Eating well with creative recipes while following the Fast Diet

Annie’s Stellar System

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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.

Annie Jump Cannon was a computer.  In her day, a being a ‘computer’ was an occupation, not a device on your desk.  Like the women in the movie “Hidden Figures”, Miss Cannon was hired to do mathematical calculations and measurements. For 25 cents per hour. [Equal to $7.52 today]  She worked with stars, which she had learned to love while star-gazing at her mother’s knee. She was graduated from Wellesley College in 1884, with a degree in Physics and life-long deafness [caused by scarlet fever].  Returning to the academic world 10 years later, Annie became one of “Pickering’s Women”  — computers hired by Edward Pickering to help with his development of a new classification of stars.  It was already known that each star, when analyzed with a spectroscope, had a unique ‘spectrum.’  Annie Cannon was particularly good at reading and observing spectral emissions.  There was much disagreement within the team of computers on how to classify stars. Annie solved that by proposing a compromise: the stars would be put in categories named after letters [O, B, A, F, G, K, M]. B-type stars, like ‘Sirius‘, are very hot and luminous.  Because they are ‘young’ and hot, they give off a blue color. G-type stars, like our sun, are whitish-yellow, while M-type stars, like Betelgeuse, being cooler, appear red.  The letters are arranged in order from largest/hottest/brightest to smallest/coolest/dimmest.  To remember the order, AJCannon came up with the sentence “Oh Be A Fine Girl, Kiss Me.” Her system was accepted and she went on to catalogue almost 400,000 stars. On the way, she discovered 300 variable stars. Grudgingly, honors were accorded to her late in her totally stellar career. She died on April 9, 1941.                                                                                                                                   What shall we eat in honor of Annie Jump Cannon?  A breakfast of cornmeal stars and a dinner of differently-colored foods which are arranged in stripes, like stellar spectra. Of course.

Cornmeal Stars with Fruit Yogurt:  154 calories  4 g fat  4.8 g fiber  8.6 g protein  24 g carbs [17 g Complex]  71.6 mg Calcium  PB  Cornmeal and stars are SO American, that they SO perfect for Annie Jump Cannon.Cornmeal Stars with Fruit

Cornmeal Stars: 1 egg white 1 egg yolk, stirred 1 Tbsp white whole-wheat flour 3 Tbsp yellow cornmeal Whip the egg to soft peaks. Fold in the yolk, the flour, and the meal. Spray a non-stick pan with non-stick spray. Place your largest [3-4”] star-shaped cookie cutter in the center. Spoon 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. 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]                                                                                                                                    Plate the stars, slightly overlapping. Dollop the yogurt on top, then strew with fruit.

Mixed Sushi:  275 calories  11.6 g fat   4.9 g fiber  16 g protein  28 g carbs  39 mg Calcium PB GF   Our younger son introduced us to this recipe. Imagine: ‘Sushi’ without raw fish or seaweed. Good use for leftover beef, rice, and avocado. HINT: This serves 2 [two]. Invite a friend or save for lunch or dinner another day. Made to be served at room temp.Mixed Sushi

1 cup brown rice, cooked and cooled HINT: Make the day before and refrigerate or plan to have leftovers from a previous meal                                                                                          1 tsp rice wine vinegar                                                                                                                          1 egg    +     1 tsp soy sauce                                                                                                                                             3 oz avocado, in long slices                                                                                                               1 oz grilled beef, in long strips OR grilled chicken                                                                           2 oz smoked salmon, in long slices                                                                                                      2 oz cucumber OR zucchini in long slices

Combine the rice with the vinegar and let sit. Whisk the soy sauce with the egg and cook the egg as a flat omelette in a lightly-spritzed non-stick pan. Remove from the pan and cut into long strips. Slice the avocado, beef, salmon, and cucumber in long strips, but not longer than the diameter of the bowl in which you will serve it. Put the rice into two bowls with a wide diameter. Distribute the rice evenly over the bowl. Lay the other ingredients on top of the rice in what ever arrangement pleases you. Serve with extra soy sauce and enjoy a quick meal.

Ingredients for next week:

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

Next week will feature a discussion of 1.5 two-oz eggs
foods that are stuffed in other food. Hawayij spice
deglet noor dates
choose a favorite breakfast from
the Archives Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage

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

Next week will feature a discussion of chicken thigh  +  chicken broth
foods that are stuffed in other food. Hawayij spice 
choose a favorite dinner from deglet noor dates
the Archives quick-cooking barley + watermelon
Sparkling water Sparkling water

 

Toussaint’s Rebellion

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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.

Toussaint Louverture was born enslaved on the Saint-Domingue, the French part of the island Hispaniola.  By age 33 he had been freed and was a paid employee of the same plantation where he was born.  Eventually he owned his own coffee farm [and his own slaves], becoming quite wealthy.  Inspired by the French Revolution, people of color rose up, seeking at least the Liberté which they had been denied. In 1791, Toussaint was a negotiator between the two sides. Later he became an important leader of the Haïtian Revolution.  He was a man of contradictions: born enslaved, yet he was versed in the writings of Machiavelli and Caesar;  a Royalist, yet espousing the ideals of the French Revolution;  a leader of the rebellion, yet one who had himself kept people enslaved;  a farmer, yet a wily military commander; a loyal French citizen, yet he sought to establish an independent nation. After dealings with Spain, the United States, England, and France, on May 6 1802, Toussaint struck a deal with Napoleon’s General Leclerc to end the fighting and to gain amnesty for the rebel leaders.  Toussaint hoped to return to his farm to live in peace, but by the end of May he had been captured by the French and was transported to France for trial.  He died in 1803.  The rebellion lived on and in 1804, the French were defeated and withdrew from Hispaniola.  The nation of Haïti was born.

The cuisine of Haïti is part French, part African, part Spanish, part Arabic, and part Taino [the indigenous people].  The ingredients are seafood, native plants, naturalized plants [plantains, melon, pineapple], and domestic animals [poultry, pigs, goats].  But the way they put it all together is unique. Breakfast is based on the spicy filling used in the ubiquitous ‘pates’, made with seasoned meat.  Dinner is seafood, plantains, and fruit: a very typical combination                                                                                           .

Haitian Chicken Bake:   131 calories  5 g fat   1 g fiber  13 g protein   8 g carbs [6 g Complex]  43 mg Calcium  NB: The calorie count shown is for the egg bake and the fruit only, and does not include the optional beverages.   PB GF  The Haitians love to eat their ‘pates’ [pronounced ‘patty’]: spicy fillings in puff paste dough. Here is the filling alone is used to jazz up some eggs at breakfast.Haitian Chicken Bake

1 two-oz egg                                                                                                                                          2 Tbsp chicken pate filling [see Food In Wrappers, 2  posted 7-April-2019]                             2 oz melon   OR  1 oz melon + 3/4 oz pineapple                                                                                                                           Optional: 5-6 oz berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] or fruit smoothie                           Optional: blackish coffee, Haitian of course [53 calories] or tea or lemon in hot water

NB: Prepare the chicken pate filling in advance and freeze or refrigerate it. Whisk the egg, then whisk again with the meat filling. Pour into an oven-safe dish which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Bake at 350° F for 12-15 minutes. Portion the fruit and brew that Haitian coffee. Done! An easy, savory taste of Hispaniola!

Lobster ‘Lambi’ & Plantains:  270 calories   8.3 g fat   2.8 g fiber  17.8 g protein   35 g carbs [34 g Complex]   51 mg Calcium  PB GF  A simple meal from Haïti. Easy any season of the year, as long as plantains are in the market. Ordinarily lambi is made with the meat of the Queen Conch, but if that is unavailable, try lobster tail instead. The plantains are delicious oven-roasted. Try them! Lobster Lambi w: plantains

3 oz lobster meat such as tail                                                                                                                                          3 oz plantain slices, from a ripe [yellow skin with some black spots] not green plantain                 ½ – 1 tsp olive oil                                                                                                                                  3 oz cantaloup melon                                                                                                                         1 lime, cut in half along the equator                                                                                               a few fresh spinach leaves

Peel the plantains and carefully slice them so they don’t get squished. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with non-stick spray. Brush with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 425° F for 10 minutes, then turn the slices and bake for a further 10 minutes. If the lobster is uncooked, stick a skewer into the lobster tail lengthwise and grill it indoors or outdoors while you squeeze juice from half the lime on it. Cut it into bite-sized pieces. If the lobster meat is cooked already, cut it into bite-sized pieces and squeeze lime juice on it. Plate the lobster on top of the spinach, then arrange the melon and plantains. Keep the other half lime for more juice-squeezing to your taste.

 

 

Saint Brieuc

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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.

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Briocus or Brieuc, as he is known in Brittany.  Coincidentally, today we are in Brittany, staying just a few miles outside of the city of St Brieuc in the Cote d’Armor region.  My ancestors were born here in the centuries prior to the 1400s, but the Good Saint was born in Ceredigion, Wales in the year 410.  Converted to Christianity and seized with missionary zeal, he left his home and family and set off across the English Channel to found a monastery.  In addition, he helped plague victims, had a power struggle with a relative, and subdued a pack of wolves with the Sign of the Cross. The monastery built a wooden church in the 6th century, then a stone version.  That structure was torn down to build a grand stone church, l’Elise de Saint Étienne, in 1220. [The site was marshy, but they built anyway.] It stands there today, despite the vicissitudes of war. In the 14the century, it was burned. Ditto in the 15th and 16th centuries. Each time it was rebuilt and the additions didn’t stop until the 1800s.  In the Cathedral of St Étienne in the city of St-Brieuc is his where some of the Good Saint’s bones lie.  Parts of St Guillaume are there, too.  How surprised Briocus would have been at his legacy!                                                                                                                                     Brittany is known for its seafood — mussels, oysters, lobster, scallops.  And also for its apples, artichokes, and onions.   The flavors of Brittany are present in the breakfast with the artichokes, spices, and apple.  Dinner features  two of Brittany’s most famous mollusks: mussels and oysters, cultivated in the bays and inlets of the north shore.

Breton Bake: 149 calories   6.5 g fat   3.4 g fiber  9.4 g protein  13.7 g carbs  103 mg Calcium   NB: The food values given are for the egg dish and the fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.   PB GF  Delicious. Filling. Different.breton-baked-egg

1 two-oz egg                                                                                                                                      2 Tbsp crushed tomatoes                                                                                                                                 2 Tbsp chopped artichoke hearts, fresh or canned or frozen                                                                           ½ tsp curry powder                                                                                                                           1 Tbsp fat-free ricotta                                                                                                                                 2 oz applesauce, unsweetened                                                                                                    blackish coffee [53 calories] or black tea, lemon in hot water                                                     5-6 oz  fruit or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] or natural cider

Chop the artichoke hearts. Stir together the artichokes, tomatoes, curry, and ricotta. Whisk in the egg and pour into an oven-safe dish which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Bake at 350° F. for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, brew your hot beverage; shake that smoothie; and portion the applesauce. Enjoy your breakfast on the Cote d’Armor.

Mollusk Gratin: 283 calories   14.6 g fat   2.3 g fiber    31.6 g protein    17.5 g carbs   216 mg Calcium   PB   GF–if using GF flour   When we steam mussels for a feast, there are often some left over. Removed from their shells, the meat can easily be frozen in the cooled cooking broth. A wonderful item for a quick future meal. And a few shucked oysters are no trouble.Mussel Gratin w: beans

3 oz cooked mussels, removed from shells                                                                                              2 shucked oysters                                                                                                                                          4 Tbsp mussel broth [from cooking the mussels]                                                                              2 tsp flour [I use King Arthur unbleached or White Whole Wheat]                                                                                        ½ oz Gruyère cheese, grated                                                                                                              ½ tsp curry powder                                                                                                                            3 oz green beans

Warm the mussel broth and whisk in the flour. Heat over low until thickened. Add curry powder and cheese. Whisk until cheese is melted and sauce is well combined. Add the mussels and oysters. Spritz a ramekin with non-stick spray and scrape the mussels and sauce into the ramekin. Bake at 350° F. for 10 minutes while you cook the beans.

Ingredients for next week:

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

1 two-oz egg 1.5 two-oz eggs  +  blueberries
Haitian Chicken Filling [Food in Wrappers, 2  posted on 7-April-2019] white whole wheat flour
cantaloupe melon yellow cornmeal  +  strawberries
Fat-free French Vanilla yogurt
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:

lobster tail one 2-oz egg   + avocado
fresh lime grilled beef  + smoked salmon
plantain + olive oil cucumber  + soy sauce
cantaloupe melon cooked brown rice  +  rice vinegar
Sparkling water Sparkling water

Morning to Night: Puttanesca

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Passover

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ingredients for next week:

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

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

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

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

Earth Day

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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 toting alipis who is now Following.

Tomorrow will be Earth Day.  First observed in 1970, on April 22, its goal was to harness the energy of college students to point out the dangers that threaten the environment.  Rallies, protests, and marches were held all over the country.  Even better, people turned out to clean parks, beaches, and roadsides.  Now the movement has gone world-wide.  Clean air and clean water are vital to everything’s existence — our’s and that of every other living thing on the planet.  Small steps that individuals take build up into widespread change.  We must each be part of that change by using less water; by keeping toxic chemicals out of our air or soil; by saving energy.  Some people will do that by eating less food and eating lower in the trophic pyramid:  less meat, more plants.   Today’s Earth Day menus are low on meat and high on nutritious plants. Just what you’ll need for a day of environmental activism.

Prosciutto & Melon Plate: 125 calories  7 g fat  1.2 g fiber  16.8 g protein  13.4 g carbs [13 g Complex]  135 mg Calcium  PB GF  Once again the Inn at Saint Peter’s inspires a breakfast! Nothing beats the salty-sweet flavor combination of this meal. HINT: I plated everything the night before and stored the plates in zipper bags in the refrigerator.Prosciutto-Melon Plate

4 oz cantaloupe melon [Charentais melon would be fabulous!]                                                           1 oz thinly-sliced prosciutto                                                                                                             ¼ cup red onion pickle                                                                                                                              0.1 oz shavings of Parmesan cheese                                                                                               fresh basil or mint leaves OR crumbled dried basil                                                                    drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction, optional                                                                         Optional:  blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                         Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Cut the melon into bite-sized cubes [8 pieces look well on the plate]. Cut the prosciutto into 8 long strips [mine were 1”x4”]. Arrange the melon and ham in a circle on the plate with the red onion in the center. Shave off curls of Parmesan and place them on top. If using fresh herb leaves, tuck them in here and there. If using dried herbs, rub the leaves in your palms to crumble over the plate. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar if you wish. Serve with your chosen beverages. Wonderful flavors, however you combine them on your fork.

Feta-Tuna-Bean Salad: 306 calories  14.6 g fat  5.3 g fiber  19.3 g protein  24 g carbs [23 g Complex] 230 mg Calcium PB GF This salad has a lot going for it:  easy to prepare, made from simple and available ingredients, filling, and delicious.  Perfect for Earth Day after a day of service to the environment. Feta:tuna:bean:egg Salad

1 oz canned tuna, drained                                                                                                            1/4 cup canned white beans, drained and rinsed                                                                                     1 oz feta cheese, crumbled                                                                                                                    2 oz tomatoes, cubed                                                                                                                      1.5 oz red bell pepper, cut as large dice                                                                                                   2 pitted ripe olives, sliced                                                                                                                                                         1/2  hardboiled egg, chopped                                                                                                          1-1/2 cups baby greens                                                                                                                       1 tsp olive oil + 1 tsp lemon juice + lots of herbes de Province + pinch garlic powder

Prepare the vegetables as described above. Whisk the oil, lemon juice, herbs and garlic in a 2-cup bowl. Add the greens and toss gently but thoroughly. Place the greens in the serving bowl and nestle the tuna in the center. Arrange all the other ingredients on top in a manner that pleases you.

Slow Days: Apulia Pizza

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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 Forumwhich attest to that. Once in a while your 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.

Every Saturday night, we eat pizza for dinner. These are home-made, personal-size [8″ diameter] pizzas.  The toppings can be simple or extravagant; elegantly crafted or clear-out-the-‘fridge. But on the night before Easter Sunday, somehow the idea of kicking back with a fun and fabulous pizza seems a little out of line.  Some research turned up a pizza made with a cheese from Apulia [aka Puglia]. Far from the glittering lights of the big cities and the tourist haunts, Apulia has had its share of hard times.  This pizza is austere and yet delicious.Puglia Pizza w: wine, salad

The ingredients are few: one 8″ pizza crust per person, olive oil to brush on the crust, Italian herb blend to scatter on the oil, 1/2 cup of grated scamorza [smoked mozzarella] for each pie, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese for each pie. Here is a new twist for sharing bread and wine with loved ones or friends.  Optional: 11 halved cherry/grape tomatoes per pie.  Served with a salad and a glass of wine, it is suitable to the day.  In another context, it would make a great appetizer.

Maundy

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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.

“Maundy Thursday” is the Thursday before Easter.  Are you asking yourself “What’s a ‘maundy'”??? You might not be alone. On Maundy Thursday 33 AD [which that year was the first night of Passover], Jesus sat down to a Seder with his 12 closest friends.  That ‘Last Supper‘ is what is usually celebrated on Maundy Thursday, with communion services at Christian churches reenacting the blessing and distribution of bread and wine by Jesus.  What also happened at that dinner was that Jesus washed his disciples’ feet [to demonstrate selfless service to others] and gave them a new mandate: that they love one another as He had loved them. The latin word ‘mandare’ [to command or order] became corrupted into ‘maundy,’ and here we are today.                                                                                        

The foods we have for tomorrow are not what would have been eaten at the Last Supper.  Rather, they are in tune with the type of eating that is traditional during Lent: meatless.  In addition, they are simple meals — the sort that carpenters and fishermen might have eaten so many years ago. Felafel is typical of Palestine/Israel, and the soup is hearty peasant food from France.  We like to eat plainly on Maundy Thursday.

Felafel Plate:  219 calories   5 g fat   4.8 g fiber  16.3 g protein   30 g carbs [25.7 g Complex]  165 mg Calcium  NB: Food values given are for the main meal only, and do not include the optional beverage.   PB GF V A simple meal, yet full of nutrition and flavor.

Felafel Plate w: Pineapple

4 felafel patties   [from your freezer or freshly-made]      4 oz cantaloupe melon or pineapple                                                                                                      3.5 oz fat-free Greek-style yogurt  +  ½ tsp mint leaves                                                                                    Optional:  blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                                                                                                                                                            Warm the felafel patties or use at room temperature. Chop the mint leaves and combine with the yogurt. Prepare the beverage of choice and plate the food to please the eye.

Green Split Pea Soup:   262 calories   1.6 g fat  19 g fiber   20 g protein   46 g carbs [46 g Complex]  30 mg Calcium   PB GF   For years we have loved this soup from Picardy, France which comes to us via Anne Willen’s French Regional Cooking. The easiest recipe in the world!

Green Split Pea Soup

16 oz bag dry green split peas             1 quart water                                                                                                                                     2 slices bacon                       2 stems of thyme salt + pepper to taste

Put the dry peas in a bowl and add water to cover them by 2”. Let them sit and soften for 1.5 hours. Drain. [TIP: you will not need the water for the soup, but use it to water the houseplants] Put the peas, bacon, thyme, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, then turn down the heat , cover, and simmer for 1.25 hours. NB: Not all the liquid will be used up.That’s fine. Remove the bacon and the thyme stems. Using a food processor, blender, or immersion wand, puree the soup. There should be 6 cups. Soup should be loose enough to run off a spoon, but not too thin. Add water, if necessary, to adjust thickness. Taste for seasonings. Cook the bacon in a saute pan until it is crisp. Crumble it and add to the soup. HINT: Makes 6 one-cup servings. What you don’t use today, freeze in serving-sized portions.

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

prosciutto     + melon1.5 two-oz eggs
red onion pickle  + balsamic vinegarsauerkraut
mint or basil leavescorned beef
Parmesan cheeseRussian dressing  + Matzo crackers
Whatever you need for your smoothieWhatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverageWhatever you need for your hot beverage

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

tuna  +  canned white beans + tomatocanola oil   +  watercress + potato
feta + red bell pepper  + garlic powdercelery  + onion  + garlic  + chèvre
black olives  + baby greens  + olive oilvegetable broth  + sweet potato
lemon juice  + herbes de Province + eggoptional:  mozzarella, tomato
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Colorful Veggies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blackthorn Winter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ingredients for next week:

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

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

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

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