recipes for Michael Mosley’s 5:2 Diet

Vieux Quebec

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

By June of 1759, the ‘Seven-Year War’ [aka: the French and Indian War] between the English and the French was beginning to wear everybody out. The previous year, the English [aided by American colonists] had a decisive victory at Louisbourg in Nova Scotia. Now if only they could seize Quebec City, the capital of Canadian New France…. A plan was developed by Major General James Wolfe and Admiral Charles Sanders. The army sailed up the St Lawrence River to take possession of Ile d’Orleans, a move that surprised the French General Louis-Joseph Montcalm who did not expect an attack from down river. The ensuing bombardment and cutting off of supply lines laid the groundwork for the Battle of Quebec in September, 1759, 260 years ago. Spoiler alert: the English won the battle and the war.

Vieux Quebec has grown up a bit, but it is our favorite North American city: very European, very walkable, and with great food. The city is still surrounded by ramparts and a walk to the battlefield provides a wonderful view of the city and the river all the way to Ile d’Orleans. At breakfast, we will eat like a French-Canadian, the people who became known as “Cajuns” after they were expelled from Eastern Canada when the English won the war. At dinner, we will dine like an Englishman, enjoying a meal from the ‘old country,’

Cajun ScrOmelette: 142 calories 7.6 g fat 2.1 g fiber 10.5 g protein 10 g carbs [8.4 g Complex] 73 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF  The hallmark of Cajun cooking is the sofrito of bell pepper, celery, and onion. Here they are along with the iconic Cajun Seasoning and Tabasco sauce. Cue the Zydeco music.

1 ½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. 1 oz bell pepper + 3 Tbsp celery + 2 Tbsp onion Tabasco sauce, ad lib Cajun seasonings, ad lib 1.5 oz orange slices Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Chop and combine the vegetables with the seasonings. Put in a hot saute pan spritzed with oil or non-stick spray. Cook until softened. Whisk the eggs with the Tabasco and Cajun seasonings, and scramble to prefection. Pour your choice of beverages, slice the oranges, and pass the Tabasco sauce.

Cottage Pie:  219 calories 7 g fat 1.8 g fiber 21.7 g protein 15 g carbs 35 mg Calcium  GF Cottage Pie is the beef version of Shepherd’s Pie. The addition of mashed cauliflower is a great trick to lessen the calorie and carb count of mashed potatoes. Some people like this with mashed cauliflower only, but I enjoy the combo for a more authentic taste. HINT: serves 2. Freeze leftovers for another dinner or invite a guest.

1 cup roast beef, ground or minced 1 two-oz egg, separated ½ cup mashed potatoes + ½ cup mashed cauliflower ½ cup beef gravy, as fat free as you can make it  per serving: 2 oz peas OR 1 cup lettuce + 1 oz tomatoes ½ tsp olive oil + ½ tsp lemon juice

Add the egg yolk and gravy to the beef, along with salt and pepper to taste. Whip the egg white until stiff and fold into the mashed vegetables with salt and pepper to taste. Put the beef mixture into an oil-spritzed oven-proof dish [2-3 cup capacity] and spread it out evenly. Smooth the mashed vegetables on top and ruffle it with a fork or spoon. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes or until the top begins to brown a bit and the inside is hot. Cook the peas. OR To prepare the salad, whisk the oil and lemon juice in a wide bowl, add the lettuce and tomatoes, and toss gently.

Ingredients for next week: 

Breakfast, single portion for Monday ………………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg + herb savory1.5 two-oz eggs 
strawberries + salt cod
kippered herring
dry potato flakes
dry mustard
Cheddar or ADL ‘Old Fort’
lemon juice + cherries
Whatever you need for your smoothieWhatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverageWhatever you need for your hot beverage

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

Arctic Char
6″ rice spring roll wrappers
green peas, fresh if possible
Haggis filling [Spicy II, 12-Sept-’18]

lettuce + carrot + cherry tomatoes

flavorful oil and quality vinegar
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Jean Baptiste

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

The Festival of Jean Baptiste is the main holiday of the Francophone people of Canada. To the rest of the world, he is John the Baptist, cousin of Jesus, who was beheaded by the orders of Herod Antipas. The Quebecquois and the Maritimers of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island Canada have adopted him as their patron saint and celebrate his day on June 24. To them, it is an assertion of their cultural identity and it is a major celebration. The custom began in Montreal, Canada in 1834, at the urging of the Jean-Baptiste Society who organized a parade. They were inspired by the Saint Patrick’s Day parade a few years earlier. Parades, dinners, folk music, dancing, and having a great time turned into an official holiday in 1977. If you like a good time, head to Quebec Province or the Acadian Peninsula of New Brunswick for June 24.

In honor of the Francophone people of Canada, breakfast features eggs in a very Gallic buckwheat galette. And dinner is in honor of Saint John himself. He is described as eating a simple, meatless diet [unless you count locusts as meat], so a dinner of felafel will be just the thing.

Egg-Mushroom Galette/Crepe: 153 calories 6 g fat 2.1 g fiber 9.3 g protein 16.8 g carbs [11.3 g Complex] 39 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg crepe and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB  Vegetarian This is yummy. The eggs are creamy, the mushrooms are earthy, and the galette is nutty. 

1 galette/savory crepe, see Sidekicks II 4 Oct-’18 for recipe one 2-oz egg 1 oz mushrooms, chopped 1 Tbsp chives, chopped 1 tsp thyme + generous dash of granulated garlic 1 oz raspberries Optional:blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water Optional:5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Warm the crepe. Spritz the non-stick saute pan with oil/non-stick spray and gently cook the mushrooms. Put the chives, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper in with the egg and beat it up. Scramble lightly with the mushrooms, keeping the eggs moist. Turn out on the crepe and fold it over the egg. Plate the fruit. Sip your beverages and have an amazing day.

Felafel with Mixed Salad:  295 calories 13.6 g fat 7.3 g fiber 15.5 g protein 29 g carbs [28 Complex] 174 mg Calcium  PB GF Vegetarian  What a healthy plate of food! When you have felafel in the freezer, a quick meal like becomes almost instant.

6 felafel patties [see recipe from I-13-’19] 2 cups lettuce [I like to slice large leaves cross-wise into 1/2” strips] 2 oz tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or larger ones cut in 1/2” cubes 1 oz carrots, grated 1 oz beets cut in large dice 1 oz Feta cheese in large crumbles ¾ tsp flavored olive oil + ¾ tsp white wine vinegar salt + pepper to taste

Thaw or prepare the felafel patties. If unbaked, heat in a 400 F. oven for 10-15 minutes. Prepare the vegetables for the salad. Whisk the vinegar and oil, then toss the salad vegetables in the dressing. Top with the felafel and feta crumbles.

Plain Yogurt Day

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

Who makes these things up? ‘National This and That Day‘, carried to the Nth degree! But here’s one to get behind: Plain Yogurt Day. Seems its a thing… Yogurt is good for you. That is a fact. Not true are the old claims that eating it will lengthen your lifespan, as the old TV ad used to assert. High in Calcium, low in fat, high in protein, no added sugars: you can’t beat that! Substitute it for sour cream or mayonnaise or buttermilk. Use plain yogurt in dips and salad dressing and baking. Swap it out in marinades and smoothies. I have used it in numerous recipes on Fast Days, and I’m still finding new uses! Try it yourself on its Day, and other days throughout the year. Today’s menu uses a dollop of plain yogurt as a garnish and as an ingredient, just to ease you into the flavor. Then you can move on to Smoothies [such as the one cited in the breakfast] or parfaits [see Citrus, from February]. Making your own is very simple, if you use this recipe from the NYTimes cooking column.

Tomato-Curry ScrOmelette: 154 calories 7.9 g fat 3 g fiber 11 g protein 10.5 g carbs [9 g Complex] 90 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF  This recipe was loosely inspired by Fifty Breakfasts, a book by Col. A. R. K. Herbert, detailing “dishes men like” and containing many flavors redolent of his years serving the Queen in India.

1 ½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.  1/2 Tbsp curry powder 2 oz fresh tomatoes, diced and drained 1.5 oz strawberries dollop of plain, fat-free yogurt Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie[88 calories]

Drain the tomatoes so that they are not too juicy. Combine with the curry powder and whisk with the eggs. Spritz a fry pan with olive oil or non-stick spray and pour in the egg mixture. Cook to your liking. Top with a dollop of yogurt for the full effect. Prepare the beverages and plate the fruit. A rousing good start to your day.

Enchiladas Suizas: 293 calories 9.9 g fat 11.2 g fiber 31.6 g protein 43.4 g carbs 261.7 mg Calcium  PB GF Rick Bayless relates this recipe in his book  Mexico One Plate At A Time. The word ‘suizes’, meaning ‘Swiss’, refers to the dairy in the dish. Delicious and easy to prepare. Avoid assembling too far in advance, lest it turn to mush.

2 six-inch corn tortillas [50 calories each] 2 oz [½ cup] shredded cooked chicken breast ½ cup enchilada sauce: see SPICY II 12 Sept 2018 ¼ cup grated Cheddar or Monterey jack + dollop of plain, fat-free yogurt 1 oz broccoli florets + 1 oz cauliflower florets + ½ oz carrot

Heat oven to 350 F. On an ungreased heavy skillet, place the tortillas and cook them until they begin to brown on one side. Flip in the pan and continue until each tortilla is pliable and slightly fragrant. Remove to a cutting board or baking sheet. Stir the yogurt into the chicken. Distribute the chicken between the tortillas, then roll them up, and place each in an oven-proof dish, seam-side down. Spoon the sauce over and around and between the enchiladas. NB: you don’t have to use all of the sauce. Extra could be added to eggs or soup.Sprinkle with cheese and put into oven. Cook the vegetables, drain and dress with salt and a splash of red wine vinegar. So good!

ingredients for next week: 

Breakfast: single portion for Monday ………………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg1.5 two-oz eggs 
1 crepe/galette + mushroomscelery + onions
apple
bell peppers
chives + thyme
Tabasco sauce + cajun seasoning
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

6 felafel patties
1 cup ground roast beef
tomato + feta cheese
potato + low-fat beef gravy
2 portions side salad
peas or side salad with tomato
carrots + beets
cauliflower
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Strawberry Moon

~ me ~ Leave a comment

How this Fast Diet  Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to Food Writer91 who is now Following.

The First Nations people of North America marked time by the full moons. There are 13 in one year and they had a name for each one. This helped them to know where they were in the progression of lunar months. The full moon of June was the ‘Strawberry Moon‘ which shows us how much they looked forward to fresh berries! We should all look forward to fresh, local fruit and use it in season as opposed to supporting the shipping of produce all over the globe. You want the best strawberries? Wait until they are ripe in your locality. Go to a pick-your-own if you can. Work to supply fresh, sustainable food to all people in your area. Today’s meals take full advantage of strawberries in season, at breakfast and at dinner.

Strawberry Crepe: 163 calories 5 g fat 1.9 g fiber 9 g protein 23 g carbs [8 g Complex] 211 mg Calcium  PB Isn’t it a treat to enjoy ‘Strawberries & Cream’ once in a while? If you haven’t made the crepes already, this is a good reason to try them. Mine were ready in the freezer.

1 sweet crepe*** 2 Tbsp ricotta cheese 3 Tbsp vanilla low-fat yogurt 3 oz strawberries, sliced and put in a sieve over a bowl, especially if frozen 1 slice uncured bacon [20 calories] or 1 slice ‘Canadian’ bacon  [15 calories] optional: blackish coffee [53 calories], blackish tea, or hot water with lemon

Stir the ricotta and yogurt together. Add most of the berries, saving some for garnish. If there is a lot of juice, cook it down slowly to make a little syrup. Cook the bacon. Place the crepe on the plate and spoon the cream filling onto it. Fold over the crepe and top with the extra berries and syrup. Plate with the bacon and prepare your hot beverage of choice.

***CREPES, SWEET: makes 16 eight-inch crepes  each = 53 calories 0.8 g fat 1 g fiber 6 g protein 8.5 g carbs 38 mg Calcium

100 g white whole wheat flour 54 g all purpose flour 14 fl oz milk [416 g] 2 tsp vanilla sugar 2 two-oz eggs

Whisk the flour and sugar together. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Add the eggs one at a time. Whisk vigorously until the batter runs off the whisk in ropes. The batter can rest for up to an hour. Heat a small cast-iron pan or ceramic saute pan. Lightlyspritz with oil, then wipe out the pan. Dip a ¼ cup measure into the batter and let the extra drain off. Grasp the handle of the cook pan with one hand as you slowly pour the batter into the center of the pan. Tilt the pan in a swirling pattern to let the batter form a circle roughly 6” in diameter. Don’t get hung up on perfectly round or perfectly flat. Watch the crepe cook and look to see when the edges start to dry and curl a bit. Using a heat-resistant but non-scratching tool [I use my fingers], lift the crepe and turn it over. Cook the other side until done. Time will vary, depending on the heat of your pan. Lift out the cooked crepe, put it aside, and cook the next one. HINT: if storing them for later today or tomorrow, let them cool on a tea towel, then stack and store in a plastic bag. 

Strawberry-Chicken Salad: 200 calories 8.3 g fat 4.8 g fiber 16.7 g protein 16 g carbs [15 g Complex] 110 mg Calcium  PB GF  Sometimes you go through the recipe drawer and look at all the clippings and photocopies, and wonder, “Where did these come from?” This is one of those recipes, but I think it might be from Eating Well. It is as delicious as it is lovely to look at.

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

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

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

Slow Days: Siracusa Pasta

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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 FastDiet Forum which attest to that. Once in a while your 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.

This recipe is from Lynne Rosetto Kasper’s book The Italian Country Table. She describes visiting the market in Siracusa, Sicily: the people she chats with and the ingredients that inspired this recipe. From them she makes a wondrous pasta dish. The following ingredients make enough for TWO [2] servings.

You will really need a mise en place for this preparation, so set it up now.

Sv 2
3 cloves Garlic, halved 
2 tsp olive oil		Sauté until pale gold and take from pan.
¼ cup red onion, choppedSaute over medium-high heat until transparant.
zest of orange and/or lemonAdd zest, cook 30 secs
1/4 c fresh oregano leaves/ 1 tsp. driedAdd oregano and cook 30 secs. Take off heat.
3 oz ditalini pastaCook pasta 5-6 mins until it is al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water. 
½ c. pasta water
cooked garlic		Add pasta water and garlic to sauce pan and cook 30 secs.
Cooked pasta
½ cup basil 
8 oil-cured olives		Roughly shred the basil. Roughly chop olives. Add these, tossing everything to coat it with flavors. 
1 cup quartered cherry or Roma tomatoesPut tomatoes in pan and adjust seasoning.
3 oz mozzarella balls
basil leaves
optional: clementine or orange sections		Plate with the cheese balls on top. Strew with basil leaves and citrus sections.

I added spinach leaves and clementine sections for even more color and bright flavor.

Gosh it is good.

Alexander

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

Empires come, empires go. But the Empire of Alexander the Great was remarkable. His life is like a tale from Greek mythology: his mother told him of portents at the time of his birth; he tamed the wild horse Bucephalus at the age of 12; he studied with Aristotle; he won a major battle at age 18. No wonder he styled himself as ‘son of Zeus’ and assumed the status of a demi-god. In his 20 years as King of Macedonia, he took his armies East — all the way to India! — spreading Hellenistic culture along the way. Alexander was wise, he was literate. Alexander was cruel, he was violent when drunk. Alexander was a great leader, but his army and his generals condemned him for adopting ‘Persian’ ways. He died in 323 BC, while on campaign and by June 13, his reign was over. “Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair” could be said of Alexander. His conquests influenced the ambitions of both Julius Caesar and Napoleon.

Echoing the journey of Alexander, we begin the menu with Greek flavors at breakfast and go all the way to India for dinner.

Greek ScrOmelette: 152 calories 9.3 g fat 0.6 g fiber 12.6 g protein 4 g carbs [3 g Complex] 88.5 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Feta cheese is such a lovely ingredient. 

1 ½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs, pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid, and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. 0.37 [3/8] oz feta cheese, reduced fat 1 Tbsp tomato puree [not tomato paste] large pinch of cinnamon + of oregano 1 Tbsp pomegranate seeds –OR– 1-1/4 oz applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Cream the tomato puree with the feta cheese and seasonings, then whisk in the eggs. OR Whisk the eggs and pour into the pan. As soon as the bottom of the eggs sets, spread the cheesse-tomato-seasonings on top of the egg. Scramble or cook as an omelette. Prepare the beverages and spoon out the pomegranate/apple for a real taste of Greece.

Tandoori Chicken and Vegetables: 265 calories 4.8 g fat 9 g fiber 20 g protein 32.6 g carbs 99.5 mg Calcium  PB GF  TIP: You can buy jars of tandoori sauce in most supermarkets. Be sure it does not contain corn syrup or sweeteners. Aim for 70-80 calories/ quarter cup

2 oz chicken, cooked or raw ½ cup eggplant, cubed 2 oz broccoli 2 oz bell peppers, cut in chunks 2 oz zucchini, sliced or cubed  2 oz carrots, sliced 1/4” thick or use ‘baby carrots’ cut in quarters ¼ cup brown rice, cooked ¼ c tandoori sauce 2 Tbsp plain, non-fat yogurt

Cook the vegetables together in a little water until they are tender. Add the chicken and the sauce. Warm it all. If the chicken is raw, be sure to cook it through. Either stir the yogurt into the sauce or serve it atop the meal. Plate the brown rice [warm it if cold] and serve the chicken and vegetables on top. Perfect for eating on a hot night or a cold one.

Ingredients for next week: 

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

1 sweet crepe 1.5 two-oz eggs 
low-fat French vanilla yogurtIndian curry powder
reduced fat ricottatomatoes + strawberries
fresh strawberriesplain, non-fat yogurt
uncured baconoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

cooked chicken + strawberriestwo 65-calorie corn tortillas
kiwi fruit + spinach leavescheddar + enchilada sauce
slivered almonds + dry mustardcarrot + broccoli + cauliflower
oil + poppy seeds + red wine vinegarchicken
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Crossroads: Indian Ocean

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

Locations where the tides of history throw divers cultures together are fascinating to me.  Goa is on the West coast of India. If ever there were a place where “East meets West,” this could be it.  Petroglyphs and stone tools show that people were living there at least 10,000 years ago.  By 1400 BCE,  immigrants had arrived from Africa, Australia, and Southern India.  Then came the Buddhists, bringing their Nepalese religion and cultural ways. Many Buddhists are vegetarian/vegan, but the Goan Buddhists were not due to their contact with the Saraswat Brahmins from Northern India.  In the heyday of the Greek and Roman Empires, their ships would stop in Goa to take on food and water.  And in 1510, the Portuguese arrived, making Goa a territory of Portugal until 1961.  The languages, the religions, the culinary traditions of many peoples swirl in the daily life of Goans. Perhaps because of the well-stirred melting pot, the Hindu majority lives in harmony with the minority Christians, and Muslims.  In some instances, the same foods are prepared one way by the Catholic population, and another way by the Hindu population — but they all agree on the rich spices and flavors of one of India’s smallest provinces.  Goa is an unusual little slice of the Indian mosaic. ‘Visitors’ have been arriving for centuries and they still visit today.                                                                                                                          

Due to the coastline and the influences of the “spices of Indies and the East” which lured the Portuguese, breakfast will include shrimp and mixed spices.  Dinner will be that most cross-cultural dish: pork vindaloo. 

Goan ScrOmelette: 150 calories…    7.6 g fat…   1 g fiber…   10.4 g protein…   10 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 The mixture of spices and spicy foods called Cafreal Masala is typical of Goan cuisine. It really delivers a punch to these eggs!

++ 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, pour half of their volume into                                                  a jar with a lid, and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.  ++++1.5 tsp cafreal masala [see recipe on above website] ++++ ½ oz shrimp, cooked and chopped  ++++ 1.5 oz mango ++++ Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea++++ Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Whisk the eggs and pour into a hot pan that has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle the shrimp on top. Drizzle the masala paste onto the eggs and swirl it into the eggs as they cook, sort of like putting the chocolate into marble cake batter. Plate with the mango and serve with your choice of optional beverages.

Vindaloo Pork & Mushrooms: 250 calories… 7.2 g fat… 5 g fiber… 21 g protein… 15 g Carbs…. 52.5 mg Calcium…  PB GF From southern India comes the complex flavor of vindaloo. You can substitute turkey for the pork or eliminate the meat and use extra mushrooms for a meatless meal. 

++ ¾ Tbsp vindaloo seasonings++++1 clove garlic ++++ ¼ tsp ground ginger ++++1 tsp canola oil ++++ 1/3 cup [~1.25 oz] onion ++++ 1.5 Tbsp cider vinegar ++++ ¼ tsp sugar ++++2.5 oz pork OR turkey, cut in matchsticks ++++ 100 g [3.5 oz] mushrooms ++++ 1.5 oz broccoli ++++ ¼ cup brown rice or couscous++

Mince the garlic and add the vindaloo spices and the ginger. Stir in vinegar and toss the meat with this marinade. Let sit for 30-60 minutes. Saute the onions in the oil until beginning to brown, adding water if necessary to prevent sticking. Add the meat and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the broccoli and cook further for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sugar and cook for one minute more. Serve with the couscous or brown rice.

D-Day

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

June 6, 1944. Only a fraction of the people who participated in D-Day are still alive. In a final push to defeat Hitler in World War II, the Allied troops [United Kingdom, United States, Canada, the Free French, and Polish forces] crossed the English Channel and landed on the beaches of Normandy, France.  If you have never been to the “Invasion Beaches” then watch that part of Saving Private Ryan.  Only then will you appreciate the audacity and courage of that action.  We visited Normandy last month.  After the war, a huge effort was made to rebuild the towns and buildings that were destroyed in the Allied and German bombings — now it looks so serene and pastoral and quaint.  The graveyards are moving [watching the opening scene in Saving Private Ryan is enough to make me cry.] The history is all around you.  Even though it was 75 years ago, the Normans and the people of France have not forgotten.  Nor should we.                                   In honor of the 75th anniversary of D-Day, we will start with a meal of classic Norman flavors: Camembert cheese and apples.  For dinner, a mess-kit meal that the American GIs might have eaten the night of June 6 on top of the cliffs of Normandy while they pondered their gains and thought about their fallen comrades.

Camembert Bake: 146 calories  10 g fat   0.6 g fiber  9 g protein  6 g carbs [5 g Complex]   90 mg Calcium   NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  The best-known cheese of Normandy stars in this egg dish. Easy to prepare and so delicious. I hope you will try it.Camembert Bake 2

One 2-oz egg                                                                                                             ½ oz Camembert                                                                                                         1 tsp Dijon mustard                                                                                                    grating of nutmeg                                                                                                         2 oz strawberries OR 1.5 oz apple slices                                                            Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water Optional:  5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Freeze the cheese, then grate it while frozen. -OR- Cut the cheese [rind and all] into small chunks and leave to soften at room temperature. Stir in the mustard and nutmeg. Whisk the egg, then stir in the cheese mixture. Pour into an oven-proof dish that has been spritzed with non-stick spray and bake at 350° F for 12-15 minutes. When the beverages are ready, plate with the fruit.

Beanie Wienies:   300 calories   4.3 g fat   8.6 g fiber  14.3 g protein 43 g carbs 74 mg Calcium PB GF  My husband grew up eating this with his childhood chums. What could be simpler? And the carb count is due to the good fiber of beans and carrots. So complex.Beanie Wienies

1 reduced fat hot dog [we like Hebrew National all beef franks or Applegate]                                                            ¾ cup canned baked beans                                                                                                            1 oz carrots, cooked or raw

Put the baked beans in a small sauce pan. Cut the hot dogs into 1” pieces [on the diagonal, my husband would say] and add to the pan. Warm thoroughly. Plate with the carrots and think about food memories of childhood.

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion for Monday ………………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg   + soy sauce 1.5 two-oz eggs
ginger  +  bean sprouts + scallions pomegranate seeds/applesauce
crab meat  + semolina flour cinnamon  +  oregano
garlic powder  + clementines feta cheese  + tomato puree
Whatever you need for your smoothie Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage Whatever you need for your hot beverage

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

vindaloo seasoning + garlic chicken breast   + eggplant
ginger + onion + vinegar + oil + sugar  broccoli + sweet pepper + carrot
mushrooms + pork OR turkey plain yogurt  + zucchini
brown rice couscous tandoori sauce  + brown rice
Sparkling water Sparkling water

La Florida

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

In May of 1539, Hernando de Soto thought he was on to something.  After helping to subdue Peru and Mexico for Spain, he retired back home as a very wealthy man.  Though newly-married, the young father was restless for the soldier’s life. He had been named ‘Governor of Cuba and La Florida‘, so he sold everything [What did his wife have today about that??] to provision 10 ships with 700 chosen soldiers. Off they went to the new world.  After a stop in Havana to drop off his wife, they landed in Tampa Bay (Florida) on May 30, 1539. And then they sought gold: North through Florida, into Georgia, North Carolina; West into Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana they went, doing their usual Conquistador deeds. [For God and King? The king might have approved, but God surely didn’t.] Three years later, no gold, no riches, no fountain of youth: only angry natives, sickness, battles, and wounds. In May, 1542, de Soto died of fever on the banks of the Mississippi River and his body was sunk into the water to preserve the illusion that he could not die.  There was a car named after him…                                                                                              In memory of all the indigenous peoples whom he killed or oppressed, we have a breakfast based on the Cuban/Miami sandwich ‘the Cubano‘ and a dinner with ingredients grown in the sunshine of modern Florida.

Cubano ScrOmelette: 151 calories  8.5 g fat  0 g fiber  12.2 g protein  0.8 g carbs   71 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  GF  The famous Miami sandwich comes to the Fasting breakfast table, with every flavor intact!Cubano ScOmelette

1 ½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.                                                                                                   1/8 oz ham, diced                                                                                                                                   ¼ oz Swiss cheese, diced                                                                                                                   ¼ oz pork, diced [this could be from a previous roast or a grilled tenderloin]                                           ¼ tsp mayonnaise                                                                                                                           1.5 tsp dill pickle, diced                                                                                                                               Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                       Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Cut up the meats and combine in a small dish. Dice the pickle and whisk with the mayonnaise and the eggs. Spritz a saute pan with non-stick spray and heat it. Put the meat mixture into the hot sauté pan to warm, then add the eggs. Scramble together [or cook like an omelette] until the way you like it. Pour your beverages and enjoy a semi-tropical start to your day.

Grapefruit-Avocado Salad:  289 calories  20 g fat  6.4 g fiber  18 g protein  15.3 g carbs [14.5 g Complex]  75.5 mg Calcium   PB GF  This is delicious, nutritious, and satisfying. Real food. Good food.grapefruit-avocado salad

1 two-oz egg, hard-boiled                                                                                                               2.5 oz avocado [this was half an avocado], sliced in 4 pieces                                                               3.3 oz pink grapfruit sections [you need 4 sections]                                                                                       1.75 cups lettuce, sliced/shredded                                                                                                      1 oz cooked chicken breast [you could substitute 4 shrimp for a vegetarian meal]                          ½ tsp white wine vinegar + ½ tsp lime-infused olive oil + ¼ tsp ground ginger lemon finishing salt

Whisk the oil, vinegar, and ginger in a meduim-sized bowl. Add the lettuce and toss to coat with the dressing. Remove the lettuce to a serving plate, letting some of the dressing drip back into the bowl. Spread the lettuce evenly over the plate and sprinkle with the finishing salt. Starting at the center with the egg, arrange the grapefruit and avocado around the plate. Place the chicken as you wish. Brush the remaining dressing on the grapefruit and avocado.

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion for Monday ………………… single portion for Thursday:

next Monday I will discuss ways to 1 two-oz eggs
maintain a 5:2 lifestyle while Camembert cheese
traveling Dijon mustard   +  nutmeg
apples/strawberries
choose a new favorite from the Archive Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage

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

baked beans
choose a new favorite from the Archive low-fat hotdogs, 110 calories
carrots
Sparkling water Sparkling water

No Exit

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

When it comes to Existentialism, Jean-Paul Sartre was in the forefront. In the Nazi-occupied Paris, he produced a one-act play titled “Huis Clos.”  That is a French legal term meaning ‘a trial behind closed doors’ although the title in English is usually given as “No Exit.”  French citizens during the war were presented with many choices: stay or flee; collaborate or resist; fight or be passive.  To Sartre, humans have the freedom to make any choices we want — even not taking an action involves choice.  But responsibility comes with each choice; with each non-action.  The play involves 3 characters who have made and continue to make choices, all of which makes their lives and those around them unhappy.  Whether or not you subscribe to the message that “Hell is other people,” Sartre wanted us to explore the options we have and the consequences of the choices we make.                                                       On May 27, 1944, the play opened. Since the play takes place in a drawing room in Hell, our menus contain ingredients with some fire in them: green chile and red curry paste. You can add more, if you like it hotter. You have choices about what you eat and how much of it.

Green Chile-Egg Galette: 147 calories   6 g fat  1.7 g fiber  9 g protein  24.6 g carbs [12 g Complex]  36.4 mg Calcium  PB  The bite of the green chiles, the nutty taste of the galette, the rich taste of egg: what a remarkable flavor combination. Eat with a fork or pick it up in your hand.Green Chili-Egg Crepe

1 galette/crepe [see SIDEKICKS I, Sept 17, 2017 for recipe]                                one 2-oz egg                                                                                                                 2 Tbsp roasted green chiles                                                                                   1 oz apples OR pears                                                                                                Optional:  blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water     Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Whisk the egg with the chiles and pour into a 6” cast iron pan or small saute pan spritzed with non-stick spray. [If serving two, pour egg mixture into a 4×6” oven-proof dish spritzed with non-stick spray. Bake at 350 F. for 12 minutes] Cook the egg by gently lifting the edges to allow un-cooked egg to flow underneath. Meanwhile, gently heat the galette/crepe: wrap in a tea-towel and put in the microwave for 1 minute OR put in an un-greased sauté pan over low heat for less than 1 minute, then turn over for another 30 seconds. Plate the crêpe with the fruit, put the egg on top of it, then fold over. Pour the beverages and put some zip in your morning.

Halibut in Thai Coconut Curry:  258 calories  14 g fat   1.7 g fiber   21 g protein   9.7 g carbs [5 g Complex]   139 mg Calcium PB GF  This is from Alaska from Scratch by Maya Wilson and it is delicious.Halibut w: Coconut Curry

1 tsp olive oil, separated                                                                                             3 cups spinach, lightly packed                                                                                     1 Tbsp shallots, chopped                                                                                             3/4 Tbsp Thai red curry paste or more to taste                                                        1/4 cup chicken broth                                                                                                        3.5 fluid oz light coconut milk                                                                                pinch sugar                                                                                                                         3 oz halibut fillet                                                                                                         2 Tbsp scallion                                                                                                            1-1/2 tsp lime juice

Heat ½ tsp olive oil in a wide saute pan with 1-2 Tbsp water. Add the spinach with salt and pepper and toss in the oil until greens begin to wilt. Remove to a bowl and cover to keep warm. Put ½ tsp oil in the pan with the shallots and cook 2 minutes more. Add curry paste, chicken broth, coconut milk, and sugar. Whisk to combine and simmer on low until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Salt the fish and add to the broth in the pan, spooning some broth on top of the fish. Cover and poach 5 minutes per 1/2” of thickness. Put greens in the serving bowl and top with fish. Stir scalions and lime juice into broth, turn heat up briefly. Ladle broth over the fish and greens. Optional: ¼ cup brown rice.