delicious recipes under 300 calories

Baby Its Cold Outside

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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.

Lynn and Frank Loesser sing together.

Context is everything. It can take a song that was originally fun and flirty, and turn it into something scary and dirty. Such is the fate of “Baby, Its Cold Outside“. Frank Loesser, who went on to fame with Broadway favorites like Guys and Dolls, wrote the song in 1944. It was to be a duet between him and his wife, Lynn Garland, to sing at their housewarming party to signal that it was time to leave. Their friends loved it! At every party after that, the duo was asked to sing the song. Before you start clutching your pearls about the lyrics, you must understand the song. In the 1940s and 50s, a nice girl was to be home from a date by midnight. There was no thought of casually spending the night with your boyfriend — your reputation would be ruined. So the girl starts to make the ‘usual’ excuses [time to leave] and the guy gives the lamest excuse to stay [it is cold outside]. She continues to give reasons to leave [family expectations, societal pressures] while he keeps talking about the weather. Note: she never says “I don’t want to stay” — that’s because she DOES want to stay. Together they brainstorm reasons that she could give for not going home: no cabs, insufficient wardrobe, deep snow. The most controversial line — “What’s in my drink?” — was a convenient excuse of the era. But there is NOTHING in her drink except alcohol. The fact that they harmonize on the last line of each verse shows that they are on the same page. To people of a certain age, the lyrics are fun and consistent with the dating scene at the time they were written. We live now in a suspicious age, but we should not judge the past through that lens.

If it is cold outside where you are, consider this scramble from warm Provence for breakfast and a hearty soup for dinner.

Olive-Pepper ScrOmelette:  167 calories… 9 g fat… 2.5 g fiber…10.5 g protein… 6 g carbs… 29 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF I asked Dear Husband for a new omelette idea, and he suggested these flavors straight out of Provence.

++ 1½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume, crack three 2-oz eggs into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.  ++++ 1 oz bell pepper, steamed and diced ++++ 1½ black olive, pitted and chopped ++++  1/8 oz [by weight] goat cheese/chevre], diced/crumbled ++++ 2 oz plum OR strawberries ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait  [65 calories] ++++  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++

Whisk the eggs [salt and pepper may not be needed due to saltiness of olives]. Pour into a pan which has been sprayed briefly with cooking spray. When the bottom of the eggs have set, add the vegetables and cheese. Fold over, and plate. Brew your optional beverage and take the optional previously-made smoothie from ‘fridge.

Soup Royaume: 152 calories… 0 g fat… 6 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. 

6 [six] servings of 1 cup each OR5 [five] servings of 1¼ cup each
2½ oz pork loin, raw or cooked, diced——½ cup onion, chopped—-3½ oz /½ c dry lentils**Put pork, onions, and lentils in a heavy saucepan and cook until browned.**small green lentils from France, if possible
3 oz rutabega/turnip, cubed—2 oz carrot, diced—3 oz parsnip, diced—3 cups chopped cabbage—–½ tsp mace—½ tsp dry mustard— 1 Tbsp caraway seed —salt & pepper—3 cups waterAdd these to the pan. Pour in water to cover the vegetables. Cover pan and simmer about 1 hour or until vegetables are tender.Taste for seasonings.
½ cup frozen spinach, choppedAdd the frozen spinach, and heat through.
Divide in 6 equal servings. Freeze what you don’t need today.
per serving: several leaves of fresh spinachRoughly chop the leaves and poke into the hot soup when serving. 

A Friend of Bill’s

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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.

“Are you a friend of Bill’s?” This seemingly innocuous question is an opening gambit that can lead to shared experiences and recovery from a debilitating disease. Who is Bill?? William Griffith Wilson was born and raised in Vermont, where his grandparents ran an inn. In the nineteen-teens, Bill met Lois Burnham, a summer resident of Vermont and attended Norwich University. There, Wilson was a recognized leader and he was trained in New York and Virginia in preparation for World War I. Before Wilson went off to war, he was made a second lieutenant and he married Lois. He also became depressed and started drinking, to ease social anxiety. Following the war, Wilson and his wife moved to Brooklyn. He continued drinking while he worked as a stock speculator. His drinking prevented him from graduating from law school. By 1933, Wilson had been committed four times to a New York hospital that treated alcoholism, but their methods did not help him. A meeting with an old drinking buddy, now sober, inspired Wilson to join a group that used spirituality and fellowship to help alcoholics. After that, a series of events lead him to sobriety: a spiritual experience, a phone call to a supportive person, and wishing to help another person to recover. With fellow sufferer, Bob Smith, Wilson formed a a group for mutual support, and on December 11, 1935, Bill took his last drink. The group was so successful that other groups started. In 1939, Wilson wrote a book called Alcoholics Anonymous, in which he outlined the 12-step program for sobriety in the group called AA. To maintain anonymity, group members would introduce themselves by their first names and last initial only, so Wilson became ‘Bill W’. If a member is looking for a meeting to attend, he/she might ask someone if they were ‘a friend of Bill’s’, a coded phrase to identify fellow AA member. You might hear a Friend of Bill’s being paged at an airport or on a cruise ship. AA has helped millions to get sober and stay that way. Today, there are 123,000 A.A. groups in 180 countries. That’s a lot of people trying to tame their addiction.

For Bill W’s military service in France, an omelette for breakfast. And a dinner from his native New England.

Basquaise ScrOmelette:  165 calories… 8 g fat… 2.5 g fiber… 11 g protein… 11 g carbs… 82.5 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF This recipe, full of the flavors of the Basque region of SW France, comes to us from Salute to Healthy Cooking, published by the French Culinary Institute. Wonderful book from which we cook all year long. Note that this is a baked omelette, so the method is a little different. Faites bien attention.

++1½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. ++++2 Tbsp tomato sauce++++ 2 Tbsp bell pepper, chopped++++ 1 clove garlic or pinch granulated garlic++++ 2 tsp parsley, chopped ++++ 1 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated++++ pinch or two piment d’esplette+++++ 1½ oz apple or pear+++++  Optional:blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait  [65 calories] ++++ Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]++

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

Scallops with Sun-dried Tomatoes: 285 calories… 11 g fat… 5 g fiber… 28 g protein… 29 g carbs… 66 mg Calcium…  PB GF Jasper White offers this recipe in his book Cooking From New England. It is simplicity itself to prepare and a delight to eat.  HINT: this recipe serves 2 [two] diners.

Serves 2Prepare a mise in place, since the operations procede very quickly
½ c/¾ oz sun-dried tomatoes – NOT in oil Slice each tomato into 4 strips and put in a small bowl. Cover with hot water. Set aside to soak.
½# scallops salt + pepperTrim off any white tissue. Blot dry on paper toweling. If using sea scallops, cut in half along equator. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
1½ oz red lentil pasta Cook as package directs. Drain, reserving some water.
1 Tbsp olive oil—–1 Tbsp garlic, choppedHeat a saute pan until hot, then add oil. Immediately add scallops in one layer and garlic. Count 30 secs and turn scallops.
1 Tbsp lemon juice—1 tsp butter—-¼ c pasta waterCount 30 seconds and add the drained tomatoes, lemon juice, butter, and pasta water while stirring. Add more pasta water, as needed.
1½ Tbsp parsley/basil——cooked pastaChop the herbs. Count 30 seconds and add the cooked pasta. Heat through and add parsley. Ready to serve.

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

1 two-oz egg = US large1 slice ‘Canadian’ or back bacon
OLIVE-PEPP SCROMapple slices or apple sauce
Pan Muffins: Bob’s Red Mill 10-grain hot cereal mix +
butter + sugar + unbleached flour + leavening
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

SOUPE ROYAUMEJOTA
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Lord Tennyson

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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.

Often, when we asked our mother to ‘tell us a story’, she would recite poems. Long poems, that told a story. One such was The Lady of Shallot [1842 version] by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. It was a wonderful tale — vivid imagery, knights, chivalry, and unrequited love. [Either it didn’t register at my age or my mother edited it out, but it was years before I realized that the Lady died at the end!] By dint of repetition, I memorized most of it. When my sister and I played the card game “Authors“, there he was again: Alfred, Lord Tennyson. He was born in 1809, into the family of a vicar with many children. Although money was tight, Alfred was sent to grammar school, where he was not happy. Home life wasn’t very happy either. But his father ensured that his precocious son had exposure to a wide range of literature. While yet a child, Alfred wrote poems in the style of several famous poets, which helped him to hone his craft. He and his brothers collaborated on a book of poetry, mostly written by Alfred, his first published collection. At Cambridge, Tennyson forged a deep friendship with Arthur Hallam who encouraged him to publish again in 1830. Mixed reviews drove the poet to despair, but they also caused him to revise poems, often for the better. All his life, Tennyson hesitated to publish, fearing criticism. Between 1831 and 1833, two deaths rocked his life: first his father, then his friend Hallam. What followed was his best-received work, In Memoriam, published in 1850, also the year of his marriage. Charge of the Light Brigade. The Lotos-Eaters. Crossing the Bar. The Passing of Arthur. Enoch Arden. Tennyson’s poems are romantic, often melancholy, and lyrical. They so captured the zeitgeist of the 1800s, that Queen Victoria named him poet laureate of England. Not long before his death, Tennyson was made a Baron — hence the “Lord” Tennyson. He was the most popular poet of the Victorian Era. My mother loved Tennyson’s work, and I was reading to her from Idylls of the King while she died. I haven’t read it since.

Our meals are quintessentially English, like Tennyson and his poems.

Ploughman’s Breakfast: 232 calories… 16.6 g fat… 2 g fiber… 13. g protein… 32.4 g carbs… 241 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB GF  From The 8 Week Blood Sugar Diet by Dr. Michael Mosley, this meal is a modern take on a traditional English meal, the Ploughman’s Lunch.

++ 2 oz apple slices ++++ 1 oz Cheddar cheese ++++ 1 oz ham ++++ ½ oz walnuts++++ 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] ++

Assemble the meal elements, and plate. Good start to the day!

Ham-Stuffed Fish   260 calories… 3.5 g fat… 23 g protein… 16 g carbs… 139 mg Calcium…  PB GF – if using GF bread  Another recipe of unknown origin, found in the recipe drawer. Glad I saved it.

++ 4 oz perch or sole ++++ 1 oz sliced ham from the deli ++++ ½ tsp soy sauce ++++ ½ tsp sherry ++++ 1 egg white ++++ ½ piece of whole-grain 70-calorie bread ++++ 1 Tbsp finely-chopped or ground walnuts ++++ 1-2 oz carrots, julienned or sliced as coins ++++ 1 scallion, sliced thinly ++

Slice the fish so that it is in 2 pieces of equal length and thickness. Crumble the bread into the finest crumbs and blend thoroughly with walnuts. Whip the egg white until it is very frothy. Blend in the soy sauce and sherry. Make a ‘sandwich’ of the ham slice between the two pieces of fish. Dip in the egg mixture to coat, then dip in the breading. Cook in a heavy non-stick pan, sprayed with cooking spray, until fish is cooked – about 5 minutes per side. Cook the carrots. Plate the fish and carrots and sprinkle with sliced scallion.

Michael

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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.

Michael, whose name means “Who is like God?”, was the Archangel. That translates as “head or chief of all the angels”. FYI: the word ‘angel’ means ‘messenger’. Confusingly, he is one of several ‘archangels’ — somewhere between two and seven are revered by different sects. You might think that Michael would be mentioned a lot in the Bible, but there are only four verses that actually name him: Jude 1:9,  Daniel 10:13, Daniel 12:1, Revelation 12:7-9. [The Angel Gabriel is mentioned more than that.] John Milton expanded on the Revelation verses by giving Michael a major role in Paradise Lost. In that 1667 epic poem, Michael is the warrior angel who goes into hand-to-hand combat with Lucifer/Satan/the Dragon, and throws him bodily out of Heaven. This is how Michael is usually portrayed in art, as in the famous statue on Paris’ Boulevard Saint Michel [Boul’Mich], on the Left Bank. Michael seems to have several roles. He is the advocate for Israel; he is a healer, especially linked to ‘healing waters’; he is the commander of God’s army; he is the Angel of Death who escorts souls to heaven; and he brings messages from Earth to God. Saint Michael’s Day is called Michaelmas, and was formerly a major time of celebration in Old Europe. Michael is the patron of soldiers, police officers, and others in dangerous jobs, also of France, Germany, and Ukraine.

The Feast of Saint Michael, September 29, is during the autumn mushroom season, so we will have some of them at breakfast. The barley harvest would be over, so some barley will be in our dinner salad.

Mushroom Bake: 145 calories… 6.6 g fat… 1 g fiber… 10 g protein… 9.5 g carbs… 102 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF Goodness has everything to do with this delicious meal.

++ 1 two-oz egg ++++ 2 Tablespoon ricotta ++++ 2 oz chantrelle/cepe or other ‘wild’ mushrooms ++++ 1½ tsp Parmesan cheese, grated ++++ 0.1 oz chopped prosciutto ++++ 1 oz peach OR pear OR apple ++++  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] ++

Spritz a ramekin [for 2 people, Dear Husband prefers to use a 4×6” oval casserole] with oil or non-stick spray and set the toaster oven at 350F. Chop the mushrooms and stir the cheeses together with the mushrooms and proscuitto. Whisk the eggs into the mushroom/cheeses and pour into the container. Bake 12-15 mins. Add a beverage and fruit, and you are ready for a bounteous day.

Tuna-Barley Salad: 230 calories… 4 g fat… 3.4 g fiber… 26 g protein… 23.6 g carbs… 60 mg Calcium…  PB GF Here is a meal to fit any diet plan, with whole grains, vegetables, and heart-healthy tuna.  HINT: Serves 2 [two]

++ 2 oz quick barley ++++ 5 oz white tuna, drained ++++ 1.5 oz canned white beans ++++ 5 oz grape tomatoes ++++ 4.5 oz baby spinach or baby lettuce ++++ 1 Tbsp Parmesan, grated ++++   marinade: 2 tsp white wine vinegar ++++ 1 tsp olive oil ++

Cook the barley and combine it with chunks of tuna. Put salad greens and marinade in serving bowl and toss. Gently toss in the barley-tuna to combine. Put tomatoes on top, then sprinkle with Parmesan. Gosh its good – and filling!

Hometown Heroine: Ancona

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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.

The people of Ancona were in dire straits. For months their coastal city had been besieged by the combined forces of their enemies, the Republic of Venice and the Holy Roman Empire. The plucky little Republic of Ancona had the temerity to challenge Venice over trade rights in the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas, and they had chosen to ally themselves with the Byzantine Empire rather than the Holy Romans. Warfare ensued, leading to the Siege of Ancona. The people of the city were in need of a break, of a morale boost in this war of attrition. On September 1, 1173, while the siege engines ringed the walls, a band of defenders rolled a barrel of pitch through a hole in the wall. The plan was to set it alight, to destroy some war machines, and gain a respite from the relentless attacks. The problem was that the pitch was very flammable and potentially explosive — the act of lighting it on fire might be deadly. It had to be done, but how? And by whom? While the men stood about dithering, the Widow Stamina stepped forward. With an axe in hand, she went to the barrel and broke it open. She lit the pitch and the resulting fire consumed the siege engines. She died of course. Stamina’s action allowed the city of Ancona to hold out until October, when allies arrived to end the siege. In the 1800s, during the efforts to unify Italy, Stamina was hailed as a true “Italian” heroine, although she had never heard of a nation by that name. She was memorialized in art, history books, and a novel. “Facts” about her were invented, to flesh out her biography. All we really know about her is her last name [sometimes written as ‘Stamura’], and that “the Sacrifice of Stamina” truly saved the day at the Siege of Ancona.

Prosciutto & Melon Plate:  215 calories… 10 g fat… 3 g fiber… 24 g protein… 23 g carbs… 228 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB GF Once again the Inn at Saint Peter’s inspired a breakfast! Nothing beats the salty-sweet flavor combination of this meal.  HINT: I plated everything the night before and stored the plates in zipper bags in the refrigerator.

++ 5 oz canteloupe melon [Charentais melon would be fabulous!] ++++ 1 oz thinly-sliced prosciutto ++++ ¼ cup red onion pickle ++++ 0.2 oz shavings of Parmesan cheese ++++ fresh basil or mint leaves OR crumbled dried basil ++++ ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt ++++ ¼ cup blackberries plus drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction, optional ++++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] ++ 

Cut the melon into bite-sized cubes [8 pieces look well on the plate]. Cut the prosciutto into 8 long strips [mine were 1”x4”]. Place a ramekin with yogurt, berries, and balsamic vinegar in the center of a plate. Arrange the red onion around it, then the melon and ham in a circle on the outside of the plate. Shave off curls of Parmesan and place them on top. If using fresh herb leaves, tuck them in here and there. If using dried herbs, rub the leaves in your palms to crumble over the plate. Serve with your chosen beverage. Wonderful flavors, however you combine them on your fork.

Turkey Picatta: 257 calories… 5 g fat… 1.3 g fiber… 31 g protein… 21 g carbs… 28 mg Calcium… GF Rush Hour Cooking provided this recipe which is one of our all-time favorites. Quick and delicious.

++ 4 oz uncooked turkey breast ++++ salt & pepper ++++ ½ tsp olive oil 1 Tbsp white wine ++++ 1/3 cup chicken stock ++++ 1.5 tsp lemon juice ++++ 2 Tbsp shallots, minced ++++ pinch garlic powder ++++ 2 tsp capers ++++ 3 oz tomatoes, sliced ++++ ¼ cup brown rice, optional++

Combine the wine, stock and lemon juice. Pound the turkey meat, if needed, to even out the thickness. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and cook the turkey on both sides until cooked through, adding a little of the stock mixture if needed. Remove turkey to a plate and keep warm. Add the stock mixture and shallots to the pan along with the garlic powder, stirring up the brown bits on the pan. Cook down until only 3-4 tablespoons of sauce remain. Lastly add the capers. Warm the rice [if using cooked left-over rice] and slice the tomatoes. Plate the rice, drizzling 1 Tbsp sauce over it. Plate the turkey, pouring the remaining sauce on it. Plate the tomatoes.

Diet of Worms

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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.

A diet of worms?? — doesn’t that sound delicious!! Surely if there were such an eating plan, it would guarantee rapid weight loss — no one would want to eat at all! But in this case, a ‘diet’ is not a WOE/way-of-eating, but a political gathering called for the purpose of deliberating a matter of interest. In January 1521, Emperor Charles V assembled the leaders of the German States, both nobles and clergymen, to a meeting at the city of Worms. Worms was a ‘free city’ meaning that it ruled itself, free from the dictates of a prince or the church, so it was beholden to nobody. One of the matters to discuss came up in mid-April. The Church was offended by the proposals of the Augustinian monk Martin Luther for reforms of the Church. Luther had posted his 95 proposals in October, 1517 and they had caused much debate. He was especially against the selling of indulgences to raise money for the Pope. In 1520, Pope Leo X issued a condemnation of 41 of the 95 theses, and so the stage was set. On April 16, Luther appeared before the Diet and acknowledged that the 95 theses were his own ideas. The Pope’s representative asked Luther to repudiate his ideas. Luther asked for a day to think about his answer. On April 17, when asked again, Luther said that if anyone could show him that his writings were in opposition to what was in the Bible, then he would recant. Otherwise, he declared, “Here I stand. [“Hier stehe ich”] I can do no other. [“Ich kann nicht anders”] Amen.” Such a commotion ensued, that the meeting was suspended. When a vote was taken about Luther’s fate as a heretic, the group could reach no conclusion. Upon leaving Worms, Luther was “kidnapped” by men sent by his benefactor Elector Frederick III the Wise of Saxony, and spirited away to Wartburg Castle. Meanwhile, a subsequent Diet passed the Edict of Worms, seeking Luther’s arrest. It was never enforced. His courageous stand at the Diet of Worms rallied supporters to his cause and the German version of the Protestant Reformation movement grew into the Lutheran Church.

Our breakfast is from the Franconia region of Germany, and Franconia shows the divisions that the Reformation caused: parts of the region are staunchly Roman Catholic, and the other parts are resolutely Protestant. Our German dinner would be popular anywhere, no matter what your religious views are.

Franconian Breakfast: 163 calories 4.4 g fat 4 g. fiber 13 g protein 22.5 g carbs 117 mg Calcium  NB: These values are for the Fruit Hearts alone and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  Here some favorite flavors of the German State of Franconia come together for breakfast. My stars!! This is delicious!

++ 1 slice 70-calorie whole-grain bread ++ 1 oz smoked trout ++ 2 Tbsp small-curd cottage cheese ++++ 1 Tbsp snipped chives ++++ 2 oz plum  ++++ 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] ++++ 

Lightly toast the bread. Stir together the cottage cheese and chives, and spread on the toast. Plate along with the trout and plum. Some might prefer to place the trout on the bread and eat it thus, which is a great way to do it. 

Herring Salad:  278 calories 6 g fat 7 g fiber 16 g protein 24 g carbs 103 mg Calcium  PB GF Luchöw’s Restaurant will live in memory as long as a certain generation yet breathes. And there was a lot to remember about it: the decor, the old-world service, the menu. Not a hokey tourist trap – it was a genuine German restaurant in Manhattan. This is one of their fine Old World recipes.  NB: if you take a MOIA anti-depressent, be aware that herring has high amounts of tyramine. 

1½ oz herring marinated in wine, drained ¼ cup beets, cooked, cooled and diced 1½ oz apple, peeled and diced ¼ cup white beans, drained and rinsed ½ hard-boiled egg, sliced 2 Tbsp onion, minced ½ oz dill pickle, chopped pinch sugar 2 tsp vinegar, or more 1 cup lettuce, shredded

Put the vinegar and sugar in a bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Add remaining ingredients and toss gently until everything is well-incorporated. Taste to see if it needs more sugar or more vinegar. A herring-lover’s delight.

The Alderney

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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.

“The Dairymaid 
She curtsied, 
And went and told 
The Alderney: 
“Don’t forget the butter for 
The Royal slice of bread.” 
The Alderney 
Said sleepily: 
“You’d better tell 
His Majesty 
That many people nowadays 
Like marmalade Instead.”  The King’s Breakfast, A. A. Milne

And what, you ask, is an”Alderney” and why can it be rude to the King of England? The place called Alderney is one of the Channel Islands that lie off the coast of Normandy. They were traditionally owned by the Duke of Normandy. When, in 1066, the Duke of Normandy [William the Conquerer] became the King of England, the Channel Islands became part of England. Sort of. Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark are part of the sovereign ‘Bailiwick of Guernsey,’ which belong to King Charles III alone. In the poem above, the Alderney is a cow, one of a special breed from the island. Dairy cattle were important on the Channel Islands, provoking much pride and competition among their citizens. The Alderney was recognized in the late 1700s as an established breed, famous for its docility and the quality of its butter. The breed is mentioned by Jane Austin. In 19th-century England, ‘Alderney’ came to be a generic name for a cow from any of the Islands, so people were confused about the breed and authenticity of the brand name. On Jersey and Guernsey, they say that the Alderney is a degraded, inferior breed, but those who knew said that the three breeds were recognizably different, the Alderney being smaller, ‘deer-like.’ All of them originated centuries ago in Normandy and Brittany, and were subsequently affected by breeding programs on each Island. Before the Nazis invaded in 1944, many people and some cattle were evacuated. But however-many pure-bred Alderneys remained there were slaughtered by the Nazis, so the breed is no more. The most common dairy cow in the US today is the Holstein. There are herds of Jerseys, there are herds of Guernseys, but none of us will ever see an Alderney again.

Our meals, naturally, contain lots of dairy products — but no marmalade — in honor of the late, lamented Alderney breed of cow.

Herb Cottage Cheese Bake: 146 calories 5 g fat 4 g fiber 9 g protein 12 g carbs 36.4 mg Calcium   PB GF – if using GF crackers or omitting  This is a very pleasant and easy-to-prepare breakfast that takes advantage of the flavors of garden-fresh herbs.

One 2-oz egg 2 Tbsp fresh herbs, chopped 1 Tbsp cottage cheese 2 pinches crushed red peppers 2 oz peach 2 slices Finn Crisp crackers  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]

Preheat toaster oven to 350F. Spritz an oven-safe dish with cooking spray. Whisk together egg, herbs, cottage cheese, and red pepper. Pour into baking dish and bake 12-15 minutes. Plate with peach and pour an optional beverage. Simple and satisfying.

Ham Flan [Rigodon]: 284 calories 9 g fat 3 g fiber 27 g protein 25 g carbs 231.5 mg Calcium  PB GF – if using GF flour In Burgundy, they like their ham. Here it stars in the glorious ‘rigodon’ or ham flan. Easy to prepare and splendid to eat.  HINT: This recipe serves 2 [two].

3 oz ham, preferably 97% fat free 1 cup skimmed milk 4 two-oz eggs 2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour big pinch allspice big pinch thyme Side Salad OR 2 oz green beans

Dice the ham and put it on the bottom of a glass or ceramic pie plate which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Bring the milk slowly to a boil. Whisk the eggs and flour until well combined. Take the milk off the heat and add to the eggs in a thin stream while whisking quickly so the eggs don’t cook. Stir in the seasonings and pour it all into the baking dish. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes, until set and golden brown. Serve cold or at room temperature.

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

1 two-oz egg + crab meat1.5 two-oz eggs 
soy sauce + ground gingertuna + clementine
sprouted seeds + scallionsFrozen spinach 
garlic powder + pearMediterranean Vegetables
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

Chicken breast meat + chicken stock3 figs + mint leaves
Satay Sauce  + peanut butterchèvre/creamy goat cheese
2 chicken momos  + 2 pork wontonsBayonne or Serrano ham
1 oz Chinese BBQ Pork, purchased plain croissant
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Twelfth Night

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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.

As the song tells us, there are 12 Days of Christmas. The counting begins on Christmas Day and continues into January. The 12th Day is the day before Epiphany, January 6, which traditionally marks the day that the Three Kings and their gifts visited the baby Jesus and his family. Because of this, January 6 is a day of gift-giving in many countries. It is also called Three King’s Day and it marks the official ‘end’ of the Christmas Season. Because the twelfth day was the end of festivities and the next day was a Holy Day, the night before Epiphany was the last night for partying and took on particular significance. That night before is called ‘Twelfth Night.’ Yes, Shakespeare wrote a play of that title. Special parties and revelry were planned, along with certain foods. A King Cake was a typical in France, a tradition transplanted to the French colony of Louisiana. This confection was baked with non-edible tokens inside and party-goers would hope to find in their slice of cake a coin [symbolizing wealth for the up-coming year] or a ring [next to marry] or, in today’s New Orleans, a tiny plastic Baby. If you find the Baby, then you are crowned King or Queen of the night, complete with a crown — and you will have to host the party next year. And after Twelfth Night came the Feast of the Three Kings and after that it was back to the hum-drum work-a-day world. Except that we are talking about celebrations in the 12th through 17th centuries and the nobility who lived then — their work-a-day world was far different from that of the hundreds of peasants and servants who made the nobles’ lives possible. My parents always gave their seasonal party on 12th Night, and it was always a success.

Our breakfast contains three principle ingredients, in honor of the Three Kings. Our dinner is typical of the American South at New Year’s: greens and sausage are a classic meal, right down to the touch of molasses.

Carne-Green Chili ScrOmelette: 168 calories 13.5 g fat 1.4 g fiber 12.5 g protein 13 g carbs 48 mg Calcium   NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  The directions below are for an omelette, or as the name ScrOmelette implies, you could scramble it all.

1½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.    ½ oz roasted green chilies [Hatch brand is very good] ½ ounce carne adovada [pork shoulder with hot spices boiled until it falls apart: make ahead and freeze for future use] 1½ oz apple or unsweetened apple sauce  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] or lemon in hot water

Whisk the eggs with salt + pepper to taste. Drain the chilis, if too liquidy, and stir with the carne. Put the eggs into a hot pan spritzed with cooking spray. Once the bottom of the eggs are set, sprinkle with carne and chilis, fold and plate. Slice or dish the fruit, prepare your beverages. Enjoy your fine South-Western breakfast with mocha coffee for authentic taste.

Andouille with Beans & Greens:  213 calories 7.5 g fat 6 g fiber 16.5 g protein 22 g carbs 120 mg Calcium  PB GF  After reading Vallery Lomas’ recipe in the New York Times, I decided to see if I could make these flavors suitable for a Fast meal. Here is the result and it is a treat.  HINT: This recipe serves three [3].

6 oz Andouille, slicedCook and stir sausage in a heavy skillet until browned, 5-7 mins.
1 shallot
1 clove garlic		Mince shallot and garlic and cook, stirring often, until translucent, ~2 mins.
3c/4 oz collards
salt & pepper		Coarsely chop and add greens. Add 3 Tbsp water. Toss-cook to wilt, 2-3 mins. Add salt and pepper. 
2 tsp fresh thyme
1 c. cannellini beans
1 c. diced tomato
2 tsp molasses		Rinse and drain the beans. Add these ingredients and toss to warm through. Season again with salt and pepper to taste.

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

1 two-oz egg1.5 two-oz eggs 
fresh chives + kiwi fruit2 oysters
Parmesan cheeseuncured American bacon
reduced-fat ricotta cheesestrawberries or cherries
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

olive oil + garlic + oregano sprig + parsleychicken or turkey thigh meat, uncooked + dashi
collards or kale or Swiss chard + shallotsoy sauce + mirin + chives/scallions
canned beans, like kidney + red pepper flakessaki or dry sherry + sugar
whole wheat pasta or brown rice or barley2 eggs + parsley: Italian or Mitsuba
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Berchtoldstag

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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.

A Hasselnuss Hock

January 2 is the date to celebrate Berchtoldstag or Berchtold’s Day in many cantons of Switzerland. Oddly, no one seems to know who Berchtold was! He might have been the Duke Berchtold V, who in 1191, founded the capital city of Bern. Or the day could be named for a Swiss-German Benedictine monk named Berchtold of Engelberg. Perhaps the name comes from the word “berchten” which means ‘to wander about asking for food.’ Whatever. German-speaking descendants of the Alemenni tribe in Germany, Switzerland, and Alsace seize the day for village feasts, costumed parades, and celebration of local tradition. This is not a religious holiday or a saint’s day, but a cultural observance. Protestants tried to stamp out the festival during the Reformation, but it has persisted. Children go around asking for nuts, a rather more healthy ‘trick-or-treat’ tradition. With the nuts, they play all sorts of games and build tiny towers called ‘hocks’ with four nuts as the base and one balanced on top. Try it. Go nuts on 2 January, and celebrate an ancient festival.

Nuts are on the menu for Berchtoldstag — but not the walnuts or hazelnuts that the children expect. Our breakfast will use almonds and the dinner will include peanuts as an ingredient. Ok, ok — peanuts are not true nuts, but they are enjoyed worldwide.

Peachy Waffle Hearts: 148 calories 3.4 g fat 3.6 g fiber 3.6 g protein 29 g carbs 59.4 mg Calcium  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB  GF– if using GF waffles  Where is it written that hearts are reserved for Valentine’s Day? Make this breakfast to show someone that he/she/they are loved. Make it for yourself for affirmation.

3 sections of waffle that are heart-shaped [our waffle-maker has 5 heart-shaped sections] 3 Tbsp Vanilla yogurt, low-fat 2 Tbsp almond meal/flour 3 oz peach, mashed 2 oz pear, cut as 3 slices   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] or lemon in hot water 

Combine the yogurt with the almond meal and let it sit to thicken a bit. Can be done overnight. Mash the peach through a sieve to make a mush. Warm the waffles to take off any chill and spread with the peach mush. Pipe or spoon the yogurt around the edges of the hearts and plate with the pear. A pretty treat.

Chicken Satay: 262 calories 9 g fat 3 g fiber 24 g protein 17 g carbs 23 mg Calcium  PB GF  It looks so elegant in the restaurant, yet it is easy to prepare at home. Feel free to vary the vegetables if you wish.

3 oz uncooked chicken breast 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp satay sauce [Taste of Thai or Thai Kitchen] 1½ tsp peanut butter pinch granulated garlic Sriracha to taste 1 oz cherry tomatoes 2-3 oz cauliflower, sliced across the entire head 

Cut the chicken into 1” pieces. Put in a bowl and mix well with 1 Tbsp of satay sauce. Let sit 4-12 hours in the refrigerator. In a small bowl, combine 2 tsp of satay sauce with the peanut butter, garlic powder, and Sriracha. Slice the cauliflower into a ‘steak’ [across the head] that weighs 2-3 oz and brush it with the peanut sauce. Skewer the marinated meat on wooden or metal picks. Broil or grill both the meat [takes less time] and cauliflower [takes more time] until done. Plate with the tomatoes.

Gustave Eiffel

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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.

Gustave Eiffel was born on December 15, 1832, near Dijon. He was born during the early years of the Industrial Revolution, when the ability to make high quality iron in mass production had begun. This permitted the building of tall, wide, strong structures. Eiffel attended the  Ecole Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, where he learned to build with steel. He must have learned well, for he became known for building bridges. Bordeaux, 1860. Portugal, 1876. Garabit Viaduct, 1885. The structures are elegant and durable. His engineering firm was responsible for some notable buildings in Hungary, 1874; Nice, 1878; Chile, 1868. Eiffel designed the engineering supports inside of the Statue of Liberty, 1883, and of course his most famous work was the Eiffel Tower, 1889. The iconic tower was built to be a temporary demonstration of iron-working, a curiosity at the Paris World’s Fair of 1889, 100 years after the French Revolution. Artists and poets hated it and many citizens wanted the eye-sore torn down. But when it became a radio antenna in the late 1890s, it was seen as more than a place for tourists to visit. After the disastrous French attempt to build the Panama Canal, with Eiffel’s company designing the lock system, Eiffel retired. After two years in prison for the canal debacle, he was exonerated. Still healthy and curious, he spent his last 30 years studying meteorology, wind forces on tall structures, and wind tunnels. Can one today imagine Paris without its amazing Tour Eiffel? Incroyable! Can one today imagine New York without its amazing Lady Liberty? Fuggedaboutit! Gustave Eiffel certainly left an indelible mark on the world with his structures. A genius.

You might think that Eiffel’s birthday should call for that restaurant fad of ‘tall food,’ but we will enjoy simple French meals that are easy to prepare and enjoyable to eat.

Cherry Flamusse: 194 calories 5 g fat 1 g fiber 11 g protein 27.6 g carbs 157 mg Calcium  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB GF – if using GF flour  This breakfast custard is borrowed from the dessert section of the cookbook, and it works very well either way! It is similar to a clafouti, but simpler. Served with cherries or any fresh fruit, it is sure to be a hit. HINT: This makes enough for 2 [two] servings: share with a friend or save the rest for a future breakfast or dessert. [As a dessert, without the clementine, one serving has 177 calories.]

2 two-oz eggs 6 oz milk 4 tsp flour OR tapioca flour 1.5 Tbsp sugar 10 sweet cherries, pitted ½ clementine  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] or lemon in hot water 

Spritz 2 ramekins or an oven-proof dish with 1.5 cup capacity with non-stick spray. Cut the cherries in half and arrange on the bottom of the dish. Whisk eggs until foamy, then add flour and sugar, whisking until there are no lumps. Stir in the milk and pour the batter over the cherries. Bake at 375 F. for 20 minutes. Turn the flamusse out of the dish so that the cherries are on top. Plate with the clementine sections, serve with the beverages. Sure doesn’t taste like a ‘diet.’

Beef & Beet Salad:  243 calories 8.5 g fat 3 g fiber 24 g protein 17 g carbs 24 mg Calcium   PB GF  This unusual salad was found in James Peterson’s Glorious French Food. Should you have left-over roast beef, this is the dish to try. It is crazy easy.

2¾ oz thinly-sliced roasted beef 3½ oz pickled beets, as thinly-sliced rounds a few leaves of spinach, cut as chiffonade dill pickle spear 1½ tsp dressing*** 

***Dressing [makes 6 teaspoons] 2¼ tsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp chopped shallot 1½ tsp red wine vinegar 4½ tsp olive oil

Slice the beef and the beets as matchsticks about 2-3” long. Put in the serving bowl/plate along with the spinach, and drizzle the dressing over the top. Gently toss to coat the salad with the dressing. Plate it with the pickle. 

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

2 two-oz eggs + olive oil1.5 two-oz eggs 
garlic + mushroomsscallions
frozen spinach + milkbasil + tomato
flour + feta cheesestrawberries
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

zucchini + 2-oz egg + dill weed8”, 170-calorie whole wheat tortilla
feta cheese + parsley + shrimpcrushed tomatoes + mozzarella
white whole wheat flour + tomatoonion + mushrooms
self-wishing flour + plain yogurtprosciutto + calamita olive
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