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.
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].
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.
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.
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.
How this Fast DietLifestyle 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: 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 & 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.
How this Fast DietLifestyle 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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
[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.
Then whisk in the eggs, followed by the salt.
Now whisk it as if you meant it for a few minutes, until the batter runs off the whisk ‘in ropes.’
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.
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.
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.
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.
How this Fast DietLifestyle 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.
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.
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.
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
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 ‘AScandal 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 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: 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!
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. 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.
KJL, a local butcher shop offers breaded pork schnitzel, and who can resist? If this treat is not deep fat fried, it can be very healthy, as well as quick to prepare. “Schnitzel” is not a recipe as in ‘Wiener Schnitzel‘ or ‘Jaeger Schnitzel,’ but rather refers to a thin cut of meat, whether veal or pork, made thinner by pounding.
From the freezer, I took some watercress sauce with cream [top] and some apples sautéed in butter and sugar [bottom]. The sugar was a good flavor foil to the tartness of the watercress. Fresh mushrooms [center] were added to those to make a sauce.
The schnitzels weighed 5.25 oz each, so I cut them in half after sautéing in some butter and cooking spray. I ate 1/2 of one, while Dear Husband ate two halves. [The other half went for lunch another day.] Fresh beets and roasted little potatoes rounded out the meal. Delicious and so simple.
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: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to FashionCreative who is now Following.
Giovanni di Bernardone, nicknamed “Francesco” [the Frenchman], had a dilema. Should he pursue a life as a Christian preacher or leave the world to become a hermit? He asked his spiritual advisors and they sent word that his path was as a preacher. He was on the road with friends when he received that message and knew he had to start preaching right away. So he went into the field where a large flock of birds were assembled and to the amazement of his colleagues, Francesco began to preach to the birds about being grateful for the gifts which God had given to them. This incident was charmingly depicted in art by Giotto in 1297, in poetry by Seamus Heaney, and in music by Franz Listz. The preacher went on to become Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and ecology. I have always been fond of Francis and his simple view of faith and nature because he seems so genuine. And as a lover of nature, I wish more people would think and act ecologically.
We will celebrate the Feast of Saint Francis tomorrow by eating eggs of birds with a popular Italian vegetable, melanzane [aubergine]. And for dinner, no animals will be harmed in the preparation of our watercress soup.
Aubergine ScrOmelette: 152 calories7.6 g fat 2 g fiber 10.5 g protein 11 g carbs [10 g Complex] 64.7 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Eggplant and tomatoes are such a part of late summer, that you want to eat them with everything. Eating local foods in season is a real treat.
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 to store in the ‘fridge for next week. 1¼ oz eggplant 1¼ oz fresh tomatoes, diced OR same amount of canned, diced tomato ¼ oz onion OR 1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped 1¼ oz pear large pinch Herbes de Province + pinch crushed red pepper flakes Optional:blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait[65 calories] or lemon in hot water Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]
Chop the eggplant and onion. Simmer the vegetables and herbes in the tomato sauce in a covered pan until they are tender. If too thick, add a little water. Whisk the eggs with the vegetables and put into a hot pan spritzed with cooking spray. Scramble or cook as an omelette. Slice the pears and prepare your beverages. Savor the summer.
Watercress Soup: 157 calories 5.4 g fat 2.9 g fiber 8.4 g protein 22 g carbs [19 g Complex] 63.5 mg Calcium PB GF Jacques Pepin’s Good Life Cookingis the source of this recipe and the stream that flows to the beach is the source of our watercress. So low in calories, you might want to add some Finn Crisp crackers for filling fiber or the Caprese Salad for more protein. HINT: This recipe makes 5 cups of soup which serves 4-5 people.
2 tsp canola oil 4 oz [weight, not volume] watercress leaves and tender stems 1 cup celery, coarsely chopped 2 cups onion, coarsely diced ¾ tsp salt 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 2-1/2 cups good stock – vegetable/chicken/beef 10 oz [weight, not volume] potatoes, peeled, cut in 2” chunks OR 12 oz white potato total 2 oz [weight, not volume] sweet potato, peeled and cut in 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 mg Calcium PB GF ½ oz mozzerella cheese, thinly sliced + 2 oz tomato, thinly sliced and sprinkled with salt + fresh basil leaves There should be equal numbers of cheese slices as tomato. Arange the cheese, tomato, and basil in overlapping on the plate.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the cress, celery, onion, and garlic, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Put the stock, salt and potatoes into the pan and bring to a boil. [NB: my stock was very dark, which changed the color of the soup to a darker shade of green] Turn down the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Cool slightly then puree in blender/food processor or with imersion wand. If not thoroughly pureed, run through a sieve. Heat the soup before serving. In the bowl, put the chevre in the center, let it soften a bit, then swirl it into the soup. Serve the salad on the side.
Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion
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.
When the boys were young, I’d make home-made, personal-sized [8″ diameter] pizzas and we’d all watch Star Trek, The Next Generation every Saturday. Memories are made that way. The boys are dispersed to their own homes [one of them still makes pizza], and we continue to eat pizza, every Saturday. This one is based on a recipe from Fore Street, a favorite restaurant in Portland, Maine.
I make my own pizza shells from scratch. Sometimes I use the recipe from Gourmet magazine, which makes 2. Often I use the Neapolitan recipe from Peter Reinhart‘s American Pie, which makes six balls of dough, 5-6 oz each. I freeze balls of dough to use next week. NB: ordinarily I sauté the mushrooms and leeks before I put them on the pizza. For some reason I didn’t do that this time. It was crunchier as a result. Next time, I’ll sauté them.
I usually eat 3 pieces of pizza, while Dear Husband eats all of his. This was enjoyed with a Dutcher Crossing red wine and a good friend as a guest.
Eating well, with creative recipes, to follow the Fasting Lifestyle according to Michael Mosley's "Fast Diet." 
