In Our Cups

January 30, 2019January 27, 2019 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

“To be in one’s cups” means to be in the act of consuming alcoholic beverages. No doubt about it: you could be mildly impaired or roaring drunk, but you are drinking. Often the term begs immunity for whatever one says or does in such a state. Would that stand up in court? Usually we do not recommend drinking booze on a Fast Day, due to the fact that it represents ‘empty calories.’ Spend your calories wisely on a Fast Day on food that is nutrient rich. Save the drinks for a Slow Day [see peterspicksblog for some good wine pairings] but don’t go over-board then either. We can have our food “in cups” on a Fast Day, enjoying delicious meals without fear of a hangover. Both menus today are easy to prepare, with make-ahead options.

Ham-Cup Eggs: 284 calories 7 g fat 2.4 g fiber 18.4 g protein 31 g carbs [15 g Complex] 319 mg Calcium GF Easy to prepare ahead and easy on the taste buds.

1 two-oz egg 1 slice “Cottage Ham” [4” diameter thin slice of ham] I used North Country Smoke House brand at 21 calories/slice 1 Tbsp cottage cheese 1.5 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated 2 oz apple 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water

Fit the ham into an oven-proof container that measures 3.25” in diameter and 1.25” deep. [I used a cleaned tuna can. It was perfect.] You will need to snip the ham on 2 sides and overlap the meat to make it fit better into the mold. Combine the cheeses and season with herbs/salt/pepper. Whisk in the egg and pour into the ham cup. HINT: I did this the night before and put it in the ‘fridge.Turn on the toaster oven to 350 F and bake the ham cups for 20+ minutes, until the filling is puffed and set. Prepare the beverages and the apple. Use a wide knife to loosten the ham cups from the mold before plating. Some of the egg will have oozed into the mold as it baked, but that was easy to remove too. This breakfast was a real hit.

Squash-Cupped Bison Chili: 215 calories 3.5 g fat 6.8 g fiber 14.7 g protein 34 g carbs 120 mg Calcium GF PB — especially if using Chili Non Carne What an easy, delicious, and satisfying meal. HINT: One squash is enough for 2 servings. Invite a fellow-Faster for dinner. Save the remaining chili for another meal later.

Bison Chili: per cup – 136 calories 3.2 g fat 4.8 g fiber 13 g protein 14.5 g carbs 57 mg Calcium 4 oz ground bison 15 oz canned tomatoes – in chunks or diced drained in a sieve [save the juice] 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 cup red onion, chopped 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped 3/4 cup canned red or black beans, drained and rinsed 2-4 tsp chili + ¾ tsp salt + ½ – 1 tsp ground cumin

Cook the venison, onion, garlic, and green pepper in some of the tomato juices until vegetables are tender. Add remaining ingredients and cook gently until the chili is hot throughout. Taste to see if it needs more seasoning. makes 4 one-cup servings

For tonight’s meal: 5 oz delicata squash, seeds removed one cup Bison Chili or use Chili Non Carne[Sidekicks II, posted 4-Oct-’17] 2 oz melon, as a garnish

Weigh the delicata squash whole and uncut to get a sense of how much will be 5 oz. You will be cutting off one end of the squash and removing the seeds. Cut a small slice off the very end, so it will stand up as a cup for the chili. Put the squash in the microwave oven and cook it until it can be easily pierced with a skewer. Assemble by standing the squash cup in the middle of the plate, then pouring the chili in and around it. Then position the melon cubes. Teriffic!

Ingredients for next week:

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

1 two-oz egg + 1 white	low-fat cottage cheese
rhubarb + sugar + milk	plain fat-free yogurt
flour or white whole wheat flour	mango + clementine
baking powder + Canadian Bacon	granola
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:

fish + Parmesan cheese + mozzarella	Salad greens + red grapefruit
1/4 cup marinara sauce [Saucy 6-Dec-’17]	avocado + 1 large egg
fresh bread crumbs	chicken breast meat + white wine vinegar
cottage cheese + green beans	lime-infused oil + ginger + lemon salt
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

St Kitts

January 27, 2019January 26, 2019 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

It is the middle of Winter, so let’s go on a tropical sojourn. On 28 January 1642, the island of Saint Kitts was colonized by the English. Its name was given by Christopher Columbus who dubbed it ‘St Christopher’ which the “Kittitians” shortened to its present form. The English and French colonizers eliminated the indigenous Arawak people and replaced them with enslaved Africans to work the sugar cane fields. Once the ‘gateway to the Caribbean,’ St Kitts and the sister island of Nevis has had their share of bloodshed and glances of fame. It became the smallest nation to host a World Cup Cricket event and several Olympic track stars were born there. Off shore, Alexander Hamilton was born on a boat in Charlestown [Nevis] harbor and after a harrowing storm at sea, “Amazing Grace” author John Newton had his soul-changing enlightenment on St Kitts. Blessed with fertile soil and abundant seafood, the cuisine of the island has much to offer, even on a Fast Day. Since bananas are an export item from St Kitts and molasses from sugar cane was once a huge industry there, those two items make their way into breakfast. Then local vegetables and salt cod star at dinner.

Bananas-Papanas: 294 calories 8.3 g fat 0.5 g fiber 23 g protein 34 g carbs [23 g Complex] 309 mg Calcium PB GF– if using GF flour This recipe for Romanian papanas was prepared on the French TV show Télématin, and it looked so easy and unusual that I had to try them…. Then I added the bananas as a play on words. HINT: The recipe makes enough for two [2] portions, so save half the batter for a few days from now. NB: The cooked papayas do not do well as left-overs.

1 egg, separated 4 Tbsp [63 g] part-skim ricotta [Sargento brand] 4 Tbsp [63 g] reduced-fat cottage cheese 29 g [3 Tbsp] flour ½ tsp sugar 3/4 oz banana, sliced 1 tsp molasses + 1 tsp water NO smoothie today blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

Separate the egg white from the yolk. Combine the yolk, cheeses, flour, and sugar in a bowl. Whip the egg white until they are stiff. Stir 1/3 of the egg white into the cheese mixture, mixing until blended. Gently fold the remaining egg into the cheese mixture. Heat a non-stick pan and spray with non-stick spray. Using a scoop or a spoon [I made 4 using a 3 Tbsp scoop and then 4 using a 1.5 Tbsp scoop], place the batter into the pan in two batches. Cook until browned on one side and loose enough that they will slide if you shake the pan. Carefully flip to the other side. Remove to a plate and thinly slice the bananas on top. Pour the molasses into 1 tsp hot water and stir to combine. Pour the molasses over the bananas. As you sip your coffee, savor the tastes of the Caribbean.

Saint Kitts Fish Stew: 307 calories 2.5 g fat 4.4 g fiber 42 g protein 31 g carbs 279 mg Calcium PB This typical Caribbean recipe is made with salted fish. Plan ahead to leave time for soaking the fish overnight. St Kitts Fish Stew

2 oz yellow bell pepper, cut as 1/2”x2” pieces 1 oz scallion [about 5], sliced in 1/2” pieces 1 clove garlic ¼ cup onion, coarsly chopped 2 oz salt cod 3 oz fresh tomatoes, cut in chunks 1/3 cup fish stock +/or water 1 dumpling [see not by Bread, II-7-’18]

Soak fish ovenight in water. Next day, drain and cut into pieces 1”x2”. Prepare the batter for the dumpling. Put the broth/water, bell pepper, scalion, garlic, and onion in a saute pan and bring to a simmer. Place the dumpling on the vegetables so that it is not sitting in the broth. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Then put the fish around the dumpling and top with the tomatoes. Cover the pan and keep at a simmer for 10 minutes. The dumpling should be firm to the touch when it is fully cooked. Check to see if it is done. Taste the dish to see if it needs salt [!!]. Different, delicious, and very pretty.

Saint Agnes

January 20, 2019April 12, 2022 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Agnes was a child who, after being murdered in a Roman persecution, became a saint. Her innocence attracted a cult of followers and her feast day, January 21, has been celebrated since the 4th century. One aspect of her veneration involves young women traditionally following a ritual of fasting on January 20 in the hopes of dreaming of their future husband. John Keats incorporated this in his Romantic poem The Eve of St Agnes. It tells the tale of star-crossed lovers, Madeline and Porphyro. She fasts and falls asleep. Porphyro sneaks into the castle and gains admittance to her chamber with the help of Angela, the old Nurse [further shades of Romeo and Juliet]. While Madeline sleeps, her would-be lover sets a fantastic feast of expensive delicacies in her room. She wakes, sees the object of her dreams [the guy not the goodies], and they escape to his castle to get married. All rather racy for a poem related to 13-year-old Agnes. The name ‘Agnes’ is Greek, meaning ‘chaste’ but it is similar to the latin word for ‘lamb.’ Therefore the innocence of Agnes and of little lambs is forever linked.

In honor of Agnes, we will enjoy a breakfast based on Porphyro’s fantastic feast and a dinner of lamb stew. Also, we are Fasting — not because we want to see visions of a ‘dream-boat’ but because we want to be healthy.

Porphyro’s Picnic: 252 calories 5.7 g fat 6 g fiber 6.5 g protein 53 g carbs [43 g Complex] 128 mg Calcium PB GF V This is based on the foods described by Keats in his romantic poem The Eve of St Agnes. The meal is rather sweet despite its low calorie count – perhaps it needs some other taste to cut it. A cup of black coffee? Full of fiber, this meal is sure to kick-start your tally of fruits/vegetables for the day. porphyro's picnic

2 Tbsp low-fat French Vanilla yogurt + 2 Tbsp almond meal 2 oz apple, diced 2 oz melon, cubed ¼ cup pitted plums [I used canned plums in light syrup, drained and rinsed], use fresh if in season 2 tsp cider syrup [or use 2 tsp syrup from the plums] + ¼ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ oz Medjool date, cut in 4 pieces. [in the photo you see more dates, but there should be fewer] NO smoothie black coffee or black tea or lemon in hot water

Stir the yogurt and almond meal together and spoon onto the center of the plate. Chop the apple, cube the melon, and arrange them around the almond cream, along with the plums. Place the pieces of date at random. Combine the cider syrup with the cinnamon and drizzle it over the apple and melon. All set to eat and you still have 48 calories left over. Not responsible for what happens if you eat this by moonlight on January 20.

Lamb Stew with Glazed Vegetables: 317 calories** 8 g fat** 5.8 g fiber 24 g protein 31 g carbs 62 mg Calcium GF — if using GF flour The recipe is from Salute to Healthy Cooking, so you know it is good. We have enjoyed this often. If you double the recipe, then you’ll have some to freeze for another meal. Yes, the calorie count is a bit high, but it is worth it. NB: One serving = ¾ cup

½ pound lamb shoulder, boneless and cut in cubes ½ cup onions, chopped ¾ tsp white whole wheat flour OR GF flour 1 oz dry red wine ½ Tbsp tomato paste 1 tsp thyme + 1 bay leaf ¾ cup carrots, cut in 2” batons ½ cup cubed potatoes 6 pearl onions 1 cup [5 oz] turnips, cut in 2” batons ½ tsp sugar** 1 tsp butter** cold water optional: 1/4 cup green peas, cooked and added after plating

Sear the cubed lamb on all sides [about 3 minutes] in a heavy pan which has been sprayed with non-stick spray or oil. Cook the meat in batches so the pan doesn’t cool down. Remove the cooked meat to a Dutch oven and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the onions in the same cooking pan and sauté them with enough water to make them sizzle. When the onions are transparent, add the wine to deglaze the pan, stirring the brown bits up from the bottom. Heat the oven to 350 F. Sprinkle with the flour and stir to mix. Add to the Dutch oven. Pour in enough cold water to go to the top of the lamb but not cover it. Stir in the thyme and bay leaf. Heat to a simmer on top of the stove on medium heat. Then cover and put the casserole in the oven. Bake 1 hour, checking once in a while to adjust the temperature to make sure the stew is not boiling. After 1 hour, add the carrots, put the cover back on and bake for 15 minutes. Add the potatoes, put the cover back on and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. While the potatoes are baking, put the pearl onions and turnips in a small non-stick pan with the sugar and butter** and enough water to rise half-way up the onions. Simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered and shaking the pan ocaisionaly. Add salt and pepper. Reserve, off the heat until the lamb is cooked. Plate the stew with the vegetables, adding the optional peas if you wish. [add ___ calories and ___ g fiber]

** If you were to cook the onions and turnips without the butter and sugar, you would reduce the calories to 297 and the fat to 6.3 g.

St Anthony

January 16, 2019May 2, 2023 ~ 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.

If you say the name ‘Anthony’ to anyone from New England, it will generate thoughts of an old TV ad for a brand of pasta which showed Anthony’s mother calling him home to dinner. Or you may have heard of a St Anthony who’ll help you find lost objects. In fact, there are 23 Saints named ‘Anthony’ in the ‘Saints & Angels‘ list on line. Tomorrow will be the feast day of the original Anthony, a hermit who lived in the 5th century in Egypt. He is best known for his severe fasting [eating only every 3 days] and sleeplessness, self-imposed in an effort to quell his inner demons. And he was beset by demons almost every day. One of the most repeated themes in art is The Temptation of Saint Anthony. Gustave Flaubert spent his life in the off and on writing of a novel by the same name. Saint Anthony’s attributes [the things a saint is holding when depicted in art] are a pig [representing domestic animals of whom he is the patron saint] and a staff in the shape of a Tau cross [known as St Anthony’s cross].

In addition to farm animals, Anthony is the patron saint of salami-makers. Going with that theme, breakfast is a scramble containing salami and dinner is a stir-fry of pork, for St Anthony’s Pig.

Salami Scramble: 299 calories 9.8 g fat 2.3 g fiber 18 g protein 30 g carbs 297 mg Calcium GF From the deli department to the breakfast table, salami makes for an easy breakfast.

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. ¼ oz thinly-sliced salami pinch of Moroccan spice + salt 1.5 oz pear or apple slices Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Slice the salami slices crosswise, then into squares. Whisk the eggs with the seasonings, then pour into a hot sauté pan which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle with the salami before the eggs set. Flip the eggs over to cook to your preference. Slice the fruit, pour the beverages. Easy, yummy, satisfying.

Pork & Pepper Stir-fry: 211 calories 6.5 g fat 6 g fiber 24.5 g protein 16 g carbs 37.6 mg Calcium PB GF This stir-fry has a lot of preparation but the result is rich in the wonderful flavors of East Asia. The recipe does not include rice, but if you read on you will see totals with rice. HINT: This recipe makes enough to serve 2 [two] people. Food values above are for ONE serving.

6 oz pork tenderloin, sliced as matchsticks 1.5 tsp dark soy sauce 4 tsp dark soy sauce ½ tsp honey + ½ tsp honey ½ tsp minced garlic + another ½ tsp minced garlic = one clove of garlic 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper 1 tsp peanut butter ½ c carrots, cut as matchsticks 1 tsp canola oil 5.5 oz green bell pepper matchsticks ½ large red bell pepper matchsticks ½ tsp garlic + 1.5 tsp minced fresh ginger garnish: 2 sliced scallions Sriracha

First prepare a mise en place. Seriously — do it. Combine the pork, 1.5 tsp dark soy sauce, ½ tsp honey, ½ tsp minced garlic, and the red pepper flakes in a bowl and stir to combine. In a microwave-safe custard cup combine 4 tsp dark soy sauce, ½ tsp honey, and 1 tsp peanut butter. Microwave it briefly and stir to combine. Put the carrots in a small pan of boiling water and cook for one minute. Drain the carrots and save the water. Heat a wok or cast iron skillet over high heat and add the canola oil. Add the pork mixture and stir-fry for one minute. Remove the cooked pork to a clean bowl and stir in the soy-honey-peanut mixture. Put the carrot-cooking water in the dish that had the soy-honey-peanut mixture and swirl it around to get those flavors in the water. Pour the flavored water into the wok and add the red and green peppers. Stir-fry for one minute, adding more water to keep it sizzling. Add the carrots, ginger, and garlic to the wok and stirfry with the peppers for one minute more. Return the pork to the wok and stir-fry until heated, about 1 more minute. Plate with optional rice [if using – see below], top with sliced scallion and some Sriracha, if you wish.

If using ¼ cup medium-grain white rice, then add these food values: 50 calories 0 g fat 0.3 g fiber 1.0 g protein 11 g carbs 0 mg Calcium

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

apple + melon	Next week there will be an exploration of
plum + date + almond meal	‘foods in wrappers’
cider syrup + cinnamon
French-vanilla yogurt, low fat	Choose a favorite from the Archives
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 Monday……………….Dinner, single portion Thursday:

lamb shoulder + onion	Several options will be offered or
dry red wine + tomato paste	choose a favorite from the Archives
turnip + carrot + potato
pearl onions + thyme + bay leaf
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Morning to Night: Felafel

January 13, 2019January 10, 2019 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Felafel is a ubiquitous street food in the Eastern Mediterranean and it should be healthy. But too often it is deep-fried, adding needless calories and fat. On a Fast Day good felafel can take you from morning to night with some delicious and satisfying meals. The origin of felafel goes back to the lands now called Palestine and Israel, but once called Sameria, Judea, Idumaea. Let’s not get bogged down on who invented it — let’s celebrate how good it is and how easy it is to eat in a variety of forms. Felafel in eggs and a felafel-topped salad are fine forms of feasting. I’ll give you the basic recipe, then you can decide how to use it.

Felafel: 1 batch = 648 cal 25.4 g fat 21 g fiber 32.5 g protein 72 g carbs 214 mg Calcium each patty= 30 cal 1.2 g fat 0.8 g fiber 1.6 g protein 4 g carbs 8.5 mg Calcium GF PB V From the good old Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen, these are easy to prepare and set you up for several servings of future meals. 2 cups canned chick peas [I like Goya brand TIP: if you use dried chickpeas, you will get a grainer product. Factor in the time to reconstitute and cook them] 1.5 cloves garlic, crushed [add as much as you enjoy!] ¼ cup celery, minced ¼ c. scallions, sliced 1 raw egg 1.5 tsp tahini ½ t. cumin + ½ t. tumeric + ¼ t. cayenne + ¼ t. black pepper + 1.5 t. salt Combine everything in food processor until ingredients form a uniform paste. Scoop into a bowl and chill 1 hour. Form into balls on a silicone mat or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. I used a 1 Tbsp scoop and then flattened the patties slightly. TIP: You don’t have to bake them now. You could freeze the patties on a cookie sheet, then put them frozen into bags to cook later. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. The patties should be heated through and have an outside ‘crust’ which is firm to the touch. In most recipes, you will cook them further. At this point you want them to be firm enough to store well. There will be about 25 of them. Use now or cool and freeze for later use.

Felafel Bake: 271 calories 6.6 g fat 3.1 g fiber 15.2 g protein 40 g carbs 198 mg Calcium PB GF Here we use 1 of the felafel patties which we prepared and froze earlier. Great time-saver! Amazing in eggs! Felafel Bake w: blueberries

1 two-oz egg one felafel patty, thawed [see Stocking Up I-4-’18] 1 Tbsp tomato puree or crushed tomatoes ¼ c blueberries blackish coffee, blackish tea, or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz smoothie or natural apple cider

Spritz a ramekin with non-stick spray and set the toaster oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together the felafel and the tomato until well blended. Whisk the egg into the felafel and turn into the ramekin. Bake about 15 minutes while you portion the berries and prepare the beverages. What a simple, delicious breakfast.

Felafel with Mixed Salad: 295 calories 13.6 g fat 7.3 g fiber 15.5 g protein 29 g carbs [28 Complex] 174 mg Calcium PB GF V What a healthy plate of food! When you have felafel in the freezer, a quick meal like this is almost instant. If you prep the vegetables in advance, this would be a good ‘make-ahead’ meal for the end of a busy day. felafel w: mixed salad

6 felafel patties 2 cups lettuce, I like to slice large leaves cross-wise into 1/2” strips 2 oz tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or cut in 1/2” cubes 1 oz carrots, grated 1 oz beets cut in large dice [canned beets would be a real plus] 1 oz Feta cheese in large crumbles ¾ tsp flavored olive oil + ¾ tsp white wine vinegar salt + pepper to taste

Thaw the felafel patties. If unbaked, heat in a 400° F. oven for 10-15 minutes. Prepare the vegetables for the salad. Whisk the vinegar and oil, then toss the salad vegetables in the dressing. Top with the felafel and feta crumbles.

Fannie Farmer

January 6, 2019January 17, 2024 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

On the shelf in the kitchen is a cookbook that used to have a gold-colored cover. The book’s binding is reinforced with packing tape and the pages are stained with the splatters of cooking. This is the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, 11th edition published in 1965. On January 6, 1896, the first edition was issued under the title The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook. Miss Fannie Merritt Farmer, a woman with a disability who did not attend cooking school until the age of 30, had written a book which explained the chemistry of cooking and which established uniform measurement of ingredients that everyone could use. She became a media mogul and culinary icon, the Julia Child or Martha Stewart of her day. The book was an instant success and became the classic of the American kitchen. My mother used it faithfully [I have her copy] and gave me my own when I became engaged. So many good recipes! My adaptations of several of them have already appeared in this blog, some recipes used as-is. The breakfast for this anniversary is an old favorite of our’s, Shirred Egg [p 103 in my copy] and for dinner the thrifty housewife’s go-to: Swiss Steak [p 163]

Shirred Egg: 271 calories 8.5 g fat 3.3 g fiber 15.8 g protein 38.8 g. carb 275 mg Calcium PB GF– if using GF bread I learned to prepare this dish when working on my Girl Scout ‘Cooking’ badge. We still eat it because it tastes so good. Easy to serve to guests, too.

One 2-oz egg 1 Tbsp half&half [Blend Cream, 10% milk fat] salt & pepper to taste 1/2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese half a slice of 70-calorie bread, toasted 2 oz apple slices or 2 oz strawberries blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz fruit smoothie, green smoothie or natural apple cider

Heat the toaster oven to 325° F. Spritz a 1-cup ramekin with cooking oil or spray. Break the egg into the cup, and pour the half&half on top. Sprinkle with cheese, add salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 12-15 minutes, then let sit 2-3 mins while you toast the bread. Plate with the toast and fruit. Serve with your choice of beverages.

Swiss Steak: 267 calories 6.5 g fat 6.5 g fiber 28 g protein 27.5 g carbs 104.8 mg Calcium PB GF — if using GF flour This is a recipe from Fannie Farmer’s cookbook which I fondly remember from my childhood. HINT: This recipe makes enough for two [2], so save half of it for a future lunch or dinner.

½ pound chuck steak, cut 1 to 1.5” thick 1.5 Tbsp white whole wheat flour + salt + pepper 8 oz stewed tomatoes ¼ cup minced green bell peppers ¼ cup minced onion herbs to taste, such as rosemary or parsley per serving: ½ cup cut green beans + ½ cup carrots sliced as coins

Leave the meat in one piece or cut into two parts. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper and dredge the meat in it. If you wish, pound the meat with a tenderizing tool or the edge of a sturdy plate. Combine the tomatoes with the vegetables and herbs. Heat a heavy skillet with a lid and spray it well with oil or cooking spray. Brown the meat on both sides and pour the tomatoes over it. Cover and cook very slowly for 2 hours until the meat is very tender, adding water if the tomatoes are in danger of sticking. This can be cooked on the cooktop at low or in the oven at 325 F. Steam or boil the beans and carrots to serve along-side the beef with its sauce.

Tolkien

January 2, 2019March 19, 2024 ~ me ~ 2 Comments

J.R.R. Tolkien did not set out to be a world-famous fantasy writer. Born in South Africa on January 2, 1892, he became a professor of linguistics at Oxford. There he dabbled in writing with a group called The Inklings. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis traded ideas and critiqued each other’s work. [This is why both their fantasy series feature talking trees, elves, and Christian allegory.] At heart, Tolkien was a lover of the linguistic roots of modern English and of old myths. He wanted to create an English mythology and produced The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Silmarillion, as well as many songs, poems, and short stories. Tolkien’s works are beloved the world over for their universal human insights set in a fantasy landscape. The Quest and Coming of Age themes are compelling and the characters are memorable. The works may not be the history of England and its language, but they are worth reading at any age.

Since Tolkien was such a devoted chronicler of all things English, today’s meals would please him as well as making sure that no Hobbits become fatter. The mushroom breakfast is based on the casserole given to Frodo by Farmer Maggot’s wife, and the dinner is a classic English meal from the 1700s.

FarmWife Mushroom Pudding: 127 calories 2 g fat 2 g fiber 7 g protein 33.5 g carbs 83.6 mg Calcium NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB Having heard this described in The Fellowship of the Ring, I searched and searched until I found an approximation: this recipe in Theodora FitzGibbon’s A Taste of England.

½ oz [around one strip] American/streaky bacon + ¾ cup assorted mushrooms, chopped 3 Tbsp chicken stock + 1 tsp white whole wheat flour + 1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce + salt & pepper ½ Arnold Multi-grain Sandwich Thin + ½ oz pear Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Cook the bacon partially, blot off the fat, and cut in strips. Pour off the bacon fat but return 1 tsp to the pan. Saute the mushrooms in the fat with a pinch of salt, and remove them. Pour some of the chicken stock into the pan and sprinkle in the flour while whisking to prevent lumps as it thickens. Add the remaining stock and some pepper. Put the bacon and mushrooms into the sauce and cook over low heat. Pour into an oiled oven-proof dish and bake at 425 F for 15 minutes. Warm or lightly toast the Sandwich Thin. Place the bread on top of the mushroom pudding prior to serving. NB: you can serve it out of the baking dish or turn it out on the bread on a plate. Enjoy with the pear and have a hearty day, even if you are not escaping from Black Riders.

Pheasant Casserole: 250 calories 9.5 g fat 5.4 g fiber 22.5 g protein 21.6 g carbs 86 mg Calcium PB This recipe is based on one from English Provincial Cooking by Elisabeth Ayrton and it dates back to the 18^thcentury. Whole partridges were stewed with onion, carrot, and cabbage for 2.5 hours and served on thick slices of bread. Well, this is a modified version and it is delicious. Using left-over cooked pheasant meat, this recipe works well as a quick and nourishing meal.

2-1/2 oz cabbage, sliced 1-1.5” thick 1.5 oz baby carrots, cut in half lengthwise ¼ oz onion rings [which I forgot to put on the top] 2 Tbsp chicken or pheasant gravy 2 oz pheasant meat, cooked and taken off the bone ½ Arnold Multi-Grain Sandwich Thin

Prepare the carrots, cabbage, and onion and steam them for 25 minutes until the carrots are tender. If the cabbage is not yet done, leave it in the steamer with the lid on but off the heat until needed. Warm the pheasant in the gravy + 2 tsp of the water from the steaming liquid. Warm the Arnold Thins in the toaster oven. Plate the bread. Spoon a tablespoon of gravy on top. Place the meat atop the bread. Stir the warm vegetables into the warm gravy and plate them. Put the onion rings on top and pour any remaining gravy over the meat.

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

one 2-oz egg + apple or strawberries	Next week I will provide some favorite side dishes for Fast Days
whole-grain bread, 70 calories
blend cream/half&half
parmesan cheese	Find a new favorite in the Archives
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:

Beef chuck steak + green pepper
stewed tomatoes + onion
white whole wheat flour
green beans + carrots	Find a new favorite in the Archives
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Johannes Kepler

December 26, 2018February 15, 2025 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

Although there is a space telescope named after him, most people would be hard pressed to recognize the name of Johannes Kepler. Yet he revolutionized how we view the solar system and brought us out of the Middle Ages of astronomy once and for all. He was the assistant to the famous Tycho Brahe [cf 13 December 2017] in Bohemia and inherited the detailed written observations of his mentor. By applying his superior mathematical skills, Kepler developed his 3 Laws of Planetary Motion. Today’s breakfast illustrates those theories. 1] Planets move in elliptical [egg-shaped] paths around the sun. [In his time, the 1500-year old ideas of Ptolemy said that orbits were perfect circles.] 2] When planets reach the point of their orbit where they are farthest from the sun, they travel slower, but go faster closer to the sun. The two figs mark places where a planet would go faster or slower in its orbit. 3] The time it takes a planet to orbit the sun [many scientists in the 1500s held that the Earth was in the center of the Solar System] is proportional to its distance from the sun. In the photo, the ‘orbital path’ of the spinach leaves would be shorter if it were closer to the egg yolk [egg yolk = sun.] These ideas were huge in their day and yet they made few ripples in the scientific community, with no scandal of excommunication. The time was almost right for recognizing that the old ideas were based on opinion and that scientists could prove, by observation and calculation, that their theories were correct.

Since Kepler’s side hustle was as an astrologer [the magic side of star-gazing], dinner gives a nod to the recent Winter Solstice, a time of dread and disruption in the ancient Solar Calendar. Kepler’s birthday is tomorrow. He was a Capricorn.

Fig & Chèvre Plate: 294 calories 8.7 g fat 5.7 g fiber 17 g protein 43 g carbs [33 g Complex] 325 mg Calcium PB GF Simple, elegant, and much more filling than it looks.

½ hard-boiled egg 1 dried fig, mass = 0.65 oz or 16 g 1 oz chèvre cheese ¼ oz baby spinach 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]

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!

Winter Solstice Pizza: 281 calories 10 g fat 2.8 g fiber 16 g protein 15.6 g carbs [7.8 g Complex] 223.4 mg Calcium PB On the solstice, we like to prepare a pizza with elements of the season past [mushrooms represent Fall] and of the season to come [cured meats stand in for Winter]. Fabulous flavors!

1 whole wheat tortilla [ex: Herdez 8” Fajita-style Tortilla], must be 170 calories or less 1.5 Tbsp crushed tomatoes + pinch granulated garlic 1 oz mozzerella cheese, grated 1 oz mushrooms, chopped 1/3 oz prosciutto 1 Tbsp onion, chopped generous sprinkling of Italian Herbs + crushed red peppers to taste

Heat the oven to 400 F. Spread the tortilla with the crushed tomato sauce and garlic. Chop the prosciutto roughly and combine it with the mushrooms, onion, and cheese. Distribute over the pizza shell. Sprinkle with herbs, crushed red pepper, or other seasonings to taste. Bake for 5-10 minutes. Light some candles and enjoy pizza on the longest night of the year.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion

Next week I will discuss options for	American bacon + mushrooms
New Year’s Eve entertaining	Cheddar cheese + chicken stock
choose a favorite from the Archives for breakfast	Yorkshire Pudding Batter [..Not by Bread…18-Feb-2018 OR Arnold Sandwich Thin [100 calories]
	white whole wheat flour
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion:

Next week I will discuss options for	cooked pheasant meat
New Year’s Eve entertaining	carrots + cabbage + onion
choose a favorite from the Archives	pheasant or chicken gravy
for dinner	Arnold Sandwich Thin [100 calories]
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Adam & Eve

December 23, 2018December 23, 2018 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Tomorrow will be the Feast Day of St Adam and St Eve. Bet you didn’t know they were saints, did you? Me neither. Medieval and Renaissance artists loved to depict the once- happy pair — after all, they were naked!! So we see them being created in sculpture by Lorenzo Maitani; succumbing to temptation in painting by Lucas Cranach and in engraving by Albrecht Dürer; and being expelled from Eden in fresco by Masaccio; One of my favorites* is from bronze doors of Bishop Bernwald in Hildesheim, Germany begun in 1015. It shows God pointing accusingly to Adam, who fairly writhes in embarrassment over his nakedness. Adam points to Eve to blame her for their mistake. And Eve points to the Devil [a small dragon at her feet] to blame him, as if to say ‘the dog did it’! A wonderful examination of human nature. *[thanks, Pflug] Going from the sublime to the ridiculous: in old diner parlance, if the waitress yelled at the cook, “Adam and Eve on a Raft” it meant an order of poached eggs on toast. We will extend the ‘raft’ simile a bit to include the toast that is served under any food. At breakfast, the toast will hold the trendy avocado as well as the Adam/Eve egg, while at dinner it will be bread with Vietnamese toppings.

Avocado Toast: 273 calories 10.4 g fat 5 g fiber 14.4 g protein 32.5 g carbs 210 mg Calcium PB GF – if using GF bread Avocado Toast has been all the rage in celebrity diets, so we decided to try it. Very nice with the egg on top and a hearty whole-grain bread underneath.

1 two-oz egg o.8 oz avocado 1 slice 70-calorie whole-grain bread blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water ¼ cup unpasturized apple cider or 3 oz fruit smothie or green smoothie

Lightly toast the bread while you fry or poach the egg. Spread the avocado over the bread and top with the egg. Pour the beverages and you are all set for a healthy day.

Banh Mi: 300 calories 7 g fat 4.8 g fiber 20 g protein 36.7 g carbs 47 mg Calcium PB The recipe for this popular Thai/Viet street sandwich came in the mail from Eating Well’s Shape magazine. Just a few tweeks and it worked splendidly for a Fast Day. Dear Husband is fan. Bahn Mi

3 oz pork tenderloin, previously cooked or raw 1 tsp Asian sweet chili sauce + ½ tsp soy sauce 1.5 oz cucumber, cut in 2-3” strips 1.5 oz red sweet pepper, cut in 2-3” strips 2 oz carrot, shredded 2 Tbsp pickle brine [juice from a jar of pickles] + ½ tsp sesame oil + ¼ tsp ground ginger + ¼ tsp ground garlic + pinch sesame seeds 1-1/2 oz baguette slices, cut 1/4” thick

Slice the pork thinly and brush with Asian chili + soy sauce mixture. If meat is uncooked, briefly sauté until just pink. Combine the pickle brine with the sesame-ginger -garlic-sesame to make a dressing, and set aside in a small bowl. Slice and grate the vegetables and toss in the sesame-ginger dressing. Slice the bread and arrange it on the serving plate. Top with pork, then with vegetables. Serve remaining vegetables on the side. Done! We ate everything with our fingers.

Very Grimm

December 19, 2018May 10, 2024 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Children’s and Household Tales were first published on December 20, 1812. Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm did not intend their work as happy bed-time stories for children. Their intent was to collect German folktales before they disappeared in an increasingly industrial society. The stories were to re-educate the German public about their cultural past and to earn money for their impoverished brothers and sister. [Food or a lack thereof is a constant theme in their stories.] The book was a best-seller, partly due to the fact that it fit well with the Romanticism of the era: stories set in the wild forest; tales that harked back to a simpler if not a kinder time. Popular in our own time, ‘fairy tales’ show us the darker sides of human nature, but in the end things usually work out. That’s reassuring.

In the theme of Grimm’s tales, we will eat porridge for breakfast — but not cook it to excess as in the story Sweet Porridge. We will know when to stop. Many of the stories take a truly gruesome turn as in The Juniper Tree [a film Disney will never make!], so we will have organ meats in the form of haggis spring rolls for dinner. Re-read some of the works of the Brothers Grimm today.

10-Grain Porridge: 300 calories 1.5 g fat 5.1 g fiber 16 g protein 50 g carbs [39 g Complex] 215 mg Calcium PB Delicious hot cereal for any day of the week.

1/4 cup uncooked Bob’s Red Mill 10-Grain Cereal 2 Tbsp cottage cheese 1 tsp maple syrup 1.5 Tbsp applesauce, unsweetened pinch of nutmeg + pinch of cinnamon blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water 3 oz fruit smoothie, green smoothie or natural apple cider

Put the cereal in 3/4 of a 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 cook in the microwave for 45 to 60 seconds [if cold from last night] OR for 30 seconds until hot through. Pour the beverages and you will have a warm, filling start to your day.

Haggis Spring Rolls: 262 calories 12.8 g fat 2.8 g fiber 23 g protein 26 g carbs 41 mg Calcium The first time I enjoyed these was at the Whiski Rooms in Edinburgh, along with a wee dram of single malt. Today, the whisky is in the dipping sauce to complete the fusion of Asian-Scottish flavors. This meal has my husband’s approval. Haggis Spring Rolls

4 six-inch rice spring roll wrappers/skins ++++ 8 Tbsp haggis filling see Spicy 12-September-2018 ++++ 1 cup lettuce leaves sliced into <1/2” strips ++++ 1/2 oz carrot, grated ++++ cherry tomatoes ++++ 1 tsp flavored olive oil ++++ 1 tsp red wine vinegar finishing salt ++++ 1.5 tsp Thai hot chili sauce ++++ ½ tsp single malt Scotch whisky

Put water into a wide, shallow dish such as a pie plate. Lay a tea towel on the counter. Place one spring roll wrapper in the water. Initially, the wrapper will look like a piece of thin, stiff, whitish plastic. Soon it will become more transparent, colorless, and pliable. Remove it from the water while still a little stiff [do NOT let it become limp] and lay it on the tea towel. Place 2 Tbsp haggis filling on the lower 1/3 of the wrapper, arranged as a little log. Roll it up, folding the sides in after the 1^stturn. Move finished roll to the side as you repeat the steps. Heat a 10” cast-iron skillet over medium flame and spray with non-stick spray. Place the spring rolls in the pan with room between them. Cook slowly on one side, then roll onto another side. Continue until all the rolls are browned on each side. Prepare the salad and plate it. Combine the chili sauce and the whisky in a dipping cup. Plate the haggis, and try not to read Grimm’s Fairy Tales while you dine.

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg	1 two-oz egg, hard-boiled
avocado	baby spinach
whole-grain bread	chèvre cheese [goat cheese]
	fig, dried or fresh
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:

pork tenderloin, roasted or raw + sesame oil + pickle juice	whole-wheat tortillas, 170 calories each
ground ginger + soy sauce + ground garlic	crushed tomatoes + onion
cucumber + carrot + red bell pepper	mozzarella cheese
baguette + Asian sweet chili sauce	mushrooms + prosciutto
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

	me on Let Me Entertain You… Di…
	Mya on Let Me Entertain You… Di…
	Peter Eppig on Robert Gould Shaw
	me on 10 Years of FASTing
	Karen Loudon on 10 Years of FASTing

Eating well, with creative recipes, to follow the Fasting Lifestyle according to Michael Mosley's "Fast Diet."

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In Our Cups

St Kitts

Saint Agnes

St Anthony

Morning to Night: Felafel

Fannie Farmer

Tolkien

Johannes Kepler

Adam & Eve

Very Grimm

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