Eating well with creative recipes while following the Fast Diet

St Cecilia

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

There are many famous saints, and Cecilia is one of them. Why? According to the Golden Legend, she was a patrican Roman who was determined to remain chaste as a commitment to Christianity. On the night of her parent-induced wedding, she told her groom, Valerian, that if he touched her he would be killed by her guardian angel. So he converted to Christianity and they lived as brother and sister. She died a martyr, as did Valerian. But the story has holes. Cecilia or Cecily lived in the 1st century or the 2nd century; in Rome or in Sicily. She is not mentioned in the early lists of martyrs and does not come on the radar until the late 5th century when Pope Gelasius wrote her name into his Book of Sacraments. In 1599, her body was found in the catacombs [no inscriptions or other identification], and as proof of her saintliness, it was not decayed. Did Cecilia exist? Probably not, according to Franciscanmedia. Even Catholic Online suggest that her Romeo and Juliet story of Platonic Love was written to counter then-popular sensual love stories writtten in Greek. At any rate, Cecilia was associated with music and inspired a flowering of tunes written specifically for church services. Cecilia is remembered more today for the music festivals and works of art she inspired, rather than for her faith.  She has been depicted in music by Handel, in art by Raphael, in poetry by Dryden, and in a choral piece with words by W.H. Auden with music by Benjamin Britten.                                                                                                            

Because both ‘sweet cecily‘ and ‘valerian‘ are the names of herbs, our meals today will feature chives, thyme, oregano, and rosemary in a symphony of flavors.

Parmesan-Chive Scramble w: kiwi

Chive-Parmesan Scramble:    300 calories  10 g fat   2 g fiber   19.5 g protein  27.6 g carbs [10 g Complex]  390 mg Calcium   PB GF   This is the Scramble version of my Dear Husband’s ‘Bake’ of the same ingredients. Still wonderful!

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                                                                                                                                                   3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese                                                                                                                        3 Tbsp minced fresh chives                                                                                                                                   1 oz kiwi fruit                                                                                                                                                              5-6 oz fruit smoothie, green smoothie, or natural apple cider                                                          blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water

Whisk together the chives, cheese, and eggs. Turn into a hot pan spritzed with oil or non-stick spray. Scramble to perfection and plate with the fruit. Pour your choice of beverages and dig into a bright breakfast, even on a grey day.

Chicken Parmesan w: salad

Chicken Parmesan:  238 calories  2.6 g fat  4.7 g fiber  31 g protein  11.4 g carbs   242.5 mg Calcium   PG GF – if using GF bread  At last! The restaurant classic made suitable for Fasters. And it is delicious.

3-½ oz raw chicken breast meat, boneless, skinless                                                                                                 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated                                                                                                                           1 tsp dried oregano +  1 tsp dried thyme                                                                                                                                 ¼ oz whole-grain breadcrumbs, fresh not dried                                                                                           1 Tbsp milk                                                                                                                                                                  ¼ cup marinara sauce, homemade [ SAUCY, 6 December, 2017] or jarred   rosemary                                                                                                                                         ¾ oz mozzarella, grated                                                                                                                                            2 Tbsp low-fat cottage cheese                                                                                                                                   1 cup baby greens + ½ oz grated carrots ½ tsp olive oil + ½ tsp red wine vinegar

Heat the toaster oven to 350°F. Spritz an oven-proof pan with non-stick spray or olive oil. Pour the milk onto a small plate. On another plate combine the Parmesan and bread crumbs with salt and pepper. Cream the mozzarella and cottage cheeses together until well-combined. Dip the chicken in the milk on both sides. Dredge the chicken in the crumb/cheese/herb mixture to coat it completely. Place on the oven-proof pan and spray with olive oil. Bake the chicken about 10 minutes, until golden. Top the chicken with the marinara sauce, then mound the cheese over it. Broil for 5 minutes until the cheese is melty and starting to brown. Prepare the salad ingredients and toss with dressing. 

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg1.5 two-oz eggs
chorizo sausagelow-fat ricotta
chèvre      +   pearherbs, dried or fresh
Dijon mustard + Herbes de Provinceapplesauce
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion:

tilapia + white whole wheat flourfirm-fleshed fish [swordfish/tuna]
sweet potato  + canola oileggplant  +  red/yellow bell pepper
granulated garlic   + asparaguscherry tomatoes  +  salad fixings
paprika  +  lime juice + egg corn kernels  + butter
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Mushrooms

~ me ~ Leave a comment

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for an all-day total of 600 calories or less. On Thursday, eat meals that total of 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 SistaSoul who is now Following.

Mushrooms are wonderful. From the standpoint of a naturalist, the life-history and growth-habits are fascinating.  As a forager, I enjoy the thrill of the hunt.

Wild Mushroom assortment
Chanterelles, Meadow Mushrooms, and Fairy Ring Champignons await cooking

As a locavore, how can one resist the foods that grow within a few miles of home?  As a cook, I love their flavor and the way they go well with so many other ingredients.  As a Faster, I can appreciate how a few mushrooms in a dish will elevate the flavor without raising the calorie count.  When it comes to foraging, you must learn from a reliable source — in person. You cross-reference before you pick: where it grows [under spruce trees? on the grass?]; the recognizable traits [color of gills, ring or no ring, texture of stem]; what it is growing on [wood? soil? other?] to be sure of your identification. No one has ever sickened from eating mushrooms at our house. September and October are the best — Fall Chanterelles, Horse Mushrooms, Meadow Mushrooms, Fairy Ring Champignons, the occasional Field Bluwit.  Some are huge!

LArge Mushrooms
These are Horse Mushrooms, Agaricus arvensis.

Some are tiny!  And for the rest of the year, our meals are delicious with the mushrooms we froze in season. Hope you will enjoy mushrooms in our baked eggs for breakfast and in our Vindaloo dinner.  In the latter, if you wish to make the dish vegetarian, just eliminate the pork and keep the mushrooms.

O-M-G Bake:  282 calories   7.7 g fat   2.8 g fiber   14 g protein   38 g carbs  271 mg Calcium NB: Food values are for plated items only, not optional beverages.  PB GF  Think: Oh My Goodness!  Or: Olive-Mushroom-Gouda.  What Flavor!

O-M-C Bake w: applesauce

1 two-oz egg                        black olive, oil cured                                                                                                                                                               1                    ½ oz raw mushroom, chopped, poached in enough simmering water to cover for 20 sec.                                                                                                                                      ¼ oz Gouda cheese, grated                                 2 oz applesauce                                                                                                                                                nearly black coffee or tea or lemon in hot water                 6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider

First set the toaster oven to 350°F. My Dear Husband is the one who prepares the breakfasts. He says to start the coffee next and then to prepare the smoothie. Spritz a ramekin with oil or non-stick spray.  Pit and chop the olive. Put the olive and mushroom in the ramekin. Whisk the egg with the cheese and pour into the ramekin. Bake in the toaster oven at 350 degrees F. for 12-15 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Dish up the applesauce and pour the beverages. Delicious.

Pork & Mushroom Vindaloo: 250 calories  7 g fat   5 g fiber  21 g protein   15 g Carbs   52.5 mg Calcium   PB GF   This unique curry dish comes from southern India. If you can’t find packaged Vindaloo Seasoning, you can prepare your own. HINT: this recipe serves 2 [two].

Mushroom-Pork Vindaloo

1.5 Tbsp Vindaloo seasoning, feel free to use more                                                                                                                       2 cloves garlic             ½ tsp fresh ground ginger            2 tsp canola oil                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               ¾ cup onions [2.5 oz]                    3 Tbsp cider vinegar               ½ tsp sugar                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               5 oz pork tenderloin or turkey breast [1.25 cups cubed]                7 oz mushrooms [200 g]                                                                                                                                            3 oz broccoli florets, steamed                     ½ cup cooked brown rice

Press the garlic and stir into the vindaloo powder. Combine with the vinegar. Marinate the meat in that mixture for 30-60 minutes. Saute the onions in the oil until beginning to brown. Add the ginger, then add the sugar right away. Pour in the meat with the marinade and stir-fry until the meat is almost cooked. Add the mushrooms and cook over low heat until the sauce is thick. Plate with the rice and top with the broccoli.

Slow Days: Turkey Roulade

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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 tell that tale.  But once in a while your can splurge, as long as it isn’t every day.  For what to eat on Slow Days, Dr. Mosley recommends a Mediterranean Diet.  As for how we eat, an example follows.

Turkey Roulade, meat

American Thanksgiving is coming up so of course we will eat turkey.  But an entire turkey is too much for two people with smaller appetites, so we have a work-around.  We order a 15-pound turkey from our butcher at Roy’s Market and have it cut in two pieces lengthwise. The two halves are then brined.  One half goes in the freezer for later while the remaining breast [skin still intact] and thigh are boned [skin to stock pot].

Turkey Roulade, butterflied

The leg is saved for a future meal of Turkey Leg Confit.  The carcass is put into the stock pot along with the wing tip, and the giblets. [The resulting stock of course forms the basis of gravy and turkey soup]. The breast is butterflied.

Turkey Roulade, ready to roll
Turkey Roulade, roasted

Stuffing is prepared according to my mother’s recipe. Some is baked in a small dish and 2-3 cups are saved out for the turkey.  Arrange the dark meat overlapping on the white meat so it forms a fairly uniform rectangle. Strew with salt. Distribute the stuffing over the meat, keeping it 1-2″ from the long edges. Roll up the meat with the stuffing inside and place the wing [For wing lovers like me!] across one end. [weight = 4.5 pounds]  Tie ‘like a Genoa sail,’ says Dear Husband.  Extra hands may be needed for this. This is done the evening before Thanksgiving and refrigerated.  The next day, the roulade is baked at 425° F for 30 minutes, then at 325° for up to 45 minutes. Slice 1″ thick and serve with all your favorite sides. So easy to serve. The perfect way to feed two people [three if a son comes home] for one feast, and 2 meals of left-overs.Turkey Roulade, slicedTurkey Rouldad, plated

Happy Thanksgiving!  We have much for which to be thankful.  We need to remember that every day and help those around us who are less fortunate.

Alice

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

Alice in Wonderland? Alice Cooper? No, Alice Margaret Ziegler who was born on November 15.  Were she still with us, she would celebrate her 99th birthday tomorrow. My mother would not have wanted to see her 99th year.  When she was a young woman, she couldn’t imagine wanting to be 40!  Born, raised, and educated in Pennsylvania, she moved to Maryland, Texas, and Connecticut as my father changed jobs. “Whither thou goest” was high on her list of wifely priorities. She loved gardening, herbs, reading the classics, crossword puzzles, English history, Mozart, dancing, poetry, ice cream, hot dogs, and my father. I see her in a look in my sister’s eye.  We often quote her aphorisms. She is still with us.  Since she was a devoted Anglophile, she would approve of Kippered Eggs for breakfast. And for dinner, the meal I used to prepare for her birthday: Chicken and Dumplings.  Here’s to wonderful memories of my wonderful mother.

Kippered Eggs w: cherries

Kippered Eggs:  294 calories  9.4 g fat  2.7 g fiber  18 g protein  34 g carbs [31 g Complex] 217 mg Calcium  PB GF  Kippers are traditionally served with eggs, but why not have them in eggs? We did and it is terrific!

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                                                                               0.4 oz kippered [smoked, salted, dried] herring                                                                                          ¼ tsp dried mustard                                                                                                                                                    1 tsp lemon or lime juice                                                                                                                                              4 sweet cherries                                                                                                                                                          5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or natural apple cider                                                         blackish tea or blackish coffee or hot water with lemon

The night before: Soak the kipper fillet in warm tap water for 30 minutes. Mince the fish. In a small bowl, combine the juice and mustard, then mix in the fish. Leave it until morning. Next morning: Put the fish with its flavorings into a lightly-spritzed hot non-stick or cast iron pan and warm them. Whisk the eggs and pour over the fish. Let the eggs cook without disturbing them, then fold and plate with the cherries. The beverages are a nice counterpoint to the savory richness of the eggs and herring.

Chicken & Dumpling w: peas

Chicken & Dumplings: 293 calories 6.8 g fat 4.6 g fiber 37.8 g protein 30 g carbs 67 mg Calcium PB  This was a real hit in my parents’ Central Pennsylvania home and it is still a favorite with us. Be aware that it is best made over 2 days, but it basically cooks by itself with a few busy bouts by you. Worth the time and effort. AND this recipe serves 4 [four] people, so have a party serving this great make-ahead meal. If you serve one or two, make the whole thing anyhow, package and freeze the remainder.

3 pound whole chicken, preferably a fowl for greater flavor, although you will get more meat from a fryer                   ½ cup onion, chopped                                                                                                                                          1/3 cup carrots cut as coins                                                                                                                                  ½ cup celery, chopped                                                                                                                                                   bay leaf  + 3 peppercorns                                                                                                                                                           1.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce                                                                                                                                     2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour                                                                                                                              4 dumplings [see ..Not by Bread.. II-7-’18]                                                                                                            per person:   ¼ cup green peas 

Cut up a 3 pound chicken into leg quarters, breast quarters, back, wings. In a large pot, brown the chicken in a little oil on all sides. Add the vegetables, bay leaf and pepper and water to cover. Simmer on the cooktop for 45 minutes. Add 2 tsp salt, cover, and simmer for another 45 minutes. Strain off the stock and let the fat rise to the surface to cool. Discard the fat. Reserve the vegetables. Cool the chicken and remove the skin. Pull off the meat in chunks: you will use 17 oz meat by volume.   You could stop here.  HINT: save any remaining stock and chicken for excellent soup.  You could stop here.

Measure ¼ cup of stock and whisk in the 2 Tbsp whole wheat flour to form a paste. Meausre 1.5 cups stock and pour into a stovetop-safe serving dish along with the Worcestershire sauce. Add the flour water paste and stir to incorporate. Put the vegetables and chicken meat into the dish and adjust seasonings to taste. You could stop here. When ready to serve, prepare the dough for the dumplings. Heat the chicken mixture and place 4 dollops of dumpling dough on the warm chicken. Let it all bubble gently for 15-20 minutes, then cover the dish and continue to cook for another 15-20 minutes. Steam the peas and pour over the top of the dish before bringing to the table. Serve this simple classic proudly.

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg1.5 two-oz eggs
oil cured black oliveParmesan cheese
Gouda cheesechive  +  kiwi fruit
mushrooms   +  applesaucericotta cheese, reduced fat
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

Dinner, single portion:

Vindaloo seasoning  + garlicchicken breast   +  Parmesan cheese
mushrooms   + pork  +  gingerfresh bread crumbs  + cottage cheese
canola oil  + onion  +  cider
vinegar		mozzarella  + salad greens + carrot
broccoli   +  brown rice   + sugarmarinara sauce [see Saucy, 6 Dec-’17]
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Indian Summer

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

Here we are on the other side of Fall: it is darker, the color is gone from the leaves, and as Ned Stark would say, “Winter is coming.”  And yet… along comes a warm day or two to get our hopes up.  “Indian Summer,” as it is called around here, is a spell of warmer weather following the killing frost.  One can imagine the early Europeans, trying to hack an existence out of the New England landscape, going into despair as the cold weather arrived.  “This is not like England,” they’d moan. “We should have more time to get ready for winter!”  “Not to worry,” their First Nations allies [at that point in time they still had not thoroughly alienated the locals] would rejoin, “There will be more warm weather.”  And since they were correct, the Europeans dubbed it Indian Summer.  The Old Farmer’s Almanac says that it begins this year on November 12, so let’s enjoy it.                                   In honor of those warmer days, we will enjoy some foods of summer once again.  Breakfast will include melon, which is available Summer and Fall, paired deliciously with prosciutto which is the product of Autumn. For dinner, a chance to grill again by putting tuna and summer vegetables on the flames. And although we are talking about Fall in northern New England, these recipes will whisk you off to a sunny Mediterranean diet.

Prosciutto & Melon Plate:  266 calories  7.3 g fat   2.2 g fiber  23.6 g protein   36 g carbs [24 g Complex]  294 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-close bags in the refrigerator.Prosciutto-Melon Plate

4 oz canteloupe 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                                                                                       blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                                                                                               5-6 oz fruit smoothie, green smoothie or natural apple cider

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.

Tuna with Grilled Vegetables:  244 calories   7 g fat  3.9 g fiber  29 g protein  14.6 g carbs  [10.6 g Complex]  32.5 mg Calcium  PB GF  The recipe comes from the Fast Diet Book and it is wonderful. An exemplar of the Mediterranean Diet.tuna & grilled veg

6 oz tuna steak                                                                                                                                                          4 oz red bell peppers                                                                                                                                               5 oz zucchini  or summer squash                                                                                                                                  2 oz cherry tomatoes                                                                                                                                               1 tsp olive oil                                                                                                                                                        splash of lemon juice

Cut the peppers into long strips. Same with the zucchini. Toss all the vegetables with the olive oil. Cook the tuna and vegetables on a grill pan or grill, 3 minutes on each side. Serve with the lemon juice. Delicious and quick.

Slow Days: Crepes

~ me ~ 2 Comments

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 tell that tale.  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.

Crêpes** are one of the most versatile foods: for breakfast, dinner, or dessert there is an infinite variety of ways to fill, top, and eat them. They are the French version of the Mexican tortilla. Slow Days or Fast Days, crêpes are easy to prepare and easy to eat.  I hope this photo essay will inspire you.  **In Brittany, France where this food originated, there are two types:  the ‘galette’ which is made with buckwheat flour [like the recipe that follows] and the ‘crêpe’ which is made with all-purpose wheat flour. Lest my Breton ancestors roll over in their graves, I will make that distinction.

The ingredients are straightforward.  The more difficult item would be buckwheat flour, but you might be able to find Bob’s Red Mill brand.  Here are the ingredients:Crepes, mise

[The liquid in the Pyrex cup is 1.75 cups of ‘water’, but I use water drained from cooking vegetables and/or potatoes for more nutrients. That’s why it looks as it does.]  Next you combine the flours and slowly whisk in the water.Crepes, step one

Then whisk in the eggs, followed by the salt.Crepes, step 2

Now whisk it as if you meant it for a few minutes, until the batter runs off the whisk ‘in ropes.’Crepes, step 3

Cover lightly and let the batter sit on the counter for 30 minutes to 2 hours. It could sit in the refrigerator over night, if you wanted to use it the next morning.Crepes, step 4

Whisk again before using.  Next, I heat two 8″ cast iron pans.  They are well seasoned and that is important.  Put a little butter in each pan, then use a paper towel to wipe the butter over the inside of the pan. Save the paper towel for later.Crepes, sep 5

Now you’ll need a pot holder and a 1/4 cup measure.  Hold the skillet handle in one hand and use the 1/4 cup measure as a dipper to scoop up some batter.  Pour most of the batter in the pan while you tilt and tip the pan in such a way that the batter spreads over the bottom. This might take some practice, but you do not have to get them thin or perfectly round.  Cook each crêpe until the edges dry and lift from the bottom.  You may notice little bubbles or holes on the crêpe. These 3 things tell you it is time to turn them.Crepes, step 6

Did you notice that the crepe is not perfectly formed? It is rustic!  Take each crêpe from the pan and lay them on a tea towel to cool. Every 3 crepes, wipe the paper towel with the butter on the bottom of the skillet.  Keep going until you have used all the batter or freeze what is remaining to cook and use later. HINT: I usually cook more crêpes than I’ll need for a recipe, then freeze them in a zipper bag.

What to do with those lovely rounds of goodness?

Chicken Ratatouille Crepes
Chicken-Ratatouille Crepes for dinner…

Mushroom-Egg Crepe
Mushroom-Egg Crepes for breakfast…

Ham & Cheese Crepes
Ham & Cheese Crepes for lunch

There! I Said It Again

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

On November 8, 1963, a new song was hitting the airwaves. Teenagers swooned over Bobby Vinton‘s crooning, while their parents recognized the tune as a cover of a popular song from 1945. Redd Evans and David Mann wrote it, then Vaughn Monroe recorded it.  Jimmy Dorsey and Nat King Cole covered it in the 40s, cementing its popularity.  But for my generation, as yet unknowing of the Beatles, nothing was like a slow dance to the yearning lyric:

                                                                                                                                                                “I’ve said it, what more can I say,
Believe me, there’s no other way,
I love you, I will to the end,
There! I’ve said it again.”              Sigh.

Today I’m going to say some things that I’ve said before: this Fast Diet works. How do you get started? How do you convince yourself to get on it and stay on it? [see Groundhog Day, posted 2 Feb 2018]  Like the singer of the song, you have to be in love: in love with the idea of being slimmer and healthier, and in love with your self enough to want to make the effort.                                                                                                                                     When you read my recipes, you’ll notice the food values for each. Yes, I’ve worked them out for each ingredient to get those totals. So barring errors in math, they are accurate and here’s why they matter to me.                                                                                         >>calories: rather important if you want to stay within our Fast day limit of 600 per day. If you don’t want to count calories, then I have done it for you.                                                        >>fat: this is total fat.  If one is supposed to limit fat to 25% of calories, then the limit on a Fast Day should be 15 g.  It has been shown that eating fat doesn’t make you fat, but a lot trans fat and saturated  fat in the diet increases the possibility of diabetes. Fasting reduces that possibility. Reduced fat also means reduced calories.                                                                                                    >>fiber: fiber in the diet helps digestion and bowel regularity.  It feeds your gut flora and can help to reduce the risk of colon cancer.  21 grams per day are recommended.                          >>protein: we need to eat lots of protein on a Fast Day to maintain muscle mass. When your body has reduced calories, it begins to go into whatever energy is stored. Fat reserves go first. Hooray! Then the muscles are targeted.  As we age [any age past 35 years], we lose muscle anyway. Lots of protein on a Fast Day [as well as on a Slow Day] can help to maintain that muscle. Exercise helps, to build muscle. ‘Average sedentary male needs 56 grams of protein/day.‘                                                                                                                              >>carbs: carbs come from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dried beans [Complex carbs], bread, sugars, pasta, white rice and potatoes [Simple carbs].  Simple carbs quickly convert to sugar in the process of digestion.  One reason that Fasting reduces the risk of diabetes is the reduction of Simple carbs in the diet. A ‘low carb’ meal should have less than 35 g of carbs.  If you reduce the Simple carbs on a Slow Day, you will probably lose weight faster.  We aren’t eliminating carbs, but we are being more sensible about which ones we eat every day.                                                                                                                                                                      >>Calcium: this matters for our bones and heart, nerves, and muscles.  1000-1200 mg of Calcium are recommended. Eating your Calcium [ex: cheese] is better than supplements.

Eat well, Fast well, live well.

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion

prosciutto  1.5 two-oz eggs
melon kippered herring
red onion pickle dry mustard
cherries
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:

tuna steak  +  olive oil 3# chicken
red bell pepper onion  +  celery  + carrot
zucchini     +   lemon juice Worcestershire sauce  + peas
cherry tomatoes dumplings [..Not by Bread… 7 Feb-2018]
Sparkling water Sparkling water

Guy Fawkes

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

“Remember, remember the 5th of November,                                                                Gunpowder, treason, and plot…“

 Tomorrow will be Guy Fawkes Day, a time to remember the foiled “Gunpowder Plot” of 1605.  A group of Catholic Englishmen who disliked the idea of a Protestant monarch [James I of England, James IV of Scotland who was suppressing the Catholic religion] on the throne of England, decided to blow up the King and all the members of Parliament by putting barrels of gunpowder in the basement of the building where they were all to meet. Guy Fawkes, the original ‘fall guy,’ was captured as he waited to light the fuse on November 5. Rather than meet the traitor’s death of being first hanged, then drawn, then quartered, he fell from the scaffold to his death. His co-conspirators were also caught and executed, but Guy Fawkes gets the spotlight.  Today in England, merry children construct straw effigies, strut them through their neighborhoods asking for “A penny for the Guy?” [the money collected goes to buy candy], then burn the effigies on the Day.  This gives November 5th its other name of ‘bonfire night.’  A thoroughly wholesome and Christian entertainment for the whole family! Oh boy! Let’s celebrate sectarian violence while children play at burning people alive.                                                                                       For Guy Fawkes’ childhood in York, we will enjoy a cottage breakfast of egg and whole-grain pan muffin.  For dinner, we’ll eat Soup Royaume in honor of another foiled plot.  This is the soup that an elderly Protestant woman was cooking when the ‘papists’ tried to invade Geneva in 1602, and she sounded the alarm to save the city.

Cottage Breakfast: 298 calories   7.8 g fat   3.1 g fiber   13.6 g protein   43.8 g carbs   199 mg Calcium  PB   I wanted a breakfast that evoked a cottage in the English country-side, so here it is. The pan muffins are very good.Cottage Bfast A

1 pan muffin [see …Not By Bread…posted 7-Feb-2018]                                                                                      1 oz applesauce                                                                                                                                                     one 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                                       5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider                                                           blackish coffee, blackish tea, or lemon in hot water

HINT: I prepared 8 pan muffins from the 10-grain mufffin batter, cooked them, and froze them. I made the remaining batter into muffins to eat on Slow Days.Take one pan muffin from the freezer the night before and let it thaw. Cook the egg to your taste and warm the pan muffin. Dish the applesauce, brew the hot beverage, pour the smoothie. What a sweet and easy meal.

Soup Royaume:  152 calories  0.3 g fat  6.3 g fiber  12.6 g protein  24.6 g carbs  84 mg Calcium PB GF  This fine meal for a cool night,  made hearty with autumn vegetables and lentils, is named after the old lady who saved Geneva from invasion by the Savoyards. Add as much seasoning as you wish. Any soup can be improved by preparing it ahead and letting it sit for 8-24 hours.Soupe Royaume

2.5 oz pork loin, raw or cooked                                                                                                                           ½ cup onion, chopped                                                                                                                                        3.5 oz dry lentils, small green ones from France if possible                                                                      3 oz rutabaga/turnip, cubed                                                                                                                                 2 oz carrot, diced                                                                                                                                                      3 oz parsnip, diced                                                                                                                                                   3 cups chopped cabbage                                                                                                                               mace +  dry mustard +  salt +  pepper + caraway seed [optional]                                                                ½ cup frozen spinach, chopped                                                                                                                               3+ cups water                                                                                                                                                                 per serving: several leaves of fresh spinach

Put the pork, onions, and lentils in a heavy saucepan with a little oil and cook until browned. Add the rutabaga/turnip, carrot, parsnip, cabbage and seasonings. Cover with water, using more if needed. Cover and cook for about 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Taste for seasonings, add the frozen spinach, stir well, and heat through. Divide into 4 equal servings and freeze the servings you don’t need today. Roughly chop the fresh spinach and put it on top of the soup when serving.

The Dead Have Their Day

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

Tomorrow in Mexico people will observe the Day of the Dead. While this sounds macabre to non-Mexicans, it is a family day for visiting cemeteries and honoring the dead, as seen in the movie Coco. Our meals today have a theme of death/celebration /Mexico, told in two stories.  No sugar skulls or pan dulce for a Fasting Day.

Placerville, California was a mining town, named after ‘placers‘ which are gold nuggets found in stream gravel.  Incorporated in 1854, it was formerly called ‘Hangtown‘ since frontier justice was doled out there. Often. One day a Sourdough [if you think that’s a loaf of bread, follow the link] walked into a hotel.  Bragging that he had struck it rich, he demanded the most expensive meal they could serve him.  What was it?  Eggs [the going price was 1 small gold nugget per egg], bacon [also a scarce commodity], and tinned oysters [an extravagance!]. It was dubbed the Hangtown Fry.  You can still order it in Placerville, and tho’ the locals think it is awful, we found it to be delicious.

‘Enchiladas’ are as Mexican as can be. The name derives from the origin of the dish: ancient Aztecs prepared corn tortillas and dipped them in chili sauce before frying them on a griddle.  In Rick Bayless‘ words, the tortillas were “en-chilied”, or enrobed with chilis: hence ‘tortillas enchiladas.’ So enchiladas are not a meal, they are an ingredient. The Enchiladas Suizas which we offer for dinner, were first offered in the 1950s in Mexico City. The name means ‘Swiss Enchiladas’ due to the cheeses inside. They are easy to prepare and fun to eat.

Hangtown Fry:  296 calories  9 g fat  2.5 g fiber  18 g protein  34 g carbs [31 g Complex] 224 mg Calcium  GF  Turns out, this meal has nothing to do with being hanged and everything to do with striking it rich.Hangtown Fry

3 two-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                                                                                                                                                                                2 shucked fresh oysters, chopped                                                                                                                                 1/2 slice ‘American’ bacon, uncured if possible                                                                                                     1-1/2 oz strawberries -OR- 3 cherries                                                                                                       blackish coffee or tea or lemon with hot water                                                                                                  5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasteurized cider

Dice the bacon and cook it in a hot pan until almost crisp. Add the oysters and cook a second or two longer. Whisk the eggs with salt, and pepper. Pour over the bacon/oysters in the pan and scramble or cook as an omelette. Plate with the fruit and serve with the beverages of choice. Full of flavor.

Enchiladas Suizas:  293 calories  9.9 g fat   11.2 g fiber   31.6 g protein  43.4 g carbs   261.7 mg Calcium  PB GF  Rick Bayless relates this recipe in his book Mexico One Plate At A Time. Delicious and easy to prepare. Assemble just before baking, lest it turn to mush.Enchiladas w: winter medley

2 six-inch corn tortillas [50 calories each]                                                                                                                2 0z [½ cup] shredded cooked chicken breast                                                                                                ½ cup enchilada sauce: see SPICY II from 12 Sept 2018                                                                               ¼ cup grated Cheddar or Monterey jack                                                                                                          1 oz broccoli florets +  1 oz cauliflower florets  +  ½ oz carrot

Heat oven to 350 F. On an ungreased heavy skillet, place the tortillas and cook them until they begin to brown on one side. Flip in the pan and continue until each tortilla is pliable and slightly fragrant. Remove to a cutting board or baking sheet. Distribute the chicken between the tortillas, then roll up the tortillas, and place each in an oven-proof dish, seam-side down. Spoon the sauce over and around and between the enchiladas. NB: you don’t have to use all of the sauce. Extra could be added to eggs or soup. Sprinkle with cheese and put into oven. Cook the vegetables, drain and dress with salt and a splash of red wine vinegar. So good!

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg Next Wednesday, I will offer 12 Tips to
Pan Muffin [..not by Bread, 7 Feb ’17] help you to keep on Fasting.
applesauce
Choose a breakfast from the Archives
Whatever you need for your smoothie Whatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverage Whatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

cabbage   + onion  + rutabaga/turnip Watch for my 12 Tips!
carrot  +  parsnip  + dried green lentils
pork loin  + frozen spinach
fresh spinach as well
mace  +  dry mustard  + caraway seed Choose a dinner from the Archives
Sparkling water Sparkling water

Boswell

~ me ~ Leave a comment

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

In the story ‘A Scandal in Bohemia‘, Sherlock Holmes refers to Dr. Watson as “my Boswell,” saying he would be lost without him.  And who is Boswell? The son of a Scottish judge, James Boswell was born on October 29, 1740, into the time of the Scottish Enlightenment. In his heart he yearned to leave Scotland due to its provinciality and up-tight religious views.  While staying in London, the young lawyer was introduced to Samuel Johnson, noted author, essayist, wit, and man-about-town, at a bookshop. Their friendship lasted for 20 years, during which time they traveled and socialized. All the while, Boswell took notes. Johnson joked that it was as if Boswell were spying on him. After Johnson’s death, Boswell dug into his own journals and wrote The Life of Samuel Johnson, L.L.D.  It has been called ‘the greatest biography ever written’ for its lively style and Boswell was hailed as ‘the first of biographers.’  Indeed the noun ‘Boswell’ means ‘one who records in detail the life of a famous contemporary.’  If Johnson is famous today, it is because Boswell made him so.                                                                                                                                           We will celebrate Boswell by serving the foods of his rejected land: Tattie Scones and Cullen Skink, both as Scottish as Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh.

Tattie Scone w: egg, pears

Tattie Scone with Egg:  286 calories   5.4 g fat  3.6 g fiber  13.3 g protein   47 g carbs   210 mg Calcium   PB  Tattie Scones have been part of a Scottish Breakfast ever since potatoes were considered fit to eat. Easy to make with left-over boiled or mashed potatoes.

One 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                               1 tattie scone, see not by bread… Feb 7 2018                                                                                               2 oz pear                                                                                                                                                                     5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider                                                                     nearly-black coffee or tea or lemon in hot water

Prepare the Tattie Scone and keep warm or re-warm. HINT: Prepare the night before and cook them, too. Fry the egg to your liking. Prepare the fruit and beverages. Plate the scone, top with the egg. Plate the fruit and pour the beverages. Almost instant, if you made the scone beforehand.

Cullen Skink

Cullen Skink:  228 calories   4.5 g fat  2.9 g fiber  26 g protein  20 g carbs  161 mg Calcium  PB GF  We found this old Scottish recipe to be divine!!  Despite the low calorie count, it is very satisfying. Comfort Food with a Scottish dialect.

3 oz finnen haddie [smoked haddock]                                                                                                               3 oz milk                                                                                                                                                                small pinch ground cloves                                                                                                                                bay leaf                                                                                                                                                                              ¼ cup onion, chopped                                                                                                                                           2 oz potato, diced                                                                                                                                                                            2 oz asparagus in 2” slices                                                                                                                                                        1 tsp butter                                                                                                                                                            parsley  for garnish

Skin the fish and put it in a small pan with the milk and bay leaf. Cook gently until the fish is warm. Remove the fish from the milk and break it into large pieces. Add the onions, potatoes, and cloves to the milk along with a little water. Simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Run the milk and vegetables through the blender/food processor/VitaMix [or use immersion blender] to a fine puree. Cook the asparagus. Return the fish to the pan with butter and the puree and heat. Add pepper to taste. Plate the fish, cover it with the ‘soup’, sprinkle with parsley, and arrange the asparagus around the sides. You will want to eat this again!