delicious recipes under 300 calories

Morning to Night: Puttanesca

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How this Fast Diet http://the fast diet.co.uk 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.

Probably everyone knows that the ‘origin of Puttanesca Sauce‘ is connected to Ladies of the Night. Or is it?? Some people say it is from Lazio [Rome], others say Naples.  It seems that the story behind it is as full of holes as an alibi by a philandering husband back from a week-end ‘conference.’  Where ever this sauce came from, it is delicious — full of bold flavors and very easy to prepare with ingredients from jars in the pantry.  Make up a big batch and freeze it in portions.  It is so versatile — on a Fast Day, we will use it at breakfast and at dinner;  on a Slow Day, you could serve it on pasta.

PUTTANESCA SAUCE: makes 5 cups            SAUCY, 6-Dec-2017                                              1 cup = 117 calories 3.6 g fat 5.2 g fiber 3.4 g protein 15 g carbs 125 mg Calcium                              1 Tbsp = 7 calories 0.2 g fat 0.3 g fiber 0.2 g protein 0.9 g carbs 8 mg Calcium                            1 cup chopped onion                                                                                                                            1 or 2 cloves garlic                                                                                                                                                            2 tsp olive oil                                                                                                                                        5 cups whole tomatoes, canned and drained                                                                                                                                  1 cup mushrooms                                                                                                                                  2 anchovies                                                                                                                                              ½ cup canned black olives                                                                                                                2 Tbsp capers

Cook the onions and garlic in oil and some of the tomatoes’ juice until transluscent. Add all the other ingredients, mashing the tomato to break into smaller chunks. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour to thicken.

Puttenesca Bake: 268 calories 6 g fat 2.5 g fiber 13 g protein 39 g carbs [34 g Complex] 231 mg Calcium   PB GF  Once you have Puttanesca Sauce in the freezer, preparing this breakfast is very easy.Puttenesca Bake

one 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                   1.5 Tbsp puttanesca sauce, drained of excess liquid                                                                        ½ Tbsp Parmesan, grated                                                                                                                  ¼ cup peaches canned in juice                                                                                                         5-6 oz green smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]                                                      blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

Set the toaster oven at 350° F.  Spritz an oven-proof ramekin or small casserole [if serving 2 or more] with non-stick spray. Whisk the eggs with the sauce and cheese. Pour into the baking dish and heat for 12-15 minutes. Portion the peaches and prepare the beverages. Que bella!

Mackerel Puttanesca: 298 calories  17 g fat  3.3 g fiber  22.6 g protein  7.6 g carbs  66.4 mg Calcium  PB GF  Pierre Franey is the source of this simple repast.  Such an easy meal, especially if your sauce is left-over homemade or from the supermarket shelf. Delicious and satisfying. [Don’t be concerned about the fat: it is from the mackerel which is high in Omega 3, so it is good fat] Mackerel Puttanesca

4 oz of mackerel [or other rich, oily fish] fillets                                                                                                  ¼ cup puttanesca sauce, homemade [see SAUCY, Dec 6 ’17] or from a jar                                        2 oz green beans

If using fresh fish, broil the fish for 4-5 minutes per side to cook it. If using mackerel which has been frozen after cooking, thaw to room temperature. NB: Mackerel does not keep well in the fridge uncooked. If you have to buy mackerel prior to the day you will serve it, filet the fish and broil it as soon as you get back to the kitchen. Then you can hold it for a day or two, or freeze it for longer. Mackerel does not freeze well uncooked.  Cook the green beans. Heat the sauce and mackerel together in a covered pan until warm. Plate. Done in minutes!

Passover

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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.

Imagine this: Your people have been living in a foreign land ever since a famine drove you from your homeland.  You are herdsmen and farmers, minding your own business and worshiping your own G-d. After many generations, the leaders of this country grow nervous about the size of your population.  They move you to the cities, make you take menial jobs, kill your sons, and restrict your movement in or out of the country.  What can you do to improve your plight? You pray to your G-d for help.  A leader arises from among you, who goes to the government and demands that you people be allowed to leave. The answer is no: you are worth more to the government as forced labor.  Plagues descend on the land, affecting millions of people, and still you cannot leave. At last a message is whispered from house to house: kill a lamb for your dinner tonight and daub its blood on the doorposts of your dwelling. Pack whatever you can carry, including food, and be ready to leave when the word comes. Do not even bake yeast bread, there isn’t time.  That night, children and livestock all over the country die mysteriously — but not in your house, for the evil passed over you. The next day, your people are allowed to leave and you march to the East, rejoicing that your G-d has set you free.  This is the story of Passover as told in Exodus Chapter I, verse 8 through Chapter 12, verse 39.

In case you are running out of menu ideas, today’s meals are in keeping with the Kosher food traditions of Passover.  Breakfast is styled on the popular Reuben Sandwich, served on matzo, an unleavened bread.  The dinner is a simple soup made of a ‘bitter herb‘ — watercress.

Reuben Matzo Egg:  168 calories   9.8 g fat   1.3 g fiber  14 g protein  18.6 g carbs  [2.5 g Complex]  54 mg Calcium   NB: Food values shown are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverages.   PB  The flavors of a Reuben but Kosher for Passover! What’s not to love? Delicious, filling breakfast. The original recipe is from Kosher in the Kitch.Reuben Matzo Eggs

 1½ two-oz eggs    HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.  ++++ ½ matzo cracker [14 g] [Streit’s brand]   ++++ ¼ oz corned beef, sliced thinly and diced  ++++ 2 Tbsp sauerkraut [drained]   ++++ 1.5 tsp Russian Dressing**    ++++ **Optional: black coffee with 1 tsp sugar [16 calories]  ++++ or black tea  ++++  Optional: 4 oz Kosher orange juice [56 calories]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

**Russian Dressing    22 calories/1.5 tsp  ++++ 1 tsp mayonnaise  ++++ ¼ tsp catsup  ++++ 1/8 tsp hot sauce                                                    1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce ++++  pinch paprika 

Whisk the eggs vigorously, then stir in the corned beef and sauerkraut. Pour into a non-stick pan which was spritzed with olive oil. Scramble until done to your preference. Carefully break the matzo in two, then in half again: you will now have two quarter pieces. Spread most of the Russian Dressing on the matzo crackers, then top with the eggs. Garnish with a little corned beef, a dollop of the Dressing, and black pepper. Delish.

Watercress Soup:  157 calories   5.4 g fat   2.9 g fiber   8.4 g protein  22 g carbs   63.5 mg Calcium  PB  GF   Jacques Pepin’s Good Life Cooking is the source of this recipe and the stream that runs onto the beach is the source of our watercress.  So low in calories, you can add an egg for more protein and a Caprese Salad on the side. HINT: This recipe makes 5 cups. Freeze the remainders.Watercress Soup

2 tsp olive oil                                                                                                                                          4 oz [by weight, not volume] watercress leaves and stemmer stems                                        1 cup celery, coarsely chopped                                                                                                            2 cups onion, coarsely chopped                                                                                                              2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed                                                                                                          2-1/2 cups very good vegetable broth [if not keeping Kosher, use chicken or beef broth]                                                                                                                                                       3/4 tsp salt                                                                                                                                             10 oz [weight not volume] potato, peeled and cut in 2″ chunks                                                  2 oz [weight not volume] sweet potato, peeled and cut in 2″ chunks                                       per serving: 1 Tbsp chèvre cheese

optional:  Caprese Salad — 46 calories  2.2 g fat  0.6 g fiber  3.9 g protein  2.6 g carbs  115.6 g Calcium  1/2 oz mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced       2 oz tomatoes, thinly sliced and sprinkled with salt    fresh basil leaves     There should be equal slices of cheese and tomato.  Arrange the cheese, tomato, and basil in over-lapping layers                                         optional: cut a hard-boiled egg length-wise into quarters and nestle them into the soup           70 calories    4.8 g fat   0 g fiber   6 g protein    0.4 g carbs   28 mg Calcium

Heat the oil in a sauce pan.  Add the cress, celery, onion, and garlic and stir-fry for two minutes.  Put in the stock, salt, and potatoes and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.  Cool slightly, then puree in a blender/food processor/immersion wand.  If not thoroughly pureed, run it through a sieve.  Heat the soup gently before serving.  After ladling into the bowl, put the chèvre in the center, let it soften in the heat, then swirl it into the soup with a knife. Serve with the optional additions.                                                  

Ingredients for next week:

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

1 two-oz egg 1 two-oz egg    + curry powder
puttanesca sauce [Saucy, 6-Dec-’17] crushed tomatoes
Parmesan cheese reduced-fat ricotta
peaches [fresh or canned in juice] artichoke hearts + applesauce
Whatever you need for your smoothie Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage Whatever you need for your hot beverage

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

4 oz mackerel [or salmon] fresh mussels  + 2 fresh oysters
green beans mussel broth  +  curry powder
puttanesca sauce [Saucy, 6-Dec-’17] flour   + Gruyere cheese
green beans
Sparkling water Sparkling water

Colorful Veggies

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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 nutrifitvitamins who is now Following.

Time was, when it was late winter, vegetables were in short supply.  Home-canned green beans were an option or vegetables that had been stored in the root cellar: cabbage, turnips, potatoes, parsnips.  Carrots if you were lucky.  While there is nothing wrong with those plant products, what do you notice about that selection? Not much color variation. Now we have many more varieties of vegetables available most of the year ’round.  [Thanks, globalization.  Caution, locavores]  And now we know that the more colorful the vegetables are, the more nutrition they provide. Today we will celebrate the orange veg; the green veg; the red veg  — all served up in a riot of flavor.

Eggs In Sweet Potato Nests: 163 calories   9.7 g fat   1.2 g fiber  10.6 g protein  9 g carbs [8 g Complex]  137.5 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg/potato mixture and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF Saw this discussed on line and decided to try it. Preparation is a little fussy but it is done the night before making for an easy morning. HINT: this recipe serves 2 [two] people, each person gets 2 nests. I’m told these refrigerate well for the next morning.Eggs in Sweet Potato Cups

½ oz [¼ cup] grated sweet potato                                                                                                                  1 two-oz egg                                                                                                                                       1 Tbsp grated Cheddar cheese                                                                                                           pinch or two garlic powder                                                                                                                  1 Tbsp chopped watercress or parsley to sprinkle on top                                                                 5 cherries                                                                                                                                      Optional:  blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                       Optional:  3 oz  fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [44 calories]

Grate the sweet potato and cheese. Toss thoroughly in a bowl with the garlic. Divide among 6 cups of a muffin pan and push it around, pressing up the sides a bit. NB: I used a flexible non-stick muffin pan which worked well with no sticking. If you don’t have one, use liners or spray the muffin pans very well.  Bake the cups in a 375° F. oven for 10 minutes. Whisk the eggs with some salt and pour over the baked sweet potatoes. Sprinkle the egg with chopped watercress or parsley. HINT: I left this on a cool counter/refrigerator over night.  Bake at 350° F. for 15+ minutes or until the eggs are set.  Let them sit just a bit to firm up before using a knife to loosen the egg nests, then removing them to the plates. Add cherries and the beverages of your choice and try this new flavor combo.

Red & Green Shakshuka:  220 calories  10.6 g fat  5.3 g fiber  11.6 g protein  16.7 g carbs [15 g Complex]   207 mg Calcium  PB GF   There is Red Shakshuka and there is Green Shakshuka. And here we have the combination: Christmas colors! It is delicious!Christmas Shakshuka

½ tsp oil                                                                                                                                                              ¼ c onion, chopped                                                                                                                          3 Tbsp chopped celery                                                                                                                      1 clove garlic, chopped                                                                                                                            1/3 cup red or green sweet pepper, chopped                                                                                 1.5 cups fresh spinach                                                                                                                       ½ cup mashed whole tomatoes                                                                                                      1/3 cup eggplant cubes, optional          If not using the eggplant, add more bell peppers.                                                                                                   cumin + paprika + oregano                                                                                                             1 egg                                                                                                                                                  1.5 Tbsp Feta Cheese

Use an 8″ cast iron or other oven-safe skillet that has an oven-safe lid. Set the oven at 375° F. Cook the onion and celery in the oil until a bit softened. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the sweet pepper, tomato, and eggplant, along with the seasonings. Cook until tender. Put the spinach in the bubbling vegetables and stir/toss them until the leaves are softened but not limp. Make a slight indentation in the vegetables and crack an egg into it. Sprinkle with the Feta. Cover the skillet and bake it in the oven for 5 minutes. Check to see if egg is done to your liking. If not, recover and cook another minute or two. Serve in the skillet. NB: You could cook two eggs on top for one person if you wanted to boost the protein = 290 calories /15 g fat / 5.3 g fiber / 18 g protein / 17 g carbs / 235 mg Calcium

Blackthorn Winter

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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.

What, you ask, is Blackthorn Winter?  Well, in merrie olde England, this is the time of year that the Blackthorns [Prunus spinosa] bloom.  The creamy white blossoms are widespread and from a distance they look like snow or frost.  Further, the weather takes a colder turn, feeling more like Winter after a little taste of Spring. [Some say it is a corollary of Indian Summer in the Fall.]  In Autumn, the Blackthorn produces a blue fruit which is covered with gin to make a liqueur — Sloe Gin, anyone?  The thorns on the dark bark made this plant a good natural hedge for fencing in livestock.  Blackthorns grow all over Europe and they have been gathered and eaten for at least 5,300 years.

Although this is blackthorn winter, this is not “a winter of our discontent.”   April 10 marks the 6th anniversary of Fasting for us.  We think this is a great way to lose weight and to be healthier.  Here are two very different recipes for Fasting, from two places where Blackthorns are found. Sloes are native to Denmark and they have naturalized in the Eastern US, perhaps near Philadelphia.

Danish ScrOmelette: 140 calories 10.4 g fat 0.5 g fiber 12 g protein 5.6 g carbs [3 g Complex] 242 mg Calcium   PB GF  This breakfast was developed in honor of Tycho Brahe, famous astronomer and Denmark’s pride. The taste of the sea, the bleu cheese, the star in the apple: all sing praise to him.Danish Omelettte

1 ½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week                              1/2   oz Danish bleu cheese                                                                                                                          ½ oz herring marinated in wine                                                                                                         1 oz apple, sliced so you can see the star inside                                                                  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                     Optional:  5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

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

Philly Cheesesteak en Casserole: 264 calories 11 g fat   1.2 g fiber   33.7 g protein  11.3 g carbs [8.9 g Complex]  263 mg Calcium  GF   The iconic street food of Philadelphia has been made over for Fast Day.  By the way, provolone is the original cheese for this dish – NOT Cheeze-Whiz.Philly Cheesesteak en Casserole

2-1/2 oz rare roast beef, shaved  [get this in the deli section of the supermarket]                                                      0.8 oz provolene cheese [2 thin slices]                                                                                                    1 oz onions, sliced                                                                                                                                    1-1/2 oz broccoli florets                                                                                                                 1 slice 80-calorie whole-grain bread, from which you will cut a 3-4” bell using a cookie cutter

In a small skillet sprayed with non-stick spray, cook the onions in a little water until they are limp but not browned and set them aside. Take a slice of Martin’s whole-wheat potato bread and cut out a bell shape using a 3-4” cookie cutter. Lightly toast the bread. Add the beef to the pan and cook the meat while chopping at it with a metal turner. Add the onions when the beef is grey-colored and soft. Boil/steam the broccoli while the meat cooks. Lay the cheese over the meat and take off the heat. The cheese will melt onto the beef. Make room in the pan for the broccoli and top with the bread bell. Enjoy your taste of Philadelphia while you hum the theme to Rocky.

Ingredients for next week:

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

1 two-oz egg felafel  [Stocking Up   4-Jan-’17]
Sweet potato  + watercress or parsley pineapple or cantaloupe
cheddar cheese Greek-style yogurt
garlic powder   +   cherries mint leaves
Whatever you need for your smoothie Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage Whatever you need for your hot beverage

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

olive oil  +  onion  + bell pepper + celery green split peas
spinach  + eggplant  + tomato + cumin 2 slices uncured bacon
paprika + oregano + feta cheese  + egg thyme
Sparkling water Sparkling water

Food in Wrappers, 2

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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 rest of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.                                                                                                                                  Welcome to Vilma who is now Following.

Here is a continuation of our series of foods from around the world which consist of meat/vegetables wrapped in something  — sort of the early idea of a ‘wrap‘.  This worldwide culinary occurrence is seen today in meals from New Mexican burritos, Danish cabbage rolls, and Haitain pate.  How interesting it is to me that such diverse cultures should share the same idea and interpret it in such diverse ways.  Food is fascinating. Cuisine is creative. Even on a Fast Day.

breakfast burrito

Breakfast Burrito: 225 calories 12 g fat 3.5 g fiber 11.7 g protein  29.4 g carbs 108 mg Calcium NB: The food values shown are for the tortilla, egg filling, and the fruit, not for the optional beverages.   Inspired by breakfasts enjoyed at the Frontier Restaurant in Albuquerque, N.M., this has all the tastes of the Southwest in a filling yet low-calorie meal.                                                 corn tortilla + 2-oz egg    + roasted green chiles, available canned   +   carne                                  adovada + oregano/ Mexican oregano   + cheddar cheese + apple                                                                                                                                                                                           See the full recipe posted on June 26, 2016 in Street Food

Danish Stuffed Cabbage

Danish Stuffed Cabbage:  282 calories  5.7 g fat  5.7 g fiber  35 g protein  25 g carbs  125 mg Calcium  PB GF  Craig Claiborne’s NY Times International Cookbook provided this recipe. Its history involves a Swedish king and the Ottoman Empire. Very royal origin for a common meal found all over, where cabbages are grown.                                                              turkey meat +  pork meat + veal +  fresh bread crumbs + milk  + egg white+                                                                                                                                       sage + salt + pepper  + whole cabbage leaves +  pickled beets + dab of mustard                                                                                      See the full recipe posted on 14-October-2018 in Diocletian.

Haitian Chicken Pate

Haïtian Chicken Pate Filling:   makes ~2 cup        1 Tbsp = 10 calories                                           One, as shown, wrapped in puff pastry:   64 calories  4.0 g fat  0.4 g fiber  1.2 g protein  6.4 g carbs   2.3 mg Calcium                                               1 habañero pepper                                                                                                                          ¼ cup chopped onion   + 2 tsp garlic, minced                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           ½ pound ground chicken                                                                                                               ¼ cup shredded carrot                                                                                                                     2 tsp no-salt tomato paste                                                                                                                      2 tsp lime juice   + 1 tsp cider vinegar                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                1 Tbsp chopped scallion  + 1 Tbsp chopped parsley  + 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ½ tsp pepper + ¼ tsp salt + 1/8 tsp ground clove + 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg                              Cut the pepper lengthwise and scrape the seeds out of one half. Chop both halves. Prepare a mise en place. You will be adding ingredients at rapid intervals, so do the prep now. Spritz a non-stick skillet with non-stick spray. Saute the pepper, onion, and garlic for 3 minutes until tender. Add the chicken and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Add carrot and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir constantly for one minute. Pour in the lime juice and vinegar, then stir and add the scallion and all the seasonings. Stir, take off heat, and cool. Run it all through the food processor. Use in omelettes, bakes, quiches. Wrap in wonton wrappers or roll out purchased puff pastry and cut into 20 squares. Use 1 Tbsp filling per square, seal edges and bake at 400 F for 15 minutes.  Look for it in Toussant’s Rebellion when the foods from Haïti will be featured.

A Real Ham

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

“Hello, CQ, CQ.  Hello, CQ. This is W3DHO calling.”  My father was a real Ham.  No, not one who mugged on stage or monopolized a party with corny jokes: he was an Amateur Radio Operator, and a member of the world-wide community of ‘Hams‘.   As a child, he built a “crystal set” and plucked radio waves from thin air.  When he was 13 years old, the youngest you could be to qualify, he passed the test to get an amateur license and a call sign.  For the rest of his life, he was a dedicated Ham, sitting up late to catch a conversation with a fellow Ham on the other side of the world and then exchanging QSL cards with him or her.  When I was a child, he taught me to build a ‘cigar-box radio’ and then a receiver from a kit. That’s how I learned to wire and to solder. To his disappointment, I never became a Ham.  Tomorrow would be his birthday. “73“, Dad.                                                                                                                                                     We will enjoy two of my father’s favorites today: Western Omelette and for dinner, what else? Ham!

Western ScrOmelette

Western ScrOmelette: 140 calories  8 g fat  2.2 g fiber  10 g protein  8 g carbs [7.4 g Complex]  54.5mg Calcium   NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.   PB GF  My father used to love a western sandwich for lunch on Saturday and I developed a taste for them too. Here’s all the flavor, without all the bread.

1 ½ two-oz eggs   HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid to store in the ‘fridge for next week.                                     2 tsp catsup, made without corn syrup                                                                                            1.5 Tbsp green pepper                                                                                                                       1 Tbsp chopped onion                                                                                                                      ¼ cup raspberries OR 3 Bing cherries                                                                                             Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                               Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Prepare the beverages of your choice. Chop the green pepper and onion, and put them in a hot saute pan spritzed with olive oil or non-stick spray. Cook until soft. Whisk the catsup and eggs and scramble with the vegetables. Salt and pepper to taste. Plate the fruit and tuck in.

Ham-Asparagus Popover

Ham & Asparagus Popover:  298 calories  14.8 g fat  4.6 g fiber  17 g protein  33 g carbs [16 g Complex Carbs]  146 mg Calcium   PB   What a fine way to recycle the components of a Sunday dinner.  HINT: Recipe serves 2 [two] people.  Easy to double.

3 oz ham [from a roast, this has 11% fat]                                                                                        6 oz asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces                                                                                 ½ cup Béchamel sauce with cheese [see Sidekicks I, Sept 17, ’18 for the recipe]                         ½ oz Swiss cheese                                                                                                                                    ½ cup Yorkshire Pudding batter[see ..Not by Bread.. Feb-7-’18for recipe]                                per serving: 2 oz fresh pineapple

Set the oven to 400° F. Prepare the Yorkshire Pudding batter and let it sit at room temperature for 30+ minutes. If asparagus is raw, snap off the woody ends. Slice the spears and cook until tender. Cut ham into bite-sized chunks. Grate the cheese and add it to the béchamel sauce in a sauce pan. Warm gently until the cheese melts. Add the ham and asparagus. HINT: This could be done hours in advance.  Beat the pudding batter until it is frothy. Lightly oil 4 holes of a mini-muffin pan OR 2 holes of a full-sized muffin pan. Warm the pan briefly in the oven, then pour in the batter. Bake 20 minutes until puffed and browned but not dry. Rewarm the ham/asparagus sauce,  if needed, while the Yorkshire Pudding bakes. Plate the fruit along with the ham mixture and mini-puddings. OR break open the full-sized popover and spoon the ham filling over it.

Ingredients for next week:

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

Next Monday, I will continue the1.5 two-oz eggs
discussion of Food in WrappersDanish blue cheese
herring marinated in wine
choose a favorite from the Archivesapple
 Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverageWhatever you need for your hot beverage

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

shaved roast beef, rare
Choose a favorite dinner fromprovolone cheese   +  onions
the Archivesbroccoli
Potato bread
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Lenten Fare

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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.

Now we are entering the 4th week of Lent and you might be running out of food ideas.  When I was a child, my mother would always ask what my sister and I would “give up for Lent“.  Sometimes it was candy or chocolate, but then we would always say bubble gum. [We were forbidden to chew gum of any sort, so that was said in jest. I’m sure my mother always hoped we’d stop bickering with each other.]  Six weeks was a long time to a child.  Adults sometimes vow to eat more plainly; to give up meat; or to practice other food-related abstentions. The idea of Lenten eating is to deprive yourself.  Here are some ideas for meatless meals, for Lent or anytime you want to eat on a lower trophic level. You won’t feel deprived. Just virtuous.

10-Grain Pudding:  181 calories  1.3 g fat  5.4 g fiber  10.4 g protein  35 g carbs [29 g Complex]  43.5 mg Calcium   NB: Food values shown are for the cereal pudding only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB  V   Delicious hot cereal for any day of the week. The applesauce and maple syrup give just the right touch of sweetness.10-Grain Porridge

1/4 cup uncooked Bob’s 10-Grain Cereal                                                                                 2 Tbsp cottage cheese                                                                                                                                     1 tsp maple syrup                                                                                                                                                              1.5 Tbsp applesauce                                                                                                                     large pinch of nutmeg + large pinch of cinnamon                                                                       blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                                                  3 oz berry-yogurt smoothie [40 calories], green smoothie or natural apple cider

Put the cereal in 3/4 cup of boiling water, turn down to a simmer and cook, covered, for 8 minutes. HINT: Do this the night before. Cool the cereal, then mix in the cottage cheese, maple syrup, applesauce and spices until well-combined. Put into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 30-45 seconds until hot through. Pour the optional beverages and you will have a warm, filling start to your day.

Codfish Brandade:   250 calories   5.8 g fat   5.7 g fiber  77 g protein  22.3 g carbs   270 mg Calcium   PB GF    Since salt cod is so popular all over southern France, it follows that Brandade is a favorite. The garlic, olive oil, and fennel mark this version as Provençal. [HINT: This batch serves 4. Either invite friends or use what you need and freeze the remainder.] The recipe is from Jacques Pepin.Brandade w: tomatoes & Carrots

8 oz salt cod                                                                                                                                     ¼ cup potatoes in 1/2” cubes                                                                                                                        1 cup cauliflower puree                                                                                                                     ½ cup milk                                                                                                                                         4 cloves garlic                                                                                                                                    ¼ tsp fennel seed                                                                                                                                          1 tsp olive oil                                                                                                                                         ¼ tsp pepper, more to taste                                                                                                            per serving: 4 oz sliced tomatoes  +  2 oz raw carrot, as coins or sticks + parsley leaves

Soak the cod in water for 8 hours. Drain and put in a sauce pan covered with cold water. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low and cook gently for 5 minutes. Drain. Pick over the fish to break it into 1” pieces, removing bones, skin. Put fish in a pan with potatoes, cauliflower, garlic, fennel, and milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and gently simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes until vegetables are tender. Pour it all into a food processor and process it for about 10 seconds. Add the pepper and add the oil with the machine running. Mixture should be smooth and thick. Adjust seasonings. Divide the brandade into 4 portions. Freeze the remainder. Slice the tomatoes and spread with brandade. Serve remaining amount in a bowl with the carrots stuck into it. Very traditional flavor.

Ingredients for next week:

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

1 two-oz egg 1.5 two-oz eggs
cottage cheese   + granulated garlic Swiss cheese  + cooked pork
cod brandade [St Bernard 19-Aug-’18] 3%-fat ham
peach + blueberries dab of mayonnaise  + dill pickle
Whatever you need for your smoothie Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage Whatever you need for your hot beverage

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

zucchini   +  garlic + mozzarella Ham chunks + fresh pineapple
roasted red peppers  + Parmesan cheese asparagus +  Swiss cheese
1 slice polenta [Sidekicks II, 4-Oct-2017] Béchamel sauce with cheese  [Sidekicks I, 17-Sept-2018]
firm white fish  +  herbs de province Yorkshire Pudding [Not by Bread.., 7-Feb- 2018
Sparkling water Sparkling water

L.o.t.R.

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

The book series that I have re-read most is The Lord of The Rings by JRR Tolkien.  He creates memorable characters; a unique and believable world; complex languages for different groups of people; and a satisfying story which makes you want to visit it again. A Quest, a Coming-of-Age plot, Star-Crossed Lovers, Overcoming Evil — these books have it all.   March 25 is the day the One Ring was destroyed: the end of evil times and the start of an era when goodness reigned.  In our house, we celebrate LotR day with special foods.  Oddly, although the principal characters are food-loving Hobbits and feasting Dwarves, the author seldom names the foods that are eaten.  Out of the 5 or so instances that ingredients are mentioned, I have crafted two meals. One is eaten at the home of the magical Tom Bombadil and his marvelous wife Goldberry.  The other is based on Hobbits’ enjoyment of mushrooms and rabbit.  We can eat with the Hobbits but not like the Hobbits — they gain weight as adults and being tubby is a bit of a plot-line. We don’t have to be plump, chubby, or stout.  We can Fast.

Bombadil’s Breakfast:   146 calories  5 g fat   2.5 g fiber  10.5 g protein  15.3 g carbs [8.3 g Complex]   312 mg Calcium  NB: the food values given are for the plated items only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF V When Tom Bombadil served his guests breakfast, it consisted of plants, fruit and dairy of his own collection or production. The plants should be watercress [since his wife Goldberry was the River-Man’s daughter] and the fruit shall be Golden Berries [aka Peruvian Ground Cherries], again in a nod to his wife.Bombadil Breakfast

½ oz Camembert cheese          ½ cup watercress leaves or microgreens                                                                                                    ½ cup plain yogurt           ½ tsp honey                                                                                                                                                      1 oz Golden Berries  [aka: Peruvian Ground Cherries]  OR blueberries                                                              edible flowers [violets, chives, nastursium, or others]                                                                                     Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea                                                                                     Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Warm the honey and stir it into the yogurt. Plate the items to your taste and enjoy a magical breakfast in The Old Forest. Wear a blue jacket and yellow hat.

Rabbit Pie: 275 calories   6.6 g fat   4.6 g fiber   25.6 g protein   27.5 g carbs [15 g Complex] 77 mg Calcium  PB  Rabbit is a common meat in recipes the world over. It is high in protein and low in fat. And yes, it does taste like chicken. You could substitute.

Rabbit Pie, baked
Here is the Rabbit Pie for 2 people as it came out of the oven, with the bread on top.

Rabbit Pie, plated
Here is one serving of the Rabbit Pie plated with the bread underneath to catch the juices.

                                                             

         

2 oz mushrooms          4 oz chicken stock       2 tsp potato starch   1.5 oz carrots                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            0.55 oz [1 slice] ham from the deli         3 oz rabbit meat           ¼ cup onions, chopped                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           big pinch dried thyme + big pinch savory + salt + pepper                                                                                        ½ Arnold Multi-Grain Sandwich Thin OR a 4” circle cut from whole-grain bread                                                                                                                                                                                  If the rabbit is uncooked: Cut it into bite-sized pieces and quickly cook in a saute pan which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Remove the meat. Chop and cook the mushrooms in non-stick spray, but do not evaporate all of the liquid they give off. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside. Add the onions and the stock to the pan along with the mushroom juices and ¼ cup water. Simmer to cook the onions. Whisk in the potato starch and the seasonings. Continue to whisk over heat until the potato starch is dissolved. Cook at a simmer until the liquid measures ¼ cup and is thickened. Add the rabbit meat, ham, and the mushrooms. Simmer for a few minutes and taste for seasonings. Pour and scrape into an oven-proof dish. Top with the Sandwich Thin. Bake at 350° F for15 minutes. Cook the carrots. Plate the meal by first putting the Sandwich Thin on the plate, then covering it with the rabbit-mushroom mixture. Pour any extra liquid so that it is soaked up by the bread. Plate the carrots to complete the meal.

Soup Time

~ me ~ Leave a comment

How this Fast Diet  Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600.  On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post for 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.

Winter + Soup — was there ever a more perfect pairing? Here in Northern New England, we do winter.  Robert Frost [Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening] winters.  John Greenleaf Whittier [Snowbound, A Winter Idyl] winters. And in our household, we enjoy the season.  If you don’t like winter, move to a different latitude instead of griping about it.  Winters are dangerous but they are often beautiful and they are good for our local environment. Plus, Spring and Summer are even more enjoyable after a hard winter. The calendar might say that Spring is on the way, but we know better.  Live in the moment and appreciate the weather where you are. During Winter, eat soup.                                                                                                          Today’s meals include a Japanese breakfast soup with a ‘Hot Spring Egg’ and a French dinner soup.  Each will warm your innards.

Japanese Onion Soup with Onsen Tamago Egg:  195 calories  5 g fat  1.6 g fiber  15.6 g protein  24 g carbs [9 g Complex]  43 mg Calcium   PB GF  Our Younger Son prepared this for us one morning after a day of heavy eating and it was a revelation: light yet hearty and so delicious. “Onsen Tamago” means ‘hot spring’ and it is a very different [to me] way to cook a soft egg. HINT: This recipe is enough for 2 servings. Easy to save for another breakfast or lunch one or two days from now.Onsen Tamago Soup

2 two-oz eggs                                                                                                                                  ½ cup sweet onions                                                                                                                         2 cups chicken or beef broth                                                                                                                      3 Tbsp soy sauce                                                                                                                                2 Tbsp mirin                                                                                                                                      1 oz dry  Japanese noodles, such as soba @ 95 calories/ounce                                                  Sriracha, to taste                                                                                                                                garnish: scallions, chopped                                                                                                                 2 oz melon                                                                                                                                  blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon juice & hot water                                   NO SMOOTHIE

Onsen Tomago Egg:    HINT: The eggs can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. 2 whole eggs in shells                                                                                                                           1 liter water   +    1 cup cold tap water                                                                                         Bring 1 liter of water to a boil. Once it boils, remove it from the heat, and add 1 cup of cold water. Using a slotted spoon, place eggs into the hot water and cover. Let sit for 17 minutes, then remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Serve hot or refrigerate for up to 2 days. NB: You can cook up to 4 eggs with this same volume of water.

Onion Soup:  Cook noodles according to package, shock in cold water and put in serving bowls. Place sliced onions and stock into pan and bring to boil. When stock comes to boil, reduce heat to a strong simmer and cover. Cook until onions are soft (they should not be rigid when you pick them up with chopsticks). When onions are almost finished, add soy sauce, mirin, and sriracha and stir. If the liquid has reduced noticibly, add water. When the onions are finished, pour the onion and broth over noodles. Carefully crack onsen tamago egg into broth. Garnish with green onion and serve the melon on the side. Eat with chopsticks and a Japanese spoon.

Cabbage-Sausage Soup: 264 calories  11 g fat  5 g fiber  14 g protein  25.5 g carbs [22 g Complex]  66 mg Calcium   PB GF   Since this is Jacques Pepin’s recipe, I’ll let him say it: “When the weather gets cooler in the fall, I make soup. I generally cook up a big batch and freeze some for whenever I need it. This one, with sausage, potatoes, and cabbage, is hearty and good for cold weather.”Cabbage Soup

8 ounces mild Italian sausage meat                                                                                               1 ½ cups onions, sliced                                                                                                                             6 scallions, cut into ½-inch pieces (1¼ cups)                                                                                6 cups water                                                                                                                                 1 cup chickpeas                                                                                                                           16 oz potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks                                                                       8 ounces savoy cabbage, chopped/sliced                                                                                   1¼ teaspoons salt

Chef Pepin continues, “Break the sausage meat into 1-inch pieces and place it in a saucepan over high heat. Sauté, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to keep the meat from sticking, for 10 minutes, or until the sausage is well browned. Add the onions and scallions and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the water, chickpeas, potatoes, cabbage, and salt and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 45 minutes.” Portion for storage or serving. One serving = 1 cup.

Ingredients for next week:

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

watercress or microgreens   10-Grain Cereal, Bob’s Red Mill
plain yogurt, low-fat + honey applesauce  + maple syrup
Golden Berries or Blue Berries reduced fat cottage cheese
Camembert cheese nutmeg  + cinnamon
Whatever you need for your smoothie Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage Whatever you need for your hot beverage

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

rabbit meat   +  onions + herb savory salt cod   + garlic cloves
3% fat ham  +  chicken broth + thyme olive oil + boiling potato  + cauliflower
portobello mushrooms + potato starch milk  + carrots  +  black pepper
Arnold Sandwich Thin or whole-grain bread  +  carrots fennel seed  + tomato slices
Sparkling water Sparkling water

Stolen

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

Isabella Stewart was an excellently-educated young New Yorker of a good family when she married Jack Gardner of Boston. Their honeymoon on the Continent and a subsequent trip for her health lead to Mrs Gardner’s love of the art and architecture of the Italian Renaissance.  Eccentric, larger than life, and rich as Croesus, Isabella was a great collector of art. She and her husband planned to build a museum for their collection and after his death, Mrs Gardner completed their ambition in 1903 — The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in the Fens, in a park designed by Fredrick Olmstead. It is a fabulous place and houses an eclectic array of art.   On March 18, 1990, the museum was robbed.  Five million dollars of art vanished, taken by men dressed as police in a well-orchestrated heist. [The event is always referred to as a ‘heist.’]   To this day, the whereabouts of the art is unknown and the $10,000,000 reward is unclaimed. The tale of the theft is as remarkable and unusual as Mrs Gardner herself.

In recognition of the infamous heist, today’s meals were ‘borrowed’ from other places.  However I always give credit where credit is due and acknowledge my sources: The cookbook from the 1990s version of Peter Christian’s Tavern [New London, NH] and French Regional Cooking by Anne Willan. [‘Mrs Jack’ would have liked the Florentine connection.]  I’m not stealing from anyone, but if you eat like me you might lose a lot.

Ham Florentine Bake

Ham Florentine Bake: 133 calories  6.5 g fat  1 g fiber  8 g protein  6 g carbs   61.5 mg Calcium   PB GF  This bake is so flavorful that you will not notice the tiny calorie count. Same ‘ham Florentine’ used to fill crêpes for dinner. Same kind of delicious. The ham Florentine is from Shirley Edes’ Peter Christian’s Recipes.

1 two-oz egg                                                                                                                                       2 Tbsp ham Florentine mixture – see Savory 27 Jan, 2019 [I had put some in the freezer]                                                                                                       2 oz applesauce                                                                                                                                     optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie [79 calories] or natural apple cider                                                    optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or tea or lemon in hot water

Set the toaster oven at 350° F.  Spritz an oven-proof dish with non-stick spray. Whisk the egg and stir in the ham Florentine mixture. Pour into prepared dish and bake for 12-15 minutes. Portion the applesauce and pour your choice of beverages. This is a breakfast to prepare often.

Trout w: hazelnuts + haricots

Trout with Hazelnuts: 267 calories  18 g fat  3.3 g fiber   21 g protein   6.3 g carbs  75 mg Calcium   PB GF   From Savoie, France comes this recipe, via Anne Willen’s French Regional Cooking. Hannibal is supposed to have dined on local trout as he crossed the Alps with his elephants. Very easy to prepare [the trout, not the elephants] and absolutely delicious.

3 oz trout, boned and trimmed                                                                                                                             1 tsp butter                                                                                                                                                           ½ oz hazelnuts, coarsly chopped 2 oz French green beans [haricots]

Start cooking the beans. Heat a heavy saute pan and spray with non-stick spray. Put in the trout and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slowly cook the trout on one side for about 3 minutes. Turn the trout to the other side.  Add the butter to the pan along with the nuts. Continue cooking everything slowly until the fish is done, roughly another 3 minutes. Drain and season the beans, plate them with the trout, and top the fish with the nuts in butter. Enjoy your culinary visit to the French Alps.