Stocking Up

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Monday, eat the meals that will be posted on Sunday.  Eat sensibly the other days of the week.  That’s it.  Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

During the Back-to-the-Land movement in the 1960s and ’70s, one of the ‘bibles’ of the people was Stocking Up, published by Rodale Press. It instructed the nascent homesteaders in the ancient arts of preserving food: canning, freezing, drying.  The goal was to save the harvest for times when food was not so available. When dieting, it is a good idea to have some meals in the freezer or foods in the pantry so that you are not caught short on a Fast Day wondering what to eat.  So here are some foods to make in multi-meal batches: prep once, eat often. It pays to stock up.

Seafood Chowder:  275 calories  11 g fat  15 g protein   16 g carbs  GF This makes 10 [TEN!] one-cup servings. It freezes nicely, or it can feed the family.  My husband found the recipe in Yankee magazine. He prepares this every year. It is wonderful. The directions look long and involved but the results are worth it.

Seafood chowder on Wedgewood tile

4 strips thick-cut bacon, diced        1 medium Spanish onion, diced                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 1 pound baking potatoes, peeled + cut in ½” cubes                                                                                            2 pounds steamer clams in their shells                                                                                                       one lobster, weighing 1.5 pounds                1 pound scallops                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 1 pound shrimp, peeled         1 quart whole milk       4 Tbsp butter                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped     ¼ tsp paprika + salt + pepper                                                                                                                         

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

In a separate saucepan, cover cubed potatoes with salted water and boil until almost tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and add to the bacon/onions. Put clams in a large pot and add 1 quart water. Heat to boiling, cover, and cook until clams open, about 3 minutes. Remove the clams but leave the liquid in the pot. Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with paper towel. Remove the clams from their shells and cut them into smaller pieces if necessary. Add to the potatoes, onion, and bacon.

Put the strained clam broth back into the empty pot and bring to a boil. Add the lobster head-first into the boiling broth. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove lobster and let cool. Crack the shell to remove the meat. Cut the meat into 1/2” chunks and add to the potatoes. Heat the broth until boiling. Add the scallops and shrimp. Reduce heat to low. Simmer about 3 minutes, until the scallops + shrimp are just cooked through. Add all the previously cooked ingredients, along with the milk, butter, parsley and seasonings. Heat until steaming but not boiling.

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

Felafel:    1 batch = 648 cal  25.4 g fat  21 g fiber  32.5 g protein    72 g carbs    214 mg Ca                   each patty = 30 cal 1 g fat 1 g fiber 1.6 g protein 4 g carbs 8.5 mg Calcium      GF PB From the good old Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen, these are easy to prepare and, since it makes 26 patties, you will be set up for several future meals.

Felafel w: Cuke Raita

2 cups canned chick peas — [if you use dried chickpeas, you will get a grainer product. Factor in the time to cook them]                                                     1.5 cloves garlic, crushed [add as much as you enjoy!]                                                                                 ¼ cup celery, minced      ¼ c. scallions, sliced        1 egg                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1.5 tsp tahini        ½ t. cumin  ½ t. turmeric                                                                                                                                                            ¼ t. cayenne  ¼ t. black pepper  1.5 t. salt

Combine in food processer until ingredients form a uniform paste. Scoop into a bowl and chill 1 hour. Form into balls on a silicone mat or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. I used a 1 and 1/2 Tbsp scoop and then flattened the patties. TIP: You don’t have to bake them now. You could freeze the patties on a cookie sheet, then put them frozen into bags to cook later. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. The patties should be heated through and have an outside ‘crust’ which is firm to the touch. In most recipes, you will cook them further. At this point you want them to be firm enough to store well. There will be about 25 of them. Use now or cool and freeze for later use.

pantry shelf

Next, stock the pantry.  Here are some things I always keep on hand:       garbanzo [chickpeas] beans, red kidney beans,  large white beans [Cannellini /Alubias], diced tomatoes, canned tuna, chicken stock With these ingredients, you are on your way to a bowl of chili or a plate of antipasto.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg1.5 two-oz eggs
 reduced fat ricotta cheddar cheese
 Parmesan cheese Worcestershire sauce
 apple    +  bacon dry mustard
 sage  + prepared mustard 1 oz strawberries or pear
Whatever you need for your smoothieWhatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverageWhatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

 roasted red pepper salt cod
 pepperoni   + black olives bell pepper
 garbanzo beans  + green beans  scallion  +  garlic  + onion
 mozzarella tomato
 tomato   +  canned white tuna dumpling: flour, milk, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg
 marinated mushrooms 
Sparkling waterSparkling water

A Fresh Start

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Thursday, eat the meals that will be posted on Wednesday.  Eat sensibly the other days of the week.  That’s it.  Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.                                                                             Welcome to BeBlogger who is now Following.

This blog is about Fasting, aka: 5:2 Diet; IF.  “I’m not giving up eating!” you sneer. “Fasting is for ascetics who don’t enjoy life.”  If you really think that, then I want you to understand that this Lifestyle does involve eating [some really good food] and that there are many benefits beyond weight loss.  While on this Lifestyle [WOL], my husband and I have enjoyed lots of delicious food while losing a combined total of 50 pounds.  This Lifestyle is sustainable: you can do it week after week, year after year and not feel deprived.                                                                                                                                         What do you eat on the Slow [non-Fast] Days? What you want — WITHIN REASON.  Pigging out is not approved, but we go to restaurants and eat all sorts of foods. The key is learning the number of calories that you can ingest [TDEE] to get to the weight you want to achieve. This diet is not about counting calories, but you need to get a realistic sense of how much you are eating daily.  Weight loss comes with less food taken in over time and a resulting decrease in appetite.

WHY FAST?                                                                                                                                             “We all know how you are supposed to lose weight: eat low-fat foods, exercise more… and never, ever skip meals. This has been standard dietary advice for decades and though it may work for some people, levels of obesity continue to soar. So is there an alternative? We think there is. Intermittent fasting. Based on the work of leading scientists from around the world, this is an exciting new alternative to standard dieting.

“Intermittent Fasting does not mean stopping eating entirely. It means reducing the amount you eat, but only for quite short periods of time.

“In The Fast Diet book I outline my experiences of trying different forms of intermittent fasting, before settling on what I called a 5:2 regime. With 5:2 intermittent fasting you eat normally five days a week and diet two days a week, cutting your calorie intake for those two days to a ¼ of their normal level. This means that on, say, a Monday and a Thursday you will eat 500 calories if you are a woman, 600 if you are a man.

“If you stick to this plan then you should lose around 1lb (0.46kg) a week if you are a woman, slightly more for a man. Success also depends on not over-eating on your normal days.

“You should not only lose weight but also enjoy a wide range of health benefits. Studies of intermittent fasting show that not only do people see improvements in blood pressure and their cholesterol levels, but also in their insulin sensitivity.

“As one of the medical experts I interviewed put it: ‘There is nothing else you can do to your body that is as powerful as fasting.’

“Welcome to The Fast Diet and to the community on this site. We will keep you up to date with the latest in this exciting new field. You can read how others are managing this way of life and pick up lots of helpful tips. We hope it works for you.”                                              — Michael Mosley, originator of the Fast Diet

This blog is about recipes to eat on Fast Days.  Some of them appear in our regular diet on Slow Days because they are so yummy. Throughout 2018, I will be posting recipes which I hope will make following the Fasting Lifestyle as easy as A-B-C. There will also be tips for how to stock your freezer and your pantry to make it convenient to prepare the healthy, home-made food that we eat every week.

If you want to improve your health and lose weight, I recommend that you follow the Fasting Lifestyle. The New Year is a time for a fresh start.  Try Fasting.

Completely Different

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Monday, eat the meals that will be posted on Sunday.  Eat sensibly the other days of the week.  That’s it.  Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

It’s been a merry round of holiday eating, so let’s have something completely different!  Eggs Foo Yung for breakfast?  Why not! Liver & Onions while dieting?!?  Yes!  Bet you’d be happier if you weighed less on Friday — eat these menus on Thursday and see what happens.

Foo Yung ScrOmelette:   283 calories  8 g fat  2.5 g fiber   18 g protein  38 g carbs  241.4 mg Calcium  PB GF  Here we take the Cantonese classic and prepare it for breakfast. Filling and nutritious.Fu Yung ScrOmelette

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.                                                                                       2 Tbsp crab meat                                                                                                                                                            3/4 tsp soy sauce                                                                                                                                                          ¼ c mung bean sprouts                                                                                                                                        ¼ oz mushrooms                                                                                                                                                            green parts of one scallion, sliced                                                                                                                                 ¼ tsp ground ginger                                                                                                                                          splash of hot sauce                                                                                                                                                       1 oz pear or applesauce                                                                                                                                            blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                                                                                 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie

The night before, combine the crab, soy, sprouts, mushrooms, scallion, ginger and hot sauce in a small bowl. Next morning, spritz a non-stick saute pan with oil or non-stick spray and briefly cook the crab mixture to heat it thoroughly. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper and pour into the pan, scrambling to incorporate the crab mixture. Cook to your favorite degree of doneness. [Alternately, cook like pancakes: put half of the egg in the pan, then distribute half of the crab mixture on top. When done on the bottom, turn to cook the top. Repeat with other half of ingredents.] Dish up the fruit, brew your hot beverage, and prep the smoothie. And your fortune cookie says: “You will lose weight.”

Liver & Onions:  273 calories  10.4 g fat  2.9 g fiber  25 g protein  20 g carbs  43.5 mg Calcium When my father was away on business, my mother would serve us liver and onions which we came to regard as a special treat. Still a favorite on diner menus, still full of protein and Iron.  Liver & onions                                                                                                                                                                                     4 oz beef liver                                                                                                                                                                 2 tsp flour + salt + pepper                                                                                                                                          ½ cup onion, sliced                                                                                                                                               ½ tsp butter                                                                                                                                                              ½ cup green beans

Cook the onions in a non-stick saute pan with a little water to prevent scorching. Set the onions aside. Blot the liver on paper towels. Put 2 tsp flour on a plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge the liver in the flour, and shake off any extra. Melt the butter in the pan the onions were in and cook the liver over low heat until done. If the pan gets too dry, spray it with non-stick spray. Meanwhile, cook the beans and salt them. Just before the liver is done, add the onions to the pan to reheat.

Newton

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.

Tomorrow marks the birth of one of science’s giants: Isaac Newton, born Christmas Day 1642, in Wollsthorp, Lincolnshire, England.  His mother had been widowed a few months earlier and her baby was premature — a dismal start for any child. But Isaac somehow grew up to be a mathematics prodigy.  He invented the Calculus; wrote the three Laws of Motion; determined why the moon stays in orbit around the Earth; developed the concept of gravity; all before his 24th birthday.  

We will observe his natal day and the birth of modern physics with some very English meals: Toad in the Hole and Pork with Apples.  ‘Apples.’  Get it? Newton saw an apple falling from his tree and intuited the effect of gravity on all things. Whew.

Toad in the Hole:  298 calories   1.7 g fat  3.9 g fiber  14.5 g protein   79 g carbs  190 mg Calcium This whimsically-named meal is of old English origin – shades of Kenneth Graham and Beatrix Potter. The recipe is from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. It begins with a Yorkshire Pudding batter which you need to prepare in advance. The Yorkshire Pudding recipe is from the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook. HINT: make the batter the night before to save time in the morning.

Toad in the Hole w: Apples

Yorkshire Pudding Batter:       one 2-oz egg      ½ tsp salt           1/2 cup unbleached flour                                                            ½ cup white whole wheat flour         ½ cup water         ½ cup fat-free milk                         Mix all the ingredients together and let the batter stand at room temp for 30-60 minutes or in ‘fridge overnight. You will need 1/4 cup of the batter per person. HINT: The remainder can be frozen in 1 cup or 1/4 cup batches for future meals. When it is time to use the batter, beat it with a rotary beater until it is frothy.

For the breakfast:                 1 breakfast sausage [chicken sausage @ 50 cal/link]                               1/4 cup Yorkshire Pudding batter, well beaten                         pinch of crumbled sage                                                                                                                                         2 oz pear or apple       Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Heat the oven/toaster oven to 425°F.  Cook the sausage, using a bit of water in the bottom of the pan since the sausage will render no fat. Pour out any remaining water from cooking the sausage. Spritz 5 holes of a mini-muffin pan with non-stick spray. Dice the sausage or slice into 20 pieces, and put the sausage in the mini-muffin pan. Beat the batter until it is foamy, adding crumbled sage. Pour the batter over the sausage bits in the pan. Pop the pan into the oven for 15 minutes. Slice the fruit, shake your smoothie, brew your beverage, and settle down to a quickly-prepared, fun-to-eat meal.

Pork with Apples:  273 calories   8.1 g fat   4 g fiber  22.7g protein   18.8 g carbs   84 mg Calcium  PB   Long a favorite combination in lands where apples grow; where local meats and local fruits are blended in hearty meals, the flavor of pork with apples is a winner.

Pork & Apples

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

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

Solstice

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Monday, eat the meals that will be posted on Sunday.  Eat sensibly the other days of the week.  That’s it.  Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Every December the sun stands still.  HUH?? Here in the Northern Hemisphere, the days have been getting shorter and the sun is lower and lower in the sky at noon.  Then the sun stops going lower and becomes higher in the sky every day. The time at which this occurs is called a “Solstice‘ from the latin words for ‘sun stands.’  In ancient times, people feared the winter darkness and rejoiced with feasting and fires on the day of the Solstice.  How did they know when it would occur? That’s what solar calendars like Stonehenge are for.  Light a fire if you wish, and then celebrate by eating quiches that look like little suns and a dinner from sunny Senegal.  And now the days get longer.

Breakfast Quiche:  281 calories   7.7 g fat   3.3 g fiber   15 g protein  37.6 g carbs   350 mg Calcium PB GF This versital recipe can be prepared for breakfast, as shown here; can be used at dinner; or can be tripled [to make 12 mini-quiches] to serve as part of a brunch. TIP: Each quiche clocks in at 68 calories, so one serving is two quiches.quiche w: melon-Bbs

1 two-oz egg    +   1 Tbsp ricotta, drained if too liquid                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              2/3 oz mozzerella cheese, grated   +   2/3 oz Jarlsburg cheese, grated                                                                                                                      1/3 oz onion      +  1 oz broccoli                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 herbs, salt, pepper to taste                                                                                                                                           1.5 oz melon, cubed  +   2 Tbsp blueberries                                                                                                                     optional:  black coffee or black tea or lemon in hot water                                                                                             optional:  5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie

Get out your mini-muffin pan and spray 2 holes with non-stick spray. If the vegetables are raw, chop them and put into a microwave-safe dish with some water. Cook on high for 45 seconds or until tender. Drain water and put vegetables into the muffin pans. Top with grated cheeses. Whisk the egg with the ricotta and seasonings. Pour into the muffin pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. Prepare the beverages and fruits. So pretty.

Senegal Tuna-Avocado Salad:   264 calories   14.6 g fat   6.4 g fiber   13 g protein  18 g carbs   30 mg Calcium  PB GF   This is my version of Avocat Creole which I enjoyed at Bissap Baobab, an excellent Senegalese restaurant in Oakland, CA, now closed. Senegalese Tuna:Avocado Salad2.5 oz white/Albacore tuna       +   2 Tbsp celery, minced                                                                                                                                       pinch or 2 ground ginger   +   ½ tsp lime juice    + Sriracha sauce                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ¾ oz apple, diced  +     1/2 tsp mayonnaise made with olive oil      +   4 oz cherry tomatoes                                                                                                              2 oz avocado   +   2 Tbsp radish or alfalfa sprouts                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ¼ oz [½ cup] baby spinach leaves      aioli:  1 tsp mayonnaise made with olive oil + Sriracha

Lightly combine the tuna with the celery, ginger, dash of Sriracha, lime juice, apple, and ½ tsp mayonnaise. Arrange the spinach leaves in the center of the plate and mound the tuna on top. Slice the avocado and layer on top of the tuna.  For aioli:  mix mayonnaise with Sriracha to taste and drizzle the aioli over the avocado. If the cherry tomatoes are not bite-sized, cut in half. Place tomatoes around the edge of the plate and sprinkle with sprouts. A fine meal when you want a taste of lands where the sun shines brightly.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg 1.5 two-oz eggs         1 oz apple or pear
  pear or apple  crab meat
Yorkshire Pudding [white + whole wheat flours] soy sauce   +  hot sauce +scallion   +  ginger 
50-calorie chicken breakfast sausage  Mushrooms
 mung bean sprouts
Whatever you need for your smoothie Whatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverage Whatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

 pork tenderloin, raw or cooked  4 oz beef or calf liver
 apples  green beans
 chicken stock  onion
 Béchamel sauce [Sidekicks I, 17 Sept 2017]  butter
 broccoli
 carrot
Sparkling water Sparkling water

Land of the Long White Cloud

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Thursday, eat the meals that will be posted on Wednesday.  Eat sensibly the other days of the week.  That’s it.  Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.                                                                       Welcome to Soul On Rice, who is now Following.
Tomorrow will be the 375th anniversary of Abel Tasman‘s first sighting of the Maori people of New Zealand in 1642.  Aotearoa, as the local Maori call the country, means the Land of the Long White Cloud. Sailing along the coast of New Zealand, the Dutch ship and her crew met the locals in a tense encounter, to be followed in later days by rock-throwing and shouting as the newcomers were repulsed by the indigenous population.  Our meals today reflect the modern residents of New Zealand, who style themselves as “Kiwis,” a nod to the flightless national bird.  We will eat kiwi fruit at breakfast and dinner as we look at photos of a distant land of Hobbits and Haka.

Parmesan-Chive Bake:  279 calories  7.5 g fat  3.7 g fiber   15 g protein  30 g carbs   275 mg Calcium   PB GF  While I was away for 10 days, Dear Husband invented this breakfast to take advantage of the fresh chives in the garden. Clever man.Parmesa-Chive Bake w: kiwi

One 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                                                  1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated                                                                                                                      1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped   OR use the green part of a scallion                                                                   1.5 tsp reduced-fat ricotta cheese                                                                                                                           1 oz kiwi fruit                                                                                                                                                              5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider                                                     blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

First set the toaster oven to 350° F.  My Dear Husband is the one who prepares the breakfasts. He says to start the coffee next and then to prepare the smoothie. Spritz a ramekin with oil or non-stick spray. Whisk the egg with the cheeses and chives and pour into the ramekin. Bake in the toaster oven for 12-15 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Prepare the kiwi fruit, pour the beverages and have an easy day.

Strawberry-Chicken Salad:  200 calories   8.3 g fat   4.8 g fiber   16.7 g protein  16 g carbs   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.Strawberry-Chicken Salad

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 and arrange the chicken and fruit on top. Sprinkle with the nuts. A real hit in our family.

Tycho

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.

Tomorrow will be the birthday of Tycho Brahe, born 1546, in Copenhagen, Denmark.  The son of a wealthy merchant, he grew up to be a rock-star astronomer — the most famous in all of Europe.  While still a young man, he discovered a ‘Stella Nova‘ [what we call a Supernova] where no star had been seen before.  This called into question the idea that all the Earth and sky had been created at once.  The discovery made him a house-hold name, and he lived LARGE at his Uranibourg Research Station [first in Europe] on the Island of Hveen. Scientists from all over would come to study with him. He lead a wild and crazy life, all the while contributing to the study of weather, chemistry, and astronomy. Happy Birthday, Tycho.  If it weren’t a Fast Day, we’d raise several glasses of wine to you. You would like that.

Our foods for today highlight Danish flavors at breakfast and codfish — a Baltic favorite — for dinner.

Danish Omelette:   294 calories…  10.7 g fat…  2.4 g fiber…   17.6 g protein…  34.6 g carbs…  242 mg Calcium…  PB GF  This breakfast is in honor of Tycho Brahe, famous astronomer and Denmark’s pride. The taste of the sea, the bleu cheese, the star in the apple: all sing praise to him.

Danish Omelettte

++ 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  ++++ 1/4 oz  bleu cheese, Danish if you can find it ++++                                                                                                           ½ oz herring marinated in wine  ++++   1 oz apple, sliced so you can see the star inside   ++++   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] ++ 

Mince the herring. Crumble the bleu cheese and whisk with the eggs. Hold the apple on its side and slice it so that the star of seeds and core in the middle is revealed. Cut a slice parallel to your cut to end up with a slice that weighs 1 oz. Spray a frying pan with non-stick spray and put the minced herring in the pan. Quickly pour the egg-cheese mixture in the pan. As the egg begins to set around the edges, lift the egg with a fork or spatula and tip the pan so that uncooked egg flows underneath. Continue like that until the bottom is fully cooked and the top is set. [Flip the omelette if you dare, or put it under the broiler if you like your eggs well cooked.] Slide the eggs on to the plate with the apple, pour the beverages, and meditate on the wonders of astronomy.

Baked White Fish with cheese:  for the fish & cheese only:   145 calories…   6 g fat…   0 g fiber…   33 g protein…   0.2 g carb…   129 mg CalciumPB   GF    Another winner from the Fast Diet book.   Add any vegetables of your choosing to fill out the plate and to add another 150 calories.                  

Baked fish w: cheese; snap peas, toms:basil

++ 6 oz firm white fish fillets such as cod or haddock ++++   1/2 oz cheddar cheese, grated  ++                                                                                                                                 Your choice of vegetables to add up to 125 calories:    ½ cup pickled beets [74 calories]                                                                                                                                 3 oz green beans [26 calories]   -OR-  ½ cup peas [62 calories] -OR- ½ cup carrot coins [12 calories]                                                                                                                                                                 3 oz broccoli florets [30 calories]    -OR-  2 oz parsnip, sliced as coins [42 calories]                         1 cups salad greens + ½ tsp lemon juice + 1 tsp olive oil [48 calories]    -OR-   3 oz tomatoes [15 calories]                                                                                                        1.5 cup whole sugar snap peas [39 calories]

Heat the oven to 400° F. Put the fish in an oven-proof dish which has been lightly smeared with olive oil.  Season the fish to taste.  Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables of your choice. How easy it is to be healthy!

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg1 two-oz egg
 Parmesan cheese onion   +  broccoli
 lots of chives blueberries + melon
 kiwi fruit ricotta  + mozzarella
 reduced fat cottage cheese Jarlsberg cheese
optional smoothieoptional beverage
optional beverageoptional smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

Cooked chicken meatwhite/albacore tuna
 Strawberries + 1 kiwi fruit lemon juice, ground ginger
 1.5 cups fresh spinach avocado, celery
 poppy seed mayonnaise
 Slivered almonds baby spinach, bean sprouts
 Dried mustard cherry tomatoes
Red wine vinegarSparkling water
 Sparkling water Sriracha or other hot sauce

Fete de l’Escalade

  How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Thursday, eat the meals that will be posted on Wednesday.  Eat sensibly the other days of the week.  That’s it.  Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.
Welcome to Minoo, who is now Following.
In 1602, the Duke of Savoie decided that Geneva, Switzerland should be part of his domaine.  So under cover of darkness, his men put ladders against the encircling walls and began to climb to gain entrance to the city.  Unfortunately for them, an elderly woman named Mère Catherine Royaume, was awake in the night. Hearing odd noises, she looked out her window [which happened to be in the wall itself] and saw the invaders stealthily climbing. Reaching for the closest ‘weapon’ possible, she poured hot vegetable soup onto the attacking soldiers, hit them with the pot, and yelled to raise the alarm.  Her neighbors rallied to the defense of the city and repulsed the attack.  Since then, December 11 is celebrated in Geneva as la Fête de L’Escalade [Feast of Scaling Walls], with mock battles and the eating of candy vegetables as well as much more healthy vegetable soup.                                                                                                                                        We will celebrate by eating eggs flavored with raclette cheese [very popular in Alpine cuisine] and vegetable soup in honor of the doughty old lady who was having trouble sleeping that night.

 

Raclette Bake:  287 calories  8.4 oz fat   3.3 g fiber  15.6 g protein  38 g carbs   295 mg Calcium PB   Raclette is a cheese from the Swiss/French Alps which is melted to make the eponymous dish of the region. Here it is used to give a wonderful flavor to baked eggs. Wow.Raclette Bake w: blueberries

one 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                                   ¼ slice 70-calorie whole-grain bread                                                                                                                     1/3 oz raclette cheese, grated                                                                                                                               5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasturized apple cider                                           blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

Set the toaster oven at 350 degrees F. Toast the bread and cut into cubes. Put the bread in a lightly-spritzed ramekin. Whisk the egg with the cheese, salt, and pepper and pour into the ramekin. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Pour the beverages, portion the berries, and think about the Alps.

Soup Royaume:   152 calories   0.3 g fat   6.3 g fiber   12.6 g protein  24.6 g carbs    84 mg Calcium   PB GF     A fine meal for winter, made hearty with autumn vegetables and lentils, it is named after the old lady who saved Geneva from invasion by the Savoyards. Add as much seasoning as you wish. Any soup can be improved by preparing it ahead and letting it sit for 8-24 hours. HINT: Makes enough for 4 servings.Soupe Royaume

2.5 oz pork loin, raw or cooked                                                                                                                              ½ cup onion, chopped                                                                                                                                                 3.5 oz dry lentils, small green ones from France if possible                                                                          3 oz rutabega/turnip, cubed                                                                                                                                   2 oz carrot, diced                                                                                                                                                       3 oz parsnip, diced                                                                                                                                                         3 cups chopped cabbage                                                                                                                                   mace + dry mustard + salt + pepper + caraway seed [optional]                                                                        ½ cup frozen spinach, chopped                                                                                                                           3 cups water or broth                                                                                                                                              per serving: several leaves of fresh spinach

Put the pork, onions, and lentils in a heavy saucepan and cook until onions are browned. Add the rutabega/turnip, carrot, parsnip, cabbage and seasonings. Cover with water, using more if needed. Cover and cook for about 1 hour or until vegetables are cooked. Taste for seasonings, add the frozen spinach, and heat through. Divide into 4 equal servings and freeze 3 of them. Roughly chop the fresh spinach and put it on top of the soup when serving.

Saucy

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.

Cooks discovered centuries ago that a good sauce makes the meal taste a lot better.  Today we will look at several sauces that can be part of a Fast meal: sometimes breakfast, sometimes dinner, sometimes either.                                                                                                                

There were people who would have said that Jesse James was a ‘saucy’ lad: despite the fact that he and his gang actually robbed banks and killed people, the pro-Conferedate newspapers sometimes portrayed him as a cheeky Robin Hood. On Dec. 7, 1869, James and his brother Frank robbed a bank in Gallatin, MO, marking the official start to their lives of crime.  In books and even movies, Jesse James has been written into American mythology as a man who wanted to right the wrongs against the common people.  His sympathies lay with the defeated Southern States and he was in fact continuing the war by targeting banks owned by Republicans, those who were pro-Lincoln.  James might not have been the fun-loving saucy populist, but we can add some sauce to our meals as we reflect tomorrow on the strange career of an American legend.

Halibut w: Chickpea Ragout

CHICKPEA RAGOUT: Pair with meat, poultry, or seafood           4 cups                                  ½ tsp olive oil                                                                                                                                                         ½ cup diced onions                                                                                                                                              ½ cup scallions, chopped                                                                                                                                      1 Tbsp garlic                                                                        2 cups diced tomatoes, fresh or canned                                         1.5 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed if canned                                                                                ½ cup chicken stock          +   ½ tsp salt    +      ½ tsp pepper                                    Heat the oil in a saute pan. Add the onion, scallion and garlic. Stir briefly over the heat then add the tomatoes, chickpeas, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat until liquids are mostly evaporated.

Seder Salad

HORSERADISH DRESSING: Great on Lamb or Beef Salad                                                              1 Tbsp mayonnaise made with olive oil                                                                                                                       1 and ½ tsp prepared horseradish   [the kind you purchase in a jar]                                                                            1 Tbsp buttermilk                                                                                                                                                       1 and ½ tsp lemon juice                                                                                                                               Whisk all ingredients together. 

Chicken Parmesan w: salad

MARINARA SAUCE:  From Gourmet magazine, this is a quick go-to sauce.       3 cups                                                                                                                                1 Tbsp olive oil                                                                                                                                     2 large cloves garlic, whole                                                                                                                        pinch crushed red pepper                                                                                                           one 28-oz can whole tomatoes                                                                                                              1.25 tsp salt                                                                                                                                          basil                                                                                Heat the oil then add the garlic and crushed pepper.  Cook on high for about 5 minutes or until the garlic starts to brown.  Remove the garlic and carefully add the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands or a spoon.  Cook over low heat for 20 minutes and then add the salt and basil. Use now or freeze.

Strawberry-Chicken Salad

POPPY SEED DRESSING:  Delightful on Strawberry-Chicken Salad                                                 2 tsp red wine vinegar                                                                                                                                            1 Tbsp olive oil                                                                                                                                                     pinch salt                                                                                                                                                               ½ tsp dried mustard                                                                                                                                                 1 tsp poppy seeds                                                                                                                                               Whisk together vigorously.

Mackerel Puttanesca

PUTTANESCA SAUCE: With fish or meat or solo, this sauce is delicious.     4 cups                                                   1 cup onion, chopped                                                                                                                            2 garlic cloves, chopped                                                                                                                   2 tsp olive oil                                                                                                                                   5 cups whole plum tomatoes                                                                                              1 cup mushrooms                                                                                                                              2 anchovies                                                                                                                                                 1 cup halved canned black olives  [If using oil-cured olives, cut the amount in half]               +            2 Tbsp capers                                                                          Cook the onions and garlic in the oil until tender but not brown.   Add everything else.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Sicilian Shepherds' Salad

SHEPHERDS’ SALAD DRESSING: Perfect for this salad and many others.                                                                   3 Tbsp olive oil                                                                        4” rosemary                                                                               6 sage leaves                                                                                                                                                                                 4 smashed cloves garlic                                               pinch  of hot pepper flakes.                                                                          ½ cup red wine vinegar                                                         Put oil and herbs in a sauce pan and simmer 5-10 minutes.  Add the garlic and peppers and stir for a few seconds. Add the vinegar and boil down the whole recipe to 1/3 cup. Strain and cool.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg1.5 two-oz eggs
 blueberries Danish Bleu cheese
 raclette cheese herring marinated in wine
 1/4 slice bread  apple
  
Whatever you need for your smoothieWhatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverageWhatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

 Cabbage, onion, rutabaga or turnip 6 oz firm white fish +
 carrot, parsnip, dry green lentils side salad + broccoli OR peas + beans
 pork loin, frozen spinach, dry mustard Cheddar cheese
 fresh spinach, mace, dry mustard 
 Sparkling waterSparkling water
  

Barbara

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

December 4th is the Feast of Saint Barbara. I have always liked this saint, partly because of frequently seeing the lovely young woman holding a tower during classes in Northern Baroque art; partly because my dear sister-in-law is named Barbara. Living in Heliopolis, Syria, Saint Barbara’s wealthy Roman father wanted to keep his beautiful daughter safe from men who might prey on her, so he locked her in a tower for her own good. In the years she was thus cloistered, Barbara became interested in religions other than the Roman pantheon. The new Christian religion appealed to her, so she studied it secretly and became an adherent. When at last her father chose a husband for her, Barbara rejected him because he was not a Christian. Enraged, her father cut off her head. Is Barbara the pre-cursor of Rapunzel? IDK.  Eid il-Burbara, the Feast of Saint Barbara is celebrated in Christian families in Lebanon.

In some Levantine Christian cultures, barley or wheat is sprouted in shallow trays of soil on December 4. The greenery is used around the Christmas crêche, then in February it is plowed into the fields to bless the crop. In that tradition, our breakfast features bean sprouts. Since a coastal city in California is named after her, we will enjoy “Santa Barbara Salad” from that fair realm for dinner.

Sprouted Bake:  156 calories…   9.7 g fat…   2.5 g fiber…   10 g protein…   9 g carbs…   47 mg Calcium…  PB GF   Time to get the sprouts out of the sandwiches and into the breakfast.

Sprouted Bake w: B-berries

++1 two-oz egg +++ ¼ c radish or alfalfa or mung sprouts ++++1 oz avocado ++++ 1 Tbsp 2%-fat cottage cheese ++++  ¼ cup blueberries ++++ optional: blackish coffee or blackish tea ++++ optional:  5-6 oz fruit smoothie, green smoothie or natural apple cider 

Mash the avocado and mix with the cottage cheese. Heat the toaster oven to 350 degrees F.  Spritz a 1-cup ramekin with cooking oil or spray and put the sprouts in it. Whisk the egg with the avocado mixture and pour over the sprouts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Portion the fruit and pour the beverages. Rich and smooth.

Santa Barbara Salad:  280 calories…   13.3 g fat…   5.7 g fiber…   16 g protein…   21.3 g carbs…   105.8 mg Calcium…   PB GF   From a Washington Post food column, this salad sings of California. Truly delicious. HINT: This amount serves 2 [two]. Invite a friend or save for lunch later in the week.

Santa Barbara Salad

++ ½ head Boston or buttercrunch lettuce++++1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved ++++ ½ medium apple, cored and diced ++++½ cup diced chicken breast ++++¼ cup chickpeas++++ 1 oz soft goat cheese ++++1.5 tsp pinenuts ++++1 Medjool date ++++ 1 hardboiled egg, sliced in rounds ++++  per serving: 1.5 tsp cinnamon dressing**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

First prepare the dressing and refrigerate. Next, toast the pinenuts in a heavy skillet until they just begin to brown. Take off heat and set aside. Shred the lettuce and put in a bowl along with all the other ingredients. Toss with 1.5 tsp dressing per serving, sprinkle with pine nuts, and arrange the sunny sliced eggs on top.  Play a Beach Boys song and wear your sunglasses.

 **Cinnamon Dressing:     makes 4.5 tsp [you will have some leftover]                                                   ++ ½ shallot [¾ oz]++++1 Tbsp olive oil ++++1.5 tsp balsamic vinegar or raspberry vinegar ++1/8 tsp cinnamon ++                                                 Shake together in a jar. Refrigerate until needed.