gluten free recipes for Fast Diet

Comparing Plans: Paleo

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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.

Since 2002, there has been buzz about the Paleolithic or Caveman Diet**. This was first proposed by academics in the field of nutrition and physiology. While researching what foods our ancient [prior to 10,000 years ago] hunter-gatherer ancestors would have eaten, they wondered if we would be better off eating that way today. Their conclusion is that if we ate like the ancestors, we could skip obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. Reay Tannahill, in her Food in History [Crown Publishers, 1989] discusses hunting, fishing, and gathering opportunities of that time, when most people died before age 40. What’s on the Paleo menu? Meat, of course, and vegetables. What is not on the plate? Processed foods, grains, sugar, dairy, salt. [In the early days of this diet, beer, wine, and modern fruits were taboo, but today they are permitted.] This is an antidote to the S.A.D. that has caused so many health problems in the world. The FAST diet has much in common with the Paleo diet: low glycemic load, emphasis on protein, lack of processed food. Many of the menus that I have shown you are similar to Paleo Diet meals. To compare the similarities, here’s a chart:

Is this food allowed on this diet…PALEOOn Fast Days
Fatty Animal protein: beef, lamb, porkYes: grass-fed Yes
Lean Animal protein: chicken, turkeyYesYes, preferred
Eggs Yes Yes 
Beer, wine, cocktailsWine, maybeOn Slow Days
Grains, starches: rice, wheat products, pasta, cereal Noin moderation
Nuts + seedsYes in moderation
Beans, legumes: peas, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeasNoYes 
Seafood protein, especially with Omega-3 fatsYesYes 
Apples, melons, pears, all other fruitsYesYes 
BerriesYes Yes 
Leafy green vegetables: spinach, chard, kale, lettuceYesYes 
Dairy: Cheese, milk, yogurt No Some 
Vegetable oils: olive, canolaYes in moderation
Animal fat: butterNo in moderation
Root vegetables: beets, sweet potatoes, carrotsNo white potatoes Yes 
Other vegetables: onions, tomatoes, peppersYesYes 
Fat 40% of diet No 
Protein 30% of diet Yes. lots 
Higher fiberNo Yes
Daily Carb intake30% of diet Keep it low
Whole grains No grainsYes
Simple carbs: cookies, pastries, cake, bread, processed foodsNoNot on Fast Day
16:8 intermittant fasting recommendedYesYes 
Number of days per week to follow the regimen 7 of 72 of 7
Do calories matter?No Only 600 on Fast Days
sources: https://thepaleodiet.com and https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/paleo-diet/detailed-paleo-diet-food-list-what-eat-avoid/

Bison ScrOmelette: 147 calories 8g fat 0.4 g fiber 14.5 g protein 4 g carbs [2 g Complex] 48.5 mg calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  GF  Bison meat is a fine source of protein and is more healthy than beef. You should try it.

Paleolithic people ate bison. You can too — depending on availability…..

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.   0.6 oz ground, cooked bison  ½ Tbsp [0.1 oz] sliced scallion ½ Tbsp spaghetti sauce 1 oz melon   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]

Briefly warm the bison and scallion in a saute pan spritzed with non-stick spray. Whisk the eggs with the spaghetti sauce and pour over the meat/scallion in the pan. Cook in your desired way: scramble or omelette. Plate with the melon and listen to Bing Crosby sing ‘Home on the Range.’

Chicken Stir-fry: 268 calories 7 g fat 6.5 g fiber 28 g protein 21 g carbs 113 mg Calcium  PB GF  From the official FastDiet.com  website! You just know it has to be a keeper.

4 oz raw chicken breast 1.5 Tbsp lemon juice 2 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced 1 clove garlic, crushed 1.5 cups cabbage, sliced 1 cup carrots, julienned ½ cup snow peas OR 2 oz asparagus OR 2 oz bell peppers OR 1 oz broccoli 

Cut chicken into strips and marinate in lemon juice and soy sauce while you prepare the vegetables. Stir-fry the vegetables in oil and 2 Tbsp water for 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger. Count to 30 and add the chicken and marinade. Stirfry 1-2 minutes more to cook the chicken through.

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

1 two-oz egg1.5 two-oz eggs + apple  
Ham Florentine mixture: spinach, Bechamel sauce, ham, onioncooked spinach
applesauceblack olive + basil
goat cheese/chevre
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverage optional hot beverage

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

Tuna steak + olive oil 1/2 cup Florentine Filling — prepared for Monday’s breakfast
red bell pepper2 galettes/crepes
zucchini
cherry tomatoes + lemon juice
Sparkling waterSparkling water

***cultural sidebar: Fred Flintstone, a candidate for any sort of diet, was certainly not following the Paleolithic Diet.

St Roch

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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.

Saint Roch is considered to be one of “Les Saints Qui Guérissent” [Saints who Heal]. He was often invoked to heal Black Plague victims, since he himself was one. Or was he?? Roch was born in Montpellier [now in France] in 1295. As a young man, he sold his worldly goods, donated to the poor, and went to Italy as a pilgrim. While tending the sick in Piacenza, he fell ill and was banished from town. Roch, called Rocco in Italy, recovered, helped by a dog who brought him bread. He went back home but he was clapped into prison, accused of being a spy. [Possible family intrigue involved] He died alone, after five years in prison, unrecognized by his relatives. When being prepared for burial, Roch was identified by a birth-mark. Roch died in 1327. When shown in art, he raises his hem to reveal the tell-tale engorged lymph node called a bubo, the mark of the Black Death. But the plague did not reach Italy until 1347, 20 years after his death. The term ‘plague’ was used loosely in the 1300s: small pox, bubonic, leprosy. Roch did not have bubonic plague, but he had something. And he recovered. Good news, full of hope.

Brandade, made from salt cod, was a staple food in Europe in the 1300s, so breakfast will include that. The dinner also is made with foods common from Southern France to Italy [OK. not the quinoa]. Eat like a saint. Be healthy.

Brandade Bake: 145 calories 8.3 g fat 1.2 g fiber 11.2 g protein 4.3 g carbs [2.8 g Complex] 44.8 mg Calcium  NB: The food values shown are for the egg bake and the fruit, not for the optional beverages. PB GF  The marvel of Southern France, brandade, is worth trying. Here it is at breakfast, all creamy and garlicy.

1 two-oz egg ½ Tbsp cottage cheese 1 Tbsp brandade [see St Bernard, posted 19 August 2018]    shake of granulated garlic 1 oz peach slices + ½ oz blueberries   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water   Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

Cream together the cottage cheese, brandade, and garlic. Whisk in the egg. Bake in a lightly-spritzed ramekin at 350 F. until cooked through, about 12-15 minutes. With the fruit and beverages, you have a fine start to the day.

Mediterranean Vegetables with Seafood: 278 calories 6 g fat 6 g fiber 28 g protein 24.8 g carbs [24 g Complex] 290 mg Calcium   PB GF  This dinner qualifies as a hurry-up meal. If you have Mediteranean Vegetables in the freezer, you can serve this in the time it takes to cook the quinoa.

1 cup Mediterranean Vegetables, without chickpeas see: Sidekicks II  3 oz seafood: shrimp, fish chunks, bivalves, whatever you have 1 oz mozzarella, shredded 1 oz mushrooms, coarsely-chopped 1/3 cup cooked quinoa 

Start cooking the quinoa. Put the frozen Med Vegetables in a sauce pan with a lid. Warm them gently until they are mostly thawed. Add the mushrooms and seafood. Continue to heat, covered, until everything is warm and cooked. Plate with the quinoa and top with cheese. 

Home On The Range

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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.

There is a popular American folk song entitled “Home on the Range.” I’m sure every school child learns it at some point. The words were written by a homesteading doctor in 1872, to express his delight in the country life in Kansas. The tune was written by the author’s friend. By 1925, sheet music was printed and the origin of the song was temporarily obscured. Then came recordings by the likes of Bing Crosby [who’s version is supposed to be the best], Frank Sinatra and John Denver. It is the State Song of Kansas. The song is nostalgic for a close-to-nature life [low population density and wandering wildlife right outside your door] which the Homestead Act, by encouraging people to move to the plains, was designed to wipe out.

To be ‘home on the range’ also refers to cooking your own food, often from scratch. [A ‘range‘ is an older term for a cook surface with an oven below it.] Many of the ills of being over-weight could be solved if people would cook their own food from fresh ingredients. That way one can control the amount of salt and sugar and fat in the recipe. Purchased food is often ultra-processed food and that creates a host of problems. If you really want to deal with your weight, change the way you cook: from calories to quantity of portion. And home-prepared food can cost less! Good reasons to try cooking at home.

To get you to be home on the range, try these recipes to remind you of the ‘roaming buffalo’ and the deer playing in the fields. Bison meat can be a revelation, so try to find it. And nothing says ‘open prairies’ like chili for dinner.

Bison ScrOmelette: 147 calories 8g fat 0.4 g fiber 14.5 g protein 4 g carbs [2 g Complex] 48.5 mg calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. GF Bison meat is a fine source of protein and is more healthy than beef. You should try it.

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.  0.6 oz ground, cooked bison ½ Tbsp [0.1 oz] sliced scallion ½ Tbsp spaghetti sauce 1 oz melon Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water Optional: 3 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [44 calories]

Briefly warm the bison and scallion in a saute pan spritzed with non-stick spray. Whisk the eggs with the spaghetti sauce and pour over the meat/scallion in the pan. Cook in your desired way: scramble or omelette. Plate with the melon and listen to Bing Crosby sing ‘Home on the Range.’

Venison Chili: 299 calories 3.8 g fat 10.4 g fiber 30 g protein 45.6 g carbs 146 mg Calcium  PB GF  HINT: This is enough for 2 one-cup servings. Save the remaining chili for another dinner later or invite a fellow-Faster for dinner.

6 oz ground venison 16 oz canned tomatoes – in chunks or diced 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 cup red onion, chopped 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped 3/4 cup canned red beans, drained and rinsed 2-4 tsp chili ¾ tsp salt ½ – 1 tsp ground cumin  per serving: a small slice of melon, as a garnish

Cook the venison, onion, garlic, and green pepper in some of the tomato juices until vegetables are tender. Add remaining ingredients and cook gently until the chili is hot throughout. Taste to see if it needs more seasoning. Serve one cup for dinner tonight with the melon on the side.

Ingredients for next week:  Breakfast, single portion for Monday ………………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg1.5 two-oz eggs 
chèvre cheese
hummus
Mediterranean Vegetables
Sidekicks II, 4 -Oct-2019		Mediterranean Vegetables
Sidekicks II, 4 -Oct-2019
melon + herbes de Province
strawberries
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

romaine lettuce + cherry tomatoesLamb + mint/cilantro
green beans/haricots + salmonMoroccan Spices
black olives + hard-boiled egg
canned white beans
white wine vinegar + olive oil
peas + Moroccan seasoning
Sparkling waterSparkling water or mint tea

the Rude Bridge

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

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,                                                                                                                                     Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,                                                                                                                                            Here once th’embattled farmers stood                                                                                                                                         and fired the shot heard ’round the world.

Thus Ralph Waldo Emerson’s  Concord Hymn commemorated the events of April 18-19, 1776 in Massachusetts.  The British had decided the night before to march on Lexington to seize weapons and capture Samuel Adams who was a local fire-brand. They marched all night to surprise the local militia.  But William Dawes and Paul Revere were tipped off and they were “Ready to ride and spread the alarm/ To every Middlesex village and farm.” [Paul Revere’s Ride by H. W. Longfellow]  Farmers in that area were members of the Minute Men, so called because at a minute’s notice they could grab their rifles and be ready to fight. As a result, the locals were prepared.  Forty militia had a tense standoff on the village green against 240 English in Lexington. A shot was fired [no one knows by whom], followed by volleys of bullets on both sides. Seven ‘Americans’ dead, the Redcoats then continued to Concord.  At the Old North Bridge over the Concord River, they were met by 400 enraged residents who forced the English to retreat back to Boston. Sniper fire from the Minute Men killed dozens more English and showed the potential for guerrilla warfare.  Thus began the American Revolution.

Those loyal Minute Men were backed up by wives and mothers who could keep a meal handy for a man who might leave or show up at all hours.  A pot of pork and beans could turn into a hearty breakfast.  Fish cakes could be made quickly to satisfy a hungry farmer or soldier. Read some Longfellow and be ready in a minute to change your life for better.

Pork ‘n’ Beans ScrOmelette:  297 calories   8 g fat   3.1 g fiber  17.4 g protein  36 g carbs   211 mg Calcium  GF  As for the inspiration for this combination, I thought, ‘Well, why not?’ And it tastes good, too – like a meal while camping.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                                                                                                                                                          1.5 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.                                                                                                                                                             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.

Fish Cakes: NB: The Fish Cake recipe produces 6 cakes, each 1/3 cup in size.  Each cake = 92 calories   1.7 g fat   0.8 g fiber   8 g protein   11.8 g carbs   22 mg Calcium                                                                        NB: The Fish Cake recipe produces 8 cakes, each 1/4 cup in size.   Each cake = 69 calories   1.3 g fat 0.6 g fiber   5.3 g protein   8.8 g carbs   16 mg Calcium                                                                                                          212 calories  4.2 g fat  4.8 g fiber  9.6 g protein  34 g carbs   52 mg Calcium [food values for dinner using ONE 1/3 cup-size cake and side dishes. PB GF This recipe is from Legal Seafood Cookbook,  from the restaurant chain of the same name in Boston, Mass. Fish cakes have been popular where ever there are folk who want a little fish to go a long way.Fish Cake w: beets, salad

1/3 cup green or white onion, chopped                                                                                                                  1- 2/3 cup mashed potatoes [no milk, no butter]                                                                                         ¼ tsp dry mustard + salt + pepper                                                                                                                     1 two-oz egg                                                                                                                                                                2 Tbsp milk                                                                                                                                                                6 oz cooked fish [cod, haddock, flounder, tilapia, perch, salt cod, salmon or a mixture], flaked into small pieces 1 tsp butter ½ cup pickled beets 1 cup baby greens or sliced lettuce leaves + ½ tsp olive oil + ½ tsp vinegar + salt + pepper

Combine the onion, potatoes, egg, seasonings, and milk, stirring well. Stir in the fish, gently but thoroughly. Using a 1/3 cup measure as a mold, portion the fish/potato mixture into 6 cakes. Put on a plate or cookie sheet while the pan heats up. Heat a heavy fry pan, such as cast iron, and spray with non-stick spray. Cook the fish cakes on one side, flattening them slightly with a turner. Remove from the pan and add 1 tsp of butter to the pan. Spread the butter around, return the fish cakes, and cook them on the other side until they are browned. Serve while hot. What you don’t eat today, let cool completely, then freeze with waxed or parchment paper between the cakes.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg 1.5 two-oz eggs
 moussaka sauce: ground lamb, onion, Marinara Sauce [Spicy, Dec 6 ’18], eggplant  chicken or turkey gizzards
 feta cheese garlic
 applesauce
sage
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:

 grilled sirloin steak  pheasant meat
 mushrooms  cabbage
 red wine  carrots
 creamed onion  Arnold Multi-grain Sandwich Thin
 peas    +   thyme  onion
 puff pastry [purchased sheet]  pheasant or chicken gravy
Sparkling water Sparkling water

Passover

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

I remember the first time I was old enough to understand the story of the Ten Plagues of Egypt.  I found it to be chilling and thrilling, and was so relieved when the Red Sea parted and the Children of Israel made their escape [beloved by movie makers]. These are the events that are depicted in the Passover Seder. The foods are all chosen to represent different parts of the story, and relevant parts of the Torah are read as the meal unfolds.  Our meals today pay homage to the flavors and ingredients of Passover, each integral to the meal and telling their own tale.  The roast lamb represents the lamb’s blood painted on the door frames so that the Angel of Death would ‘pass over’ those houses. [Vegetarians use a roasted beet.] Roasted egg is in place of a sacrificial offering at the Temple. Horseradish stands in for the bitter experience of slavery in Egypt.  Apples, nuts, and cinnamon are for the mortar made by Hebrew slaves.    Parsley and romaine are also foods with a bitter taste, in remembrance of struggles.  Salt water [for dipping hard-boiled eggs and parsley] represent tears. See how many of these are incorporated in today’s menus as you remember the tale of escape and the history which followed it. May you be inscribed for Good in the Book of Life.

Passover ScrOmelette:   290 calories   7.8 g fat   3.1 g fiber   15.3 g protein  37 g carbs   217 mg Calcium PB GF The flavor combinations of Passover are too good not to enjoy at breakfast.

Passover ScrOmelette

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 diced beets [I used pickled beets]                           2 Tbsp parsley, chopped                                                                                                  1 tsp horseradish        +  Kosher salt  + 1.5 oz applesauce, sprinkled with cinnamon                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   5-6 oz fruit smoothie or pure apple cider                                                                                                                                         blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

Whisk the horseradish and salt/pepper to taste with the eggs. Pour into a pan which has been sprayed briefly with cooking spray. When the bottom of the eggs have just set, add the beets and parsley. Scramble to your heart’s content or fold like an omelette. When the coffee is brewed and the smoothie is smooth, the applesauce with cinnamon will be delicious with the sweet beets and tangy horseradish.

Seder Salad:  261 calories   14.8 g fat   2.8 g fiber  20.8 g protein  26 g carbs  85 mg Calcium   GF A previous dinner could involve a leg of lamb ….yummmmm. Save a few slices to make this salad. This meal is great for sharing with a guest: doubles well.

Seder Salad

1 cup romaine lettuce             1 Tbsp fresh parsley                                                                                                                                                 3 Tbsp celery, diced              1.5 oz apple, cubed                                                                                                                                                         2 oz cooked lamb, from the leg or other lean cut            4 walnut halves                                                                                                                                                              1 hard boiled egg       Kosher salt                                                                                                                                                                  1.5 tsp horseradish dressing

Chop the walnut into large pieces and toast in a dry skillet until fragrant. Cut egg into wedges; slice the lamb and celery; cube the apples. Toss the greens, celery, apples, and parsley with the dressing and arrange other ingredients to suit the eye.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg1.5 two-oz eggs
 green pepper  +  celery  apple or melon
 cottage cheese  +  onion 3%-fat ham
 cajun seasoning  + Tabasco sauceherbs to taste
 melon 
Whatever you need for your smoothieWhatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverageWhatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

 andouille sausage + cajun seasoning romaine lettuce
 ham + onion + brown rice + chicken green beans
 green pepper  +  celery  + garlic cucumber or zucchini
 crushed tomatoes  + red pepper flakes feta cheese   +  black olives
 Tabasco  + Worcestershire   + broccoli olive oil
 file powder  + chicken broth white wine vinegar
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Windy City

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

In 1837, Chicago, Illinois became a city.  The name ‘Chicago’ comes from a French corruption “Chicagou” of an Illinois-Miami Indian word meaning ‘wild garlic’ in reference to Allium tricoccum plants which grew all over.  From that culinary beginning the city acquired several monikers: The Windy City [due to blovating politicians or maybe the weather];  Second City [in comparison to New York];  That Toddlin’ Town [from a Frank Sinatra song]; the City of Broad Shoulders [from Carl Sandburg’s poem Chicago]. What with the architecture, the Fire of 1871, the sports teams, the music — there is a lot to say about this city.  But if I said, “Chicago food,” the answers that would matter most would be: “Deep dish pizza and Chicago Hot Dogs.”  The Pizza was developed by Pizzeria Uno in 1943, and is beloved by the native sons/daughters.  The Hot Dog has been a meal-in-a-bun since The Great Depression and is described as ‘having been dragged through the garden’ due to the many vegetable toppings that make up ‘the works.’  We are Fasting today, so we will forgo the crust of the pizza and the bun of the hot dog, but will retain all the flavors of those iconic meals.

Pizza Bake:  271 calories  6.8 g fat  2.5 g fiber  14 g protein  38.4 g carbs  267 mg Calcium  PB GF  Forget the cold slice served from a greasy box…. pizza for breakfast just got healthier and more delicious.pizza Bake

One 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                         salt + pepper to taste                                                                                                                                             1.5 Tbsp crushed tomatoes                                                                                                                               1 thin slice pepperoni, minced                                                                                                                          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 congealed wedge that tastes like cardboard.

Chicago Hot Dog:   272 calories   16.4 g fat   2 g fiber   11 g protein   14 g carbs  36 mg Calcium PB GF   This is the real deal: every single flavor found in a Chicago bun, without the bun. Delicious and filling, wherever you live.Chicago Hot dog

2 all-beef hot dogs [Hebrew National reduced-fat]                                                                                              3 oz fresh tomato, sliced in 8 wedges                                                                                                                         2 oz dill pickle spears, you should have 2-5 pieces of pickle                                                                                 celery salt                                                                                                                                                                     2 Tbsp chopped onions, raw                                                                                                                               2 tsp relish [neon green relish is traditional]                                                                                                  2 ‘sport peppers‘ OR 3 pepperoncini, sliced in two                                                                                         ¼ tsp poppy seed                                                                                                                                              yellow mustard

Cook the hot dogs any way you want. In a wide, shallow bowl place the hot dogs in the center. Place pickle slices along side and between the hot dogs. Now arrange the tomatoes around the edge. Sprinkle it all with celery salt, especially the tomatoes. Dollop with relish and distribute the onions all over. Arrange the peppers on top and drizzle with mustard. Add the poppy seed. Wear your favorite Chicago team jersey and tuck in to the dinner.

Massachusetts

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

November 9th has some historical associations with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: in 1620, the people on the good ship Mayflower were delighted to spot land [the future Puritan colony of Massachusetts] and in 1872, the great Boston Fire began. In honor of the Commonwealth, our menus today feature baked beans and cod. Boston’s nickname “Bean Town” derives from Colonial days when housewives would whomp up a pot of beans and molasses on Saturday to cook overnight in the embers of the hearth. The contents of the pot would serve as breakfast and dinner on the Sabbath when work [like cooking] was prohibited. The codfish is such a symbol of the seacoast’s economy that in the Statehouse the ‘Sacred Cod‘ has hung since the early 1700s. Alas the bountiful cod are greatly depleted, but hand-caught cod is still available.

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 camping.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                                                                                                                                                       1.5 oz strawberries, thawed or fresh                                                                                                                 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or pure apple cider                                                                                           blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

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 in old Massachusetts.

Chowdah: 294 calories    7.3 g fat      1.7 g fiber      33.6 g protein      17.2 g carbs       114 mg Calcium PB GF   Here in Northern New England, chowder is king. Cod or haddock is traditional but hake is more flavorful and lower in calories. If you can, make it one day and eat it the next day for richer flavor.

½ slice bacon                                                                                                                                                           ¼ cup onion, chopped                                                                                                                                          2 oz potatoes, 1/2” dice                                                                                                                                                               1.5 cups fish stock                                                                                                                                                    4 oz cod or hake fillets, cut into 1-1/2” pieces                                                                                                 ¼ cup 2% milk  [or 1% or skimmed]                                                                                                                 salt, pepper, parsley

 Cook the bacon until it is almost crispy, remove from the pan, blot dry of fat, and chop coarsely. Pour most of the fat from the pan and add the onions. Cook slowly until soft and transluscent. In another pan, boil the potatoes in water until tender. Drain and salt the potatoes. Put the fish stock, cod, potatoes, and milk in the pan with the onions. Heat slowly until warm. Add the milk and bacon. Add parsley and seasonings to taste. [TIP: Best if held in the ‘fridge for 8-24 hours before you heat slowly [do NOT boil] and taste for seasonings again.]

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg 1/4 cup rolled old fashioned oats
 Romano cheese cottage cheese, reduced fat
 WisPride Cheddar or Kraft Olde English Cheddar spread blueberries
prepare horseradish  cinnamon + nutmeg
 chives              fresh apricot or apple maple syrup
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:

 herring marinated in wine  potato     + skimmed milk
 beets, canned or cooked fresh  butter  + ground mace
 apple egg white
 white beans    +   onion  broccoli   +  cauliflower
 hard-boiled egg   +  dill pickle  leek   +   cheddar cheese
 vinegar    +   lettuce  salad greens + tomato + vinaigrette
Sparkling water Sparkling water

K.I.S.S.

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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.

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 tasteAdd 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 waterSparkling water
  

Lammas-tide

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

Tomorrow 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

 

Quiche-Quiche

~ 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.

Quiche used to be thought of as effete: “Real Men don’t eat quiche” was the quote of the day, due to its association with ladies at lunch.  Why not eat quiche? Lots of protein for muscles, Calcium for strong bones: it is designed to help keep Real Men and Real Women healthy.            

Did you read this?  10 Ways to Quickly Lose a Pound (or Two)  Good advice for eating any day of the week, Fast Days and Slow Days.      http://www.cheatsheet.com/health-fitness/10-ways-to-quickly-lose-a-pound-or-two.html/?ref=YF

Breakfast Quiche:   304 calories    0.9 g fat   9.1 g fiber     14.2 g protein     37.3 g carbs      362.4 mg Calcium      GF PB              Since the late 1960s, quiche has been the staple of the brunch table. Updated for our use as Fasters, it packs a lot of Calcium as well as tasting very good. NOTE: this makes enough for 2 meals. Invite a guest or triple the recipe and have a party.

quiche w: melon-Bbs

For 4 [four] muffin-sized quiches – two for breakfast, two for lunch tomorrow.                                1 two-oz egg                                                                                                                                                               1 Tbsp + 1 tsp nonfat ricotta or cottage cheese, both drained                                                                          2/3 oz mozzerella cheese, grated                                                                                                                         2/3 oz Jarlsberg cheese, grated                                                                                                                                1 oz broccoli florets, steamed, chopped HINT: do this the night before or use leftovers from a dinner                                                                                                                                                       1/3 oz onion, chopped                                                                                                                              marjoram, salt, pepper                                                                                                                                          2 0z melon + 2 Tbsp blueberries

Steam the onion and chopped broccoli until cooked. Distribute among 4 prepared muffin tins. [I used silicone muffin pans. You could use cupcake papers as well. Both choices avoid added fat and calories.] Add the grated cheeses. Mash any lumps in the cottage cheese/ricotta and whisk in the egg. Spoon over each muffin cup, putting an equal amount in each. Sprinkle with salt and marjoram. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, until quiche filling is set. Prepare the fruit, the hot beverage, and the smoothie.

Mushroom Tart:    268 calories       10 g fat      3.2 g fiber      22.6 g protein      16.4 g carbs       241 mg Calcium   PB GF – if you eliminate the Arnold Sandwich Thin or substitute 25 calories of GF bread   The Gunflint Lodge Cookbook supplied this recipe. Then, of course, I altered it to suit our requirements. But mostly, it is their’s.

mushroom-tart

1 small clove garlic                                                                                                                                                          ¼ cup leeks, white and/or green parts, sliced                                                                                                  6 oz mushrooms, cut into chunks or slices                                                                                                           2 Tbsp white wine                                                                                                                                                     two 2-oz eggs                                                                                                                                                                          3 Tbsp fatfree milk                                                                                                                                                ¼ cup Gruyère cheese, grated                                                                                                                                          1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese, well drained                                                                                                   1 and ¼ oz carrots                                                                                                                                                         ¼ Arnold Sandwich Thin

Saute/steam the leeks, garlic, and mushrooms in a little water until soft. Add the wine and cook uncovered until the liquid is nearly gone. Season with salt and pepper. Put the vegetables into a lightly-oil-spritzed baking dish, and cover with the cheese. Whisk eggs, milk, and cottage cheese together and pour over everything in the baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees until the filling is set [knife stuck into center comes out clean]. Remove from oven and cool 15-20 minutes before eating. Prepare your carrots and slice the Sandwich Thin, toasting it if you wish. A tasty meal.