delicious recipes under 300 calories

Saint Valentine

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

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

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

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

1 oz whole-grain bread cut into two hearts, using a 2+” heart-shaped cookie cutter 1 oz Canadian bacon/back bacon OR deli-sliced ham cut into hearts with the same sized cutter 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce 2 Tbsp low-fat French Vanilla yogurt 1 Tbsp almond meal fresh fruit of your choosing: fresh raspberries or sliced strawberries or peach slices or blueberries Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

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

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

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

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

Flexible Flyer

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

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

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

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

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

½ cup reduced-fat cottage cheese 2 Tbsp fat-free French Vanilla yogurt 1 clementine, peeled and sectioned OR 2 oz orange segments 2 Tbsp black currants OR blueberries Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]   Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Plumbing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Cherry Orchard

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

The Cherry Orchard, the last play by Anton Chekhov, had its debut in 1904 on his birthday January 17. He called the play a comedy, viewers often see it as a drama, but in its heart it is an allegory of the times in which he lived. In brief, the play centers around a land-owning lady who returns to her childhood home. There she had lived with her husband, raised their children, and suffered the death of her husband and son. Due to her inability to manage money, she and her family are on the edge of bankruptcy. A solution might be to cut down the family’s large cherry orchard and sell off lots for summer cottages, but the family will not hear of it. By the end of the play, the land has been sold, the family leaves their home forever, and the cherry trees are being cut down as the curtain falls. Why a play about this silly woman and her trees? The story takes place in post-feudal Russia. The serfs have been freed and can become upwardly mobile — like the business man who buys the land. In pre-Revolution Russia, there was a clash of old ideas [privileged aristocrats exiting Stage Left] and new ideas about individual rights [enter Marx and Lenin Stage Right]. The orchard represents class differences: for the serfs it means hours of labor to prune the trees, to harvest and process the fruit; for the upper-class it is a lovely place to picnic and enjoy because of the work of others. The orchard represents a land-based, old-world economy, cutting it down paves the way for modern ‘Western’ ways of life. The audience got the point and the play has been popular with audiences ever since.

Our meals today are typically Russian, and yes, there are cherries. Blinis lead the way in Act I. And a very typical cabbage soup for the serfs stars in Act II. For everyone, a recipe for Russian-style tea — not the ersatz version from the 1960s, but the genuine article.

Buckwheat Blini Breakfast: 213 calories 5 g fat 3 g fiber 9 g protein 31 g carbs 67.6 mg Calcium NB: The food values shown are for the plated items only, not for the optional beverages. Blini are associated with Russia and caviar. Here they appear in more humble company at breakfast. Sour Cherry Syrup  is just the thing to top them, though cherry jelly thinned with water would be good too. Russians would serve this with strong black tea, sweetened with honey, and garnished with a slice of lemon, called Zavarka.

2 buckwheat blini** 1 oz ham 1 Tbsp/ ½ fl oz Sour Cherry Syrup Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or black tea with honey + lemon or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or Zavarka++ [21-64 calories]

If previously-made, warm the blini and roll them. Warm and roll the ham, too. Plate them all and lash with the syrup. A simple and tasty meal.

**BUCKWHEAT BLINI:  one batch yields 16 six-inch pancakes, ~1 oz each each = 72 calories 2 g fat 1.6 g fiber 2 g protein 10 g carbs 30 mg Calcium 

1¼ c skim milk ½ c all-purpose flour ½ c white whole wheat flour ½ c buckwheat flour ¾ tsp dry yeast 1 tsp salt 2 two-oz eggs 2 Tbsp butter 3-4 Tbsp water

Heat the milk until warm to the touch. Whisk together the flours, yeast, and salt. Melt butter and let cool a bit. Mix with the warm milk, then whisk in the eggs. Combine wet and dry ingredients until no lumps remain. Let rest 90 minutes on the counter or 12 hrs in a cool place. After the resting, stir the batter and heat a well-seasoned or non-stick skillet. Spritz with non-stick spray, then wipe with a bit of paper towel. To make 6” diameter blini, I used a 3 Tbsp scoop. The batter is thicker than crepe-batter, but thinner than most pancake-batter. It begins to cook as soon as it hits the pan, so tip/rotate the pan with one hand as you add batter with the other. Then use a scraper to nudge the batter over the edges. Cook on one side, as holes form on the top. Then turn and cook on the other side.  TIP: they freeze well

++Russian Tea, Zavarka: with 1 tsp honey = 21 calories 0g fat, fiber, protein 5.5 g carbs 0.3 mg Calcium with 1 Tbsp honey = 64 calories 0g fat, fiber, protein 16.5 g carbs 1 mg Calcium

1-2 cups of teaRecipe from  Peter Kolesnichenko
4-5 heaping tsp loose leaf tea1 cup boiling hot water Put tea into a small tea pot and add water. Let steep 10+ mins, ensuring all tea leaves have sunk to the bottom.
boiling water for tea = kipyatok (кипяток)Pour some tea concentrate into a cup, then fill the cup with boiling water. Adjust amounts, depending on your preferrence.
1-2 tsp honey per cup lemon slice per cupAdd honey and a lemon slice. Keep topping up zavarka with hot water and enjoy drinking real Russian Tea.

Shchi – Russian Cabbage Soup: 280 calories 4 g fat 4.6 g fiber 8 g protein 45 g carbs 37.5 mg Calcium  PB GF- if using GF bread or omitting. This hearty soup can be made with beef and beef stock or with chicken stock or vegetable stock. For Russians, it is the taste of Rodina, the Mother Land.  HINT: This recipe makes enough for four [4] servings.  Recipe author Julia Frey says that this soup ‘will give you the energy you need in the dead of winter.’ [ the name of the soup is pronounced like the word ‘she.’]

4-5 one cup servings
½ of an onion  1 carrot 
1 bay leaf 3-4 whole peppercorns a pinch of salt 1 L./4 c chicken stock 		Cut carrot in 3-4 pieces. Combine all the ingredients for the broth and cook 1½ hrs. If using beef: add 1/3 pound stew beef and water. After cooking, remove beef with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Strain broth through a fine sieve to clear it. Discard vegetables and spices. OR use 1 qts quality Brown Stock or Chicken Stock. I used chicken stock, simmered for 30 mins with these ingredients to give the stock a richer flavor. I did not add meat.
7 oz potatoPeel potato, cut in 1/2″ chunks. In a soup pot, put broth, beef and potatoes and bring to a boil.
3/4 cup shredded carrot ½ cup onion 1½ tsp butterShred the carrot and chop the onion.
Saute carrots and onions with butter over low heat until tender and the onions translucent, ~10 mins.
1 cup cabbage, chopped When soup boils, add cabbage and vegetables, [and beef if using] cook  5 mins and turn heat off. Do not to overcook the vegetables! 
2 Tbsp parsley, fresh 1 tsp dill, dried salt and pepper Chop parsley. Add herbs, salt, and pepper to taste. 
As always, soup tastes better if you prepare it ahead of time and let it sit for a few hours or overnight.
2 tsp whipped cream cheese
1 oz sourdough rye bread 		Serve each bowl with a dollop of cream and the optional bread.

The Rubicon

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

On January 10, 49 BCE, Julius Caesar had a decision to make. He had conquered Gaul, extending the Roman territory into modern France. This established him as an army general of note and a force to be reckoned with. Now it was time to return to Rome. He wanted to be hailed as a victorious general, heaped with praise and honor. But the Roman Senate was filled with his political enemies — instead of congratulations, they wanted to punish and exile him. Caesar and his legion were camped just north of a tiny river called the Rubicon. It marked the northern limit of the Roman Republic. To cross it with an army would be an act of war against the Republic. For Caesar, to cross it without an army would mean arrest and political defeat. He considered his options. It would be a gamble… Caesar is believed to have quoted a line from his favorite Greek playwright, saying: “Alea iacta est.” [in English, “Let the die be cast.”] He crossed the Rubicon.

Are you at a cross-roads about your health? Do you have a decision to make? Is your weight a concern? Or your cholesterol count? Are you concerned about being pre-diabetic? The choice is to do nothing [and risk serious health consequences] or to try 5:2 Fasting, which you are sure would be difficult for you. So try this: treat yourself to one Fast-style dinner this week and see how you like it. The recipe below is easy to prepare and puts a goodly portion of food on your plate. Go ahead, try it. Don’t have any pork? No problem! Substitute 6 oz of shrimp [making a two-person amount] in the same recipe. Cast the dice and be a winner.

Pork Noodle Quick-fry: 262 calories 8.5 g fat 5 g fiber 34 g protein 32 g carb 73.5 mg Calcium  PB Found on the back of a bag of soba noodles, this recipe is quick and easy and good to eat.  HINT: this is enough for TWO. Instead of soba noodles, you can use udon noodles.

2 oz Soba or Udon noodles 
1 qt water		Heat water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook 4 minutes. Drain, rinse, and cool.
3 oz cabbage OR 1 c snow peas
2 oz onion
1 cup [4 oz] carrot 
3 oz broccoli		Shred the cabbage and the carrot.
Slice the onion and chop the broccoli.
If using snow peas, remove the strings and leave whole.
1 tsp sesame oil cooking sprayHeat a heavy frying pan or wok. Add oil and heat it, then spray with cooking oil. Add vegetables and stir-fry 3 minutes.
5 oz roasted pork tenderloin  HINT: use pork which was cooked previouslySlice pork into ½” rounds, then slice cross-wise into sticks. Add 2-3 Tbsp water to the wok along with meat. Stir-fry 1 minute
2 oz scallions
1 Tbsp soy sauce		Slice scallions diagonally. Add to wok with soy sauce and cook until everything is hot.

Alfred Wegener’s Big Idea

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

Alfred Wegener, born 1880 in Berlin, Germany, was trained as an astronomer but became a meteorologist instead. He pioneered research with weather balloons and studied climate in the arctic. While looking at atlases, Wegener was struck by the way South America and Africa looked like two puzzle pieces which should fit together. This made him think that the land masses had once been parts of one large continent, which he called ‘Pangaea‘ or ‘all-land,’ and that since then the continents had moved apart. Alfred began to look for proof that this was so. His research showed that plants, such as the extinct land plant ‘Glossopteris,’ and the same reptile fossils are found on several continents. He found that there are mountain chains in North America that match up with those in Scotland. This line of thinking caused Wegener to present his Theory of Continental Drift on January 6, 1912. He explained the ability of the continents to move by giving the analogy of steamer trunks being pushed across a smooth floor. [In those days, it was believed that the sea floor was flat and smooth.] Wegener thought that the continents were not attached to the seafloor substrate and could slide or drift on top of it. But when asked by fellow scientists how and why the continents moved, Wegener had no explanation. A book in 1915 fleshed out his theory, and the author republished it several times until 1929, adding new evidence. Wegener was correct: the continents were once together, the most recent being 230 million years ago. Many times before, there was a supercontinent. Wegener was also incorrect: not only do the continents move, the sea floors move too, propelled by molten currents under the Earth’s crust. Geologists did not accept his theory and it was relegated to the scrap-heap of under-proven ideas. He died in Greenland, on an expedition, on his 50th birthday.

After you have cooked the ScrOmelette, cut it into two pieces, making the cut jagged instead of straight. This makes two ‘puzzle pieces.’ which is what lead Wegener to his idea of the continents fitting together. The roasting vegetables can slide back and forth on the baking sheet, just as Wegener thought that the continents could slide over the sea floor.

Leek & Tomato ScrOmelette:  153 calories 7.4 g fat 3 g fiber 10.4 g protein 12 g carbs 73 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  Eggs taste great — leeks and tomatoes always make them even better.

1½ eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume, into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.  1 oz tomato 2 pinches basil 0.35 oz leeks, sliced and cooked  pinch garlic powder 1 clementine OR 2 oz apple  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Dice the tomatoes and put them in a pan which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Add salt and the basil, and cook until warm. Add the cooked leeks along with the garlic powder. Whisk the eggs and pour over the vegetables in the pan. Cook to your liking: as a scramble or as an omelette. Plate with the fruit, serve the beverages of your choice, and enjoy a fine day.

Turkey w/ Roasted Delicata and Sweet Potato: 294 calories 4 g fat 7 g fiber 13 g protein 36 g carbs 85,5 mg Calcium  PB GF Anna Stockwell from Epicurious came up with this recipe and am I glad. Here is a simple sheet-pan meal topped with a delicious agrodolce sauce.  HINT: This recipe serves two [2] people. As attractive as it is delicious.

Sv 2Preheat oven to 425°F. 
12 oz delicata squash 10 oz sweet potatoes
1½ tsp EVOO		Slice unpeeled squash into ¾” thick rounds, and remove seeds. Peel + slice sweet potatoes in ¾” rounds. Toss vegetables and oil in a bowl.
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp salt		Add pepper flakes and salt, and toss to combine.
3 thyme sprigsArrange vegetables lat on a large cast iron skillet with thyme on top. Roast 30 mins.
4 oz turkey breast, sliced ½” thick
cooking spray 		Lightly salt both sides of turkey. Take skillet from oven, spray veggies with oil, and turn them over. Put turkey on top of vegetables, and return to oven for 10 mins.
1½ Tbsp agrodolce** per person Plate vegetables, place the meat on top,+ dollop agrodolce over all. 
CRANBERRY AGRODOLCEMakes = 6 TBSP = 4 SV
2 oz cranberries
¼ c red wine vinegar 2 oz sugar 
1 sprig thyme		Cook these in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cranberries are soft and sauce is thick and syrupy, ~35 mins.

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

cottage cheese
brandade + one 2-oz egg
Find a new favorite breakfast in Archivesgranulated garlic
melon
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

soba or udon noodles + onionham + 1 cup oysters and their liquid
soy sauce + cabbagemilk + peas
sesame oil + carrot + scallionpotato starch + white wine
broccoli + roasted pork tenderloin70-calorie bread
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Perihelion  

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

The Earth orbits the Sun. This scientific theory, first proved by Copernicus in 1543, has been a fact since it was confirmed by Galileo in 1610. Since the time of Aristotle, it was thought that the shape of any orbit was a perfect circle because circles-are-a-perfect-shape-and-nature-is-perfect. This mantra was practically holy writ for almost 2000 years. Then in 1609, Kepler demonstrated that all the planets orbit the sun in orbits that are elliptical in shape. Society likes things to be set in stone, but Science keeps an open mind and changes its mind when new facts come along. And so we know that the Earth orbits the Sun in an oval orbit. On January 3rd, the Earth is at Perihelion — from the latin for ” the closest point in its orbit to the Sun.” This always came as a surprise to my Earth Science students, who thought that Summer was when the Earth was closer to the Sun and therefore hotter. Nope. At an average of 93 million miles from our star, the small distance change due to our elliptical orbit makes no difference in the Earth’s temperature. We seem to be taking care of that ourselves. And we each need to work harder at not making the Earth any warmer.

Our meals come from warmer climates just for the fun of it, not because a position at Perihelion causes the Earth to be warmer.

Goan Shrimp Bake: 126 calories 5.5 g fat 1 g fiber 12.6 g protein 6.6 g carbs 50 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  A breakfast with the flavors of Goa. Dear Husband is a big fan.

One 2-oz egg ¼ cup water 1½ tsp tomato paste ¼ tsp chili powder ¼ tsp turmeric powder 0.9 oz shrimp, cut in roughly ¼” slices 1 Tbsp scallion, chopped ¼ c cilantro, chopped 1 oz mango or 2 oz strawberries   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]

Thaw and peel the shrimp, and cut into roughly ¼” slices. Put the water, tomato paste and spices into a small pan. Simmer until the liquid is hot and thicker. Turn heat way down and add the shrimp. Cook until it is opaque, then take off the heat and add the cilantro and scallion. HINT: I did this the night before.  Scrape the shrimp mixture into a baking dish. Whisk the egg and pour into the baking dish. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until the eggs are set and there is no liquid when you cut into it. Plate with the fruit and wow! Such a delicious breakfast.

Taiwanese-Style Seafood Pancakes: each serving: 298 calories 11 g fat 1.6 g fiber 20 g protein 21.5 g carbs 141 mg Calcium  PB This recipe is taken from Wok On by Ching He Huang  HINT: This is enough for two [2] dinner pancakes. Invite a fellow Faster or cut recipe in half.  Note to purists: the original recipe does not call for wheat flour, let alone whole wheat flour. But I am into nutrition and insist that there be some fiber and complex carbs in my food, hence the heretical addition.

2 Tbsp of hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp of oyster sauce
2 Tbsp red sriracha		Combine the ingredients for a sweet-hot sauce. = 6 Tbsp1½ Tbsp = 20 calories 0.3 g fat 0.2 g fiber 0.3 g protein 4.5 g carbs 5.5 mg Calcium 
1/3c/ 20g potato flour or flakes  ¼c/ 30g white whole wheat flour 2 Tbsp/ 14g cornstarch  180ml/ 6oz/180g cold water Mix the dry ingredients with the water and stir to combine. Let sit to wet the ingredients, then stir again, adding more water if batter is too stiff. Batter should have the consistancy of milk so it will flow well in the pan. Divide the batter into 2 equal portions
2 spring onions
½ tsp crushed red pepper		Cut scallions into a fine dice.Add cut scallions and crushed pepper to the portions of batter above. Stir.
75g/ 2oz mixed seafood: mussels/shrimp/fish/squid  Cut the seafood into pieces less than ½” in size. Divide the combination into 2 equal portions
2 eggs
50g/ 2oz pak choi 		Beat eggs to break them up. Slice pak choi thinly across the leaves. Divide eggs and greens equally between 2 bowls.
½ tsp light sesame oil cooking oil spray
one portion of seafood mixture one portion of batter one portion egg-greens mixture		Heat a flat-bottomed wok or heavy saute pan over medium heat. Add oil, swirl it around to distribute, then spray with cooking oil. Add mixed seafood and fry for a few seconds.  Add the flour batter, and tip pan to distribute. Immediately add the egg-greens. Cook 60 secs until starting to brown, flip and cook on the other side until starting to brown. Put on a plate and cover with a tea towel.
½ tsp light sesame oil
cooking oil spray
one portion of seafood mixture
one portion of batter
one portion egg-greens mixture 		Make the second ‘pancake’ in the same way, using the remaining ingredients. 



drizzle with 1½ Tbsp hot sauce per serving

Kwanzaa

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

Kwanzaa was developed in 1966 as a response to the Watts Riots of 1965. Professor Maulana Karenga, chair of Africana Studies at California State University, was distressed at the lack of unity among Black Americans and their estrangement from their African roots. After much research into the festivals of Zulu and Ashanti people, he proposed a new holiday: Kwanzaa, to run from December 26 to January 1. Each day features the lighting of a candle and a family discussions of certain principles, along with singing, dancing, and eating culturally-based foods. The seven principles are: Unity; Self-determination; Collective work and responsibility; Cooperative economics; Purpose; Creativity; and Faith. These are excellent values that we all can espouse. Kwanzaa has been embraced by people around the world, not just in the USA. Tomorrow will be Day 5 of Kwanzaa, a day of Purpose. Find a new purpose for your life, whether it is volunteering in your community or being purposeful about your health choices. Happy Kwanzaa to all those who celebrate.

Here I offer two breakfasts for Kwanzaa, from Northern Africa and from Southern Africa. Muhindi [corn] is one of the major symbols of Kwanzaa, so it is fitting to eat it in the Mealie Bread. Your family probably has its own favorite dinner menus, from Hoppin’ John to Cajun Catfish. It is all about family and the foods you share.

Moroccan Omelette: 135 calories 8 g fat 1.4 g fiber 10 g protein 7.7 g carbs 49 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  Suggested by our First-born, this is the easiest breakfast to prepare. For the compete flavor profile, serve with mint tea as they do in Morocco.

1½ 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 tsp or more ground cumin ½ tsp or more paprika salt + pepper 1/2 clementine OR 5 Bing cherries   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or MINT TEA or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Combine the cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small dish. Whisk just the eggs vigorously. Pour into a heated skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Turn down the heat. Sprinkle the eggs with the seasonings and leave undisturbed until puffy and the top is set. Remove from skillet, and serve folded or flat. Pour the beverages and enjoy the fruit as a counter-point to the spices.

Mealie Bread Breakfast: 190 calories 2.5 g fat 3 g fiber 13.4 g protein 25.4 g carbs 73 mg Calcium  PB GF – if using GF flour in mealie bread  Mealie bread is a staple in southern Africa. It is simple to prepare and you will like it. Here it makes a fine breakfast as one of four typically African foods and flavors: 1] mealie bread 2] watermelon [originally from Egypt] 3] coffee 4] chicken [several native species].

3 Mealie Breads** 4 oz watermelon 1½ oz chicken breast meat, cooked   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

**Mealie Breads: makes 24 pieces using a 1½ Tbsp scoop 1 piece = 73 calories 0.5 g fat 1 g fiber 1 g protein 5.6 g carbs 20 mg Calcium I cooked the batter as patties, scooped onto a griddle. Fine flavor at breakfast or dinner.

¼ c milk 2 Tbsp melted butter 1 two-oz egg ½ c white whole wheat flour ½ c cornmeal 1 Tbsp sugar 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt ½ tsp paprika 1 cup cooked corn kernels

Combine all the ingredients to form a moist, fairly thick batter. If too dry, add a little milk or water. If too wet, add a little flour. Heat a griddle to medium high and spritz with non-stick spray. Scoop batter onto it, then flatten out to make 3” patties. Turn when the bottom is set and a little brown, then cook the other side. When cool, they freeze well.

Prepare and cook the mealie bread or warm from the freezer. Cut chicken into strips and watermelon into chunks. Plate and enjoy with another African flavor: coffee.

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

1 two-oz egg + raw shrimp1.5 two-oz eggs 
tomato paste + chili powderleek + fresh tomato
turmeric + cilantro leavesgarlic powder + basil
scallion + strawberries or mangoclementine or apple
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

cornstarch + potato flakes + 2-oz eggdelicata squash + sweet potato
white whole wheat flour + red chiliolive oil + raw turkey breast + thyme sprigs
mixed seafood + canola oil + oyster saucered pepper flakes + sugar
pak choi or swiss chard + srirachacranberries + red wine vinegar
Sparkling waterSparkling water

A Wonderful Life

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

After the end of World War II, the Hollywood people who had gone to war came home. One was Jimmy Stewart who was looking to revive his stalled acting career. He had entered the war as a Private who had an amateur pilot’s license, and was demobbed as a full Colonel with 20 combat missions over Germany to his credit. Another was Frank Capra, who had left off directing for major films to make ‘propaganda’ films for the US Signal Corps during the war. With 5 Academy Awards for prior films, it should have been easy for him to fit back into the industry. Capra hired Stewart to star in Its a Wonderful Life, released in 1946, on December 20. Like Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, also starring Stewart, this movie is about the virtues of small town life; the necessity for people to work together for the common good; the hard-working refugee families moving to America; and the importance of faith in higher ideals. As Roger Ebert said, the film is “a celebration of the lives and dreams of America’s ordinary citizens, who tried the best they could to do the right thing by themselves and their neighbors.” It was not a success. Maybe 1946 was not the time for a sentimental film. The movie was ‘rediscovered’ in the 1970s when the copywrite expired. Aired on TV, the film quickly became a seasonal Christmas favorite. It is sweet, and corny, and makes you feel good about doing the right thing. Watch it and celebrate the film’s 75th anniversary.

Frank Capra was a fierce defender of the American Dream. Our hash ‘n’ eggs breakfast is typical of the small-town diner menu. Since Capra was the son of immigrants, our dinner features Mediterranean flavors well known to the other travelers in steerage when his family came to America in 1903.

Sweet Potato-Black Bean Hash:  212 calories 4.5 g fat 9 g fiber  31 g carbs 96.5 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg and hash only, not the optional hot beverage. PB GF Long-time friend and fellow bell ringer Jane Winslow inspired this recipe. She’s right: it is very good.

½ c. diced sweet potatoes [You could substitute ½ cup of diced winter squash, which lowers the calories, protein, and carbs] 2 Tbsp yellow onion, diced 1.5 oz = ¼ red pepper, sliced salt + pepper to taste ¾ tsp paprika ¼ tsp cumin ½ cup spinach, roughly chopped 3 oz black beans = 1/3 c. one 1.8-oz egg  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water   NB: no smoothie — too many calories for this recipe

Spritz olive oil in a small cast iron pan on medium heat. Add sweet potatoes, onion, red pepper, seasonings, and a little water. Cook on medium-low for 10 minutes, occasionally stirring. ALTERNATELY, you could roast these vegetables in a 400 F. oven for 10 minutes. Add spinach and 2 more Tbsp water, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Lastly, add the black beans and stir until ingredients are well-blended. HINT: prep this far the night before. NEXT MORNING: Heat the vegetable hash in the pan before topping with a poached or fried egg. Serve in the skillet or scoop onto a plate.

Feta Nicoise Salad:  243 calories 6 g fat 2 g fiber 16 g protein 25 g carbs 244 mg Calcium  PB GF  There is a lot of food on this plate – bring your appetite.

1½ romaine leaves OR 1-1/2 cup lettuce, sliced cross-ways ¼ cup green beans 1 scant cup cucumber OR zucchini, diced 1/4 c feta cheese, crumbled or diced 2 black olives, quartered 2 Tbsp canned chick peas, rinsed 1/2 oz sourdough bread 1 tsp flavorful olive oil + 1 tsp white wine vinegar

Steam the green beans, cool and set aside. Slice the romaine crosswise into 1” strips. Prepare the other ingredients as described. Pour the oil and vinegar into a wide, shallow bowl and whisk briskly. Put all the other ingredients in the bowl and toss gently to coat with dressing. Welcome to southern France for fine dining.

Hoxne Hoard

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

A detectorist, a hammer, and a mis-pronouncible location are in today’s story. The Romans occupied Britain from the rule of Claudius, 43 CE, until the fall of the Empire in the 400s CE. They built forts, baths, temples/shrines, roads, walls, and mansions. As the City of Rome was increasingly invaded by ‘barbarians,’ rule weakened in the distant provinces. England was threatened by the Saxons and the Angles, and the Roman patricians who ruled there were worried. Skip forward to December 16, 1992, in Hoxne [pronounced hox-on = what??!?!], Suffolk. A retired farmer is looking for a lost hammer using his metal detector. He scans the field and gets a signal from the device. A little digging and — this is not a hammer!! He has found an enormous trove of gold and silver objects. Authorities are alerted. The find is dug up in a huge clump with surrounding soil intact; it is dubbed the Hoxne Hoard; it is defined as ‘treasure.’ [As treasure, it is the property of traceable heirs. There were none.] The treasure had been buried by a very wealthy Roman family around 450 CE: coins, spoons, table ware, and jewelry had been packed in a wooden box. Archaeologists had a field day, the British Museum obtained a new display, and the detectorist received the value of his find as a reward. He also found the hammer.

The Romans loved figs, which they introduced to Britain, so we will have them at breakfast. The dinner should be from south of Rome, but it is as American as pineapples. Both are good meals.

Fig & Chevre Plate: 153 calories 8.4 g fat 2 g fiber 7.5 g protein 13.4 g carbs [12 g Complex] 163 mg Calcium  NB: The food values shown are for the cheese, egg, fig, and spinach, not for the optional beverages.  PB GF  Simple, elegant, and more filling than it looks. Figs and chèvre are a divine combination.

½ hard-boiled egg 1 dried fig = 0.65 oz = 16 g 1 oz chevre cheese ¼ oz baby spinach 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]

Rehydrate the dried fig by covering with water and microwaving or heating for 1 minute. Let the fig sit in the water for another few minutes, then cut in half. Arrange the spinach leaves in an oval. Dab the leaves with crumbles of the goat cheese. Plate the egg half and the fig halves.  HINT: I composed the plate the night before, covered it with a plastic bag, and kept it cool until breakfast. Instant breakfast!

Pineapple Pompeii: 286 calories 9.5 g fat 5 g fiber 15 g protein 40.6 g carbs 85.5 mg Calcium  PB GF This is served in South-Eastern Pennsylvania as a side dish to baked ham. The fanciful name is unique to the neighbor who gave me the recipe. I put the ham in the casserole to make a complete meal. HINT: Serves 6 as dinner.  This was a real hit at a pot-luck.

5 cups whole-grain bread cut in cubes four 2-oz eggs 1 Tbsp butter ¼ cup loosely-packed brown sugar 20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained and saving the juice 2/3 cup 3%-fat ham, cut in ¼” dice   per person: 1 side salad with beets  

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the bread cubes and eggs to the bowl. Stir together to combine. Add the ham and drained pineapple. Stir to combine thoroughly. The batter should be moist, so you may need to add some of the drained pineapple juice to bring it to the right consistancy. Spray a 6×10” baking pan with non-stick spray and pour in the batter. Smooth it into the corners and bake at 350F for 25 minutes, until set and starting to brown on the top. Cut into 6 pieces. Serve with the Side Salad. Freeze the pieces that you don’t use today for another meal.

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

1 two-oz egg + onion + fresh spinach1.5 two-oz eggs 
red bell pepper + paprikakalamata olive
sweet potato or winter squashpepperoni slice
canned black beans + cuminwinter savory herb + pear
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

Romaine lettuce + green beanscanned baked beans + onion
Cucumber + feta cheese celery + canned stewed tomatoes
black olivesbeef stock/brown stock + tabasco sauce
Olive oil + white wine vinegaroptional: hard-boiled egg + lemon slices
Sparkling waterSparkling water