Eating your way to a slimmer body with the 5:2 diet

Alexander

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

Empires come, empires go. But the Empire of Alexander the Great was remarkable. His life is like a tale from Greek mythology: his mother told him of portents at the time of his birth; he tamed the wild horse Bucephalus at the age of 12; he studied with Aristotle; he won a major battle at age 18. No wonder he styled himself as ‘son of Zeus’ and assumed the status of a demi-god. In his 20 years as King of Macedonia, he took his armies East — all the way to India! — spreading Hellenistic culture along the way. Alexander was wise, he was literate. Alexander was cruel, he was violent when drunk. Alexander was a great leader, but his army and his generals condemned him for adopting ‘Persian’ ways. He died in 323 BC, while on campaign and by June 13, his reign was over. “Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair” could be said of Alexander. His conquests influenced the ambitions of both Julius Caesar and Napoleon.

Echoing the journey of Alexander, we begin the menu with Greek flavors at breakfast and go all the way to India for dinner.

Greek ScrOmelette: 152 calories 9.3 g fat 0.6 g fiber 12.6 g protein 4 g carbs [3 g Complex] 88.5 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Feta cheese is such a lovely ingredient. 

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, pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid, and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. 0.37 [3/8] oz feta cheese, reduced fat 1 Tbsp tomato puree [not tomato paste] large pinch of cinnamon + of oregano 1 Tbsp pomegranate seeds –OR– 1-1/4 oz applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon 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]

Cream the tomato puree with the feta cheese and seasonings, then whisk in the eggs. OR Whisk the eggs and pour into the pan. As soon as the bottom of the eggs sets, spread the cheesse-tomato-seasonings on top of the egg. Scramble or cook as an omelette. Prepare the beverages and spoon out the pomegranate/apple for a real taste of Greece.

Tandoori Chicken and Vegetables: 265 calories 4.8 g fat 9 g fiber 20 g protein 32.6 g carbs 99.5 mg Calcium  PB GF  TIP: You can buy jars of tandoori sauce in most supermarkets. Be sure it does not contain corn syrup or sweeteners. Aim for 70-80 calories/ quarter cup

2 oz chicken, cooked or raw ½ cup eggplant, cubed 2 oz broccoli 2 oz bell peppers, cut in chunks 2 oz zucchini, sliced or cubed  2 oz carrots, sliced 1/4” thick or use ‘baby carrots’ cut in quarters ¼ cup brown rice, cooked ¼ c tandoori sauce 2 Tbsp plain, non-fat yogurt

Cook the vegetables together in a little water until they are tender. Add the chicken and the sauce. Warm it all. If the chicken is raw, be sure to cook it through. Either stir the yogurt into the sauce or serve it atop the meal. Plate the brown rice [warm it if cold] and serve the chicken and vegetables on top. Perfect for eating on a hot night or a cold one.

Ingredients for next week: 

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

1 sweet crepe 1.5 two-oz eggs 
low-fat French vanilla yogurtIndian curry powder
reduced fat ricottatomatoes + strawberries
fresh strawberriesplain, non-fat yogurt
uncured baconoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

cooked chicken + strawberriestwo 65-calorie corn tortillas
kiwi fruit + spinach leavescheddar + enchilada sauce
slivered almonds + dry mustardcarrot + broccoli + cauliflower
oil + poppy seeds + red wine vinegarchicken
Sparkling waterSparkling water

D-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.

June 6, 1944. Only a fraction of the people who participated in D-Day are still alive. In a final push to defeat Hitler in World War II, the Allied troops [United Kingdom, United States, Canada, the Free French, and Polish forces] crossed the English Channel and landed on the beaches of Normandy, France.  If you have never been to the “Invasion Beaches” then watch that part of Saving Private Ryan.  Only then will you appreciate the audacity and courage of that action.  We visited Normandy last month.  After the war, a huge effort was made to rebuild the towns and buildings that were destroyed in the Allied and German bombings — now it looks so serene and pastoral and quaint.  The graveyards are moving [watching the opening scene in Saving Private Ryan is enough to make me cry.] The history is all around you.  Even though it was 75 years ago, the Normans and the people of France have not forgotten.  Nor should we.                                   In honor of the 75th anniversary of D-Day, we will start with a meal of classic Norman flavors: Camembert cheese and apples.  For dinner, a mess-kit meal that the American GIs might have eaten the night of June 6 on top of the cliffs of Normandy while they pondered their gains and thought about their fallen comrades.

Camembert Bake: 146 calories  10 g fat   0.6 g fiber  9 g protein  6 g carbs [5 g Complex]   90 mg Calcium   NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  The best-known cheese of Normandy stars in this egg dish. Easy to prepare and so delicious. I hope you will try it.Camembert Bake 2

One 2-oz egg                                                                                                             ½ oz Camembert                                                                                                         1 tsp Dijon mustard                                                                                                    grating of nutmeg                                                                                                         2 oz strawberries OR 1.5 oz apple slices                                                            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]

Freeze the cheese, then grate it while frozen. -OR- Cut the cheese [rind and all] into small chunks and leave to soften at room temperature. Stir in the mustard and nutmeg. Whisk the egg, then stir in the cheese mixture. Pour into an oven-proof dish that has been spritzed with non-stick spray and bake at 350° F for 12-15 minutes. When the beverages are ready, plate with the fruit.

Beanie Wienies:   300 calories   4.3 g fat   8.6 g fiber  14.3 g protein 43 g carbs 74 mg Calcium PB GF  My husband grew up eating this with his childhood chums. What could be simpler? And the carb count is due to the good fiber of beans and carrots. So complex.Beanie Wienies

1 reduced fat hot dog [we like Hebrew National all beef franks or Applegate]                                                            ¾ cup canned baked beans                                                                                                            1 oz carrots, cooked or raw

Put the baked beans in a small sauce pan. Cut the hot dogs into 1” pieces [on the diagonal, my husband would say] and add to the pan. Warm thoroughly. Plate with the carrots and think about food memories of childhood.

Ingredients for next week:

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

1 two-oz egg   + soy sauce 1.5 two-oz eggs
ginger  +  bean sprouts + scallions pomegranate seeds/applesauce
crab meat  + semolina flour cinnamon  +  oregano
garlic powder  + clementines feta cheese  + tomato puree
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:

vindaloo seasoning + garlic chicken breast   + eggplant
ginger + onion + vinegar + oil + sugar  broccoli + sweet pepper + carrot
mushrooms + pork OR turkey plain yogurt  + zucchini
brown rice couscous tandoori sauce  + brown rice
Sparkling water Sparkling water

Breakfasts on the Wall

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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 Organic Tree who is now Following.

End of the Trail

We all like to go on vacation: to visit new places and have new experiences. It has been said that “Travel is broadening.”  But that can be a problem — you go on a great trip and come back with several extra pounds.  Often the reason given is that “when you stay in a hotel, you have to eat off the menu and therefore you can’t possibly continue to Fast.”  I’m here to argue against that.  Two years ago, I went on a hiking trip with our cousin and her son. The Hadrian’s Wall Path is 84 miles long. We started on the East end [Wallsend, Northumberland] and walked to the West end [Bowness-on-Solway, Cumbria].  And all along the way we stayed in a variety of places: from hotels to inns to holiday parks. The Wall and the Wall Path were truly  amazing: a wonderful walk through beautiful countryside and pretty villages.  We hiked 8 days, ranging from 5 to 19 miles per day.  Can you Fast while on vacation? Yes.  Can you Fast and still go hiking? Yes. It was great.  The trip covered two Fast Days and here are some of my breakfast choices for the week:

2-3gg omelette on the road

A two-egg omelette ordered off the menu with a side of mushrooms and a cup of coffee was just what I needed at the Benkinsopp Castle Inn in Brampton.

Fasting on the Trail

                                                                In East Wallhouses, at the Robin Hood Inn, scrambled eggs on toast became the perfect start to a day on the Path. This is similar to a meal we would have at home a Fast Day. [The extra pieces of toast were not eaten.]

English Breakfast on the Trail

Of course at some point in England one will be served the Full English Breakfast, as we were at the Gilsland Spa Hotel in Brampton. This can be a temptation for a real pig-out, but I opted for lots of protein and some fruit yogurt.

La Florida

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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.

In May of 1539, Hernando de Soto thought he was on to something.  After helping to subdue Peru and Mexico for Spain, he retired back home as a very wealthy man.  Though newly-married, the young father was restless for the soldier’s life. He had been named ‘Governor of Cuba and La Florida‘, so he sold everything [What did his wife have today about that??] to provision 10 ships with 700 chosen soldiers. Off they went to the new world.  After a stop in Havana to drop off his wife, they landed in Tampa Bay (Florida) on May 30, 1539. And then they sought gold: North through Florida, into Georgia, North Carolina; West into Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana they went, doing their usual Conquistador deeds. [For God and King? The king might have approved, but God surely didn’t.] Three years later, no gold, no riches, no fountain of youth: only angry natives, sickness, battles, and wounds. In May, 1542, de Soto died of fever on the banks of the Mississippi River and his body was sunk into the water to preserve the illusion that he could not die.  There was a car named after him…                                                                                              In memory of all the indigenous peoples whom he killed or oppressed, we have a breakfast based on the Cuban/Miami sandwich ‘the Cubano‘ and a dinner with ingredients grown in the sunshine of modern Florida.

Cubano ScrOmelette: 151 calories  8.5 g fat  0 g fiber  12.2 g protein  0.8 g carbs   71 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  GF  The famous Miami sandwich comes to the Fasting breakfast table, with every flavor intact!Cubano ScOmelette

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.                                                                                                   1/8 oz ham, diced                                                                                                                                   ¼ oz Swiss cheese, diced                                                                                                                   ¼ oz pork, diced [this could be from a previous roast or a grilled tenderloin]                                           ¼ tsp mayonnaise                                                                                                                           1.5 tsp dill pickle, diced                                                                                                                               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]

Cut up the meats and combine in a small dish. Dice the pickle and whisk with the mayonnaise and the eggs. Spritz a saute pan with non-stick spray and heat it. Put the meat mixture into the hot sauté pan to warm, then add the eggs. Scramble together [or cook like an omelette] until the way you like it. Pour your beverages and enjoy a semi-tropical start to your day.

Grapefruit-Avocado Salad:  289 calories  20 g fat  6.4 g fiber  18 g protein  15.3 g carbs [14.5 g Complex]  75.5 mg Calcium   PB GF  This is delicious, nutritious, and satisfying. Real food. Good food.grapefruit-avocado salad

1 two-oz egg, hard-boiled                                                                                                               2.5 oz avocado [this was half an avocado], sliced in 4 pieces                                                               3.3 oz pink grapfruit sections [you need 4 sections]                                                                                       1.75 cups lettuce, sliced/shredded                                                                                                      1 oz cooked chicken breast [you could substitute 4 shrimp for a vegetarian meal]                          ½ tsp white wine vinegar + ½ tsp lime-infused olive oil + ¼ tsp ground ginger lemon finishing salt

Whisk the oil, vinegar, and ginger in a meduim-sized bowl. Add the lettuce and toss to coat with the dressing. Remove the lettuce to a serving plate, letting some of the dressing drip back into the bowl. Spread the lettuce evenly over the plate and sprinkle with the finishing salt. Starting at the center with the egg, arrange the grapefruit and avocado around the plate. Place the chicken as you wish. Brush the remaining dressing on the grapefruit and avocado.

Ingredients for next week:

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

next Monday I will discuss ways to 1 two-oz eggs
maintain a 5:2 lifestyle while Camembert cheese
traveling Dijon mustard   +  nutmeg
apples/strawberries
choose a new favorite from the Archive Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your hot beverage

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

baked beans
choose a new favorite from the Archive low-fat hotdogs, 110 calories
carrots
Sparkling water Sparkling water

No Exit

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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 Kirilson who is now Following.

When it comes to Existentialism, Jean-Paul Sartre was in the forefront. In the Nazi-occupied Paris, he produced a one-act play titled “Huis Clos.”  That is a French legal term meaning ‘a trial behind closed doors’ although the title in English is usually given as “No Exit.”  French citizens during the war were presented with many choices: stay or flee; collaborate or resist; fight or be passive.  To Sartre, humans have the freedom to make any choices we want — even not taking an action involves choice.  But responsibility comes with each choice; with each non-action.  The play involves 3 characters who have made and continue to make choices, all of which makes their lives and those around them unhappy.  Whether or not you subscribe to the message that “Hell is other people,” Sartre wanted us to explore the options we have and the consequences of the choices we make.                                                       On May 27, 1944, the play opened. Since the play takes place in a drawing room in Hell, our menus contain ingredients with some fire in them: green chile and red curry paste. You can add more, if you like it hotter. You have choices about what you eat and how much of it.

Green Chile-Egg Galette: 147 calories   6 g fat  1.7 g fiber  9 g protein  24.6 g carbs [12 g Complex]  36.4 mg Calcium  PB  The bite of the green chiles, the nutty taste of the galette, the rich taste of egg: what a remarkable flavor combination. Eat with a fork or pick it up in your hand.Green Chili-Egg Crepe

1 galette/crepe [see SIDEKICKS I, Sept 17, 2017 for recipe]                                one 2-oz egg                                                                                                                 2 Tbsp roasted green chiles                                                                                   1 oz apples OR pears                                                                                                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]

Whisk the egg with the chiles and pour into a 6” cast iron pan or small saute pan spritzed with non-stick spray. [If serving two, pour egg mixture into a 4×6” oven-proof dish spritzed with non-stick spray. Bake at 350 F. for 12 minutes] Cook the egg by gently lifting the edges to allow un-cooked egg to flow underneath. Meanwhile, gently heat the galette/crepe: wrap in a tea-towel and put in the microwave for 1 minute OR put in an un-greased sauté pan over low heat for less than 1 minute, then turn over for another 30 seconds. Plate the crêpe with the fruit, put the egg on top of it, then fold over. Pour the beverages and put some zip in your morning.

Halibut in Thai Coconut Curry:  258 calories  14 g fat   1.7 g fiber   21 g protein   9.7 g carbs [5 g Complex]   139 mg Calcium PB GF  This is from Alaska from Scratch by Maya Wilson and it is delicious.Halibut w: Coconut Curry

1 tsp olive oil, separated                                                                                             3 cups spinach, lightly packed                                                                                     1 Tbsp shallots, chopped                                                                                             3/4 Tbsp Thai red curry paste or more to taste                                                        1/4 cup chicken broth                                                                                                        3.5 fluid oz light coconut milk                                                                                pinch sugar                                                                                                                         3 oz halibut fillet                                                                                                         2 Tbsp scallion                                                                                                            1-1/2 tsp lime juice

Heat ½ tsp olive oil in a wide saute pan with 1-2 Tbsp water. Add the spinach with salt and pepper and toss in the oil until greens begin to wilt. Remove to a bowl and cover to keep warm. Put ½ tsp oil in the pan with the shallots and cook 2 minutes more. Add curry paste, chicken broth, coconut milk, and sugar. Whisk to combine and simmer on low until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Salt the fish and add to the broth in the pan, spooning some broth on top of the fish. Cover and poach 5 minutes per 1/2” of thickness. Put greens in the serving bowl and top with fish. Stir scalions and lime juice into broth, turn heat up briefly. Ladle broth over the fish and greens. Optional: ¼ cup brown rice.

Slow Days: Florentine Sandwich

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

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

Our FirstBorn and his wife love to travel.  On a trip to Firenze, Italy, in addition to the art and history, they discovered a panini shop and this sandwich.  They prepared it for us when we visited them and gifted us with the ingredients at Christmas.  How splendid to have generous, creative offspring!  The bread is a ‘no knead’ Focaccia, recipe perfected by FirstBorn, which is really easy to bake — although it needs an 8-12 hour rising time, which takes some planning ahead.  Surely you could buy some bread locally.  My batch produced 4 round loaves, 8″ in diameter, each weighing 6-7 oz.

The ingredients to serving two are simple: 1 loaf focaccia bread, 2 Tbsp creamy white cheese [Stracchino or crème fraiche or whipped cream cheese or Philadelphia brand 1/3 fat Cream Cheese [‘Neufchatel’], 2 Tbsp truffle cream [combination of mushrooms, oil, truffles], 1 oz uncured capicola ham, and 1.5 cups arugula or ‘spring mix’ greens. Florentine Sandwiches, mise                                       To assemble, cut the loaf around the equator into two equal rounds.  Spread the soft cheese on the bottom round, then spread on the truffle cream.  Arrange the ham evenly on top, then heap on the greens.  Sprinkle with a good finishing salt and top with the other piece of the loaf.Florentine Sandwiches, plated   This serves two very nicely, or three if you had more sides than the cherry tomatoes.

Ramadan, 2

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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.

Ramadan is the Muslim religion’s holiest month. As the ninth month of the lunar calendar, it moves around from year to year [this is because a lunar calendar month of 28 days is shorter than the average Gregorian Calendar month of 30-31 days]. This year, Ramadan began on 5-6 May and will end on 4 June with the Festival of Id al-Fitr.  1.8 Billion Muslims are obliged to Fast during Ramadan in honor of the revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet Mohammed.  [The Prophet was an early proponent of Fasting.] What does this Fasting entail? No food or drink during daylight hours.  [This is what some people today would call ‘intermittent fasting’ or ‘time restricted fasting’ — in other words, eating during a limited number of hours of the day.]  The fasting of Ramadan is not done to lose weight, but rather to show devotion to one’s religious beliefs.  Often what people save on food, they donate to charity. Is all food forbidden? Yes, but only during daylight hours.  Breakfast is permitted [before sunrise] and dinner is permitted [after sunset].  Can one observe a 5:2 diet during Ramadan?  Of course.  These meals are based on the cuisine of Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam. From the Hawayij spice, to the coffee [native to Saudi Arabia], to the dates [you are supposed to eat 7 of them each day], to the chicken [Saudis eat more chicken per capita than any other nation], to the watermelon [cultivated in Egypt 1000s of years ago and welcome in the Saudi desert]:  these flavors will put you in touch with the food traditions of the holy month.  If you are Muslim, I wish you “Ramadan Mubarak.”  If you are not Muslim [neither am I], read some of the Qur’an or Ask a Muslim a question, whether at the online site or with a colleague at work. We should all aim to break down barriers and work at understanding.

Arabian Omelette

Arabian Eggs:  153 calories  7.4 g fat  2 g fiber  10 g protein  12.5 g carbs [11 g Complex] 58 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the eggs and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  Hawayij spice is widely-used in the cuisine of Saudi Arabia. And it clearly shows trade links to countries further East. Coffee [Coffea arabica  is a native plant] and dates round out the flavors of the country. The sweet dates are a wonderful counter-point to the spicy eggs.

1-1/2 two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid to store in the ‘fridge for next week.                                        1 to 1.5 tsp Hawayij spice                                                                                                              2 deglet noor dates                                                                                                              Optional: blackish Arabian coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water     Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Whisk the eggs with the spice mixture and pour into a heated skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Turn down the heat. Leave the eggs undisturbed until puffy and the top is set. Remove from skillet, and serve folded or flat. Pour the beverages and enjoy the fruit/spice combination.

Arabian Spiced Chicken

Arabian Spiced Chicken:   297 calories  4 g fat  5.4 g fiber  24.4 g protein  46 g carbs [45 g Complex] 35 mg Calcium   PB GF   Using ingredients originally from the region, it is possible to craft a very authentic meal that could have been enjoyed by ancient Arabs. They would have eaten by grasping the stew with the flat-bread called fatir — but on a Fast Day, we will choose a fork. TIP: This recipe makes enough for 2 [two] meals.

6 oz chicken thigh meat, boneless, skinless                                                                                        1.5 tsp Hawayij spice                                                                                                                     2/3 cups water                                                                                                                                         1/3 cup dry quick-cooking barley                                                                                              1/3 cup chicken broth                                                                                                                    Per serving: 3 deglet noor dates     +     5 oz watermelon cubes

Skin and bone the chicken thigh and cut it into 1” chunks. Heat a non-stick skillet and spritz it with non-stick spray. Toss the chicken with the spice and sauté it until the meat is partly cooked. To the pan, add the water and heat it, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. Stir in the dry barley. Put a lid on the pan, turn down the heat, and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Add the chicken broth and stir gently until everything is heated through. Plate with the dates and watermelon on the side. Sprinkle the stew with more Hawayij if you like. The peppery stew is fabulous with the cool, crisp melon and the sweet, musky dates. What an Arabian Delight.

Ingredients for next week:

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

1 two-oz egg1.5 two-oz eggs + cooked spinach
carrot  + broccoli + granulated garlicgrapes  + fat-free ricotta
apple sauce + curry powdermozzarella  +  garlic
curry sauce    [Sidekicks I, 17-Sept-2017]mushrooms
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:

firm, white fish    + egg2 buckwheat crepes + Chèvre cheese
[white whole wheat] flour + paprikachicken breast  + Mozzarella
sweet potato  +  canola oil + asparagusMediterranean Vegetables
garlic powder  +  lime juiceherbes de Province/ fresh herbs
Sparkling waterSparkling water

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

 

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

Passover

~ 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.

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