fasting

Mediterranean Idyll

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Let’s go South for the day.  To Southern France, that is, the land of Province, the Midi, and fields of lavender. Nothing like a sunny sojourn to banish the dark of a winter’s day. Enjoy the flavors of the Mediterranean and continue the Fasting Lifestyle on your way to a healthier you.

Ratatouille Eggs   292 cal                      PBRatatouille Egg-toast

1 piece 70-cal multi-grain bread [I use Nature’s Own]                                                                               one 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                             ¼ cup Mediterranean Vegetables [see July 15, 2015]    last time I made some, I froze a portion                                                 5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasturized apple cider                                      blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

Toast the bread. [If using frozen veg, thaw in a strainer and let the excess water drain out.] Warm the vegetables briefly and spoon onto the toast. Fry the egg using a non-stick or cast iron pan and put the egg on top of the vegetables on the toast. Pour the beverages and you have a fine breakfast as well as a head-start on your 5 servings of vegetables for the day.

Langostino with Garlic:   261 calories     3.4 g fat     9.2 g fiber  26.1 g protein 34.7 g carb   PB    GF       I wish I knew the source of this recipe, because I really like it. ‘Langoustine’ is either a large shrimp or the tail of a Norway lobster, according to LaRousse. Sometimes you find them frozen and when I see them, I buy them. HINT: the amounts shown serve TWO people. This is a good meal to share and more difficult to cut down for one serving. If you are into leftovers, make the whole thing and enjoy it for lunch on a Slow Day.

Langostino w: garlic

1 tsp olive oil                                                                                                                                   2 cloves garlic, chopped + pinch of hot pepper flakes                                                                 5 oz langustino chunks or 4.5 oz cleaned shrimp                                                                         5 oz broccoli florets or asparagus, cut into 2” pieces                                                                    1 cup cabbage, sliced [3 oz]                                                                                                                     2 Tbsp dry white wine                                                                                                                    salt & pepper                                                                                                                                             15 oz tomatoes, coarsley chopped or canned diced tomatoes                                                      ¾ c white beans, rinsed and drained                                                                                             ½ cup fish stock

Pour the tomatoes through a sieve, saving the juice that drains out. Heat the oil in a saute pan or wok. Add the garlic and hot peppers to the pan along with the broccoli [or asparagus] and cabbage. Saute for 3-4 minutes. If the pan gets too dry [ie: no sound of cooking], add some reserved tomato juices and/or some of the fish stock. Pour in the wine, then sprinkle in the salt and pepper. Cook to reduce the wine to almost gone. Add the beans, tomatoes, and fish stock. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Add the langostine and cook to thicken the broth.

The prep is fussy, the cooking is quick, the result is delicious. If you wish, serve with a side salad of 1 cup baby greens, sprinkled with a quality vinegar and herbs. Or stir the greens into the saute pan at the last minute to wilt them.

Northern Lights

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Like a lot of women my age, I have become interested in genealogy. My grandmother was a professional in the field, so the apple is dropping close to the tree. One thing I found which I didn’t expect is that the “French” branch of the family goes back to Scandinavia. In honor of my Finnish-Norwegian ancestors, I offer these menus.

Nordic Breakfast 297 cal    11.7 g. fat      15.5 g. protein      34.8 g carbs   PB     This is based on a recipe from the Fast Diet book, but I always thought it looked like a puny anount of food.  Not so — this will fill you up!Nordic Bfast3 slices of Finn Crisp crackers                                                                                                                             2 oz smoked salmon                                                                                                                                               2 Tbsp whipped cream cheese                                                                                                                              2 rings red onion, thinly sliced                                                                                                                           ½ cup raspberries                                                                                                                                                        1 oz apple                                                                                                                                                        blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon with hot water                                                                 NOTE: no smoothie

Carefully spread the cream cheese on the crackers. Divide the salmon among them. Arrange the onion rings atop the salmon. Slice the apple and pour your hot beverage. Skip the aquavit.

Baltic Bake:     302 cal        12.1 g fat      11 g protein        27.3 g carbs               GF     Believe it or not, this is from the book Two Fat Ladies Obsessions. The meal has wonderful Eastern European flavors and is so simple to prepare that I assembled it in 16 minutes!!hot dog:kraut in pasta bowl

2 low-fat, low calorie hot dogs [I like Hebrew National reduced-fat]                                                       ½ cup sauerkraut, homemade, canned, or from a bag                                                                                    ¼ c pickled beets                                                                                                                                                                ¼ c sliced onions                                                                                                                                               ½ tsp horseradish                                                                                                                                                1/2 tsp caraway seeds                                                                                                                                             2 Tbsp white beans, drained and rinsed

Put the hot dogs [frozen or thawed] and onions in a saucepan with a little water or some juice from the sauerkraut. Heat until the dogs are cooked and most of the liquid is evaporated. Remove the dogs and add remaining ingredients to the pan to heat. Cut the hot dogs into 5-6 pieces and put them back in the pan until all ingredients are heated through.

Laughing all the way…

~ me ~ 3 Comments

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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

Crying Laughing, by Lance Rubin

The holidays may be over, but we can still be jolly.  With the Fasting Lifestyle we can enjoy the food we eat, feel virtuous due to the discipline of Fasting, and enjoy the fun of watching the numbers on the scale go lower. We might not be riding in a one-horse open sleigh, as in the song Jingle Bells, but we can still go laughing all the way through our new way of eating.

Laughing Herb Omelette:    182 calories…. 11 g fat… 1.4 g fiber… 12 g protein… 9.4 g carbs… 142.4 mg Calcium…   PB GF if you use GF toast. Vache Qui Rit cheese is a low-calorie go-to for flavoring Fast Day meals. Here, it melts beautifully in an omelette.

Laughing Herb Omelette

++ 1 ½ 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 section Vache Qui Rit [Laughing Cow] cheese  ++++ 1.5 Tbsp fresh herbs  ++++ 3 oz apple ++++ ½ slice 70-calorie whole-grain bread ++++   optional: 5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or natural apple cider  ++++     optional: blackish tea or blackish coffee ++

Whisk the eggs and herbs together. Take the cheese from the ‘fridge [HINT: keep it cold so that it will slice better] and slice it into as many thin slices as you can. Spritz a hot non-stick or cast iron pan with cooking oil and pour in the eggs/herbs. When the bottom begins to set, lay the cheese slices over half the surface of the eggs. Cook to your degree of doneness, fold and plate. Slice apple, toast bread, shake up the smoothie, pour your hot beverage and laugh along with the cow.

Baked Bean Soup   285 cal…     3.5 g. fat…      11.5 g. protein…       44.6 g. carbs…    PB  GF This old-time classic is from the Fannie Farmer cookbook and it sure hits the spot. Super easy to prepare. OK, the carb count is high, but the carbs are complex and look how low the fat is! Furthermore, baked beans are good for you!

baked bean soup w: grapes & caulifower

++ 1 cup baked beans, canned ++++ 1/8” slice onion, chopped  ++++ 1 stalk celery, chopped ++++  ¾ cup canned or stewed tomatoes  ++++ 1 ½ cup brown stock/beef stock  ++++ dash hot sauce ++++ salt & pepper  ++++    per serving:   2 lemon slices ++++ 1/2 hard boiled egg, sliced ++

Simmer beans, onion, celery, and tomatoes in a covered pan for 30 minutes or until celery is soft. Add brown stock, hot sauce, salt, and pepper and heat through. Run it all through the blender or food processer. Serve with lemon slices and egg slices as a garnish. Fast, easy, inexpensive, good.

New Year’s Resolutions

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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.

Let’s resolve to be healthier this year. Let’s resolve to eat better this  year.  Let’s resolve to lose some weight, and be healthier, and eat better this year.  That sure sound like following the Fasting Lifestyle.  How? prepare the following meals tomorrow.  That means eating the 300-calories-or-less breakfast. Skip lunch but drink lots of water.  Black coffee and tea are fine too. Then eat the 300-calorie-or-less dinner, again with water. Next Sunday, read the next blog in the series and Fast again. Rinse and Repeat.

Basquaise Omelette:     147 calories…    8 g fat… 2 g fiber… 10.4 g protein… 9 g carbs… 80.5 mg Calcium… NB: Food values shown are for the Omelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.   PB GF  This recipe, full of the flavors of the Basques region of SW France, comes to us from Salute to Healthy Cooking, published by the French Culinary Institute. Wonderful book from which we cook all year long. Note that this is a baked omelette, so the method is a little different. Faites bien attention.

Basquaise Omelette

3 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 and 1/2 Tbsp tomato sauce ++++  1 and 1/2 Tbsp bell pepper, chopped ++++ ½ clove garlic or big pinch granulated garlic ++++ 2 tsp parsley, chopped ++++ 1 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated ++++ 2 oz apple or 3 oz melon or 2 oz pear ++++ Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++   Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Heat the oven broiler. In an oven-safe skillet, put the tomato sauce, peppers, garlic, parsley, and 2 Tbsp water. Cook gently until the veg are soft and the water is evaporated. Remove from pan. Add a spritz of non-stick spray and heat the pan. Whisk the eggs with 2/3 of the tomato mixture and pour into the pan. As the eggs cook, gently lift the edge of the eggs and let uncooked egg flow underneath. Do not flip or fold the eggs. Top the eggs with the cheese and put the skillet under the broiler to finish cooking. Prepare the fruit and beverages. Slide the omelette onto the plate and top it with the remaining tomato/pepper mixture. Alternately, if you prepare the omelette in an 8″ cast-iron skillet, you could serve it from there, as shown in the photo.

Pork Somen Noodles   260 calories…   6 g. fat…   11 g. protein…     28.8 g. carb… PB Found on the back of a bag of somen noodles, this recipe is quick and easy and good to eat. HINT: this is enough for TWO. Dine with a friend or enjoy for lunch another day.

pork somen noodles

2 oz somen noodles ++++ 1 qt water ++++  1 tsp oil ++++ 1- 1/2 cup cabbage, shredded OR 1 cup snow peas ++++ 1 cup carrot, shredded ++++ 2 scallions, sliced diagonally ++++ 4 oz roasted pork tenderloin,  sliced into matchsticks   HINT: this uses pork which was cooked previously.  OR you can use raw pork** ++++ 2 cloves garlic, sliced  ++++ 2 Tbsp soy sauce

Heat the water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse, and cool. Slice the pork into 1/2” rounds, then slice cross-wise into sticks. Heat a heavy frying pan or wok. Add the oil and heat it. Add the cabbage, carrots, and scallions. **If using raw pork, add it now.  Stirfry for 1 minute. Then add 1-2 Tbsp water and continue to stirfry for 1 minute more. Add the cooked pork, garlic, noodles, and soy sauce. Saute until contents are warm.

Isn’t it about time?

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Its time to take charge of your lifestyle and stop saying ‘someday’ you will improve your health and maybe lose a little weight.   Today is the day to take a little time to stock the freezer with some foods that you can use for many future meals. [The batter for crepes and the crab cakes freeze well] Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Today is the day to get serious about following the Fasting Lifestyle.

Breton Breakfast:   310 calories               PB                                                               Here is one way to use the crepe batter which we made on October 14, 2015, and you stored in the freezer. You need one crepe per serving. Make some extra for a lunch or dinner later this week.Breton bfast w: apple

1 crêpe                                                                                                                                         1 two-oz egg                                                                                                                            ¼ cup diced zucchini                                                                                                           ¼ cup diced tomatoes                                                                                                                ¼ cup diced bell pepper, any color you want                              ¼ cup diced tomato                               1/4-1/3 tsp curry powder [seafarers brought a lot of spices to Brittany’s ports]                                                                                                                       1 and 1/2 oz apple                                                                                                  5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or apple cider                                blackish tea or coffee or hot water with lemon

Put the 3 vegetables and the curry in a small sauce pan with a bit of water and cook uncovered until the veg are soft and the liquid has almost evaporated. HINT: do this the night before to save time at breakfast. If your crêpe was cooked previously, warm it a little to take off the chill. Cook the egg by frying it in a lightly-oiled non-stick pan. Spoon the vegetable on the crêpe, put the egg on top. Hold briefly, if needed, in a warm oven while you pour the smoothie and warm beverage, and while you slice the fruit.

Crab Cakes w: beans

Crab Cakes:        250 cal     4.7 g fat     24.0 g protein     14.2 g carbs           Rock and Jonah crabs abound on the coast of New England and they are grand as crab cakes. This recipe is from Todd English’s Olive’s Table cookbook. Note: this is the full recipe and makes 5 cakes – more than you will eat at one meal. Prepare them all and cook as directed. HINT: This will provide a few future meals.

½ pound crab meat, not ‘imitation crab’                                                                        2 T [1 oz] plain nonfat yogurt                                                                                              1 tsp Dijon mustard                                                                                        2 Tbsp. chopped green or white onion                                                                           1 T. parsley, minced                          one 2-oz egg                    1 tsp salt & ¼ tsp pepper                                                                                                                                                 1 slice fresh 70-cal bread, crumbled in a food processor if you have one            4 T. flour                               2 tsp oil                      5 oz asparagus OR green beans                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Aioli Dressing: 1 tsp low-fat mayonnaise + few drops of lemon juice + pinch each of tumeric and garlic powder 

Gently combine 1st 8 ingredients in a bowl. Dust a large plate with the flour. Using a 1/3 c. measure as a mold, form the crab cakes and turn them out onto the flour. There should be 5 cakes. Dust the top of the cakes with some of the flour. Heat a non-stick skillet and add 2 tsp olive oil. Handling them carefully, cook the crab cakes until they are beginning to brown on the top and bottom. Cook the beans. Plate the crab cakes and vegetable, and serve with a dab of aioli.

One Fast Day serving = 1.5 crab cakes. Cool the others, wrap in cling wrap and freeze. Reheat in a toaster oven until warm. [the cakes will have been previously cooked]

“If You Want To Lose Weight, Hack Your Living Environment Like Skinny People”         http://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2015/02/02/if-you-want-to-lose-weight-hack-your-living-environment-like-skinny-people/

New Year’s Eve

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Yup, sure enough — New Year’s Eve is on a Thursday, a Fast Day, this year.  What to do? You have choices:           1] blow off the diet, splurge to your heart’s content, and hate yourself on Jan 1;                                                           2] observe a Fast Day on Wednesday or Friday instead of Thursday;                         3] eat strategically on Thursday so you can ‘have your weight loss and eat it too.’   Here’s how:

Vegetable Omelette: 283 calories…  9.5 g. fat…  19.5 g. protein…  30 g. carb PB  [GF if you eliminate the piece of bread or substitute a GF bread]  Take advantage of the goodness of vegetables and use up some left-overs at the same time! Win-win.

++ 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 ++++  1/2 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated ++++ 2 tsp red onion, chopped ++++   1 oz cooked summer squash/ green beans/ broccoli, diced ++++   HINT: prepare extra vegetables at dinner on Wednesday or Sunday and save for this meal the following Fast Day ++++  ½ slice 70-cal bread ++++ salt, pepper, herbs of your choice ++++  1.5 oz strawberries ++++  5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider  ++++ blackish coffee or blackish tea ++

Spritz a fry pan with olive oil or non-stick spray and stir the onions until they are soft. Dice the cooked vegetables and add to the pan to warm. Whisk the eggs and pour them into the pan, stirring to mix with the vegetables. As bottom of eggs begins to set, put the cheese, salt and pepper on the eggs. Cook to your liking, fold and plate with the fruit and toasted bread. Pour your beverages and have a great day.

Now make sure that you drink lots of water today or tea to avoid being hungry or dehydrated.  SKIP LUNCH, just as you would on any Fast Day.

AT THE PARTY:  Stick to the shrimp cocktail.  Fill half your plate with the shrimp and half your plate with vegetables from the veggie platter. Do not eat the veggie dip!  Cocktail sauce is OK, and try dipping the veggies in it too.  About drinking: Sparkling wine has 88 calories per small glass, so have some. Avoid the mixed drinks, the hard alcohol, and the punch — too many calories.  Are your hosts considerate enough to provide sparkling water?  Good for them! Alternate your glass of bubbly with glasses of water. [You do know that a hang-over is mostly due to dehydration, don’t you?]  Less booze means more will power. Just saying.

NEXT DAY BREAKFAST: try the Nordic Breakfast, September 20, 2015. Easy to prepare and very filling.

Happy New Year to you all.  Keep following in 2016 for more new recipes and tips. Tell your friends.  Please remember that the Fasting Lifestyle is not only about losing weight — it is about improving your over-all health while safely losing 1-2 pounds per week. You might find this reading useful:

http://mashable.com/2015/12/28/body-positive-new-year/#g5OgjZ7ptkqd               With a new year comes the all-too-familiar pressure to lose weight. As the ball drops at midnight, the diet industry gears up to welcome women who mark Jan. 1 as the day they will begin restricting and training their bodies into the slim ideal. It’s all a part of the “New Year, New You” mantra we have been taught to value as gospel.

While the pressure to shrink your body is a constant for women year-round, the value of thinness is especially emphasized when New Year’s resolutions are thrown into the mix. It’s a time of year when hating yourself is made easy, packaged and sold by the diet industry as flaws in need of fixing. Many of us buy into it — but we don’t have to.

Body positive activists are constantly advocating for radical body love, but that work takes on undeniable significance this time of year. These women shout above the negative noise, working to build up collective body confidence and self-love in a world where women are constantly marked as needing improvement.

“It’s time for us to stop setting New Year’s resolutions altogether and to start setting revolutions instead — to, rather than resolving ourselves to ‘self-improvement’ defined by systems set up to oppress us, revolt against them. Set goals in terms of treating yourself with more compassion, take more fashion risks, enjoy more time at the beach, go out for brunch more — do all the things that you keep promising yourself you’ll do when you lose ‘X’ number of pounds.

“You don’t need to lose weight to experience your best self. You just need to resolve yourself to living the life you imagine –- in exactly the skin you’re already in. You’d be amazed at how that mental shift can be the best choice you’ve ever made in terms of health and happiness.”  Melissa Fabello, managing editor at Everyday Feminism and body acceptance activist

 

Christmas Eve

~ 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.

Just today I was asked if I would be Fasting this week of Christmas. Well, I’ll admit that I’m glad that Christmas will be on a Friday, not Thursday. Fasting can occur as usual on a special day with a little thought. plan A: If you know you must go for the whole Feast for dinner,  have a regular Fast Day until then: a 300 calorie breakfast, no lunch, lots of water, and be sensible in eating at dinner.  plan B: French toast for breakfast and seafood chowder for dinner. The chowder [first posted November 25, 2015] is what we eat on Christmas Eve every year — delicious, out of the freezer [if you made a batch before Thanksgiving in November], and something that you look forward to, instead of feeling deprived.

French Toast    300 caloriesChristmas Tree French Toast

HINT: This recipe makes 4 [four] slices of French Toast. Prepare all 4, but put the other 2 in a bag in the freezer for a really fast breakfast later.                                                                                                         4 slices 70-cal whole grain bread, with a Christmas Tree cut-out                             one 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                    2 Tbsp fat-free milk                                                                                                                  2 oz strawberries, fresh or unsweetened frozen                                                                   1 and 1/2 tsp maple syrup                                                                                                         one 60-cal sausage — I like Al Fresco brand sage breakfast links                         nearly black coffee or tea or lemon in hot water                                                      green or fruit smoothie or natural apple cider

THE NIGHT BEFORE: Whisk the egg and milk together. Cut the pieces of bread into Christmas Tree shapes, using a cookie cutter. [This step is important for the calorie count to come out right, so don’t skip it even if it seems too much like ‘crafty food.’  Feed the remaining bread to the birds or save for preparing Stuffed Clams, [Aug. 9 , 2015] Put the tree-shaped bread into a rimmed pan which is just big enough for the 4 bread pieces. Pour the egg/milk mixture over the bread, making sure it is all wetted. Let stand OVERNIGHT. Also combine the strawberries and syrup in a microwave-safe bowl.

The next morning, cook the batter-soaked bread in a hot non-stick pan with a spritz of non-stick spray. Cook until browned on both sides. Cook the sausage, too. Mash the berries a bit and add the maple syrup.   Warm the mixture a little and smear onto the plated toast. Enjoy with the sausage, hot beverage of choice, and green smoothie.

Seafood Chowder   275 calories  11 g. fat  15 g protein   16 g carb  GF This makes 10 one-cup servings. It freezes nicely, but it is great fresh! My husband found the recipe in Yankee magazine. He prepares this every year. It is wonderful. The directions look long and involved but the results are worth it.Seafood chowder on Wedgewood tile

4 strips thick-cut bacon, diced                                                                                     1 medium Spanish onion, finely diced                                                                                   1 pound baking potatoes, peeled + cut in ½” cubes                                              2 pounds steamer clams in their shells                                                                            one lobster, 1 and ½ pounds                                                                                                                                1 pound scallops                                                                                                                            1 pound shrimp, peeled                                                                                                                                      1 quart whole milk                                                                                                                   4 Tbsp butter                                                                                                                                   2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped                                                                                         ¼ tsp paprika plus salt + pepper to taste

In a medium skillet or saute pan cook the diced bacon until brown and crisp. Remove bacon and reserve. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp fat and add the onions. Cook slowly over low heat, stirring, until translucent [10 mins?]. Set aside with the bacon in a large bowl.

In a separate saucepan, cover cubed potatoes with salted water and boil until almost tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and add to the bacon/onions.

Put clams in a large pot and add 1 quart water. Heat to boiling, cover, and cook until clams open, about 3 minutes. Remove the clams but leave the liquid in the pot. Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with paper towel. Remove the clams from their shells and cut them into smaller pieces if necessary. Add to the potatoes, onion, and bacon.

Put the strained clam broth back into the empty pot and bring to a boil. Add the lobster head-first into the boiling broth. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove lobster and let cool. Crack the shell to remove the meat. Cut the meat into 1/2” chunks and add to the previous ingredients.

Heat the broth until boiling. Add the scallops and shrimp. Reduce heat to low. Simmer about 3 minutes, until the scallops + shrimp are just cooked through.

Add all the previously cooked ingredients, along with the milk, butter, parsley and seasonings. Heat until steaming but not boiling.

Cover and cool. Let the pot sit in the ‘fridge or on a cool back porch for 12-24 hours. This really enhances the flavors. When ready to serve, heat to steaming hot but do not boil. Freeze what is left over in freezer containers which are the same size as a serving.

Meat

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Some people cannot bear to try a new diet if they think that they will have to give up meat. A friend’s husband once told her that she could try cooking ‘gourmet food’ as long as he got his gourmet meat with his gourmet potatoes.  Well on Fast Days the potatoes are out, but today meat is in.

Ham Omelette   291 calories   8.8 fat   15.9 pro    25.1 carb    GFHam omelette w: cider + apple

3 small 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.                                           1 oz. ground or chopped ham                                                                                            2 oz of melon or 1.5 oz apple                                                                                       blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon with hot water                                            5-6 oz green or fruit smoothie or natural apple cider

Chop the ham, slice the fruit, brew your hot beverage. Heat a cast iron or non-stick pan and spritz it with oil or cooking spray. Whisk the eggs and pour into the pan. When the bottom begins to set, distribute the ham over half of the eggs. Fold the omelette and cook to your favorite degree of doneness. Shake up the smoothie, pour your beverages, and you are off to a good start to your day.

Bison Burger  293 calories

Bison Burger
bison burger, curried catsup, mushrooms, green beans, beets

one 4-oz bison patty [not beef. Venison is a good substitute if you have it]    1 oz sliced mushrooms                                                                                        1.5 tsp of catsup                                                                                                    ½ cup green beans                                                                                                    2 oz pickled beets

Sprinkle a small, hot, ungreased skillet with Kosher salt.  Cook one 4 oz bison burger  on one side for about 3 minutes. Flip it and cook until done as well as you’d like.  Put on a plate to stay warm. Sides: Add some water to the pan and stir/ cook the mushrooms until soft.  Meanwhile, in a separate pan, cook the green beans until soft.  To serve, put the ketchup on the burger, top with mushrooms. Arrange those colorful sides on the plate and get ready for some good eating.

Anna Meets the King

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One of my favorite musicals was The King and I, wherein the proper English governess goes to Siam to teach and is involved in culture clashes of epic proportions.  Today’s menu juxtaposes  the English poached egg  with a butternut squash soup with Thai flavors. A happy meeting.

Poached Egg on Toast   303 calories                                    PBPoached Egg on Toastone slice of 70-cal bread                                                                                                                  one 2-oz egg                                                                                                                         one and 1/2oz of apple or 2 oz melon                                                                               5 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or unpasteurized apple cider        blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

If using an egg poacher, lightly spray the egg cup and heat the water to a simmer. Toast the bread. Poach the egg for 3-4 minutes, according to your preference. Slide the egg onto the toast, season to taste, and enjoy with your hot beverage, fruit, and the smoothie.

Thai Butternut Squash Soup   260 calories/ one cup    GF PBThai butternut squash soup

Found in the newspaper in Nova Scotia, this recipe makes a lot of delicious soup. It freezes beautifully, so you can enjoy it again and again. Don’t forget to add 3 oz of chopped shrimp to each serving.

HINT: makes 8 cups of soup. Save out one cup for dinner and freeze the rest in portion-sized servings.

2 Tbsp vegetable oil                                                                                                              2 cups chopped onion                                                                                                           2 cloves garlic, chopped                                                                                                            1 tsp salt                                                                                                                                       1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated                                                                                      1 tsp Thai red curry paste, or more to taste                                                                      2.5 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped [about 6 cups]             3 cups water or unsalted chicken broth                                                                           1 lime, zest and juice                                                                                                             1 cup unsweetened coconut milk                                                                                         per bowl: 3 oz chopped shrimp [raw or cooked – it will cook as the soup is heated]                      1/4 cup baby spinach cut as chiffonade [strips]

Heat oil in large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add onions, garlic, and salt. Cook about 10 minutes or until onions have softened. Stir in ginger and curry paste. Cook for a minute or two longer. Add squash and water/stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Zest and juice the lime. Put 1 tsp of zest and 1 tbsp juice in the pot. Save remaining zest and juice. When squash is tender, stir in coconut milk. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Return to pot, reheat, adjust flavor with more lime juice and/or curry paste. For each serving, stir spinach and chopped shrimp into hot soup. Serve when spinach is just wilted.

Saint Nicholas

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Today is the Feast of Saint Nicholas, the father of the Christmas stocking and the origin of the traditional “Father Christmas” and “Santa Claus.”  He was a bishop in Turkey, possibly being of Greek origin. On this day in Holland, Germany, Hungary, and many other countries, Saint Nicholas himself visits houses leaving presents for children.  Give yourself the present of good health and long life. Stay with the Fasting Lifestyle today, even though you celebrate a Feast Day with a breakfast from Holland and a dinner from Greece.

Dutch Breakfast    308 calories     6 g fat       10.7 g protein       22 g carbDutch b-fast w: S-Bs + Ruskone 2-oz egg, hard-boiled or coddled HINT: the hardboiled egg can be made days before                                        [that’s a baked egg in the photo]                           ½ oz ham, low-fat from the deli                                                                                           ½ of an Arnold Multi-grain Sandwich Thin [50 cal] OR ½ slice 70-cal bread [35 cal]                                                         OR one “Holland Rusk” [35 cal]                                                   1/8 oz [1/2” cube] cheese if you used less bread, you could have more cheese                     2 oz melon or apple or pear                                                                                               5-6 oz fruit smoothie [March 15, 2015] or green smoothie [June 10, 2015] or unpasturized apple cider        blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

Warm the ham in a skillet, toast the bread, brew your beverage, slice the fruit, cube the cheese. Prepare the smoothie or take the other half of the smoothie recipe from ‘fridge and shake it to mix.

Meze Meal  297 calories  10 g. fat   36 g protein   21.8 g carb   PB GFMeze Meal w: shrimp, ‘Meze’ is the Greek equivalent of Spanish Tapas. Very ‘Mediterranean Diet.’ Well, we don’t live on a vast inland sea, but we’ll take good low calorie, low fat, delicious food where ever we can find it. There are lots of good recipes in the book Meze by Rosemary Barron.

1/4 cup white beans    &   ½ Tbsp capers                                                                      1 oz marinated mushrooms                                                                                                3 oz tomato, cubed   &   generous pinch Greek oregano                                            3 oz cooked shrimp [or 2 oz cooked chicken breast]                                                           1 oz mozzerella cheese [or use feta, same amount]                                                      1 ½ oz lemon-marinated carrots                                                                        marinade: 1 tsp olive oil + 1 tsp lemon juice + pinch of granulated garlic + pinch oregano

Combine the white beans with the capers in a small bowl. In another bowl, combine the tomatoes and the oregano. Slice the carrots into small logs or coins and cook until tender. Drain and combine with the marinade in a small jar with a lid. Shake well, remove the lid and let the carrots cool in the marinade. Attend to the shrimp by cooking it and removing the shells, if necessary. Drain the marinade from the jar and pour it over the shrimp. Plate the ingredients to please the eye. Look at photos of the Agean Sea….and try to imagine Santa Claus in that setting.