K.I.S.S.

September 13, 2017March 28, 2022 ~ 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.

This is not an homage to a band wearing crazy make-up, but a return to the adage “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” While some would bristle at the implication of being called an imbecile, I am aware that oft-times my recipes can get rather involved and complicated. If you don’t care for cooking or you don’t have time, a long-winded recipe can be daunting. In these early weeks of back to school, when getting into new schedules is anxiety-producing, I propose the most simple of menus. Originally created for our friend Lillian, these should find a place in your menu rotation any time you need to Keep It Simple.

Breakfast – 125 cal 1 two-oz hardboiled egg + 1 oz ham, 3% fat + ½ cup strawberries + lemon in hot water or black coffee or black tea

Lunch – Minestrone Soup: 1 cup = 145.5 calories 3 g fat 5 g fiber 8 g protein 27 g carbs 86.4 mg Calcium This recipe can be doubled easily. A fine dinner soup for a hot Summer day. Prepare in the cool of the morning so it can be served in the evening. PB GF [if you use GF pasta]

1 tsp olive oil 1 cup onion, chopped 2/3 cup carrot, chopped ½ cup celery, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 3 slices pepperoni, chopped	Prepare all these ingredients and put into a sauce pan together. Cook over medium heat until onions begin to wilt.
½ cup sweet potato, cubed ½ cup zucchini, diced ½ cup mushrooms, chopped 2 cups crushed tomatoes ¾ cup small white beans, canned lots of sage and rosemary, chopped 1 cup water 2 cups chicken broth/stock	Prepare the vegetables as described. Drain and rinse the canned beans. Add these to the pan, along with the water and broth. Cook at a simmer for about 20 minutes. NB: low sodium broth is preferred
1 oz pasta, whole wheat is preferred to boost fiber [orzo/ dinetelli/broken spaghetti]	Add the pasta and cook until it is soft, 5-6 minutes.
2 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated salt and pepper to taste	Add remaining seasonings and adjust to taste. TIP: Soup is always improved by letting it sit for several hours before reheating and serving hot.

HINT: One serving is one cup, but you could go to 1¼ cups each. This recipe made 4 cups for me – multiple meals from one prep!

Dinner – 80 calories 2 oz chicken or turkey + 2 oz green beans

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion for Monday………………..for Thursday

Next week, I will give recipes for side-dishes and oft-used combinations	1.5 two-oz eggs
	bell pepper
	celery
	onion
	Tabasco sauce + cajun seasoning
	Whatever you need for your hot beverage
	Whatever you need for your smoothie

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

	1.75 cups cooked brown rice
	Celery + bell pepper
	Onion + garlic
	Crushed tomato
	1.75 cups red beans, canned
	Green beans or green peas
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

50th

September 10, 2017April 27, 2018 ~ 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.

I’ve been spending the weekend celebrating my 50th high school reunion. Go Thundering Herd!! [yes, that was the school mascot and team name…] So it got me to thinking about the foods of our youth. In our childhood and teenage years, we set the course for our eating that will last a life-time. All that care-free chowing-down in high school and college leads many to over-weight in adulthood. And that is why we are Fasting now, isn’t it? Today’s menus are full of teenage flavor favorites, but designed for more adult eating. [And the bison in the burger was not from the Mascot.] Here’s to the days of our lives and the time of our life.

Pizza Bake: 271 calories 6.8 g fat 2.5 g fiber 14 g protein 38.4 g carbs 267 mg Calcium PB GF Pizza for breakfast just got healthier and more delicious.

One 2-oz egg salt + pepper to taste 1.5 Tbsp crushed tomatoes 1 thin slice pepperoni, minced [1 slice = 9 calories] ¼ oz mozzerella chesse, grated ½ oz bell pepper, chopped ¼ cup blueberries 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

Set the toaster oven at 350 degrees F. Prepare your beverages. Poach the bell pepper in a little water in the microwave for 30 seconds. Put the cheese, pepperoni, and pepper in a lightly-spritzed ramekin. Whisk the egg with the tomatoes, salt, and pepper and pour into the ramekin. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Pour the beverages, portion the berries, and consider how much nicer this is than a cold slice that tastes like cardboard.

Blue-Burger: 285 calories The winter 2004 issue of Eating Well magazine was the inspiration for this recipe. But this version suits our Fasting needs a little better. It is yummy. Bison-Blue Burger w: bun & red slaw

4-oz ground bison meat, thawed 2 Tbsp blueberries, fresh or frozen ¾ tsp Dijon mustard ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce pinch garlic powder + large pinch black pepper 1 Martin’s potato slider bun ½ cup coleslaw

Thaw the meat and break it up in a bowl. Add the blueberries and all the flavorings. Gently combine ingredients with your fingers, trying not to squish the berries. Shape in a patty using a 4” muffin-cutter as a mold. Try not to pack the burger too much. Broil or grill 4-5 minutes per side. Serve on a toasted potato bun. Grilled cherry tomatoes are nice as a topper. And don’t forget the coleslaw.

Western Lands

September 6, 2017September 4, 2017 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

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.

Where does the West begin? Sounds like a question from a Zane Grey novel… The concept of East and West is very Eurocentric: anything East or West of England/France/Germany. In England, ‘to go West’ meant ‘to go away forever; to die’ because those who set off for the Americas or Australia would never be seen again. Food that went off was said to have ‘gone West.’ The menus for today are from the Western US and from the Western Mediterranean. Both are from West of somewhere else. By eating them, the hope is that your extra weight will Go West. Good luck with that.

Western ScrOmelette: 299 calories 8.3 g fat 3.3 g fiber 15.8 g protein 42.8 g carbs 212.3 mg Calcium PB GF My father used to love a western sandwich for lunch on Saturday and I developed a taste for them too. Here’s all the flavor, without the bread.

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, crack three 2-oz eggs into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. 1 Tbsp catsup, made without cornsyrup 1 oz green pepper ¼ cup raspberries OR 3 Bing cherries blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasturized apple cider

Prepare the beverages for the meal. Chop the green pepper and put it in a hot saute pan spritzed with olive oil or non-stick spray. Cook until soft. Whisk the catsup and eggs and scramble with the pepper. Salt and pepper to taste. Plate the fruit and tuck in.

Lamb With Mediterranean Vegetables: 295 calories 14 g fat 9.3 g fiber 22 g protein 40.5 g carbs 205.6 mg Calcium PB GF Here’s a fine meal, full of complex carbohydrates and good flavor. Lamb w: Med Veg, cheese, br rice

1 oz cooked lamb, ground 1 cup Mediterranean Vegetables [see 20 April, ’17 ] ¼ cup cooked brown rice ½ oz Gruyere cheese, grated

Cook the ground lamb, keeping it in biggish chunks rather than tiny flecks. Pour into a sieve to drain any fat, then rinse in hot water. Season the meat well with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Heat the Mediterranean Vegetables TIP: so much easier if they were waiting for you in the freezer. Preparing food ahead is such a good idea. Mix the lamb with the vegetables. Plate the rice, then pour the Lamb/Veg on top. Serve with the grated cheese.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg	1 hardboiled egg
Crushed tomatoes	1 oz ham 3% fat
1 slice pepperoni + mozzerella cheese	½ cup strawberries
Bell pepper
Blueberrries, fresh or frozen
Whatever you need for your smoothie	lunch: ½ cup minestrone soup
Whatever you need for your hot beverage

Dinner, single portion:

4 oz ground bison meat	1.5 oz chicken breast
Blueberries, fresh or frozen	2 oz green beans
Dijon mustard + Worcestershire sauce
Martin’s potato buns, slider size https://potatorolls.com/products/12-sliced-potato-rolls/
Coleslaw
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Summer’s Last Fling

September 3, 2017September 4, 2017 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Tomorrow is Labor Day so this is the week-end for the third and last big “patriotic pig-out” of the Summer. Labor Day picnics are notorious for their intake of vast quantities of food, as we subliminally stock up against the coming Winter. Oh get over it! This is not the time to let down your guard. You can eat well and still be in the spirit of the day. Labor Day: the day to relax from your work, but not to relax in your Fasting. Here are 2 good meals which take advantage of the Summer foods still available to us. And look at this article to help you to eat a healthy diet: https://ca.yahoo.com/style/4-foolproof-ways-eat-healthy-180000032.html

Parmesan-Chive Bake: 279 calories 7.5 g fat 3.7 g fiber 15 g protein 30 g carbs 275 mg Calcium PB GF While I was away for 10 days, Dear Husband invented this breakfast to take advantage of the fresh chives in the garden. Clever man. Parmesa-Chive Bake w: kiwi One 2-oz egg 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated 1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped 1.5 tsp reduced-fat ricotta cheese 1 oz kiwi fruit 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

First set the toaster oven to 350 degreese 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. Whisk the egg with the cheeses and chives 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. Prepare the kiwi fruit, pour the beverages and have an easy day.

Hot Dog & 4-Bean Salad: 277 calories 10 g fat 3.6 g fiber 16.7 g protein 21 g carbs 75.7 mg Calcium GF Hot Dogs and summer salads go together, even for Fasters. This meal is very straight-forward, assuming the 4-bean salad has already been prepared. Hot Dog w: 4-bean salad

1 Hebrew National reduced-fat hot dog 1 deviled egg [hard-boiled egg who’s yolk has been creamed with yellow mustard and black pepper] ½ cup 4-bean salad*** [When I prepared this, I forgot to add the 4th bean….still delicious] 2 oz tomato broiled with ½ Tbsp Parmesan cheese

***4-Bean Salad 2 cups green beans 2 cups yellow[wax] beans 2 cups canned kidney beans 2 cups canned garbanzo beans 1 cup onions, chopped 1/3 cup cider vinegar 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup olive oil Cook the fresh beans until tender. Drain and rinse the canned beans. Combine with the onions. Salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together the vinegar, sugar and olive oil. Toss with the vegetables and refrigerate 4+ hours.

Grill or pan-cook the hot dog. Prepare the deviled egg. Broil the tomato and cheese and serve up the bean salad. Simple food at summer’s end.

Zucchini Days

August 30, 2017August 31, 2017 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

It’s that time of year again: when you can’t leave the window down on a parked car for fear of someone leaving 10 pounds of zucchini in the back seat. But there are so many good things for the Faster to do with zucchini! We will celebrate Zucchini Days at breakfast and dinner. Leave the car window down today.

Zucchini-Herb ScrOmelette: 293 calories PB GF Summer squashes were made to be combined with lots of herbs. Then add cheese: bliss! Zucchini ScrOmelette w: peach 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. ¼ cup zucchini, grated 1 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs or more! 2 Tbsp grated Jarlsberg cheese 1.5 oz peaches blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpastureized apple cider

Put the zucchini and herbs into a lightly-spritzed non-stick saute pan. Cook until softened and most of the liquid is evaporated. Whisk the eggs with the cheese and pour into the pan. Sprinkle with the cheese and scramble it or cook as an omelette, hence ScrOmelette. Prepare the beverages and plate the peaches. Ahhhh. The taste of Summer.

Zucchini Quiche: 293 calories 13 g fat 1.9 g fiber 11.8 g protein 22 g carbs 118 mg Calcium PB My Aunt Betty introduced this recipe to our family years ago. Since then, I have reduced the fat and increased the protein. HINT: The recipe makes 8 [eight!] servings, so it works well for entertaining. It will also freeze, so you could have 7 meals for the future! If freezer space is limited, cut the recipe and make only 1/3 of it, baking in a loaf pan. Then cut into 3 servings.

To prepare Quiche: 3 cups zucchini, grated 2 Tbsp minced onion 1 clove garlic, minced – nothing wrong with more, if you wish 1.5 cups ‘bisquick’ ** ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 wedges Vâche qui Rit [Laughing Cow] cheese, cut into small pieces 2 tsp marjoram or oregano 2 Tbsp parsley, minced salt and pepper 2 oz chicken/turkey breast, cooked and finely minced ¼ cup olive oil 3 eggs 2 Tbsp milk

Mix everything together and pour into a 9×13” pan which has been lined with parchment paper or spritzed with oil or non-stick spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until beginning to brown on top. Cut into 8 pieces.

**bisquick, makes 2 cups 2 cups white whole wheat flour pinch of salt 2 tsp baking powder 2 tbsp butter cut the butter into the dry ingredients

To prepare Meal: 1/8^th of the baked quiche 1 cup lettuce in bite-sized pieces 1 oz tomato ½ tsp olive oil ½ tsp Balsamic vinegar

Whisk the oil and vinegar, toss with lettuce and tomato. Plate with the quiche. How easy was that?!

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg + lots of herbs	1.5 two-oz eggs 1 oz apple or pear
Crushed tomatoes	1 Tbsp catsup, without cornsyrup
Anchovy + Pear	Green pepper
Low-fat cottage cheese	Bing cherries
Tiny bit of cooked chicken
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:

1 Hebrew National reduced-fat hot dog	1 oz ground lamb [leftover from a roast?]
1 hard-boiled egg + yellow mustard	1 cup Mediterranean vegetables
4-bean salad	¼ c cooked brown rice [left-over or fresh]
Tomato for slicing	½ oz Gruyere cheese
Parmesan cheese

Sparkling water	Sparkling water

East of Suez

August 23, 2017June 23, 2019 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

In what has to be one of the most gripping and forlorn line in his work “Mandalay,” Rudyard Kipling wrote, “Ship me somewheres East of Suez where the best is like the worst. Where there aren’t no Ten Commandments an’ a man can raise a thirst.” We are not here to discuss religion or your drinking habits. Rather, today’s topic is the food of India. If the best is like the worst, then these meals rank right up there with the best. And the worst must be pretty good too. Here’s hoping that today’s menus help you to reach your goals, and you don’t have to ship out to foreign lands to enjoy it.

Tomato-Curry ScrOmelette: 300 calories 8.2 g fat 4.0 g fiber 16 g protein 40 g carbs 392 mg Calcium PB GF This recipe was loosely inspired by Fifty Breakfasts, a book by Col. A. R. K. Herbert, detailing “dishes men like” and containing many foods redolent of his years serving the Queen in India.

1 ½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. 1/2 Tbsp curry powder 2 oz fresh tomatoes, diced and drained 1.5 oz strawberries dollop of plain, fat-free yogurt optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider optional: blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water

Drain the tomatoes so that they are not too juicy. Combine with the curry powder and whisk with the eggs. Spritz a fry pan with olive oil or non-stick spray and pour in the egg mixture. Cook to your liking. Prepare the beverages and plate the fruit. Plop a dollop of plain, unsweetened yogurt on the eggs. A rousing good start to your day.

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 breast, 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 TIP: when I cook a batch of brown rice, I freeze some in 1/4 cup portions to use for recipes like this ¼ c tandoori sauce: purchased or use the recipe in the link 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

1 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
Crushed tomatoes	mixed fresh herbs [to taste]
Anchovy + Pear	1/4 cup zucchini, raw or cooked
Low-fat cottage cheese	Jarlsberg cheese
Tiny bit of cooked chicken	peach
optional smoothie	optional hot beverage
optional hot beverage	optional smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

4 oz halibut	3 cups grated zucchini + lettuce for salad
Olive oil + chicken stock	Onion + garlic
Onion + scallions + garlic	3 eggs + lots of herbs
2 cups diced tomatoes	Whole wheat ‘bisquick’
1.5 cups chickpeas, canned	2 oz chicken breast + Parmesan cheese
	2 wedges Laughing Cow cheese
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Meals that begin with “L”

August 13, 2017August 22, 2017 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Last week was Lammas-tide, so just for the ‘ell of it, we’ll have some foods that start with that Letter. These meals are Lovely and Luscious and might Lead you to be Lithe and Lively as you lose some weight. Give some thought to what you eat on a Slow Day as you read this article: https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/dietitian-put-2-daily-meal-162000478.html

Leek & Salmon Bake: 270 calories 7 g fat 2.9 g fiber 15.2 g protein 36.4 g carbs 225.6 mg Calcium PB GF Simply delicious. Leek-Salmon Bake w: plum One 2-oz egg ½ oz salmon, smoked or not [could be leftover from a previous meal] 1/2 oz leek, sliced thinly 1 tsp low-fat sour cream OR plain Greek Yogurt dill weed to taste 1 plum 6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasturized apple cider blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

Spritz an oven-proof ramekin [for 2 people, my Husband likes to use a 6×4” oval casserole] with non-stick spray and set the oven for 350 degrees F. Slice the leek and put in a microwave-safe dish with a little water. [NB: if the fish is raw, cut it into small pieces and put it in the dish, too] Cook in microwave for 30 seconds at high heat to soften the leek. Add to the ramekin. Whisk the egg with the sour cream, dill, and salt/pepper to taste. [NB: some people find dill to be a very strong flavor] Pour over the salmon/leek mixture and bake for 12-15 minutes. Prepare your beverages and plate the plum. Have a wonderful breakfast and a wonderful day.

Lobster a l’Armoricaine: 272 calories 2.6 g fat 2.5 g fiber 20.5 g protein 12.2 g carbs 123 mg Calcium PB GF No, it isn’t a typo. This lobster dish is from the Armor coast of Brittany, therefore: Armoricain, “from the Armor.” The recipe is from Brittany Gastronomique by Kate Whiteman. Elegant yet simple. Lobster a l'Armoricaine

3 oz lobster, cooked or uncooked 2 Tbsp shallot, minced ½ clove garlic, minced 1 oz cognac or other brandy 2 oz dry white wine [not cooking wine] ½ cup tomato, diced 1 tsp tomato puree [not paste] 1 Tbsp half & half [blend cream in Canada] 1 oz broccoli florets + 1 oz carrots, in coins or batons

Remove lobster meat from shell and cut into 1” pieces. Put the shallot and garlic in a pan spritzed with oil. Saute over low heat until soft. Add the lobster meat, and cognac. Tip the pan to distribute the brandy, then, off the heat, light the contents on fire until the flames die. Put into a heat-proof dish and keep barely warm. Add the wine, tomatoes, and puree to the pan and cook until syrupy. Add the cream and heat slowly to reduce in volume a bit. Do not let if boil lest the sauce separate. TIP: You could do this the day before. Meanwhile, cook the vegetables. Pour the sauce over the lobster and heat under the broiler or in an oven until bubbly. Plate with the vegetables.

Think Sandwiches…

August 9, 2017August 9, 2017 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

There are many famous sandwiches: Po’ Boys from N’Orleans; Croque Monsieurs from France; Cheesesteaks from Philadelphia; Panini from Italy. Delicious! But not on a Fast Day. Today we take inspiration from two all-American sandwiches; the Cubano from Miami and the Hamburger from everywhere. Eat up without fear of a mounting calorie count. These ‘sandwiches’ are in a safe form.

Cubano ScrOmelette: 300 calories 8.8 g fat 1 g fiber 16.8 g protein 30.8 g carbs 244 mg Calcium GF The famous Miami sandwich comes to the Fasting breakfast table, with every flavor intact! NB: that’s a little piece of melon on the plate below. No calories in that. 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 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water

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.

Burger Bun Dinner: 280 calories This makes it possible to have a hamburger in a bun and still be Fasting! Think Summer! Bison-Blue Burger w: bun & red slaw

one 4-oz bison burger ½ oz mushrooms 1 tsp curried catsup one potato roll slider [90 calories] — our favorite buns are from Martin’s in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, if you are lucky enough to find them side veg to equal 50 calories: 2 oz boiled or baked beets = 24 calories 2 oz carrots = 23 calories 1/8 cup pickled beets = 19 calories 2 oz broccoli =20 calories 2 oz green beans = 18 calories 1 oz peas = 22 calories ½ cup coleslaw = 50 calories

In a cast iron or other heavy, non-stick skillet, put a healthy sprinkle of salt. Heat the pan over medium-low burner and add the bison burger. Cook 3-5 mins on one side, then the other. [You could grill it, but note that slow cooking is the key to tenderness.] When red juices no longer come out, it is done. Center the burger on the slider bun, top with catsup. Plate with sides.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
½ oz salmon, cooked leftover or raw	1 tsp ground cumin
leek	5 Bing cherries
Dab of low-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
Dill weed + lemon juice
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

3 oz lobster meat, fresh, cooked or frozen	4 oz chicken breast, raw
Shallot + garlic	2 limes
1 oz cognac or brandy + 2 oz dry white wine	chicken stock
Tomatoes, fresh or canned diced	heavy cream
Tomato puree + half & half [blend cream]	oil + sugar + cornstarch
Broccoli + carrots	3 oz fresh pineapple
sparkling water	Sparkling water

Summer Entertaining

August 6, 2017December 13, 2018 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Sometimes, you just have to have friends over for a summer afternoon on the terrace! A trip to the store, and you bring home the chips, the prepared dip, the hamburgers — and you blow a hole in your diet that will take weeks to fix! But if your party food is low in calorie and high in protein AND delicious, you can partake without fear.

Prepare any or all of these:

Zucchini Quiche [a favorite of my Mother’s for party food]: see Aug. 28, 2016 Easy to make ahead. Zucchini Quiche w: salad

Quesadillas [you can even heat them on the grill] : see August 3, 2016 Can be filled and shaped early in the day, wrapped in foil and refrigerated for later. chicken quesadillas w: zucc+yam

Falafel with Cucumber Raita: see March 1, 2017 Make the falafel patties days ahead and freeze. Felafel w: Cuke Raita

Meze Meal [lots of bowls of meze foods mean lots of choices] : see April 17, 2017 Instead of preparing the single-serving portions, triple or quadruple the amounts. Meze Meal w: chicken copy

Pizza [make several, cut each into 6 pieces] : see May 24, 2017

Pizza

Green Salad with homemade vinaigrette dressing: 1 tsp olive oil + 1 tsp vinegar/2 cups lettuce. Add tomatoes, cooked beets, blueberries, cooked green beans, nuts

Beverages: a] make your own wine spritzers with sparkling water, white wine, and ice cubes with fresh raspberries frozen inside. b] have lots of sparkling water on hand for after you have had your own spritzer.

What can your guests bring? Fresh fruit, some white wine, cut vegetables. If you trust yourself to resist, guests can bring chips or a nice artisan bread.

Lammas-tide

August 2, 2017July 30, 2017 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Tomorrow will be Lammas, the old Celtic celebration on their solar calendar. Originally, the multi-day festival was in honor of Lugh, the Celtic craftsman god. Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo-NAS-ah) is the Irish name for the festival. It marks the half-way point of summer and it was the time for harvest festivals, leading to the old English origin of the name, ‘loaf-mass.’ In the modern calendar, lacking ties to our orbit around the sun or anything else in nature, people observe Lammas [sort of] by going to county fairs and getting in on back-to-school sales. WE will honor Lammas by eating the foods of summer with meals which are easily made, if you have the right leftovers from previous summer meals. This is very circular, isn’t it: rather like the Earth’s orbit around the sun, although that is elliptical.

Pork ‘n’ Beans Scromelette: 286 calories 8 g fat 3.1 g fiber 17.4 g protein 36 g carbs 211 mg Calcium PB GF As for the inspiration for this combination, I thought, ‘Well, why not?’ And it tastes good, too – like a meal while on a summer camping trip. Pork n Bean Scromlette

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, crack 3 2-oz eggs into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week 1 Tbsp baked beans, straight from the can ¼ oz pork tenderloin, raw or cooked, left over from a previous dinner ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce + ¼ tsp HP sauce 1 oz strawberries, thawed or fresh 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or pure apple cider blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

If the pork is raw, mince it and combine with the beans and a little water. Put in microwave for 45 seconds to cook the pork. If the pork is cooked, mince it and combine with the beans. Pour pork & beans to warm into a pan which has been sprayed briefly with cooking spray. Whisk the eggs with the two sauces and pour over the pork and beans. Scramble to taste, seasoning with salt and pepper. By now the beverage is hot, the smoothie is shaken, and the strawberries are looking wonderful. Sit, eat, enjoy your breakfast at camp.

Chicken Dinner: 284 calories 4.5 g fat 9.3 g fiber 31.6 g protein 34.2 g carbs 58.2 mg Calcium PB GF – if you omit the Finn Crisps. Perfect use for left-over roasted or lemon-marinated grilled chicken breast. Instead of potatoes, enjoy the crunch of high-fiber crackers. So low in calories that you may even have some lovely fruit for dessert! chicken-dinner-w-beans-carrots

4 ounces roasted/grilled breast meat, without skin 1/2 cup [3 0z] green beans 2 oz carrots, sliced as coins 2 pieces Finn Crisp crackers 1/2 cup sliced strawberries

Cook the vegetables [fresh from your garden or the farmers’ market] and plate the chicken cold. How deliciously simple.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

On Sunday, I will discuss various items suitable for summer entertaining.	1.5 two-oz eggs
	Ham [3% fat content, from deli]
	Swiss cheese
	Cooked pork, left-over
	Mayonnaise [a dab] + dill pickle
	Whatever you need for your hot beverage
	Whatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

	4 oz bison burger
	90 calorie slider bun
	½ cup coleslaw
	mushrooms
	catsup
	Sparkling water

	me on Let Me Entertain You… Di…
	Mya on Let Me Entertain You… Di…
	Peter Eppig on Robert Gould Shaw
	me on 10 Years of FASTing
	Karen Loudon on 10 Years of FASTing

Eating well, with creative recipes, to follow the Fasting Lifestyle according to Michael Mosley's "Fast Diet."

Join me in following the Fasting Lifestyle, with recipes & tips

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

K.I.S.S.

50th

Western Lands

Summer’s Last Fling

Zucchini Days

East of Suez

Meals that begin with “L”

Think Sandwiches…

Summer Entertaining

Lammas-tide

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