Eating well with creative recipes while following the Fast Diet

Who Dunit? Who Ate It? Chapter 4

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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 NutritionIdeas2020 who is now Following.

Dear Husband and I love to read ‘whodunits.’ Crime literature in English harks back to Edgar Allen Poe’s Murders on Rue Morgue in 1841. As the genre took off, a sub-genre developed: culinary crime. These books are read as much for the procedural as for the vicarious thrills of the meals that are described along the way. There are many authors who tantalize our tastebuds while they challenge our little grey cells and today, I will feature foods from two widely different sources.

Hercule Poirot is one of Agatha Christie‘s most enduring detectives, although she came to dislike the character eventually. He is a former policeman from Belgium who is obsessed with order and cleanliness. Not for him searching for footprints and collecting cigar ash — too dirty. Add to that, Poirot professes to have a tender stomach. Thus he prefers food that is neat, regularly-shaped, European, and mild but never bland. An omelette made with apples and cream would appeal to him.

Omelette Normande:  174 calories 11 g fat 1 g fiber 10 g protein 9 g carbs [8.2 g Complex] 46 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  Cooking in Normandy naturally involves apple and cream, even at breakfast. This is the breakfast version of a Norman dessert omelette.

1 ½ 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.  1½ oz apple, peeled and sliced thinly 1½ tsp heavy/whipping cream ½ tsp butter ¼ tsp sugar + ¼ tsp cinnamon 1 oz peach    Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]  NO smoothie

Peel and slice the apples and cook them slowly in a saute pan with the butter, sugar, cinnamon, 2 Tbsp water, and a healthy spray of non-stick spray. Add more water if the pan gets dry – you don’t want the apples to stick or scorch. Cook until the apples are almost soft and there is no more liquid in the pan. HINT: You can do this the night before. Whisk the eggs with the cream and a little salt while the apples heat/stay warm in the saute pan. Pour in the eggs and let them cook undisturbed until done. Fold and plate with the peach or other fruit of 11 calories. Picture apple trees in bloom.

Perhaps the greatest contemporary foodie-detective is Bruno Courreges, created by Martin Walker in the Bruno, Chief of Police series. As you read, you can’t wait for the next succulent recipe to be presented — step by step, so you could almost cook from the page of the novel. In addition to the food, the plots and characters make the books worth reading. Bruno lives in southern Perigord, a region known for its local ingredients and he makes the most of them. This is a person you want to share a meal with, as long as he is cooking. Author Walker’s wife, Julia Watson, is in charge of the recipes and she does a great job.

Green Gazpacho with Shrimp:  279 calories 19 g fat 2 g fiber 13 g protein 11 g carbs 56 mg Calcium   PB GF   “Bruno,” according to the cookbook, “likes everything about Spanish Gazpacho except the color and texture.” So here is his own version. HINT: The recipe makes 3 cups of soup, to serve three [3] people.

1½ green peppers [9 oz] cut in ½” dice  3 fl oz dry white or rose winePut 1/3 of the chopped green peppers into a blender with the white wine. Pulse a bit, then add 1/3 more and pulse again. Add remaining peppers and pulse.
½ large cucumber [5 oz] cut in ½” diceAdd the chopped cucumber and pulse a few times.
75 ml / 4 Tbsp good olive oil 50 ml/ 4 tsp vinegar
tarrragon sprig 2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup onion, chopped
salt + pepper to taste		Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until the soup is still a little chunky.
Pour into another container and chill for 30 minutes or more.
Per serving: 2 oz small shrimp
Piment d’esplette		Sprinkle shrimp with piment d’esplette and cook. Pour soup into serving bowl and top with cooked shrimp.

Saint Robert Flower of Knaresboro

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

A fun thing about delving into one’s genealogy is the discovery of some unusual characters in the family tree. One such find was St Robert of Knaresboro. A saint!! An eccentric hermit!! What fun. He was born in Yorkshire around 1160, the son of the Mayor of York. From an early age, Robert Flower knew he wanted a religious life, so he became a novice of the Cistercian Abby at Newminister while yet a child. He then decided that the life of a hermit was what he wanted. Robert was forced to move from place to place — he should be the Patron of Displaced Persons. Along the way, he gained a reputation as a holy person who gave good advice. He settled in Knaresboro, near York, in a cave that was chiseled from solid rock. People came to see him and to drink from his holy well — from King John to common pilgrims. Robert was never actually canonized as a saint, but the Trinitarian friars deemed him venerable and there are churches and stained glass windows dedicated to this kindly man who helped the poor and worked to free the prisoners. St Robert’s Cave is open to visitors.

September 24 is the day Saint Robert Flower died in 1208. You will ask why the breakfast planned for him relates to Tolkien‘s Hobbits. The first line of The Hobbit reads, “In a hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit.” Saint Robert lived in a hole in the ground. In addition, September 22 is the birthday of the Hobbits Frodo and Bilbo Baggins. Furthermore, St Robert’s father’s first name was “Took,” used as a surname for a prominent Hobbit family. Continuing that theme, the dinner is a simple soup prepared from the leftovers of a famous meal from the Azores: Cozido, cooked in a pot in a hole in the ground. Saint Robert Flower would have enjoyed its simplicity.

Hobbiton Breakfast:  217 calories 6 g fat 3.4 g fiber 5.7 g protein 29.4 g carbs [11 g Complex] 60 mg Calcium   NB: These values are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB  A simple-to-prepare and delicious combination of textures and flavors. For Halflings and Big People alike.

1 full-size or 2 half-size [from 3 Tbsp Scone ‘Mix’.] Seedy Scones*** ½ oz Camembert cheese   3 oz apple Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] 

***Seedy Scones: This makes 2 cups of ‘Mix’. 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup white whole wheat flour 3 Tbsp sugar 1 tsp baking soda 1.5 tsp cream of tartar 2 Tbsp unsalted butter buttermilk or sourmilk, as needed mixed seeds + a pinch of salt Combine the dry ingredients [except seeds] in a bowl. Cut in the butter until well incorporated. 

Prepare the Scone Mix. Take out 3 Tbsp [1.6 oz] of the mix and stir in just enough buttermilk or sour milk [1-1/2 Tbsp? 2 Tbsp?] to cause the dough to come together in a rough ball. TIP: store the remaining mix in the refrigerator in a glass jar with a lid. Ready to use when you wish. Knead briefly on a lightly floured surface. Pat out into one scone, or divide into 2 scones. Brush the surface with milk and scatter the seeds on top. Place in a buttered dish to bake  HINT: I did this the night before and left it on the counter to bake in the morning. Slice the apple and cheese. Bake the scone[s] at 400 F. for 7-10 minutes. Plate to please the eye. Serve with the beverage of your choice.

Cozido Soup: Cozido  is a specialty of the Azores island of Sao Miguel. Some of the dormant volcanoes still have warm magma and send out steam through vents and fissures. Local people lower cauldrons of meats and vegetables into steaming wells, then serve the cooked meal at restaurants or at home.. The serving for two at O Miroma in Furnas consists of vast quantities of beef, pork knuckles, blood sausage, carrots, potatoes, collards, cabbage, and turnips. Like a New England Boiled Dinner, but cooked in a volcanic vent! We took the remainders from our meal home. 

The next day, I put the bones, sausage, and juices in a pot with water and Piment da Queijo. While that simmered, I cut up the vegetables and meat into bite-sized pieces [discarding the blood sausage to which I have an aversion]. Combined, it provided a hearty, nourishing, and low-calorie soup for a Fast Day.

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

1.5 two-oz eggCamembert or Hermelin cheese
apple + heavy cream3%-fat ham
sugar + cinnamonsourdough rye bread
butter + peachplums, preferably yellow
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

green peppers + cucumber + garliceggs + streaky American bacon
white wine vinegar + tarragon Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
olive oil + shrimp + onionasparagus + scallion
piment d’esplette + dry white wineside salad with beet + tomato
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Saint Matthew

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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.

Levi, son of Alphaeus, was born in Galilee and was raised as an observant Jew. Why he became a tax collector for the oppressive Roman Empire is anyone’s guess. As a consequence, he was shunned and reviled as a collaborator. In a stunning move, Jesus called him to be one of his disciples, a scene brilliantly and dramatically illustrated by Caravaggio’s ‘The Calling of St Matthew.’ When the ‘culture police’ complained, Jesus pointed out that his job was to reclaim the sinners, since the righteous didn’t need saving. Levi then came to be known as Matthew. Biblical scholars debate whether Levi is the Matthew mentioned in the Bible; whether the Gospel of Matthew was written by Levi or by one of his followers; whether it was written in Aramaic/Hebrew or in Greek; whether or not Matthew died as a martyr. At any rate, Matthew is considered the Apostle to the Jews: visiting Jewish groups in the region around Judea to convince them that Jesus was the Messiah. His Feast Day is October 21.

Foods to eat for Matthew’s Feast Day are Kosher, of course. Early Christian Jews observed the culinary cultural norms and holidays. Except for the tomatoes and Bell peppers, the ingredients would have been available in Judea and Syria in Matthew’s time.

Spinach-Mushroom-Feta Bake: 178 calories 10.7 g fat 1 g fiber 13 g protein 8 g carbs [3.8 g Complex] 214.7 mg Calcium  PB GF — if using GF flour Miri Rotkovitz presented this recipe via thespruceeats.com. It is her ‘dairy meal for Hannukka’. Her version is a dinner pie, complete with an olive oil crust. My version packs a punch of flavor at breakfast. HINT: This recipe makes two servings. The other half of it would be a terrific lunch on another day.

½ tsp olive oil + non-stick spray 2 cloves garlic, chopped = 2 teaspoons 3 oz mushrooms, chopped or diced 3 oz chopped, frozen spinach 2 two-oz eggs 2 Tbsp milk 1½ teaspoons flour 1½ oz feta cheese, crumbled   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water 

Thaw the spinach in a sieve to remove extra water. Gently cook the olive oil in the oils until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until the water they exude evaporates. Put the feta in a bowl, top with the spinach, then the mushrooms. Let the mushrooms/garlic cool before you stir the vegetables and cheese together. Combine the flour and milk in a small dish and heat in the microwave. Stir together to make a roux. Whisk the roux with the eggs. Put the vegetable-cheese mixture in an oven-proof dish which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Pour the egg mixture on top and bake at 350 F for 20-23 minutes. All the flavors meld together to create a savory way to start your day.

Felafel with Vegetable Salsa:  205 calories 5 g fat 7.7 g fiber 9 g protein 26.5 g carbs 139 mg Calcium   PB GF V   The felafel recipe is from Molly Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook. Perfect for a hot summer day or any day that you need a quick and easy meal.

6 falefel patties ½ cup diced fresh tomatoes ½ cup diced orange or yellow bell peppers 2 Tbsp red onion, chopped 1 Tbsp lemon juice  

Combine the chopped vegetables with the lemon juice. If frozen, warm the felafel. Let the vegetables ‘marry’ while the felafel warms. Plate the felafel and the salad.  Its that easy?!? Yes, it is.

Hometown Heroine: Dunbar

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

Agnes Randolph was the second wife of Patrick, 8th Earl of Dunbar. She was a lady of noble birth who knew the ins and outs of society and feudal life. All her wit and savvy were called into play during a pivotal time in her life. It was 1338, and the English continued to invade Scotland. The Earl of Salisbury thought it would be a simple thing to take Dunbar Castle, a strategic coastal location. Salisbury knew that Earl Patrick was fighting far away and that the Castle was in the hands of only a few men at arms and Lady Agnes. First, he asked for her to surrender. She cannily played the “Little Wifey” card — ‘ I can’t surrender without discussing it with my husband and he’s not home now.’ Next, Lord Salisbury hurled rocks at the Castle with catapults. Every day they bombarded; every day Lady Agnes and her ladies came out and dusted the battlements with their fine embroidered handkerchiefs, as if the damage were a minor housekeeping annoyance. Then, the English deployed a great battering ram, nicknamed ‘The Sow,’ at the gate. Lady Agnes had her men throw the catapulted rocks over the ramparts, breaking the Sow and dispersing the soldiers below. As they scattered, Agnes remarked, “Behold a litter of English pigs.” The siege dragged on and the English thought that the Scots were out of food, but they were resupplied at last via the ocean gate by Sir Alexander Ramsey. Ever the gracious hostess, Lady Agnes sent bread and imported wine to the English commander, so he could ‘share’ her table. Lastly, the English captured Lord Moray, Agnes’ brother. They dragged him in front of the gate and said they would kill him if the Castle were not surrendered. “Go ahead,” replied Agnes, knowing the weak point in this argument, “since he has no heirs, then I will become the head of the Morays.” Seeing they had no advantage, the English let her brother go. [Luckily, Brother knew that Agnes was playing a role and did indeed value his life] After five months of siege, Lord Salisbury packed it in and left. As his men marched away, they chanted a cadence call to honor Agnes who had defeated them: “Came I early, came I late, I found Agnes at the gate.” Sir Walter Scott declared that Lady Agnes had earned a spot on the list of Scottish heroes.

Few foods are as Scottish as haggis [lamb sausage with oatmeal binder] and salmon. Today’s meals feature them both.

Haggis ScrOmelette:  172 calories 9 g fat 1 g fiber 13 g protein 9 g carbs 50 mg Calcium   NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  GF  Haggis could be described as a Scottish lamb sausage. Some of the variety meats in the original recipe are not available, so this is an Americanized version. [Regrets to my Dunbar ancestors.]

Three 2-oz eggs of which you will use 1-½ eggs per person 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.  1-1/2 Tbsp haggis   2 oz applesauce, unsweetened  OR 2 oz pear Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Spritz a non-stick pan with olive oil or non-stick spray. Whisk the eggs with the haggis, and salt & pepper to taste and scramble or cook as an omelette in the pan. Plate with the applesauce and pour the beverage of choice. A gateway to Scottish cuisine.

Salmon-Dill Casserole:  281 calories 10.4 g fat 5 g fiber 24.6 g protein 24 g carbs 253 mg Calcium  PB GF  This is a wonderful meal. SO much flavor!!

3 oz salmon, raw 1 cup leeks, sliced 1 clove garlic 2 oz clam juice or fish stock 2 Tbsp milk ½ tsp cornstarch ½ tsp dill pinch nutmeg pinch cayenne ¼ cup peas 1 oz green beans 

Cut the salmon into one-inch cubes and put in an oven-proof dish, dusting the fish with salt and pepper. Cook the leeks 5 minutes in a pan with a spritz of oil and some water. Slice the garlic and add that to the leeks for an additional 15 seconds. Whisk the cornstarch into the milk and clam juice, then add to the leeks. Cook until it becomes thicker. Take pan off the heat and add dill, cayenne, nutmeg and peas. Pour over salmon and bake around 15 minutes until it is hot through. In the meantime, cook the green beans and drain. Scrape the hot salmon mixture into your serving bowl [I used one 7” bowl per serving], being sure to include all the sauce. Top with the cooked beans. If there is broth left in the bottom of the bowl, don’t be shy – drink it!

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

two-oz egg + feta cheesewhite whole wheat flour + butter
olive oil + frozen spinachbaking powder + buttermilk
mushrooms + milk + garlicapple + sesame/poppy seeds
white whole wheat flourcamembert cheese +cream of tartar
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

felafel pattiespork + beef + meat stock
fresh tomato + red onionPiment de Queijo or other hot sauce
orange or yellow bell peppercarrots + kale
lemon juiceturnip + cabbage
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Cheeky

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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 Tim who is now Following.

“Cheeky.” That’s a funny word. It describes someone, often a child, who is almost impudent enough to be rude — but the rudeness is so surprisingly bold that it is seen as humorous. “Cheeks” refer to the sides of the face, between nose and ears, sometimes pinched by doting aunties. “Cheeks” also refer to the fleshy gluteus maximus muscles of the ‘derriere.’ Does the word ‘cheeky’ have its origin in the flippant display of that part of the anatomy? Dictionaries are mute on the subject.

Sometimes chefs are cheeky by presenting a food that looks like something it is not. Today’s breakfast is just such a culinary jest. It fooled Dear Husband! The cheeks [facial, not posterior] of animals are often considered to be the most tender part of the beast. Our dinner utilizes the cheeks [facial] of fish.

Trompe l’Oeil: 135 calories 6 g fat 1.7 g fiber 10.5 g protein 9.6 g carbs 128 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  Here is a meal to ‘fool the eye’ [trompe l’oeil] and tickle the palate with its combination of the cold soup and the hot egg. The soup, which is good as a lunch in larger portions, comes from cuisine actuelle.fr

½ cup Cucumber Soup*** 0.9 oz canteloupe melon ball — the scoop was the same size as the egg yolk one 2-oz egg 1 tsp grated Parmesan 1 Tbsp whole milk

***Cucumber Soup  makes 3 cups, easy to cut in half

two 8” cucumbers [total mass = 21 oz]Slice off both tips of the cucumber and remove half of the green peel. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Dice the cucumber.
A bunch of mintRemove leaves from stems and chop the leaves coarsely.
Piment d’esplette [or paprika or Aleppo pepper] to taste salt & pepper to tastePut the cucumber, mint, and seasonings in a food processor. Run the machine until the cucumber is very finely chopped.
200 grams/ 7 oz Fromage Blanc OR plain Greek yogurtAdd cheese, run the processor to combine. Adjust seasonings.
1 Tbsp-sized canteloupe ballsPlate, garnished with one melon ball per serving

Spritz an oven-safe ramekin with non-stick spray and break the egg into it. Sprinkle the Parmesan around the yolk. Spoon the milk around the yolk. Add salt and pepper. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, scrape the soup into a similar ramekin. Nestle the melon ball in the soup. Plate them side by side and smile.

Cod Cheeks in Cream Sauce:  227 calories 11.5 g fat 2 g fiber 24.6 g protein 6 g carbs [4.7 g Complex] 65.7 mg Calcium   PB GF   The cheeks of cod and halibut are considered a delicacy among fisherfolk. This recipe is simple and SO delicious.  HINT: This recipe serves two [2].

300 grams cod +/or halibut cheeks 2 tsp olive oil ¼ c [2 oz] white wine 1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped roughly 1 oz whipping cream 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard chives or scallion greens   per serving: 7 spears of asparagus

Prepare a mise-en-place because this goes together quickly. Start by putting the asparagus on to cook – it will take longer than the fish and sauce. Then warm the oil over medium-high heat in a saute pan. Put the fish pieces in a single layer and cook for one minute on one side. Turn them over and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove fish to a plate. Turn the heat down to medium and add the wine and garlic to the pan. As soon as the wine has mostly evaporated, add the cream, scallions, and mustard, stirring all the while. The cream will start to thicken so put the fish back into the sauce briefly, to warm. Plate the fish and asparagus, being sure to save some of the sauce for the vegetables. Very special.

Slow Day: Eastern Mediterranean Sampler

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People who are new to Fasting often pose the questions: “Can I really eat ‘anything I want’ on a Slow Day?” and “What should I eat on Slow Days?” To answer those questions, I have decided to add some blog posts to show some of the foods we eat on what the world calls NFDs [non-fast days] but which, in our house, we call ‘Slow Days.’ This feature will appear sporadically. 

Now for the answers. Can you really eat ANYTHING you want on a Slow Day? Not really. If you eat too many calories every Slow Day, you will not lose weight. There are many questions asked on the FastDiet Forum which attest to that. Once in a while you can splurge, as long as it isn’t everyday. For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet. As for how we eat, an example follows.

The meal at Troy

When we visit Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada, we enjoy dining at Troy. We usually order the Sampler Platter, along with local beer and cidre. Since dining there is not an option during these Covid Times, I decided to try my hand at preparing such a meal. Happily, the elements were at hand — in the freezer or in the ‘fridge or made from fresh ingredients.

From the left, going clockwise around the platter: Lamb Gozleme; turkey breast; beet hummus**; oil-cured olives; tomatoes; feta + green olives; red pepper spread; dried figs. The flat bread in the middle is the same as in the Gozleme, but un-stuffed and griddle fried. A delightful meal for two, served with memories of visits to the orchards and vineyards of the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia.

**HUMMUS: 1 Tbsp = 27 calories… 1.3 g fat… 0.6 g fiber… 0.7 g protein… 3 g carbs… 0.7 mg Calcium…   PB GF —makes 2 cups— Recipe from Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen . ++++ 1 can chickpeas, drained + rinsed ++++ 4 cloves garlic ++++ 1½ tsp salt++++ 4 tsp lemon juice ++++ 5 T tahini pepper +++ cayenne ++++ ¼ c chopped scallions Put everything in the food processor and whiz until smooth. Taste for seasonings. Freezes well. Variation: Add a few slices of cooked beet to obtain an amazing pink color.

LHC

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

The Large Hadron Collider is an enormous machine. It lurks 300 feet underground in a ring of tunnel. The tunnel channels charged particles [protons, which are classified as Hadrons] around and around the ring in opposite directions, eventually to slam the protons into each other inside the LHC. There they splinter into even tinier particles [quarks, gluons] which are detected by the various layers of the machine. On September 10, 2008, the LHC went on-line, a very exciting day for our family. Our Elder Son worked for three years at CERN, the research center that designed and built the LHC, in partnership with universities and science facilities around the world. He was a graduate student in physics and he was building and testing the Muon Filters before they were installed in the End Cap of the collider. Dear Husband and I were thrilled beyond measure to visit him there and to be taken on a tour of the work site. And I have the T-shirt to prove it.

The colors represent various sub-atomic particles leaving a proton collision.

Though an excellent cook, Elder Son nonetheless opted for convenience on workdays: he would prepare a smoothie for breakfast before he caught the bus for work. In that spirit, here is a morning shake to start your day. The dinner involves Swiss Chard, a nod to the fact that CERN is located just outside of Geneva, Switzerland.

Strawberry-Banana-Tofu Smoothie: 199 calories 3.4 g fat 3.7 g fiber 14 g protein 26 g carbs 360 mg Calcium  PB GF This is a dandy ‘shake’ for breakfast or lunch.

2 oz banana ½ c plain, fat free yogurt ½ cup sliced strawberries 2 Tbsp sugar 2.8 oz soft or firm tofu, which is 1/5 of a package 

Put everything in the blender and wizz it on “Low” until it is all chopped up. Then run it at a higher speed until it is smooth. HINT: If you want to, add another ½ cup of yogurt, or skimmed milk which will add more volume and bring the calorie count to 259.

Swiss Chard Fritatta:  284 calories 12.5 g fat 4 g fiber 18.7 g protein 24 g carbs [23 g Complex] 166 mg Calcium  PB GF — if using GF bread or omitting it  Susan Loomis is the source of this recipe, which also can be a wonderful breakfast, scaled down to serve two. HINT: Serves 2 as a main course. Could serve 4-6 as an appetizer.

3 oz swiss chard or fresh spinach 1/3 tsp olive oil 8 oz eggs = 4 two-oz eggs in their shells 3 pinches granulated garlic + 3 pinches salt + large pinch paprika 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 1 oz 7-grain sour-dough bread, or something similarly hearty ¼ cup pickled beets 

Clean the chard by holding the leaf and pulling off the stem. Chop the leaves. Put olive oil in an oven-proof pan that can also be used on the stove-top. Turn on the broiler and move the upper rack to the top. Cook the chopped leaves in the oil until the leaves are limp, adding water as necessary to prevent sticking. Be sure to cook off the water/liquid in the pan. Combine the eggs, cheese and seasonings. Whisk well and pour over the chard in the pan. Cook over medium heat until the bottom is well set [4-5 minutes]. Put under the broiler until the top is cooked. Serve from the pan or slide the fritatta out onto a serving plate.

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

1 two-oz egg + 2 cucumbers1.5 eggs
mint + piment d’empletteParmesan cheese
whole milk + Parmesanapplesauce
Fromage blanc + cantalouphaggis
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

cod cheeks + olive oilSalmon + leek + peas
heavy cream + garlicclam juice/fish stock + cayenne
Dijon mustard + asparagusgarlic + milk + cornstarch
white wine + chivesgreen beans + nutmeg + dill
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Buffon

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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.

September 7 is the birthdate of one of my favorite scientists: George-Louis Leclerc, the Comte de Buffon. He was born into a family of civil servants in Montbard, Burgundy, France. His wealthy godfather endowed him richly, with baby George’s mother as trustee. Although his father wanted him to study law, George-Louis was drawn to math and science. He left law school to pursue his interest and to travel [and get away from home until the acrimony died down?]. During his absence, his beloved mother died. Returning home, he sued his father [useful, those law classes!] to regain his inheritance; bought land [including the town of Buffon]; and went to Paris to make his mark. Marriage, fatherhood, the death of his dear wife — personal milestones. Probability theory, scientific studies, royal patronage — professional milestones. Eventually, he was raised to nobility, named the Comte [Count] de Buffon. He was an excellent writer [“The Style is the man himself”] which helped popularize his wide-ranging ideas. After experiments with various metals, Buffon concluded that the earth was 75,000 years old and was not formed 6000 years prior in the course of seven days, as was the current thinking. “Why should we hold God to man’s calendar?” he asked, proposing that a day to God could be 10,000 years to Man. Buffon believed that all races of people were the same [good for him!] but that they look differently because of climate and poor diet [that part was sketchy]. Buffon also thought that climate change affected the development of life forms. His writing was censured by the Church, but his research went on. Buffon’s ideas informed the work of future scientists such as Cuvier, Lyell, and Darwin. Buffon died in 1789, which is a good thing, as he would surely have been guillotined during the French Revolution, as was his son.

As a lover of the terroir of his region, Buffon would have delighted in the earthy taste of cepes/ceps, so this breakfast would have pleased him. The dinner is a classic of Burgundian cuisine, especially because it showcases the local ham.

Cepe Bake: 139 calories 6.7 g fat 1.3 g fiber 10 g protein 6 g carbs 61 mg Calcium   PB GF Am I bragging when I say that Bolete mushrooms [aka porcini] come up wild in our front yard? Sort of… but it is the truth – thanks to a stand of oaks which partner with the mushrooms. After researching which flavors go best with Cepes, here is an amazing breakfast.

1 egg 1 oz cepes/porcini [fresh or dried and rehydrated in hot water] 1-½ tsp Parmesan cheese 1 oz tomatoes 0.13 oz proscuitto 1-½ oz peach   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]

Slice the mushrooms into small pieces [your call]. Dice the tomatoes. Coarsley chop the proscuitto. Spray a non-stick or small cast-iron pan with non-stick spray and cook the three above items until they are softened and have lost their liquid. Put the cooked ingredients into a lightly-oiled oven-safe dish and distribute over the bottom. Whisk the eggs with the cheese, and pour into the prepared dish. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes or until set. Plate with the peaches for a real mid-Summer delight.

Burgundian Ham Flan: 291 calories 12 g fat 3 g fiber 27 g protein 25 g carbs 131.5 mg Calcium  PB GF – if using GF flour  In Burgundy, this is called “Rigodon.” Whatever language you speak, you will call it delicious. The recipe comes from Anne Willan’s French Regional Cooking.  HINT: This recipe serves two [2] but go ahead and make the whole thing – it will be great for lunch later in the week. Dear Husband says: Make this again soon!

2 ½ oz ham, 3% fat ½ oz proscuitto ham 1 cup skimmed milk 4 eggs [8 oz] 2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour 2 pinches ground allspice 1 tsp fresh thyme salt & pepper fresh parsley leaves per serving: 1 cup lettuce + ½ tsp olive oil + ½ tsp vinegar

Cut hams in small dice. Spray an 8” diameter baking dish with non-stick spray. Distribute the ham over the bottom of the dish. Add the allspice to the milk, and bring it slowly to a boil. Whisk the eggs with the flour until it is smooth. Take the milk off the heat. While you whisk, add the egg/flour to the milk, then stir in the thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour over the ham in the baking dish and place some parsley leaves on the surface of the eggs. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes, until the eggs are set and golden brown. Serve cool or at room temperature along with the salad.

Frederick Douglass

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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.

On September 3, 1838, Frederick Bailey escaped to freedom. He had been born to an enslaved woman in 1818 on a plantation in Maryland’s Eastern Shore. His mother was separated from him in childhood and he was raised by his enslaved grandmother and free grandfather. As an enslaved child, he was sold, traded, and loaned to various families: one taught him to read, one beat him frequently. Eventually he met a free Black woman, Anna Murray, who helped him to escape. He boarded a train in the guise of a free sailor, traveled through two pro-slavery states, took a ferry boat up river to Philadelphia, and after 24-hours of travel, ended up in New York City. Free. Frederick and Anna married soon after, choosing ‘Douglass’ as their surname. If he hadn’t had enough excitement for one life, Douglass became a pastor, a publisher, a public speaker, a women’s rights advocate, an abolitionist, a social reformer, and statesman. Frederick Douglass was the most photographed person in the 1800s and a tireless worker for the rights of ALL people. He believed that “Right is of no sex, Truth is of no color, God is the Father of us all, and we are all Brethren.” Amen to that.

In trying to decide what recipes to feature today, I vetoed the idea of ‘slave food’ like hoe cakes and salt cod, in favor of the foods of the sort eaten by free, middle-class, educated people of Douglass’ time: watercress would have been served in nice restaurants [certainly in England where he toured and lectured], while ham with oysters is a popular dish of the Chesapeake Bay area from which he escaped.

Watercress ScrOmelette: 150 calories 8 g fat 0.6 g fiber 10.7 g protein 5.4 g carbs 74 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  Having Watercress Sauce in the freezer in handy cubes sure makes this meal a snap. And is it good!

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.  ½ Tbsp Watercress Sauce, well drained    ½ Tbsp ricotta, drained  HINT: I set them both out to drain through a fine sieve the night before to make sure there was no extra liquid. 1/8 tsp dry mustard 1.5 oz peach   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Combine the drained watercress, drained cheese, and mustard. Whisk the eggs and cook in a hot saute pan spritzed with olive oil or non-stick spray. As the eggs begin to set, spread the cress/mustard/cheese on top. Cook the way you like them and plate with the peaches. Pour the beverages and enjoy the summer taste of watercress all year long. 

Ham & Oyster Pie: 256 calories 4.6 g fat 3 g fiber 20.7 g protein 25.5 g carbs 125 mg Calcium  PB GF — if using GF bread   This dish was popular in the Colonial American South at Christmastime. I first enjoyed it in the Fox Tavern  at the Hancock Inn. As long as oysters are available, one can have it anytime. HINT: This recipe serves 2 [two].

This dish will serve two diners.

3 oz [2/3 cup] roast ham in ½” dice 1 cup/about 19 oysters with their liquid ½ cup onions, chopped ¼ cup milk 2 Tbsp white wine 2 tsp potato starch ½ cup peas, frozen 4 small stars cut from a 70-calorie slice of whole-grain bread, 0.55 oz bread

Drain oysters and reserve their liquid. Combine onion and oyster liquid in a small pan. Simmer, covered, until onions are transluscent. Stir wine, milk, and potato starch into the liquid until it is smooth. Add oysters and ham. Stir and heat over low until sauce has thickened. Add peas, stir, and turn into a two-cup casserole. Bake uncovered at 400 F. for 15 minutes while you lightly toast the stars. Before serving, nestle the stars into the bubbling sauce.

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

1 two-oz eggtofu + sugar
cepe or porcini mushroomsstrawberries
tomato + prosciuttobanana
Parmesan + peachplain fat-free yogurt
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

3%-fat ham, sliced thinlytwo 2-oz eggs + paprika + pickled beets
skimmed milk + 4 eggsparmesan cheese + Swiss chard
white whole wheat flourgarlic powder + paprika
allspice + thyme + green beansolive oil optional: sourdough bread
Sparkling waterSparkling water

A Seeper in Titusville

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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.

Edwin Drake had been sent by some ‘sharpsters‘ in New York City to Titusville, Pennsylvania in 1859. ‘They,’ a banker and a lawyer, had bought land along a body of water the locals called ‘Oil Creek.’ Seems there was a petroleum seep up-stream at the source of the creek. Everyone knew that petroleum was good for aching joints and that if you rubbed it on your chest, it would cure a cold. But those sharp operators from the City had other plans: oil for lighting, oil for machine lubrication — native oil to replace the dwindling supplies of expensive whale oil. And they were right in their assumptions. Drake, with no experience in petroleum extraction, cobbled together a team to build a drilling rig, similar to ones used locally to pump out salt brine. [We know today that salt deposits and petroleum reservoirs are linked geologically.] After drilling 80-some feet, quantities of oil seeped to the surface on August 27. OK, it wasn’t a ‘gusher’ of an oil well, but it did usher in the dominance of petroleum in the American economy, for better or for worse. In my opinion as an Earth Scientist, it might be good to leave a lot of the oil in the ground — in case we require it decades or centuries from now. Using it all up now is not the best of ideas IMHO. [Read the long, very interesting article from American Heritage: https://www.americanheritage.com/sitting-gusher]

Since oil and America are so inextricably linked, We will enjoy some all-American foods today: a star-studded line-up of cornmeal and hot dogs. This patriotism is further seen at the Drake Well Museum in Titusville, which is closed on all holidays except Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day.

Cornmeal Stars with Fruit Yogurt: 133 calories 3.3 g fat 4.2 g fiber 7.6 g protein 21 g carbs [8 g Complex] 46 mg Calcium NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB GF Cornbread and stars are SO American, that they fit in with any patriotic meal.

Cornmeal Stars: 1 egg white 1 egg yolk, stirred 1 Tbsp white whole-wheat flour 3 Tbsp yellow cornmeal Whip the egg white to soft peaks. Fold in the yolk, the flour, and the meal. Place your largest [3-4”] star-shaped cookie cutter in the center of a non-stick pan. Spray the pan and the inside of the star with non-stick spray. Spoon 1/3 of the batter into the star, nudging it into the corners. Loosen the mold from the batter and remove it. Cook the star on one side until starting to brown, then turn carefully to cook the other side. Repeat until batter is all used up.  HINT: This can be done a day or so in advance, storing the stars in a plastic bag.

Per serving: 1.5 stars 2 Tbsp fat-free French Vanilla yogurt 2 Tbsp blueberries 2 oz strawberries, sliced or diced [If frozen, they will need to be thawed and drained]   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Plate the stars, slightly overlapping. Dollop the yogurt on top, then strew with fruit.

Hot Dog & 4-Bean Salad: 302 calories 12 g fat 3.6 g fiber 20 g protein 18.6 g carbs 103.7 mg Calcium  GF PB  Hot Dogs and summer salads go together, even for Fasters. This meal is very straight-forward, assuming the 4-bean salad has already been prepared.

1 Hebrew National reduced-fat hot dog 1 deviled egg ½ cup 4-bean salad  2 oz tomato broiled with ½ Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Grill or pan-cook the hot dog. Prepare the deviled egg by cutting it in half, removing the yolk, and mashing it with yellow prepared mustard, salt, and pepper. Spoon the yolk mixture back into the egg. Cut out the stem end of the tomato and carve it in half along the equator. Top the tomato with cheese and broil it. Plate it all with the 4-bean salad. Simple food at summer’s end.

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

1 two-oz egg1.5 two-oz eggs 
tomatoricotta cheese
leek + garlic powderdry mustard + peach
basil + pearwatercress sauce
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

raw chicken + potato + onionroast ham + potato starch
rich chicken stock + corn1 cup oysters + their liquid
hard-boiled egg + thyme white wine + milk + peas
optional: sourdough bread70-calories whole-grain bread
Sparkling waterSparkling water