recipes for Michael Mosley’s 5:2 Diet

Montaigne

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

“A man who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears.“

“The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.“

What is a ‘philosopher’? It is someone who seeks wisdom. And where is this prize found? Michel de Montaigne decided, on his 38th birthday [February 28] in 1571, to trade in most of his way of life to seek wisdom in his own thoughts. He moved out of the family chateau to a tower across the courtyard. Alone with a bed, a writing desk, and his 1000-volume library he began to ‘try’ to figure out life’s great mysteries. [He went back to the chateau for meals. He also attended local social events.] The word ‘try’ is important because he called his writings ‘essais’ based on the French verb ‘essayer,’ meaning ‘to try.’ Who was Montaigne? He was the son of a family made very wealthy trading in salted herring. His mother was the daughter of prosperous merchants in Bordeaux. The family obtained noble rank due to his father’s military service, helped by the fact that 2 generations back they had converted from Judaism to Christianity. His father valued education and designed an unusual learning plan for his son. From shortly after his birth until his 3rd birthday, young Michel lived exclusively with a local peasant family — to learn empathy for simple folk. From age 3 to age 6, there was a tutor who spoke only latin to him — as did his parents and all the servants — making latin his native tongue. At age 6, off to a humanist boarding school, then studying law in his teenage years. Mayor and city councilor of Bordeaux; suffering from kidney stones; friend of kings: Montaigne stored up experiences which he later put in writing. His three books containing his 107 essays were published in two books in 1580, and the third, posthumously, in 1595. Free-wheeling in structure and organization, the writings range from cannabalism, to having thumbs, to the education of children, to tomorrow is a new day, Montaigne found a new way of expressing himself and inspired writers and thinkers for centuries.

As a nod to the Montaigne Family fortune, we will enjoy herrings at breakfast. The dinner salad evokes his childhood with a shepherding family. Will these meals make you philosophical? Who knows.

Herring Plate: 195 calories 8 g fat 4.4 g fiber 8 g protein 13.5 g carbs [11 g Ccomplex] 33 mg Calcium  PB  If you like herring, this is the breakfast for you. It makes a nice change from morning eggs and it is prepared in no-time-flat. NB: Do NOT eat herring if you are taking MOAI antidepressent medicine, as herring is high in tyramine.

3 Finn Crisp crackers  1.25 oz herring marinated in wine [not sour cream] 2 Tbsp whipped cream cheese 4 Bing cherries OR ½ cup strawberries, sliced  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] 

Do I need to describe this preparation? Spread the cream cheese on the crackers and pile on the herring. Delicious and so satisfying.

Shepherds’ Salad: 286 cal 15 g fat 5 g fiber 13 g protein 23.6 g carbs 311 mg Calcium  PB GF  This delightful meal is from Lynne Rossetto Kaspar’s The Italian Country Table. I have included a version of the original cooked salad dressing, but you may use a simple herbed vinaigrette if you prefer.

½ oz salami 1/3 c white beans 2½ cups [3 oz] lettuce, from the garden, the store, or wild sorrel, dandelion, or lambs quarters 1 oz mozzerella 1 radish, thinly sliced 2” celery, thinly sliced on diagonal ½ oz chicken breast 2 tsp of boiled dressing** OR 2 tsp vinaigrette dressing++

Prep your toppings: slice the salami rounds into matchsticks; shred the lettuce; cut the cheese into strips about ¼” square; slice the radish and celery. Measure 2 tsp dressing into a serving/salad bowl and add the lettuce. Toss to coat with the dressing. Arrange the meat, beans, cheese, and radishes in decorative groupings. Hearty and delicious, even if you didn’t have to forage for it yourself.

**SHEPHERDS’ SALAD DRESSING:  makes 1/3 cup enough for 7 servings  1 serving = 2 tsp = 32 calories 

3 Tbsp olive oil 
4” rosemary
6 sage leaves		Put in a pan and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
4 smashed cloves garlic 
pinch of hot pepper flakes		Peel the garlic cloves and crush them with the side of a large knife. Add to the pan and stir for a few seconds.
½ cup red wine vinegar Add vinegar and boil the liquids down to 1/3 cup.
Strain and cool before serving. Put the remainder in a jar and store. 

++Vinaigrette Dressing makes 6 Tbsp, enough for 9 servings  1 serving = 1½ tsp = 52 calories 1 Tbsp cider vinegar + ¼ tsp salt : stir together and let sit 5 minutes 4 Tbsp olive oil + 1 ½ tsp cold water + ½ tsp tarragon or thyme : whisk together Add the vinegar and whisk again.

Winslow Homer

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

Who was the pre-eminent painter of seascapes in the 1800s? Winslow Homer, of course. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts on February 24, 1836. His mother taught him the basics of watercolors, considered in those days to be an art for mere hobbyists. Apprenticed as a teenager to a lithographer, Homer learned the print-makers’ skills: drawing and color use. During the American Civil War, he was sent to the front lines to produce sketches that Harper’s Weekly would turn into illustrations for its news stories. His scenes of camp life were interesting to the folks at home, but the engraving of The Sharpshooter brought the fighting into peoples’ living rooms. That’s how it was done before Matthew Brady began to photograph the war. Several of the sketches were later turned into oil paintings, a medium which he had just learned. After the War, Homer devoted himself to painting scenes of peace and innocence. Pictures of children: Snap the Whip and Breezing Up and of country life: The Dinner Horn and The Blue Boat, gave way to depictions of people who are affected by the ocean, whether sailors [Eight Bells], fishermen [Fog Warning], their families [Dad’s Coming!] or victims of a cruel sea [The Gulf Stream]. One summer, Homer picked up his watercolors again, launching a new phase to his career which brought him a steady income. He became more drawn to small coastal communities, filled with working men and women instead of frivolous, richer city people. Even on a trip to Europe, he went to the seaside villages to sketch the common people. Back in the USA, he moved to his family’s Maine property, setting up his studio right on the shore. There he painted his brooding seascapes and settled into a prosperous living. He died at his studio in 1910, leaving 147 paintings as his legacy.

Since Homer painted seascapes, our breakfast is typical of coastal residents near his Prout’s Neck studio. For dinner, another meal of the common people of the coastal Atlantic.

Fish Cake Breakfast: 145 calories 2.5 g fat 2 g fiber 9.5 g protein 18.5 g carbs 42 mg Calcium PB GF Fish cakes have been a filling meal in North-Eastern North America centuries. In her 1832 cookbook, Lydia Maria Child promoted them for breakfast food. Great idea!  HINT: Prepare the fish-potato mixture the night before. This breakfast deserves a revival.

1 slice uncured American streaky bacon 6 Tbsp/rounded 1/3 cup Fish Cake mixture** 2 oz tomato slices ¼ oz fresh spinach 1 oz sliced strawberries or 2 Tbsp 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]

Slice the tomato and sprinkle with salt. Plate spinach leaves and top with tomatoes and fruit. Cook the bacon and plate it. Pour most of the bacon fat from the pan and return the pan to a low heat. Using either a 1 Tbsp or 2 Tbsp measure, scoop out some of the fish cake mixture and put it in the pan. Flatten it slightly to form a disk and cook until browned and crisp on one side. Cook until crisp on the other side and plate.

** Fish Cake Mixture  makes 2 cups 1/3 cup green or white onion, chopped 1-2/3 cup mashed potatoes [no milk, no butter] ¼ tsp dry mustard lots of salt + pepper 1 two-oz egg 2 Tbsp milk 6 oz cooked fish [cod, haddock, salt cod, salmon or a mixture], flaked into small pieces Combine the onion, potatoes, egg, seasonings, and milk, stirring well. Stir in the fish, gently but thoroughly. Portion the mixture and cook in a sauce pan with some bacon grease.

Seafood Chowder:  275 calories 11 g fat 1 g fiber 15 g protein 16 g carb 117 mg Calcium GF Dear Husband found the recipe in Yankee magazine. He prepares this every year and we think it is wonderful. It freezes nicely and easily serves a group. The directions look long and involved but the results are worth it.

Makes 10 one-cup servings
4 strips thick-cut American streaky baconDice bacon. In a medium skillet cook it until crisp and brown. Remove bacon and put into a big bowl. 
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced ~1 cupPour off all but 1 Tbsp fat and add onions. Cook slowly over low heat, stirring, until translucent – 10 mins?. Set aside with bacon in the bowl.
1 pound baking potatoes, peeled + cut in ½” cubesIn another saucepan, cover potatoes with salted water and boil until almost tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and add potatoes to the bacon/onions. [Save water for baking]
2 pounds steamer clams in their shells 1 Qt waterPut clams in a large pot with water. Heat to boiling, cover, and cook until clams open, about 3 minutes. Take out clams leaving liquid in the pot. Strain liquid through a sieve lined with toweling to remove debris. Take clams from shells and cut into smaller pieces if necessary. Add to potatoes, onion, and bacon.
one 1½ pound lobsterPut strained broth back into empty pot and bring to a boil. Put lobster head-first into boiling broth. Cover and cook 20 minutes. Remove lobster and let cool. Crack shell, remove the meat. Cut into ½” chunks and add to potatoes.
1 pound scallops, trimmed 1 pound shrimp, peeled Heat broth until boiling. Add scallops, shrimp. Reduce heat to low. Simmer about 3 minutes, until scallops + shrimp are just cooked through.
1 quart whole milk 4 Tbsp butter 2 sprigs parsley
¼ tsp paprika salt + pepper to taste		Finely chop the parsley. Add all the previously cooked ingredients, along with the milk, butter, parsley and seasonings. Heat until steaming but not boiling. Take off heat.
Cover and cool. Let soup sit in the ‘fridge or on a cool back porch for 12-24 hours. This really enhances the flavors.
When ready to serve, heat to steaming hot but do not boil.
Freeze what is left over in serving-size containers.

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

whipped cream cheese1.5 two-oz eggs 
Finn Crisp crackerscrabmeat
herring marinated in white wineleek + sugar
cherries or strawberriessoy sauce + strawberries
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

salami + white beans + red wine vinegarchicken breast + flour + olive oil
chicken breast + rosemary + sagechicken stock + garlic + anchovy fillet
mozzarella + radish + celerykalamata black olives + white wine
garlic + lettuce or wild greensfresh tomatoes + broccoli florets
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Who dunit? Who ate it? Chapter VII

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

Dear Husband and I love to read ‘whodunits.’ Crime literature in English harks back to Edgar Allen Poe’s Murders on Rue Morgue in 1841. As the genre took off, a sub-genre developed: culinary crime. These books are read as much for the procedural as for the vicarious thrills of the meals that are described along the way. There are many authors who tantalize our tastebuds while they challenge our little grey cells and today, I will feature foods from two widely different sources.

Two authors from the British Isles and their detectives are featured today. Breakfast is based on a very unhealthy snack food, often craved by Frank Phillips, a homicide detective in Northumbria. I took some liberties and made it a bit healthier. Dinner is a very healthy meal prepared by Enzo Macleod, a forensics specialist in Haute-Garonne. I took some liberties and used Camargue rice, from southern France, to add some complex carbs.

Frank Phillips, the older, plumper, rumpled, rougher side-kick of the young, slim, polished, elegant, handsome DCI Ryan loves to stop at the Pie Van to fuel up on Bacon Butties. Frank is a ‘Geordie‘ through and through, and not the sort of person to go on a diet. Despite his love of Butties, his devotion to his younger wife and their adopted daughter has him minding his heath. If he had this version throughout the series by L.J. Ross, Phillips might not have had to diet in middle-age.

Bacon Butty: 193 calories 4 g fat 6 g fiber 5 g protein 30 g carbs 62.4 mg Calcium This is such a widely popular sandwich in England and the Republic of Ireland that there are some 700 varieties. Some call it a ‘sarnie.’ If you add an egg, it becomes a ‘breggy.’ It seems to have originated in Ireland.

1 Arnold multi-grain Sandwich Thin, top and bottom 2 slices uncured American bacon, cut in half 2 oz applesauce 1 packet ketchup, for fast-food authenticity   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water 

Lightly toast the bun while the bacon cooks until crispy. Portion the applesauce, construct the sandwich, and serve with ketchup. ‘Fast Food’ for a Fast Day.

Enzo Macleod is a Scottish-Italian forensic expert transplanted to the University of Toulouse where he teaches. His private life is complicated, but on the job he is straightforward. On a dare, he determines to solve seven famous cold cases. Ordinarily he does his eating out of our sight, but in the final book of The Enzo Files, The Night Gate, by Peter May, we find Enzo preparing a simple dish of roasted fish for his [3rd] wife and his son.

Enzo’s Broiled Fish w/ Grapes: For a side dish, Enzo serves boiled potatoes, but you could substitute Camargue red rice.  with potatoes: 216 calories 1 g fat 2 g fiber 23.5 g protein 32 g carbs 53 mg Calcium –-OR- with Camargue rice: 279 calories 2 g fat 2.5 g fiber 24 g protein 45.4 g carbs 53 mg Calcium   PB GF   Enzo MacLeod, Peter May’s Scottish-expat forensic expert who lives in France, prepared this meal for a family dinner at home.

4 oz thin filets of white fish 2 Tbsp lime juice 2 tsp fresh ginger root, minced 4 oz white/green grapes 2 oz potatoes, either small ‘new’ potatoes OR cubed red potato OR 1 oz/2 Tbsp uncooked Camargue rice

Stir together the juice and ginger and pour into a shallow dish such as a glass pie plate. Lay the fish in the marinade and let sit 30-60 minutes, turning the fish half-way through. Start cooking the rice, if using. Put the rice in a cook-pan with three times its volume in boiling water. Simmer for 35 minutes, until water is absorbed. OR Boil the potatoes until tender, drain. Season them and keep warm. Put the grapes around the sides of the fish in the baking dish. Broil 5-6 minutes, until the fish is cooked and grapes start to blacken. Plate with the starch of your choice and consume with pleasure.

Moliere

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

When Jean-Baptiste Poquelin died on 17 February 1673, the theater lost one of most brilliant authors. Better known as Molière, his father was the Court Upholsterer who sent him to train in the law. But young Jean-Baptiste, an admirer of the Commedia Dell’Arte, was smitten by the theater world and by a young actress. He formed a theater company in Paris and took a stage name to shield his family from the racy world of performing. When the troupe failed, Molière joined a touring company which performed in southern France for 13 years. There he honed his craft as a writer, actor, manager, and director. As Charles Dickens did with his novels, Molière did with his plays — calling attention to toxic human failings by making them risible. It could be religious hypocrisy [Tartuffe] or medical quacks [Malade Imaginaire] or social climbing [Bourgeois Gentilhomme]. Usually the foolish/deluded/obsessive man seeks to marry off his daughter to the wrong man for his own reasons — and mayhem ensues, enlivened by saucy servants, moderated by wise wives. Molière raised the plot format known as ‘farce‘ to a new level and is credited with creating a delightful form of dialogue in which two characters are discussing two entirely different topics unknown to the other. After 1658, Molière and his troupe were favorites of Louis XIV. Most plays end with a character testifying to how wise and good the king is. Clever move on the author’s part, since his plays were often banned or censured, then rescued by the king’s intervention. Molière died a few hours after a performance of ‘The Imaginary Invalid’ [Malade Imaginaire], in the final throes of tuberculosis while in the title role. Happily, his work lives on and is very popular today — obsessive behavior by foolish people still exists 350 years later.

For Moliere’s years of touring the southern provinces, a delightful breakfast full of the flavors of the Basque region. For dinner, the food one associates with Paris: crepes with ham and cheese, the sort of food that a young actor might eat after an evening performance.

Basquaise ScrOmelette: JP 147 calories  7.5 g fat 2 g fiber 10.4 g protein 9 g carbs [8 g Complex] 80.5 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  This recipe, full of the flavors of the Basque region of SW France, comes to us from Salute to Healthy Cooking, published by the French Culinary Institute. Wonderful book from which we cook all year long. Note that this is a baked omelette, so the method is a little different. Faites bien attention.

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 tomato sauce 1 Tbsp bell pepper, chopped ½ clove garlic or pinch granulated garlic 2 tsp parsley, chopped ¾ tsp Parmesan cheese, grated pinch or two piment d’esplette 1½ oz apple   Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories] Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  

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

Ham & Cheese Crepes, home version: 283 calories 13 g fat 3 g fiber 15 g protein 27 g carbs [21 g Complex] 125 mg Calcium   PB  Not the street-food version of the crepe, this filling is more like a Croque Monsieur. A real treat for a quick meal.

2 buckwheat galettes/crepes  1 oz ham, diced or ground ½ oz Jarlsberg cheese, grated 3 Tbsp Bechamel sauce, no cheese  2 oz asparagus

If the crepes are in the freezer, thaw and drape with a tea towel. If the crepe batter is frozen, thaw it, then cook the crepes, keeping them warm in a tea towel. Dice or grind the ham and grate the cheese. Combine ham, cheese, and Bechamel sauce. Divide it between the crepes and warm in a slow oven until warmed through and the cheese is melty. Plate with the cooked asparagus. Simple and good to eat.

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

Sandwich Thin, whole wheat, 100 caloriesuncured American streaky bacon + tomato slices
uncured American-style baconfresh spinach + strawberries or blueberries
applesauce, unsweetenedFish Cake mixture: scallion, mashed potatoes, milk,
ketchup1 two-oz egg, dry mustard, 6 oz cooked fish 
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

thin filets of whitefish4 slices bacon + 1 Qt. whole milk + 1# shrimp
lime juice + ginger rootonion + butter + 1.5 # lobster, live
green grapesbaking potatoes + parsley
red potatoes or Camargue red rice 2# steamer clans + 1# scallops
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Saint Valentine

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

February 14 is the Feast of Saint Valentine. But which one? The priest at Rome — or the bishop of Terni — or the one in northern Africa — which one??? The Catholic Encyclopedia lumps all of them together on February 14. None of them have much to do with love or courting — except for an apocryphal tale of one signing off a note to a girl as “your Valentine.” [The girl was not his girl-friend.] So how did men who’s heads were cut off on February 14 come to be the patron saint of lovers? Chaucer, writing in his 1382 poem ‘The Parlement of Foules’ [that’s ‘fowls’, not ‘fools’,] made up the idea that birds choose their mates on February 14. After that, the pairing of Valentine’s Day with being lovey-dovey was repeated often in French and English literature. And so it is that today we have a “Hallmark Holiday,” complete with tie-ins to greeting cards [145 million sold], candy makers [$27 million], restaurants, flowers, and sales of diamonds. Or, if you prefer, there is always Galantines Day on February 13.

I like to celebrate February 14 by hiding those little, foil-wrapped chocolate hearts where Dear Husband will be surprised to find them: jacket pocket, coffee mug, sock drawer — you get the idea. Sometimes he finds them months later, which adds to the fun. Also, I show my love in heart-shaped foods, as you see at breakfast. Don’t be alarmed by ‘cutting the heart in two’ at dinner. Think of it as one of those pairs of charms shaped like half of a heart, where you have one and your dearest friend [male or female] has the other.

Fruit Hearts: 198 calories  5.6 g fat 2.5 g fiber 13 g protein 26 g carbs 82.6 mg Calcium  NB: These values are for the Fruit Hearts alone and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF — if using GF bread  This breakfast looks as if it came from the pastry cart, but it fits within our guidelines for Fasting. If you don’t mind doing ‘fiddly food,’ treat someone you love — including yourself! — to a special breakfast. HINT: The recipe is a serving for 1 [one]. Scale up as needed.

1 oz whole-grain bread cut into two hearts, using a 2+” heart-shaped cookie cutter 1 oz Canadian bacon/back bacon OR deli-sliced ham cut into hearts with the same sized cutter 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce 2 Tbsp low-fat French Vanilla yogurt 1 Tbsp almond meal fresh fruit of your choosing: fresh raspberries or sliced strawberries or peach slices or blueberries 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]

First, stir the yogurt and almond flour until thoroughly combined. It will thicken slightly. Cut the bread into two hearts and the Canadian Bacon into two hearts. HINT: I did this the night before, storing the bread in a plastic bag overnight to prevent them from drying. Gently cook the bacon hearts so that they are warmed through yet retain their pinkness. Lightly toast the bread hearts. Spread the applesauce evenly over each heart. Pipe the yogurt/almond around the edge of each heart, then arrange the fruit in the center. Sip some low-fat cafe au lait this morning and think loving thoughts.

Family Omelette: 286 calories 17 g fat 2 g fiber 17 g protein 10 g carbs 109 mg Calcium  PB GF  Susan Herrmann Loomis serves this for a quick family dinner.  HINT: Serves two [2] For Valentine’s Day, I baked it in a heart-shaped cake pan to share with Dear Husband. Delicious!

3 two-oz eggs 3 slices uncured bacon 2 oz baby sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly 1 Tbsp scallions/chives, minced 2 oz chevre [goat cheese]   per person: 1/2 cup coleslaw

Chop the bacon into ½” strips. In a non-stick pan, cook the bacon and potatoes until they begin to get some color, 3-4 minutes. Drain off some of the fat into a heart-shaped cake pan. Put the cooked bacon and potatoes in the pan in an even layer. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper and pour over the bacon and potatoes in the pan. Sprinkle with goat cheese and chives. Bake at 375F for 10-15 minutes, when it will be puffed and turning brown. Plate each half and serve with coleslaw. Voila! A meal to show that you care.

Flexible Flyer

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

As a child, I loved to go sledding. [That’s ‘coasting’ to some of you.] A prized Christmas gift was a Flexible Flyer sled and I used mine every chance I got. Some children liked the saucer-style sleds, but not I. Although I longed to have a sledding party for my birthday, mid-January always brought a thaw. Sigh. The Flexible Flyer sled was manufactured in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Samuel Leeds Allen in 1889. Since his company made farm equipment all winter, he wanted a product to keep his skilled employees busy in the summer. The design of the sled was innovative: the steel runners could be twisted by a steering bar, thus allowing control of the sled’s path. Initially the sled was not a good seller, but Allen wisely waited and interest picked up. During winters of the early 1900s, hundreds of sleds were sold daily. Sleds were made in many sizes and could be steered with the hands, while lying down, or with the feet, while sitting up. I have two Flexible Flyers, both in the ‘Airline’ model designed in 1935. One is the ‘Junior’ at 51 inches long and the other is the ‘Racer’ at 60 inches long, given to me by an aunt who sledded with her husband. In my Golden Years, I have rediscovered the joys of sledding, especially when the air is crisp and the full moon is making the snow sparkle. That’s a treat.

Label of an authentic ‘Planet Jr. Sled’ and how it is best put to use.

The smooth mound of white dairy products in the breakfast is like a sledder’s dream hill on a snowy day. And after a long day of sledding, there is nothing like a warming bowl of home-made soup for dinner.

Citrus Breakfast: 149 calories 1.5 g fat 1.5 g fiber 15.5 g protein 19 g carbs [5.5 g Complex] 118 mg Calcium  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB GF  Banish any thoughts that this classic ‘diet meal’ will leave you hungry. Delicious, nutritious, and filling, this is a great breakfast for anyone, any day. And it has tons of Vitamin C and A and D.

½ cup reduced-fat cottage cheese 2 Tbsp fat-free French Vanilla yogurt 1 clementine, peeled and sectioned OR 2 oz orange segments 2 Tbsp black currants OR blueberries 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]

TIP: Sometimes the cottage cheese and yogurt can benefit from sitting in a sieve for 20 minutes to drain off extra whey. Combine all the dairy and scoop it onto the plate. Pour fruit on top and watch it roll down the snowy hill. If you plan for a busy morning, combine everything the night before and refrigerate it. Great for a grab-and-go meal. It is a vitamin-blast.

‘Therapeutic’ Chicken Soup: 278 calories 3.4 g fat 5 g fiber 18.5 g protein 36 g carbs [26 g Complex Carbs] 78 mg Calcium   PB  The recipe is from It’s All American Food by David Rosengarten. Simple, filling, and Granma says it is good for you.  NB: Food values are for one serving of 2 cups of soup! One cup is a very hearty serving.

1½ cups excellent chicken broth, homemade or purchased 2 oz [½ cup] parsnips, diced 1 oz [¼ cup] carrots, in coins ¼ cup celery 2 oz cooked chicken breast, cut in ½” cubes ½ oz Pennsylvania Dutch noodles   3 Tbsp parsley

Prepare the vegetables. Cook the noodles in water until just underdone. Heat the stock to a simmer and add 3-4 Tbsp water, which will boil away as you cook. I added the parsnips first and cooked for about 5 minutes, then added the carrots. After another 5 minutes, I put the celery in the soup. Cook until all the vegetables are tender, then adjust the seasoning of the broth. Add the pasta and chicken. It will need extra flavor now since the pasta will have used it up. Add the parsley and cook about 5 minutes longer.

Airline Series:  The Airline sleds came out in 1935 with the ends of the runners turned back to the top of the last cross support.  This major change was meant to prevent other sledders from impaling themselves on the sharp end of another’s sled when running into them.  There were numerous Airline models, each with its own name: Ace (37″); Pilot (41″); Patrol (44″); Pursuit (47″); Junior (51″); Chief (55″); Racer (60″); Cruiser (65″); and (108″).  The Airline names were eventually dropped with a number/letter replacing them, but with the same lengths as before, and the length being the model number.

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

whole-grain bread, 70-calories/slice1.5 two-oz eggs 
applesauce + almond flour/mealtomato sauce
ham slice/Canadian Bacon/back baconbell pepper + garlic
0% fat French Vanilla yogurt + fresh fruitparsley + apple or pear
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

1.5 two-oz eggs + uncured bacon2 buckwheat galettes
fingerling potatoes, purple or red-fleshed 3%-fat ham
chèvre + chives or green onionsbechamel sauce, no cheese
side salad with blueberriesJarlsberg cheese + side salad
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Dickens

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

February 7 is the birthdate of Charles Dickens, the chronicler of life in Victorian England. From 1812 to 1870, he lived a life that ended up enlivening the pages of his 15 novels and 5 novellas. David Copperfield — the tale of a poor boy forced to work in a factory, who liberates and raises himself to obtain an education, dabble in the law, marry, and become a self-made man — is Dickens most autobiographical novel. But all his books contain elements of his life. His father was a Navy pay clerk who was poor with his own finances. Dickens helped to pay off the family debt [that factory job], and never forgave his mother for thinking that he should have continued to work there. When Dickens was working for a magazine, the boss took him home to dinner, and Charles met Catherine Hogarth, his future wife. Ten children later, along with many financial ups and downs, the couple separated. Always hoping that ‘something will turn up,’ Dickens wrote popular books which were serialized in magazines, and he went on speaking tours. He was terrified of poverty. Now you might think that he was just a famous author, but writing was his weapon as a Social Reformer. Through his stories and their often very pitiable characters, Dickens exposed social ills: a legal system mired in minutia [Bleak House]; for-profit orphanages [Oliver Twist]; the injustice of the debtors’ prison [Little Dorrit]; horrible boarding ‘schools’ [Nicholas Nickleby]; child labor [David Copperfield]. Even his most beloved book, A Christmas Carol, written quickly and for profit, is a screed against social inequality and wage disparity. The author was not making this stuff up — life for the multitudinous poor was abysmal [think ‘Dickensian‘] during the Victorian Era and he wanted with all his heart to make things better for them. To some small extent, it worked. Which book is your favorite?

I can imagine the economical and practical Aunt Betsey Trotwood eating watercress, no doubt harvested from streams flowing along the coast of Kent where she lived. Oysters are what David Copperfield saw Mr and Mrs Micawber eating as they left town on the top of the Post Coach — further evidence of their extravagant spending.

Watercress Bake: 139 calories 6 g fat 1 g fiber 9 g protein 6 g carbs 90 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF Watercress is so versatile and so healthy. When you see it in the market, turn it into Watercress Sauce and freeze in small amounts [from ice cube size to ½ cup] for use all year ’round.

1 two-oz egg 2 Tbsp [1 cube] Watercress Sauce, drained 1 Tbsp ricotta cheese 1/8 oz mushrooms 1 oz fresh peach + ¼ oz fresh blackberries  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water 

The night before: thaw the watercress sauce in a sieve over a small bowl overnight. Chop the mushrooms and cook in a little water for 15 seconds in the microwave. Next morning: Combine the ‘cress, mushrooms, and ricotta. Spritz an oven-proof ramekin or other dish with non-stick spray. Whisk the eggs and add the cress mixture. Whisk again and pour into the prepared dish. Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes. Prepare the beverages and the fruit. What a simple, sumptuous meal.

Oyster Feast w/ Bubbly: 290 calories 10 g fat 2 g fiber 13 g protein 15 g carbs 83 mg Calcium  PB  Got something BIG to celebrate? How about a plate of raw and baked oysters with a salad AND a glass of bubbly? This serves TWO, since a celebration deserves company.

At left, six raw oysters with sparkling wine. On the right, three raw oysters and three baked with chèvre and crackers as described below.

18 medium Eastern oysters, raw   9 tsp chevre cheese 4 saltine crackers as medium-fine crumbs 3 cups lettuce 2 Tbsp raw herbs, [such as thyme, rosemary, chives], chopped  per person: 5 oz Sparkling Wine [such as Champagne or Cremant] 

Turn on the broiler. Shuck the oysters, discarding the upper shell, but keep the oyster in the bottom shell. Carefully put 9 of the 18 oysters on an oven-proof pan. Sprinkle each of those oysters with a pinch of the cracker crumbs. Then put 1 tsp of the chevre on each oyster. Top with the rest of the crumbs. Slide under the broiler until the cheese begins to soften and brown just a bit — 1-3 minutes. In a wide bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice and herbs. Toss lettuce with the dressing and add a pinch of salt. Plate the baked oysters, the raw oysters and the salad, pour your bubbly. Cheers! 

Cem

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

On February 3, 1451, Mehmet II, called the Conquerer, was crowned Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. This is the start of a tale in my family, involving palace intrigue, star-crossed lovers, and wars of religion. Mehmet had two sons and each was given a governorship in his empire. Some advisors in the government had the understanding that the younger brother, Cem Sultan, was the favorite and heir to the throne. When Mehmet died, various courtiers schemed for Cem to rule while others worked for his half-brother Bayezid Sultan. Both had armies and backers, but Cem lost and fled to the protection of Christian knights in Greece. With the hope of trading the prince for concessions in Jerusalem or Istanbul, the knights held Cem hostage and shipped him to France for safe-keeping. He was treated well, according to his noble rank, circulated among society, and nicknamed Zizim. Lightning struck when he met the debutante 16-yr old daughter of a local lord. Philippine de Sassanage was a woman of such remarkable beauty that all the young men wooed her, including Cem. According to family lore, their relationship resulted in a pregnancy. Of course her parents would not permit her to marry a Muslim, so Phillippine was married to another man. [Zizim was moved to Italy.] She named her son Arnulf le Turque, later called le Turk or de Turk. Arnulf did well for himself and his family prospered. His son became mayor of Nimes, but his grandson’s family became Huguenots, followers of the Protestant Calvin, and they removed to the Rhineland. Eventually, following the invitation by Queen Anne to move to North America, the family moved to New York Colony, then to Pennsylvania Colony. There de Turks married a de Harcourt [my family] and also married with the Berthelots [my family]. Thus it is that I am descended from a Turkish Prince. What became of Zizim? In Italy he was a big hit, due to his good looks and exotic background. He was immortalized by artists and joined the retinue of Charles VIII of France in an offensive against Naples. He died in 1495 [pneumonia? stomach flu? poisoning?] and was buried in Turkey with full honors.

Our foods are Turkish, as befits our topic. The breakfast is remarkably good, but then so is the dinner! For both, you will need Gozleme Bread, the recipe for which you will find below. It works well to prepare the dough the night before, then wrap it to keep it fresh. For the breakfast, use 1.6 oz of the dough per serving, roll it out and cook it to go with the breakfast. Save the rest of the dough, uncooked and wrapped well to prevent drying out, to use later in the day to prepare the dinner. That will work very well.

Cilbir:  137 calories 5 g fat 1 g fiber 11.4 g protein 11.6 g carbs 194 mg Calcium   NB: The food values given above are for the meal only, not the optional beverages. This is a very popular breakfast in Turkey and once you taste it, you will see why. Usually I distain a runny egg, but I made an exception for this delicious breakfast. What flavor! [it is pronounced ‘chil-bir’]

1 two-oz eggsPoach 3 minutes in simmering water and remove.
¼ cup plain yogurt
½ Tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried dill
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/8 tsp salt & pinch black pepper 1/8 tsp paprika		Combine yogurt and seasonings and spread it equally in a shallow bowl or soup plate. TIP: I did this the night before and left it covered on the counter to blend the flavors and so the yogurt wouldn’t be too cold. NB: I also prepared the gozlema bread the night before.
¼ tsp Pul biber OR ¼ tsp Aleppo pepper 1.6 oz gozleme** bread or pide bread Serve the eggs on top of the yogurt and sprinkle the pepper over the egg. Add bread to the bowl.
Optional hot beverageblackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water 
Optional cold beverageOptional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

**Gozlema Bread makes six 1.6 oz flat-breads or use larger amounts of dough for filled Gozlemas  1 of 6 sv = 26 calories 0 g fat 1 g fiber 1.4 g protein 5 g carbs 20 mg Calcium

1¼ c white whole wheat flour ½ tsp saltMix in a 1-Qt-sized bowl. 
¼ c water ¼ c plain yogurtCombine yogurt/water and stir into the flour until well-combined. Add a bit more water if too dry.
On a floured surface, knead ~3 mins, until smooth and elastic. Cover and let sit for a few mins on the counter OR overnight in a cool place.
Divide into sizes for your recipe. Roll on a floured surface into flat breads. Cook on an oil-sprayed skillet 3-4 mins per side until turning brown in spots.

Lamb Gozleme: 200 calories 9 g fat 3 g fiber 10.5 g protein 22 g carbs 101 mg Calcium  PB This Turkish dish is just the thing when you want something deliciously different. HINT: Serves 2 [two]. The other portion would be a fine lunch on a Slow Day. The recipe doubles easily. The directions are for two large triangles of gozleme. If you prefer, cut the dough into four portions and procede accordingly.

1¼ c flour + ½ tsp salt ¼ c water ¼ c plain yogurtDOUGH: Mix flour + salt in large bowl. Combine yogurt/water and stir in until well-mixed. Add a bit more water if too dry. On a floured surface, knead ~3 mins, until smooth and elastic. Cover and let sit.
½ tsp Olive Oil 1 cup onion 1 clove garlic
¼ pound/~ ¾ c. ground lamb		Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Mince the lamb. Saute onion in oil over medium heat 3-4 minsuntil onion is soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.Add lamb and cook while breaking up into chunks for ~5 minutes.= LAMB MIXTURE, beginning
1 tsp tom puree
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp pepper + ¼ tsp salt ½ tsp paprika 1 tsp ground cumin
3 oz fresh spinach		Chop the spinach.Add tomato puree and spices to the pan.Add spinach. Cook and stir for a few minutes.Set aside to cool for a bit.Divide into 2 [or 4] bowls.= LAMB MIXTURE, completed
¼ c fresh mint leaves 1 scallion, sliced ¼ c fresh parsley
¼ c feta
½ c tomato		Chop the mint and parsley. Slice the scallion into ¼-inch pieces. Cube or crumble the feta. Dice the tomato. Divide these ingredients between 2 [or 4] bowls – not same as above. = FRESH INGREDIENTS
Divide dough in 2 [or 4] parts. Roll dough into 9 or 10” squares [or 5” squares]. Spread ¼ c. [or 1/8 c.] of lamb mixture over each. Top with fresh ingredients. Fold over dough to form a triangle and crimp edges to seal.
olives
Lemon wedges		Spray a large skillet/griddle with non-stick spray. Cook 3-4 mins/side until golden brown and crisp. Cut each large piece in half and serve with olives and lemons for squeezing.

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

1 two-oz eggreduced-fat cottage cheese
reduced fat ricotta cheesefat-free French Vanilla yogurt
peach + blackberries + mushroomsclementine
watercress sauceblack currants or blueberries
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

9 raw East Coast oysters, if serving one chicken breast meat, cooked + carrots
chèvre cheese + saltine crackersrich chicken broth
lettuce + olive oil + fresh herbscelery + parsnips
flavored vinegarwide egg noodles + parsley
Sparkling wine, 5 oz per personSparkling water

Zane Grey

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to hamzeh5479 who is now Following.

Pearl is not usually a name for a male child, but that is what Josephine Alice Zane Grey named her son. It is said that she liked the ‘pearl grey’ color of Queen Victoria’s wedding gown. Small wonder that the boy preferred his middle name, Zane. The Zane family had been ‘pioneers’ in the American West in the 1800s — that’s when the ‘West’ meant the Ohio Territory. Young Pearl loved tales of his ancestors’ exploits in founding Zanesville, Ohio. The boy was supposed to become a dentist like his father and was sent to the University of Pennsylvania on a baseball scholarship. Reluctantly, Grey became a dentist. Part time, he became a semi-pro baseball player. Full time, he yearned to be a printed author. His father tried to bully him into abandoning writing, but Grey persevered. He moved to New York to set up a dental practice and to have access to publishers. His wife, Dolly Roth, supported him — using her inheritance to pay the bills and editing his work. A few hunting trips to Arizona gave Grey an enduring love of the Western landscape, people, and culture. Despite many publishers’ rejections, he penned The Heritage of the Desert in 1910, and it was a hit. Riders of the Purple Sage followed in 1912, and his career was launched. Of the 89 books he published, 56 were about the Old West. With wealth assured, Grey could pursue his other passion: fishing. [OK, his third passion was for women, which his wife tolerated.] He fished all around the world, fresh water and salt water. Being out in nature helped him to deal with his bouts of depression, he said. Five film versions were made of Riders of the Purple Sage and his work inspired the television series called Zane Grey Theater. Thanks to Pearl Zane Gray the entire literary and cinematic genre of ‘Westerns’ captured the public imagination — then and still today.

Of course there must be some sort of ‘western’ food for Zane Grey’s birthday on January 31, so we will have eggs inspired by a ‘Western Sandwich.’ For dinner, a meal that the author would have relished: pan-fried trout.

Western Bake: 270 calories 5.4 g fat 4 g fiber 12.4 g protein 45 g carbs [43.7 g Complex Carbs] 199 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  My father taught me to love a good Western Sandwich. Thus it seemed natural to incorporate that flavor combination in a breakfast. And its a winner.

1 two-oz egg 1 oz green pepper 2 tsp ketchup 1 oz onions 2 oz pear  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]

Chop the pepper and onions and cook: either in the microwave or by poaching in water. Drain and combine with the ketchup. Whisk with the eggs, salt and pepper to taste. Spritz an oven-proof ramekin or other dish with non-stick spray. Pour in the egg mixture and bake at 350 F. for 12-15 minutes. Plate the fruit and pour the beverages. Yee-haaw, that’s a breakfast!

Trout with Hazelnuts: 267 calories 18 g fat 3 g fiber 21 g protein 6 g carbs 75 mg Calcium  PB GF From Savoie, France comes this recipe, via Anne Willem’s French Regional Cooking  Hannibal is supposed to have dined on local trout as he crossed the Alps with his elephants. Very easy to prepare [the trout, not the elephants] and absolutely delicious. 

3 oz trout 1 tsp butter ½ oz hazelnuts 2 oz French green beans [haricots]

Bone the fish and trim off the fins. Cut the fish in half to create two fillets. TIP: if serving one person, wrap one of the fillets in cling film, put it in a plastic bag and freeze it for another day. Chop the nuts so that there are some halves and the rest are in large pieces. Start cooking the beans. Heat a heavy saute pan and spray with non-stick spray. Put in the trout and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slowly cook the trout on one side for about 3 minutes. Turn the fish over. Add the butter to the pan along with the nuts. Continue cooking everything slowly until the fish is done, roughly another 3 minutes. Drain and season the beans, plate them with the trout, and top the fish with the nuts in butter. Enjoy your culinary visit to the French Alps.

Plumbing

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

Let’s talk about plumbing: the industry that has grown up around the bathroom and your plumbing. In ancient Greece, ‘using the toilet’ was a public event. There were stone benches with 7 or 8 holes spaced along its length. Underneath the bench, a rivulet of water in a trench carried away the waste. People of the Minoan civilization on the Island of Crete had invented the flush toilet around 2000 BCE, but that relied on water flowing from higher up hill, not feasible in flatter landscapes. Romans used the Greek system of benches-and-trenches, as one can see at Roman forts around the old empire. Most people used a simpler method: a hole in the ground, with a log across it to sit upon. [Boy Scouts use this system when they set up camp.] ‘Indoor plumbing’ consisted of chamber pots, which were then dumped in the street. Towns and cities had streams of sewage running down the middle of streets well into the 1800s. The Industrial Revolution brought lots of people into close quarters in cities, often with many families sharing one latrine. Communal wells were sometimes contaminated with human feces, leading to outbreaks of typhoid fever and cholera. Eventually, in the 1800s, cities like Paris developed sewage systems. But still there were not many indoor toilets. Thomas Crapper, an ambitious English plumber, began to change things. His innovations include the trap under the sink or toilet to prevent sewage smells from coming into the house; the man-hole cover; improvements to the ball-cock that regulates water in the tank; and, best of all, the design show-room which made people want to upgrade “the facilities”. He did NOT invent the flush toilet. When Yanks went to England for WWI, with the word ‘c**p’ already in their vocabulary, they thought it hilarious that toilets were labeled “T. Crapper” for the company that made them. Thus, calling a toilet ‘the crapper’ came into the parlance, and real indoor plumbing came into vogue.

Many people who start a diet eliminate fiber in the diet and that makes it difficult for them to eliminate waste. [yes, that was a play on words] In the Fast Diet, a well-balanced diet is encouraged. January 27 is the anniversary of Thomas Crapper’s death in 1910. We will put fiber in our diet with broccoli in the breakfast and whole-wheat dough for our pizza at dinner. The Mayo Clinic says that women should have at least 21 grams of fiber daily, and men should have at least 30 grams.

Korma-Broccoli Bake: 130 calories 8 g fat 4 g fiber 8 g protein 9 g carbs 62.5 mg Calcium   NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PG GF   The combination of curry and vegetables is terrific in eggs. See if you agree. 

One 2-oz egg 1 oz cooked broccoli ½ oz korma sauce [52 calories/ounce] 2 oz strawberries

Chop the cooked broccoli and place in an oven-proof dish which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Whisk the curry sauce with the eggs and pour over the brocccoli. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes. Plate with the fruit and have a great day.

Cep Pizza:  274 calories 6.4 g fat 7 g fiber 10 g protein 42 g carbs 109 mg Calcium   PB  Pizza on a Fast Day?? With a real crust?!? Yes. And it is made with delicious cep mushrooms with dried ham and Parmesan for a feast of rich flavors.  HINT: This one 8” pizza serves 2 [two] people.

Six slices of pizza to serve two people. Here you see one side salad, enough for one.

6-oz whole wheat pizza crust, at room temperature 1 oz cep/porcini mushroom, chopped ½ oz cooked spinach, chopped 3 Tbsp/1/5 fl oz crushed tomatoes 2 Tbsp parsley, chopped 1/3 oz proscuitto, chopped 4 tsp grated Parmesan   per person: one side salad with beets and cucumbers 

Heat the oven to 490F. Have one rack in the middle and one rack at the bottom position in the oven. Brush a baking sheet with enough olive oil to cover an area 8 inches in diameter. Press and stretch the pizza dough into an 8” round on the oiled baking sheet. If the dough won’t cooperate, let it rest for 2 minutes. Combine the spinach, tomatoes, and parsley, and spread the mixture on the pizza crust. Top that with the chopped mushrooms and meat, then sprinkle with Parmesan. Place the pizza on the baking sheet in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Time to prepare the salad. Now open the oven and see if you can lift the pizza off the pan with a turner. If the pizza is too floppy, return it to the oven for another minute or so. When the pizza is baked enough not to be floppy, take it off the baking sheet and put it on the lower rack, with no pan at all.  Continue to bake another 3 minutes, until the top begins to bubble. Remove the pizza to a rack to cool and ‘out-gas.’ It must be on a rack, not the cutting board or counter or plate. Remove the pizza to a cutting board and cut into 6 pieces. On each of two plates, place the salad and 3 pieces of pizza. A bit of Pizza Heaven on a Fast Day.

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

1 two-oz egg1 two-oz egg + plain fat-free yogurt 
green bell pepperdill weed + garlic + paprika
catsupgozlema bread: white whole wheat flour
onion plain fat-free yogurt
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

half of a trout per servingolive oil + onion + garlic + ground lamb
buttertomato puree + gr. coriander + paprika + gr. cumin
hazelnuts/filbertsfresh spinach + mint leaves + scallion + parsley
haricots or green beans feta cheese + tomato + olives + gozlema bread
Sparkling waterSparkling water