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

Roger the 2nd of Sicily was a Renaissance Man long before there was a Renaissance. He was born on December 22, 1095 in Sicily. But this is not the Sicily that we know today. The Greeks and Romans had made their mark on the island, long before the Common Era. The Byzantines [535 CE] and Arabs [827 CE] had also ruled there for a few centuries. The Normans, before they invaded England in 1066, set out to enlarge their sphere of influence. In 999 CE, they entered Sicily, then took it over under the sword of Roger’s father, Robert Guiscard. Roger became King of Sicily in 1130, and he was well-suited for the job. An excellent linguist, he spoke eight languages, including the patois of the local people. Roger was interested in art and science and geography, and during his reign, all the disparate cultures and religions lived in harmony. Roger was a Christian, but he was a cameleon. Instead of stamping out the other religions, he permitted them to carry on. Instead of imposing Norman French ways and language, Roger adopted some of their customs. He rewrote the feudal code and eliminated most slavery. In his glittering capital Palermo, Roger married a succession of wives, and also kept a harem. He had built the astonishing Cappella Palatina/Norman Chapel within the Norman Palace of his father. The mosaic interior was created by Byzantine Greeks and Arab craftsmen. It is visually stunning and unlike most churches of its day, it celebrates Bible stories and the glory of Roger II, rather than suffering saints. Christ is shown, not in shame on the cross, but in victory as the All-Powerful. Lettering on the walls is in Greek, Latin, and Arabic. Due to his embrace of Arab influences and his reluctance to go on Crusade, popes were wary of Roger, but he continued to grow in wealth and power. His sons administered lands on the Italian mainland, from Rome to the south. Then Roger conquered Tunisia, expanding his grip on trade throughout the Mediterranean. At his death in 1154, Roger was the most powerful ruler in all of Europe. His enlightened governance was not inherited by his sons, and they lost much of the territory and influence that their father had won. Clearly, Roger II of Sicily was one of a kind.

Our meals contains that most prized vegetable in modern Sicily: the eggplant, served in two tasty ways.

Caponata Bake:  165 calories… 7 g fat… 3 g fiber… 8 g protein… 15 g carbs…72 mg Calcium…  PB GF Caponata is a favorite dish in Sicily. Delicious and versitile, it can be enjoyed at breakfast or dinner.

1 two-oz egg +++ ½ cup caponata +++ ½ clementine +++ Optional:  5 oz fruit smoothie or  berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++

Stir together egg and caponata.** Pour into an oven-safe dish and bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes. Plate with the fruit, and dream of sunny Sicily.

**CAPONATA: makes 2 cups  Jamie Oliver’s take on a Sicilian classic. 1 cup: 156 calories… 4.5 g fat… 6.5 g fiber…3 g protein… 20.4 g carbs…66.4 mg Calcium ½ cup: 78 calories… 2 g fat… 3.5 g fiber… 1.4 g protein… 10 g carbs 33 mg Calcium ¼ cup: 36 calories… 1 g fat… 1.6 g fiber… 0.7 g protein… 5 g carbs… 16.6 mg Calcium

Can be served with whole-grain bread, on pasta, or polents, as a side for fish or meat.

2 cups	Heat oven to 400F.
2 tsp olive oil—2 c eggplants, in ¾” chunks— 1 tsp dried oregano/Italian herbs —  Sea salt	Add oil to a big pan over high. Toss these to coat in oil, add more if needed. Cook 4-5 mins, stirring at whiles. OR ROAST 10 MINS. –
½ cup red onion—2 cloves garlic, finely sliced——–½ small bunch flat-leaf parsley	Finely chop onion + parsley.On cooktop, cook 2 mins in cooking spray.
1 Tbsp capers, drained—-6 pitted black olives——–1-2 T. herb vinegar	Add these, and cook until vinegar evaporates.
16 oz ripe tomatoes, OR 1½ c. canned diced toms—-cooked eggplant	Roughly chop tomatoes, add to pan with eggplant, simmer 15-20 mins until tender.

Eggplant Patties w/ Onion Marinara: 273 calories… 4 g fat… 8.5 g fiber… 46 g carbs… 43 mg Calcium…  PB GF – if using GF bread/flour/pasta Marcella Hazen, in her Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, gives the recipe for the patties and a sauce in which to serve them. I added the pasta to the meal. 

++ 4 prepared eggplant patties**, portioned with a 1½ Tbsp scoop ++++ 1 oz pasta– If you use whole grain or high fiber pasta, so much the better ++++ ½ cup tomato-onion marinara ++ 

**Eggplant Patties: makes 7 when using a 1½ tsp scoop = 32 calories each —9 oz eggplant with skin still on— 2 Tbsp bread crumbs— 1 Tbsp spinach chiffonade — 1 tsp minced garlic — 1 egg yolk — 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan — 1 Tbsp white whole wheat flour —

Roast eggplant at 400F until soft, around 15 minutes. Peel it and cut in rough cubes. Put in a collander over a bowl and let it drain, pressing down lightly. Add to a bowl with remaining ingredients. Stir with a fork until well-combined. Heat a skillet and spray with non-stick spray. Using a 1½ Tbsp scoop, put eggplant mixture into the hot pan, flattening it a bit. Cook on each side until starting to brown.

++ Tomato-Onion Marinara makes 1.5 cups  –1.5 c. onion, thinly sliced — 1.5 c. canned whole tomatoes — Salt + pepper — 

Spray a saute pan with non-stick cooking oil and heat it. Add onions and cook at medium-low until onions begin to turn golden. Add tomatoes, chopping them into smaller pieces with a plastic or wooden utensil. Cook until tomatoes have thickened a bit. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Boil the pasta while the patties are cooking. Heat the marinara, then add the cooked pasta. Put some of the sauce in the center of your plate and position the patties on top. Arrange the pasta and sauce around the center, as pleases your eye.