fat 4 g fiber 22.5 g protein 19 g carbs 84 mg Calcium  PB GF  Long a favorite combination in lands where local meats and local fruits are blended in hearty meals, this combo of pork with apples is a winner.

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

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

Camille Claudel

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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.

Poor Camille! Her’s was a life of family strife, thwarted love, artistic yearning, artistic muse, and involuntary incarceration — a real-life ‘soap opera.’ She was born in 1864, to a well-off family in Fère-en-Tardenois, northern France. Recognizing her talent as an artist, her father moved the family to Paris in 1881, so that Camille could study. [Her mother was against it.] She learned at the studio of a friend of Auguste Rodin. Impressed with her talent, Rodin took her on as an assistant in his busy studio in 1884. He was smitten with her looks as well. He was 44, she was 21. Camille posed for some of his statues and was assigned to sculpt the hands of several pieces — including those of the Burghers of Calais. As Camille learned new skills from her teacher, she was also in love with him. They inspired each other’s work. Claudel exhibited her sculptures at exhibitions, but they were often thought too sensual for general viewing. Two of her most famous pieces are Sakuntala, 1886, and The Waltz, 1889. Their love affair came to a halt in 1893, when Rodin made it clear to the 29-year-old that he would not leave his original partner, 49-year-old Rose Beuret. Camille was shocked, incredulous, and desolate. From that time, Claudel actively tried to distance herself from Rodin. Within a few years, she created the amazing Age of Maturity. To see it is to enter into the emotional state of the three characters: the older woman, her arm around the man, confidently leads him away; the man goes willingly, although a bit numbly, having just released the hand of the younger woman; the younger woman, on her knees, implores him to stay with her. Whew. Over the next 20 years, Claudel would be awarded commissions, but then they would be canceled. She blamed Rodin for scuttling her career, but behind the scenes he was her champion and secretly funded her life. She became reclusive, living alone in her studio, until her brother Paul had her committed to an asylum in 1913. Was she certifiably mad? Was she put away so her siblings could have her inheritance? Did her mother’s distaste for her career have something to do with it? We will never know. On October 19, 1943, the life of the talented and tormented Camille Claudel ended. Her work is on display at the Musee Rodin, where Rodin insisted that it be on view, and at the Musee Camille Claudel outside Paris.

Our foods today could be only from France, to honor the doomed life of the woman Rodin called “Madmoiselle C.”

Cepe Bake:  139 calories 6.5 g fat 1.5 g fiber 10 g protein 6 g carbs 61 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.   PB GF Am I bragging when I say that Bolete mushrooms [aka porcini] come up wild in our front yard? Sort of… but it is the truth – thanks to a stand of oaks which partner with the mushrooms. After researching which flavors go best with Cepes, here is an amazing breakfast.

1 two-oz egg 1 oz cepes/porcini [fresh or dried and rehydrated in hot water] 1½ tsp Parmesan cheese 1 oz tomatoes 0.13 oz prosciutto 1½ oz peach or pear   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]

Slice the mushrooms into small pieces [your call]. Cube the tomatoes. Coarsley chop the prosciutto. Spray a non-stick or small cast-iron pan with non-stick spray and cook the three above items until they are softened and have lost their liquid. Put the cooked ingredients into a lightly-oiled oven-safe dish and distribute over the bottom. Whisk the eggs with the cheese, and pour into the prepared dish. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes or until set. Plate with the fruit for a real mid-Summer delight.

Poulet Pierre: 286 calories 6 oz fat 3 oz fiber 31 g protein 24 g carbs 141 mg Calcium   PB GF – if using GF bread crumbs   A few decades ago, Dear Husband stuffed cheese in a chicken breast, breaded it, and dubbed it ‘Poulet Pierre.’ It was a family favorite. Here it is upgraded for Fasting. Still a favorite.

Two servings
1 chicken breast: that’s half of a whole breast, skin and bones removed.Began with one chicken breast and remove tenderloin. Divide meat in half by cutting parallel to the cutting board to produce two cutlets. 
Two 3½ oz chicken breast cutletsYou now have 2 cutlets, each around 3½ oz. If you wish, you can pound them to create an even thickness or to enlarge the diameter. 
2-3 Tbsp white whole wheat flour Put some flour on a plate on the counter.
One 2-oz egg Whisk an egg and put it in a wide, shallow bowl on the counter. 
one 70-calorie slice whole-grain bread Whirl bread in a food processor along with some thyme and rosemary, salt and pepper. Put crumbs on a plate on counter.
0.4 oz Gruyere Grate cheese and put it on the cut side of the chicken fillet. Then fold the fillet over the cheese.
Holding the folded chicken in one hand, put it in the flour, turning it over to get the flour to stick to all surfaces. You will not use all the flour.
Then dip floured meat into the egg, turning it so that the egg coats both sides. You will not use all the egg. [feed it to the cat]
Then dip the egged meat into the crumbs, turning it so that crumbs coats both sides. You will not use all the crumbs.
Put prepared meat onto a glass pie plate, spritzed with cooking oil. Bake 10 mins at 350F. Spritz the top of the Poulet Pierre with cooking oil, return to oven, cook 10 mins.
2 oz beets per serving   ¼ c barley pilaf** per serving Heat the beets and prepare the pilaf. Plate it all and enjoy the flavors.

**Barley Pilaf: Makes 1.5 cups  1 serving = ½ c = 160 calories 1.5 g fat 3.6 g fiber 7g protein 31.6 g carbs 10.6 mg Calcium  PB NOT GF  This recipe is from Rush Hour Cookbook. It is a super alternative to plain rice or purchased pilaf.

Yield: 1.5 cupsHeavy, medium-sized skillet
1 cup quick-cooking barleyIn skillet, cook barley over med-high ~5 minsuntil toasted and golden. 
1 clove garlic, finely chopped Add the grlic and stir 1 minute.
1½ c. chicken stock Add stock and bring to a boil.
½ c whole-wheat orzo
1 Tbsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried 		Add to pot, stir, turn heat to low, cover and simmer 10 mins.
Take off heat, let sit 5 minutes.
2 Tbsp chopped chives or scallions
salt + pepper to taste 		Add these, stir, plate

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

barley flour + white whole wheat flour1.5 two-oz eggs 
2-oz egg + baking powder + deglet noor datesfresh chives
baking soda + fat-free milk + fat-free plain yogurtParmesan cheese
honey + Turkish fig + grapeskiwi fruit or pineapple or apple
optional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

pork tenderloin + apples120-calorie Italian chicken sausage
chicken stock + broccoligarlic + Parmesan + chicken broth
Bechamel sauce, no cheese  dry cheese tortellini + whole milk
carrot + thyme + sageCanned diced tomatoes + fresh spinach
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Oscar Wilde

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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 Officebethlem who is now Following.

Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde. With a moniker like that, what choice does one have but to “make a name for himself.” The man in question was born 16 October, 1854, in Dublin, Ireland. His parents were a noted and knighted eye specialist and a multi-lingual writer. Both of them had a fervor for social justice. After winning awards at Trinity College, Wilde went to Oxford on a scholarship. There he began to publish his poetry and to practice ‘aesthetics.’ That philosophy embraced a way of life dedicated to beauty, espousing that the sole purpose of life is to live as artfully and as beautifully as possible. After his degree, his volume Poems was published in 1881. Although reviews were mixed, he embarked on a lecture tour of the US and Canada: 140 engagements over nine months. He met elite writers and dined with coal miners. People lined up to hear him: either to heckle [“Mr. Wilde is too effeminate in his appearance to be a handsome man, and he is too masculine to pass for a good looking woman,” wrote a newspaper in Charlottetown, PEI.] or to soak up the idea that they too could surround themselves with beauty. This was followed by a lecture tour of England and Ireland. Thus he made a name for himself, becoming famous for being famous. The public was fascinated by his flamboyant style and outlook on life. At age 30, he married and fathered two sons. All normal so far, but from 1886, his wife was his ‘beard’ in polite society, for, on the side, he was in love with Robert Ross. Wilde was very busy and productive in the following years — he contributed to several newspapers, edited a moribund ladies’ magazine, and wrote two books of tales for children. In 1891, his life changed forever. In that year, Wilde published The Picture of Dorian Grey and met Alfred Douglas. The book scandalized society at the time with its hedonism and its implied homosexuality, but today it is hailed as a fascinating read, and has been made into films. Alfred Douglas was to be Wilde’s downfall. Over the next three years, Wilde dazzled theater-goers with Lady Windemere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband, and The Importance of Being Earnest. The dialogue was witty and the plots wickedly skewered popular mores. They were a hit. Meanwhile, the Marquess of Queensbury [Alfred Douglas’ father] loathed Wilde and accused him of lewd acts. Wilde sued Queensbury for libel, but when the suit was dropped, the Crown charged Wilde with “gross indecency,” a crime in Victorian England. After two trials, he was sentenced to two years of hard labor in Pentonville Prison and Reading Gaol. The conditions broke him physically and emotionally, and upon his release he went to France where he wrote his famous Ballad of Reading Gaol. He died in Paris of meningitis, drinking a lot and in debt. Robert Ross paid for his burial at Père Lachaise Cemetery, where he commissioned the now-famous headstone of Oscar Wilde.

Our meals are not from Wilde’s native land, which he left; nor from England, which he fled. They are from France, where he sought refuge and finally died in 1900.

Charcuterie Bake:  137 calories 10 g fat 1 g fiber 11.4 g protein 8 g carbs 37 mg Calcium   NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  GF  One Sunday, we invited friends over for what we call a “French Lunch” – bread, sausage, cheese, fruit, wine, and good fellowship. Dear Husband thought, “I know what breakfast will be.” And he was correct: left-overs reborn as breakfast.

One 2-oz egg ½ oz chorizo sausage ½ Tbsp chevre cheese, the creamy type ¼ tsp Dijon mustard pinches of herbes de Provence  1½ oz pear  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]

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

Fish Timbale:  276 calories 17 g fat 1.6 g fiber 23.5 g protein 8 g carbs 95 mg Calcium  PB GF Sounds high-falutin’ but really very easy.

1.5 oz mackerel or salmon 1.3 oz haddock or cod ¾ oz egg [either pullet egg or an egg white] 1/3 oz white beans 2 Tbsp cream 2 Tbsp spinach ½ Tbsp shallot 1 oz Swiss chard 1/8 tsp olive oil nutmeg + granulated garlic

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

Slow Days: Pennsylvania Dutch Coffee Cake

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People who are new to Fasting often pose the questions: “Can I really eat ‘anything I want’ on a Slow Day?” and “What should I eat on Slow Days?” To answer those questions, I have decided to add some blog posts to show some of the foods we eat on what the world calls NFDs [non-fast days] but which, in our house, we call ‘Slow Days.’ This feature will appear sporadically. 

Now for the answers. Can you really eat ANYTHING you want on a Slow Day? Not really. If you eat too many calories every Slow Day, you will not lose weight. There are many questions asked on the Fast Diet Forum which attest to that. Once in a while you can splurge, as long as it isn’t everyday. For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet. As for how we eat, an example follows.

The late, lamented Gourmet Magazine had a practice of publishing favorite recipes from readers. One of them was for this coffee cake. What makes it “Pennsylvania Dutch” is probably the method of cutting the butter into the flour to form a crumb, then combining most of the crumbs with the moist ingredients. This is similar to the process of preparing a Shoo-Fly Pie, a classic of Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine. Since the recipe makes two 8″ cakes, there is one to eat and one for gifting or for the freezer.

Fresh from the oven, in an 8×8″ pan. Cut into 9 pieces.
Served with strawberry yogurt, back bacon, mocha cafe au lait, and orange-rhubarb juice.

The coffeecake is delicious and easy to prepare. Have only one egg to use? You can just as simply make one cake from the recipe. Either way, the cake is moist and flavorful. This is a regular in our breakfast rotation.

Two 8 or 9” cakes1 cake or 12 muffins8 or 9” round cake pans
2 eggs 1 c. milk, fat % of your choice1 eggs
½ c. milk, fat % of your choice		Whisk together and set aside.
2 ½ c. white whole wheat flour 1 ½ c sugar or 1¼ c. ½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder ¾ c/12 oz butter		1¼ c. white whole wheat flour ¾ c sugar or 2/3 c.
¼ tsp salt 1½ tsp baking powder 1/3 c/ 6 oz butter		With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut together until mixture looks like a coarse meal.
SAVE OUT ½ OR ¼ CUP OF CRUMBS, set aside
Stir egg-milk into flour crumbs until combined.
Pour into pans, buttered or lined with parchment paper.
½ cup crumbs¼ c crumbsSprinkle tops with crumbs.
Bake @ 375F 25-30 mins, until top begins to turn golden.

Oktoberfest

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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.

Prince Ludwig and Therese.

On September 16, 2023, the 188th Oktoberfest began. It ran for 18 days, closing on October 3. So, if it is called ‘Oktoberfest’, why is it in September?? The answer is: it shouldn’t be. Oktoberfest is billed as ‘the Biggest Beer Party Ever,’ but, again, it is not supposed to be. On October 12, 1810, Prince Regent Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. To celebrate the event, a clever cavalry major suggested to the prince’s father that a horse-race be staged, so that all the citizens of Munich could enjoy the event. Thus, on October 17, at the newly-named Theresienwiese [Therese’s Meadow], a 42 hectare field in Munich, a horse-race was held along with food for all. It was so much fun, that people clamored to hold it again. From 1811 to 1813, a large, food-filled gathering was held at the ‘wiese, sponsored by the Bavarian Agricultural group. The Napoleonic Wars interrupted the fun, but the festival returned, now sponsored by the government. Throughout the years, epidemics and wars have shut it down, but Oktoberfest comes back with big beer tents, brass bands, roasted chicken, and lots of sausage. Oh — and beer. So why does it start in September? Beats me!

Since the original occasion was a wedding, we will feast on hearts at breakfast. Although chicken outsells sausage at Oktoberfest, we will dine on sausages. Happy Anniversary, Therese and Ludwig!

Waffle Fruit Hearts:  211 calories 5.4 g fat 4 g fiber 6.5 g protein 46.6 g carbs 87.4 mg Calcium  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB Does your waffle maker turn them out in heart shapes? Save out a waffle or two for this treat on a Fast Day.

4 waffle hearts, each 2×3″ 2 Tbsp vanilla fat-free yogurt 1 Tbsp almond meal 4 sections of Clementine 1 oz blueberries   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]

Stir almond meal into yogurt and let it sit. Briefly warm the waffle hearts, then spread them with the yogurt mixture and top with clementine sections. Plate with blueberries, serve with an optional beverage.

Vegetable-Sausage Bowl: 295 calories 15 g fat 4.4 g fiber 10 g protein 22.5 g carbs 124 mg Calcium  PB GF  A riff on a recipe by Sarah Copeland in the New York Times, this fusion of German sausage and Asian flavors was a real hit at our house. Very quick to prepare and a great way to add vegetables to the diet.

2 servingsbig wok, skillet or cast-iron pan
½ oz almond slivers 
pinch Kosher salt		Add nuts, salt and stir until toasted, 1 min. Remove from pan and save.
1 tsp canola oil/other neutral oil
2-3 celery stalks, sliced on bias
½ c. carrots, sliced in thin rounds		Heat oil over med-high until shimmering. 
Add these and stir-fry until slightly softened, 1-2 mins.
1.5 tsp sesame seeds Sprinkle on seeds, toss until toasted, 1 mins. 
1 c. kale, without stems, fresh or frozen
1 c. torn lettuce		Chop kale roughly.
Add greens to pan, stir to combine. 
1½ tsp rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
2-3 T. water		Add these, scraping bottom of pan. Cook until greens are lightly wilted, ~1 min
2½ oz bulk bratwurst sausageBrown in separate pan, breaking into small bits. Add.
½ c. cooked brown long-grain rice Add to pan and stir well while rice heats. 
3 T. torn mint leaves 1 tsp Go-Chu-Jang sauce
1½ tsp soy sauce 		Scatter with herbs, add soy sauce and hot sauce. Stir together, serve in bowls with reserved nuts on top.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large1 two-oz egg + cep mushrooms 
chorizo sausage + chèvre cheesetomato + prosciutto
pear + Dijon mustardParmesan cheese
herbes de Provincepeach or pear
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

3 oz fish, raw or cooked [2 different types]chicken breast + Gruyere cheese
1 egg + cream + shallotwhole-grain bread @ 70 calories + thyme
spinach + nutmeg + canned white beans2-oz egg + white whole wheat flour
swiss chard + powdered garlicbeets + barley pilaf + rosemary
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Saint Denis

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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 Apurba Sarma who is now Following.

A Roman citizen name Dionysius [granted, that is a Greek name, but the Romans borrowed a lot] was born in what is now Italy in the 3rd century CE. He became a Christian, and was sent to Roman Gaul to tend to the souls of Christians in Lutetia [now called Paris], and to be their bishop. The most of the Roman town was on the hills of the Left Bank, so Dionysius set up on an island in the River Seine now called Île de la Cité. Things were going fine, until the priests of the Roman pantheon became alarmed at Dionysius’ number of converts. The bishop and his two companions, Rusticus and Eleutherius, were arrested and sentenced to death. On a high hill overlooking the river, the three were beheaded on October 9, 250. Some say that is the origin of the name of the hill: Montmartre, Martyrs’ Mountain — or maybe not… But Dionysius refused to die. Legend has it that he picked up his head and walked North for six kilometers. All the while, his head preached the Gospel. Thus he joined the ranks of the cephalophores: saints who carry their heads. He was buried where he finally fell, and a shrine was built — then a chapel, then an abbey. Eventually, it became the town of Saint Denis on the outskirts of Paris and the chapel was rebuilt as the first Gothic-style church ever seen, the Basilica of St-Denis. Since the time of King Dagobert the Merovingian, all French kings were entombed at St Denis. The necropolis is a sight to behold. Along with the tombs of royalty, the church held another relic: the Oriflamme. This was the battle banner of French kings, called the Oriflamme of St-Denis, although he had nothing to do with it in his lifetime. Flying the flag represented the presence of Saint Denis at the battle. It was lost at the battle of Agincourt. Dionysius name was changed to ‘Denis’ in later centuries and he is one of the Patron Saints of France.

Our breakfast is aptly named and fit for a king. Our dinner is from Italy, just like St-Denis.

St Denis ScrOmelette:  144 calories 8 g fat 2 g fiber 12.5 g protein 6.4 g carbs 57 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  James Beard’s comprehensive volume American Cooking gives us the recipe for this breakfast. Delicious, and rich, and wonderful. Worth getting up for.

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 leek or scallion, minced ½ clove garlic, minced ¼ oz mushrooms ¼ oz ham [3% fat], minced 1 tsp chicken liver OR chicken liver pate parsley for garnish 4 Bing cherries -OR- 2 oz melon of any sort  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 a well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick pan and spritz it with oil or cooking spray. Add the leek, garlic, ham, and mushrooms and stir to cook. Whisk the eggs with the pate and pour over the vegetables in the pan. Cook as thoroughly as you like. The optional beverages are prepared and the fruit is plated. What a remarkable start to your day.

Polpette Supper:  296 calories 11 g fat 4 g fiber 12 g protein 34 g carbs 166 mg Calcium  PB  GF – if using GF breadcrumbs and zucchini This is one of the ‘poverty foods’ of Europe: meatless, filling, plant-based meals for the people who lived by subsistence farming. The original recipe calls for Ricotta, but Cottage Cheese is less caloric and lower in fat.

2 polpette balls** 2.5 fl oz sauce side salad with cucumbers ¾ oz whole-grain sourdough bread -OR- 1 cup cooked zucchini slices 2 basil leaves, torn in bits 2 tsp grated Pecorino Romano

Warm polpette balls and the sauce together. Plate, topped with sauce, basil, and grated cheese. On the side, the salad, and zucchini or bread.

**8 polpette + 1.25 c sauce1 Sv = 2 polpette + 2.5 fl oz sauce
2 basil leaves
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 garlic clove
pinch red-pepper flakes  		Tear basil leaves in 1/2.  Smash garlic. 
Stir everything together in a small saucepan. Cook over very low heat 10 mins.  Don’t brown garlic.
Take off heat, strain oil, discard solids and set infused oil aside.
14 fl oz canned crushed tomatoes 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste 3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 c. water
infused oil		Combine these in a big pot.  Bring to a boil over med-high, then turn down to a simmer. Partially cover, simmer over low heat, undisturbed.
8 oz 2%-fat cottage cheese
 1/2 c.+ 2 T. dry bread crumbs
1.4 oz unshelled egg
1 T. Pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 Tbsp fresh parsley
1/4 Tbsp kosher salt 
1/4 tsp black pepper 		Break an egg into a bowl and whisk briefly. Measure out the portion required. Drain cottage cheese of excessive liquid, mash with fork to break up large curds. 
Finely grate Pecorino-Romano.  Chop parsley. In a bowl, mix all ingredients until combined.  The mixture will be quite soft.
With wet hands, pinch off eight portions, each ~2 Tbsp.
Roll into balls: ~2” wide, ~40 g each.  Put on a baking sheet.
Bring sauce to a low boil. A few at a time, add balls carefully to sauce. Shimmy pot back and forth after each addition, to prevent sticking or clumping. Do not stir, lest balls break apart.
Cover pot, cook in sauce, undisturbed, 4 mins. Take off lid and shimmy pot. Balls will have begun to firm. 
Cover pot again, cook 10 mins, until balls are firm, plump and cooked through.

Baedeker

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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.

In the the late 1800s, everyone who traveled knew Baedeker — if not who he was, then what it was. Karl Baedeker was born in 1801 in Germany. His family were printers and ran bookshops. Son Karl, fluent in many languages, saw a need to specialize in a certain type of book: guides for the far-flung voyager. His was not the first such book, but Baedeker’s guides came along at the right time. In 1832, when he bought out another printer and his line of travel books, Europe was peace, and people had begun to travel again. Baedeker expanded the existing guide to the Rhine River, telling you not only what to see, but where to stay and what to stay away from. He had been to the places which he described, so he knew his subject. More guidebooks followed, covering Holland and Belgium. The idea of including tour routes was ‘borrowed’ from an English rival, but Baedeker had innovations of his own: descriptions of foreign customs, recommendations on tipping [which he hated], first aid tips, and useful local vocabulary. By the time of his death in 1859, the series of small red-covered books included one for Paris. With a new line of books translated into English, the guides were embraced by Britons. Karl Baedeker’s sons continued the business, and expanded the territory. By 1908, the name Baedeker was synonymous with travel. In E.M. Forster’s A Room With A View, poor Miss Lucy Honeychurch‘s visit to the Santa Croce in Firenze is ruined because she does not have her Baedeker and thus does not know ‘what to see’ at the church. Baedeker’s books went out of fashion after two wars with Germans, but Karl Baedeker paved the way for Lonely Planet and the Guide Michelin. Much better than anything on-line travel sites have to say.

For the patriotic Karl Baedeker, a breakfast from his homeland — even though Germany was not a unified nation during his lifetime. For dinner, a meal in honor of Lucy Honeychurch’s eye-opening trip to Italy — without a Baedeker.

German Breakfast: 136 calories 3 g fat 4.4 g fiber 9 g protein 15 g carbs 104.4 mg Calcium PB GF — if using GF bread Sturdy whole-grain bread, some curd cheese with chives and a slice of ham will get you going in the morning, just as it does for the Germans.

1 slice 70-calorie whole-grain bread [we like Dave’s ‘Good Seed’] 2 Tbsp Quark/Fromage Blanc OR small-curd cottage cheese, reduced fat 1 oz pear 1-2 Tbsp chopped chives ½ oz slice of 3%-fat ham from the deli, thinly-sliced    Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [85 calories]  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Toast bread lightly. Stir chives into cheese, and spread on the bread. Plate with ham and fruit.

Spinach or Swiss Chard Fritatta:  284 calories 12.5 g fat 4 g fiber 18.5 g protein 24 g carbs 166 mg Calcium  PB GF Susan Herrmann Loomis is the source of this recipe, which also can be a wonderful breakfast, scaled down to serve two. HINT: Serves 2 as a main course. Could serve 4-6 as an appetizer.

3 oz swiss chard or fresh spinach 1/3 tsp olive oil 8 oz eggs = 4 two-oz eggs in their shells 3 pinches granulated garlic + 3 pinches salt + large pinch paprika 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese ¼ cup pickled beets  1 oz 7-grain sour-dough bread, or something similarly hearty

Clean the chard by holding the leaf and pulling off the stem. Chop the leaves. Put olive oil in an oven-proof pan that can also be used on the stove-top. Turn on the broiler and move the upper oven rack to the top. Cook the chopped leaves in the oil until the leaves are limp, adding water as necessary to prevent sticking. Be sure to cook off the water/liquid in the pan. Spray the pan and its contents with non-stick spray. Stir and distribute the cooked chard evenly in the pan. Combine the eggs, cheese and seasonings. Whisk well and pour over the chard in the pan. Cook over medium heat until the bottom is well set, 4-5 minutes. Put under the broiler until the top is cooked. Serve from the pan or slide the fritatta out onto a serving plate, along with the toasted bread and the vegetables.

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

1.5 two-oz eggs = US large + 3%-fat hamfour heart-shaped waffle sections, 2×3″
bing cherries + leek or scallionnon-fat vanilla yogurt
garlic + mushroomsalmond flour/ almond meal
chicken liver pate OR chicken liverclementine + blueberries
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

basil leaves + olive oil + red pepper flakes + garlicslivered almonds + celery + carrots + lettuce
canned crushed tomatoes + 2%-fat cottage cheesesesame seeds + rice wine vinegar + kale
egg + plain breadcrumbs + Pecorino-Romanobulk bratwurst sausage + brown rice
parsley + zucchini + tomato paste + side saladGo-chu-jang sauce + soy sauce  + mint leaves
Sparkling waterSparkling water

St. Leodegar

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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. 

Leodegar or Liévain was born around 615 to a noble family in Sarcing, Burgundy [now Reulle-Vergy]. He lived with his parents and brother Guérin [Warin] de Vergy for only the first few years of his life — Leodegar was destined for the Church, while Guérin was to inherit the family’s lands and titles. Little Leodegar was educated in Paris, in the court of Clotaire II, Frankish king of one portion of not-yet-France. The young man went for further study at Poitiers, and rapidly rose through the hierarchy of the church. As Bishop of Autun, Leodegar rebuilt churches and reformed the clergy. Meanwhile, Guérin married and fathered children. [One of those children is my direct ancestor] Both brothers always supported the king, but then another faction entered the game: Ebroin, Mayor of the Palace [Chief of Staff] of a rival Frankish king. Ebroin was violent and vicious as he played the ‘game of thrones’: killing rivals, spreading rumors, deposing rulers to gain his ends. When Ebroin became too dangerous, Leodegar opposed him, earning the eternal wrath of the Mayor. A new leader, Childéric II, united the various regions, and was crowned King of Frankia by Leodegar. Childeric wanted the death of Ebroin, but Leodegar sued for mercy. Even Childeric proved capricious, imprisoning both Leodegar and Ebroin, but they escaped. After much back and forth, Guérin and Leodegar went into battle against Ebroin — and lost. Guérin was stoned to death in 674, near the Chateau de Vergy. Leodegar was the victim of Ebroin’s cruelty for several weeks before being beheaded on October 2, 679. The would-be king-maker was assassinated by his many enemies in 681, but that wasn’t the end of the rivalry. Ebroin lived on in infamy due to the book Life of Leodegar the Burgundian, commissioned by the Bishop of Poitiers three years later. Ebroin was condemned as an ‘enemy of God’ for all his actions. By comparison, Leodegar was canonized by the church as Saint-Léger.

Our meals today are from France and might have been typical of a plant-heavy, close-to-the-land diet of the 7th century.

Garbure Bake: 134 calories 6.5 g fat 1.5 g fiber 9.5 g protein 7.5 g carbs 53 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.PB GF ‘Garbure’ is a favorite casserole of Southwestern France. Now you can enjoy it at breakfast.

1 two-oz egg ½ oz cabbage, thinly-sliced ½ oz leeks, thinly-sliced ¼ oz small white beans [I used garbanzos, but I sliced them in half] 1/3 oz pork, shredded or thinly-sliced ½ tsp duck fat or bacon fat 1¾ oz strawberries/blueberries   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]

Prepare the cabbage and leek, and put in one bowl. In another, put the beans and pork. Heat a saute pan and add the fat with a few Tablespoons of water. Saute the cabbage/leek until they are limp, adding more water if needed. Then stir in the pork and beans and cook until warm. Put the cooked mixture into a baking dish which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Whisk the egg with salt and pepper to taste and pour into the dish. Bake at 350 F for 15+ minutes. Portion the fruit and plate the bake. Welcome to Gascony.

Mediterranean Vegetables with Brown Rice: 281 calories 7 g fat 10.4 g fiber 16.4 g protein 40 g carbs 332 mg Calcium   PB GF  Here are those wonderful mediterranean vegetables again, served with brown rice for more fiber and complex carbs.

2 cups eggplant, peeled & cubed -OR- 1½ cup bell peppers, cubed 2 cups tomato, cubed 2 cups zucchini, cubed 2 cloves garlic 1½ tsp oregano ½ cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained   per serving: 1 oz mozzerella, shredded ¼ cup brown rice or whole-grain couscous, cooked 

Prepare all the veg, and put them in a saucepan. Simmer, covered, until cooked through. If watery, remove lid and continue to simmer. Add oregano, salt and pepper to taste, and the chickpeas, and keep warm. Prepare the brown rice or couscous and place it on one side of the plate. Spoon 2 cups of the vegetables next to the rice/couscous. Top with cheese and tuck into it!

Religions: Confucius

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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 28 September 551 BCE, the boy Qui was born into the Kong clan. The family had once been noble, but was by then down at the heels. Qui was poor, but his family made sure that he learned the old rituals of court behavior, music, and poetry. His education was in the writings of the ancients, who’s teaching he revered. Late in his teens, his mother died and Qui married, siring several children. Then he left his home state of Lu to find work in other small kingdoms. For many years he worked at so many various jobs that one might think that either the list is an exaggeration of his ability or a reflection of his inability to hold a job. Qui wanted a position as political advisor to one of the regional potentates, but that did not happen. Eventually, he returned to Lu and became a teacher. Unlike other teachers/scholars, Qui did not care if his students were high-born or peasants, as long as they wanted to learn. Was this in recollection of his own childhood of being looked down upon at school? Qui became known as Kong Fu-zi or Master Teacher Kong. [This was latinized in the 1600s by Jesuit priests into the name Confucius.] His sayings and his learning are legendary, but was he starting a religion? Confucius is revered but not worshiped. There are temples to Confucius, the largest being in his home town, built within two years of his death. There is no deity in Confucianism, but there is a code of conduct to follow, and rituals to observe. To follow his teachings, one must become the “Confucian Gentleman.” The ‘Gentleman’,  Chün‑tzu, does not have to be high-born — anyone can aspire to the designation, no matter his station in life. But he must exemplify four qualities: a] Engaging in a ceremonial etiquette of politeness; b] Observing filial piety by respecting the parents and ancestors; c] Having loyalty to one’s ruler, or doing one’s best for the ruler; d] Being humane, as in “do not do to others what you would not like them to do to you.” This way of living can apply to the plowman and the poet, and so it has influenced the lives of millions of people in Asia, as well as philosophers in Europe for 2000 years. The Chinese Cultural Revolution tore down Confucianism as a state religion, but now Confucian influence can be seen in Chinese Marxism. Like his contemporary Socrates, Kong Fu-zi has cast a long shadow.

Confucius said, “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” In Fasting, the weight loss is slow and gradual, and by remaining on the path, one achieves one’s weight goals. Confucius had definite ideas about food. With that in mind, we will have my version of the Chinese classic Scallion Pancakes. For dinner, a stir-fry which has a balance of meat and vegetables, all of which are fresh and cut in small pieces.

“Scallion Pancakes”: 144 calories 5 g fat 3 g fiber 8.5 g protein 16.5 g carbs 68.5 mg Calcium   NB: The food values given above are for the pancakes and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB  GF – if using GF flour  The title of this recipe is in quotation marks not for emphasis, but to indicate that this is not a genuine recipe for Asian Scallion Pancakes. That said, this is a fine way to start your day. NB: if you were to eliminate the smoothie and drink only tea, you could double the recipe to prepare a 288 calorie meal for one person.

1 two-oz egg ½ cup scallions, sliced on diagonal 1½ Tbsp white whole wheat flour 2 tsp soy sauce 1 oz apple   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait[65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie[88 calories]

Whisk egg, soy sauce, and flour until smooth. Divide into two equal portions. In a non-stick pan spritzed with non-stick spray, saute scallion until limp. Remove half of the scallion to a dish. Rearrange scallions in group in the middle of the pan. Pour one half of the eggs over the scallions, nudging the egg batter to the outer edge to make the pancake ~4″ across. Cook the pancake on one side, flip to cook on the other, and remove to a cutting board. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Stack pancakes, cut in 4 pieces, plate with the apple. NB: knowing that the next morning would be rushed, I prepared the pancakes the night before. Next morning, they warmed on a griddle before serving. Very quick!

Beef Stirfry: 245 calories 8 g fat 3 g fiber 17 g protein 21 g carbs 74 mg Calcium   PB GF From Eating Well comes this simple stir-fry that is good tasting yet good for you.  TIP: for one serving, cook in a saute pan since a wok would be too large for the contents.

1½ oz beef [mine was leftover from dinner]  NB: You could go to 2 oz meat and be at 299 calories  ¼ cup chicken stock ¾ tsp fresh ginger, minced or grated ¾ tsp cornstarch 1 small or ½ large clove of garlic ¼ tsp ground coriander small pinch red pepper flakes ½ tsp sesame oil ¼ medium onion [1.5 oz], sliced ½ cup broccoli florets ¼ cup red pepper in bite-sized strips ¼ cup cooked brown rice 1 tsp sesame seeds

Slice beef on the diagonal into bite-sized pieces. Stir together the stock, ginger, cornstarch, garlic, coriander, and red pepper flakes. Heat the oil until shimmering then stirfry the vegetables for 3 minutes. Add the meat and if it is raw, stirfry for another minute. Stir the sauce well and add to the pan. If meat is cooked, add it now. Cook until bubbly and thick and meat is heated. Plate the rice, put the stirfry on top, then sprinkle with the sesame.

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

1 two-oz egg = US largepear + chives  
cabbage + leek + porksmall-curd, reduced fat cottage cheese
canned small white beans1 slice 70-calorie whole-grain bread
duck fat + strawberries/blueberries3%-fat ham, sliced 
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

eggplant or bell peppers + tomatoes4 eggs + Parmesan cheese + paprika
garlic + cooked brown rice or couscousSwiss Chard or Spinach + garlic powder
oregano + zucchinipaprika + olive oil + pickled beets
chickpeas + mozzarellawhole-grain sourdough bread
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Stamford Bridge

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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. 

King Harold, shown in the Bayeux Tapestry.

In 1066, there was a battle that determined the fate of nations. No, not the Battle of Hastings, but the one right before it — the battle of Two Harolds. In January, the English king had died and the council chose Harold of Wessex to be the next ruler. But William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy, thought he had been promised the throne, and so did King Harald Hardrada, king of Norway. Harald gathered a huge fleet and invaded England near York, the former Viking capital. He was aided by a spy, Tostig Godwinson, brother of King Harold of England. Harald thought he would now waltz through England and take the crown, but he misjudged his adversary. Harold, facing an imminent attack by William, marched his army 45 miles a day for four days to get to York. On the morning of September 25, while Harald’s men lounged in a meadow after breakfast, Harold’s men came over the hill and plowed right into them. The Vikings barely had time to put on their armor. The fight was long and grueling under the warm sunshine. Finally, King Harald was killed, and later the traitor Tostig. The Norsemen fled to their ships and departed, ending the Viking Era. With scarcely a breather, Harold and his men marched back south to Hastings, to engage William. Harold won at Stamford Bridge, but his exhausted army could not win at Hastings, where Harold died. Without the arduous march and battle, it is possible that England could have won the Battle of Hastings, which certainly would have changed the history of Europe forever.

Our menu today would be familiar to both the Vikings and the English: salmon in two forms. Smoked salmon at breakfast, fresh salmon at dinner. Both are winners.

Smoked Salmon Bake: 133 calories 8 g fat 1 g fiber 10.4 g protein 6.6 g carbs 52 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF Gosh this is good. You must try it!

1 two-ounce egg 1 Tbsp soft chevre [goat cheese] ¼ oz smoked salmon, crumbled into pieces 2 Tbsp scallions, green & white parts, diced or sliced 2-3 tsp chopped parsley ¼ cup blueberries  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]

Put the scallions and parsley into a heat-proof ramekin. Microwave for 30 seconds. Add the salmon.  HINT: I did this the night before. Beat the goat cheese and egg together until the cheese breaks up into tiny lumps. Pour into ramekin and stir all together to mix. Bake at 350 F. 12 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Brew your beverage; dish the fruit; shake that smoothie.

Salmon-Dill Casserole:  290 calories 10.4 g fat 6 g fiber 24 g protein 26 g carbs 263 mg Calcium   PB GF  This is a wonderful meal. SO much flavor!!

3 oz salmon, raw 1 cup leeks, sliced 1 clove garlic 2 oz clam juice or fish stock 2 Tbsp milk ½ tsp cornstarch ½ tsp dill pinch nutmeg + pinch cayenne ¼ cup peas 1 oz green beans 

Cut the salmon into one-inch cubes and put in an oven-proof dish, dusting the fish with salt and pepper. Cook the leeks 5 minutes in a pan with a spritz of oil and some water. Slice the garlic and add that to the leeks for an additional 15 seconds. Whisk the cornstarch into the milk and clam juice, then add to the leeks. Cook until it becomes thicker. Take pan off the heat and add dill, cayenne, nutmeg and peas. Pour over salmon and bake around 15 minutes until it is hot through. In the meantime, cook the green beans and drain. Scrape the hot salmon mixture into your serving bowl [I used one 7” bowl per serving], being sure to include all the sauce. Top with the cooked beans. If there is broth left in the bottom of the bowl, don’t be shy – drink it!