Saint Patrick’s day meals for the 5:2 diet

Patrick Has His Day

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

In honor of my mother-in-law and her Irish mother, our house-hold celebrates the 17th of March with appropriate food.  Good Saint Patrick, although he is associated with Ireland, was not a native of the Emerald Isle. Most say he was born in England, but the Bretons say he was from Brittany.  Patrick came to Ireland the first time as an adolescent, kidnapped and enslaved as a shepherd. After he escaped, Patrick returned to Ireland a second time as one of many who spread the Gospel of Christianity. It is said that the facts we know about his life could be written on a postage stamp — you remember those, right? — but that the invented and legendary stories about Patrick would fill a bookshelf. He did not drive the snakes out of Ireland. He did preach hope and consolation to the enslaved population, to the extent that the native non-Christians thought that Patrick’s religion was designed for slaves. Whether you wear the Green or not, have a happy Saint Patrick’s Day.

For breakfast, we will have a non-traditional version of the usual US meal for the day: corned beef and cabbage. For dinner, a lamb stew.  The lamb stew is in honor of Patrick’s days as a shepherd, but the recipe has a French influence, perhaps like the saint himself.  Hold the Soda Bread and green beer for another day

Corned Beef & Cabbage Bake: 143 calories… 6.4 g fat… 4 g fiber… 12 g protein… 9.5 g carbs… 95.6 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF Since this flavor combination works well at dinner, we shall have it for breakfast, too. It is delicious!

++ one 2-oz egg ++++ 1 oz corned beef, cooked if raw ++++ ½ cup cabbage, shredded ++++ 1 wedge Laughing Cow cheese OR 1 oz chèvre ++++ ½ cup raspberries ++++ 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] ++

Simmer the cabbage in water to cover, cooking until it is limp. Drain well. While cabbage is still hot, stir the cheese and stir to melt. Dice the beef and stir into the cabbage. Pile into an oil-spritzed oven-proof dish. Whisk the egg, and pour over contents of disk. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes. Plate with the fruit.

Lamb Stew with Glazed Vegetables: ..317 calories… 8 g fat… 6 g fiber… 24 g protein… 31 g carbs… 62 mg Calcium..  PB GF The recipe is from Salute to Healthy Cooking , so you know it is good. We have enjoyed this often. If you double the recipe, then you’ll have some to freeze for another meal. Yes, the calorie count is a bit high, but it is worth it.  One serving = ¾ cup  HINT: This recipe serves two [2].

Lamb Stew for twoNeed: saute pan + Dutch oven with lid + non-stick pan 
½ # lamb shoulder, boneless and cut in cubes +++cooking spray ++++ salt + pepperSear lamb cubes on all sides in a heavy pan spritzed with non-stick spray or oil. Cook meat in batches so pan doesn’t cool. Put cooked meat in a Dutch oven, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
½ cup onions, choppedPut onions in saute pan and cook with enough water to make them sizzle until transparent.
1 oz dry red wineDeglaze pan with wine, stirring up brown bits.
Heat oven to 350 F. 
¾ tsp white whole wheat flour ++++ cold water +++++½ Tbsp tomato pasteSprinkle deglazed pan with flour and stir. Put in Dutch oven. Add enough cold water to go to top of the lamb but not cover it. Stir in tomato paste.
1 tsp thyme ++++ 1 bay leafAdd herbs. Heat to a simmer over medium heat. Cover casserole and put in oven. Bake 1 hour, making sure stew is not boiling. 
¾ c. carrots, cut in 2” batonsAdd carrots, cover pan, bake 15 minutes.
½ cup cubed potatoesAdd potatoes, cover pan, bake 45 minutes. Remove bay leaf. 
6 pearl onions ++++ 1 c/5 oz turnips, in 2” batons ++++ water ++++ ½ tsp sugar  ++++ 1 tsp butterPut vegetables in a small non-stick pan with sugar and butter**. Add enough water to go half-way up the onions. Simmer 10 minutes, uncovered, shaking pan occasionally.
Salt ++ pepperAdd salt and pepper. Take off heat and cover until vegetables are cooked. 
Plate stew with the glazed vegetables.

** If you were to cook the onions and turnips without the butter and sugar, you would reduce the calories to 297 and the fat to 6.5 g.

Saint Patrick

~ 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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.
 

In honor of my mother-in-law and her mother, we celebrate the 17th of March with appropriate food.  The good saint, although he associated with Ireland, was not a native of the Emerald Isle. Most say he was born in England, but the Bretons say he was from Brittany.  

For breakfast, some eggs with a French flair and for dinner a lamb stew.  The lamb stew is in honor of Ireland, but the recipe has a French influence, rather like Saint Patrick himself.  Hold the Soda Bread and green beer for another day

Basquaise Omelette: 283 calories      PB  GF            This recipe, full of the flavors of the Basques region of SW France, comes to us from Salute to Healthy Cooking, published by the French Culinary Institute. Wonderful book from which we cook all year long. Note that this is a baked omelette, so the method is a little different. Faites bien attention.Basquaise Omelette

++ 3 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.     ++++    1.5 Tbsp tomato sauce  ++++1.5 Tbsp bell pepper, chopped                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  ½ clove garlic or pinch granulated garlic  ++++   2 tsp parsley, chopped   ++++ 1 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated ++++                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    2 oz apple or 2.5 oz melon  ++++  blackish coffee or blackish tea ++++                                                                                      5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural cider

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

Lambstew

Lamb Stew     291 calories…   6.5 g fat…   6 g fiber…   24.3 g protein…   29.5 g carb…  60 g Calcium…   GF    Another fine recipe ‘from’ Salute to Healthy Cooking.  The entire cookbook features healthy alternatives to popular French meals, but I needed to take out some potatoes and oil to make it fit into a Fast Day menu.  HINT: this serves 2 [two] people.      

Set oven to 350.  Sear the lamb cubes on all sides in a well-seasoned cast iron pan or non-stick pan without oil. Transfer cooked meat to a Dutch oven which is ovenproof. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In the non-stick pan, sauce the onions for 3 mins or until softened but not browned.  Sprinkle with flour and stir to combine.  Add wine, stirring to scrape up any brown bits. Pour into Dutch oven.                                                                                                    Add tomato paste and cold water, enough that it just covers the lamb. Add thyme and bay leaf.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and place in oven. Adjust heat so that the liquid does not boil. Bake with an occasional stir for 60 minutes.  Add the carrots, cover and bake 15 minutes.  Add the potatoes, cover and bake 45 minutes. Remove bay.   Meanwhile, put the pearl onions in a small pan with a pinch of sugar and enough water to come up the onions half-way. Cook at a simmer, swirling the pan a few times, for 10 minutes or until onions are tender and water has evaporated. Remove onions to a warm plate. Place the turnips with a pinch of sugar into the same pan. Add  water to cover the turnips by half. Simmer over medium-high heat, swirling the pan a few times, for 10 minutes or until turnips are tender and water has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and add to onions. Divide the onion/turnip mixture in 2 parts.       Serve half the lamb stew with half the onion/turnips as garnish along with a bit of parsley. Serve the remainder to your guest or put it right into a freezer box in the ‘fridge to cool, then freeze.    Good tasting and good for you.