How to eat if you want to lose weight by Summer

Go West, Young Man

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to diet969 who is now Following.

I’ll bet you know who said the undying words of Manifest Destiny, don’t you. Horace Greeley, native of New Hampshire and publisher of the New York Tribune, of course.  Not so fast. John Babson Lane Soule, born in Maine, actually moved ‘West’ to Indiana and became a newspaper owner.  Evidence points to Soule as the author of the phrase, since in 1851, he urged, “Go West, young man, and grow up with the country.”              Although Greeley did write ““Fly, scatter through the country — go to the Great West,” in 1837, when he used the words, “Go West, young man” in 1865, he was quoting Soule.

Their idea of ‘the West’ was to leave the cities and worn-out farmland of the East Coast to settle in Ohio and Illinois. For the menus today, you will go a bit South that — Texas for breakfast.  And if you keep going, you will cross the Pacific Ocean and arrive in Canton, China for a dinner of wonton soup. Now that’s going West!

Western Bake:   270 calories   5.4 g fat   4.5 g fiber   12.4 g protein   45 g carbs [43.7 g Complex Carbs]  199 mg Calcium PB GF   My father taught me to love a good Western Sandwich. So it seemed natural to incorporate that flavor combination in a breakfast. And its a winner.

Western Bake w: pears

1 two-oz egg                          2 oz green pepper                            2 oz onions                                                                                                                                                                                  2-3 tsp ketchup, made without high fructose corn syrup         2 oz pear                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water 

Chop the pepper and onions and cook: either in the microwave or by poaching in water for 2 minutes. Drain and combine with the ketchup. Whisk with the eggs, salt and pepper to taste. Spritz an oven-proof ramekin or other dish with non-stick spray. Pour in the egg mixture and bake at 350 F. for 15-18 minutes. Plate the fruit and pour the beverages. Yee-haaw, that’s a breakfast!

Wonton Soup:  257 calories   34 g fat  0.9 g fiber   23.7 g protein   29 g carbs  25 mg Calcium PB Cantonese wonton soup can be your’s, easily and without the extra salt or MSG. I prepared the entire batch of filling, then stuffed and poached all 26 wontons. Frozen, they will be the ‘instant’ source of future meals.

Wonton Soup

Filling: 4 0z ground pork                       4 oz chicken meat              1/2 tsp cornstarch                                                                                                                                           ¾ tsp sugar                1 tsp sesame oil            ¼ tsp white pepper + ¾ tsp salt + 1 Tbsp water                                                                                                                                                                              1 Tbsp sherry                                          4 oz shrimp, chopped to the size of green peas                                                                                                

Combine all ingredients except the shrimp in the bowl of a food processor and mince to a paste. Stir in the chopped shrimp. Refrigerate until ready to fill the wontons. TIP: Can be made the day before.                                                                                                                                                 Wontons: Wonton skins [wrappers] are small squares of egg-roll wrappers. You’ll need 5 wonton skins per bowl of soup, 26 skins for the entire batch.   Put 4-6 wonton skins on a cutting board. Moisten two edges of one of the squares. Place 1 Tbsp of filling on the square, fold over to make a triangle, and pinch the sides together. Set aside, up to 30 minutes covered with cling wrap or foil, until ready to poach them.                                                                                                               

Poaching filled wontons: Bring a pan of water to boil. Depending on the diameter of the pan, add wontons 4-5 at a time. They will sink to the bottom of the pan. When they float to the surface [in 4-5 minutes], fish them out and put on a tea towel to drain.                                       

To finish the soup: 1.5 cups delicious chicken stock, purchased or home-made                                                                                                               1.5 oz cabbage in strips                          5 filled wontons                1 Tbsp sliced scallion                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Heat the stock to a simmer and add the cabbage. Cover and simmer until the cabbage is cooked. Put 5 poached wontons in your soup bowl, add the stock and cabbage, sprinkle with scallion. Pass the soy sauce.

Lincoln

~ 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.                                                                          Welcome to Vinayak who is now Following.

Tomorrow will be the birthday of Honest Abe;  the Great Emancipator;  the Rail-Splitter.  In other words: Abraham Lincoln, born 12 February 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky. Most people would associate the great man with the state of his birth or with Illinois, which he served as State Representative and Congressman before his election to president.  Lincoln is well-known for his statesmanship and his oratory, but I want to  trace his family back to its roots in the Oley Valley of Pennsylvania. His grandfather, Abraham, was born there, confusing tourists no end, then he moved his family to Virginia, and Kentucky.  My father and the future POTUS have a common ancestor, making me a 2nd cousin 5 times removed; and the Lincoln family were close neighbors to my mother’s ancestors in Oley.  Therefore I can say with some authority that today’s menus would have been very familiar to the Lincoln family, since these foods are from SE Pennsylvania too. President Lincoln was a very slender man.  Eat like this, and you could become slender, too.

Scrapple Bake:   288 calories   7.4 g fat    6 g fiber   14 g protein   39 g carbs    220 mg Calcium PB  GF Scrapple is one of the specialty foods of the “Pennsylvania Dutch” people of South Eastern Pennyslvania. Excellent for breakfast, served as a side dish like sausage or combined with an egg in this bake. Scrapple Bake w: R-bs1 two-oz eggs                                                                                                                                                            1/2 oz scrapple,  sliced 1/4″ thick                                                                                                                                                         ½ oz scallion, chopped                                                                                                                                          ½ cup raspberries + 1 Tbsp fat-free vanilla yogurt                                                                              blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                                                                                                 5-6 oz fruit smoothie, green smoothie or natural apple cider

The night before: bake the scrapple in the oven until firm. Dice it and combine with the scallion. Next morning: set the toaster oven at 350 F. Spritz a ramekin with oil or non-stick spray. Scatter the scrapple and scallion in the ramekin. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper and pour over the scrapple. Bake 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, portion the berries and dollop the yogurt on top. Brew the hot beverage and pour the smoothie. A fine, homey breakfast.

Chicken & Dumplings: 293 calories 6.8 g fat 4.6 g fiber 37.8 g protein 30 g carbs 67 mg Calcium PB This was a real hit in my parents’ Central Pennsylvania home and it is still a favorite with us. Be aware that it is best made over 2 days, but it basically cooks by itself with little busy bouts by you. Worth the time and effort. AND this recipe serves 4 [four] people, so have a party serving this great make-ahead meal. If you serve one or two, make the whole thing anyhow, package and freeze the remainder.Chicken & Dumpling w: peas

3 pound whole chicken, preferably a fowl although you will get more meat from a fryer                                                ½ cup onion, chopped                                                                                                                                                  1/3 cup carrots cut as coins                                                                                                                                   ½ cup celery, chopped                                                                                                                                        bay leaf                                                                                                                                                                         3 peppercorns                                                                                                                                                           2 tsp salt                                                                                                                                                                         1.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce                                                                                                                                             2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour                                                                                                                           4 dumplings [see ..Not by Bread.. II-7-’18]                                                                                                                                             ¼ cup green peas per person

Cut up a 3 pound chicken into leg quarters, breast quarters, back, wings. In a large pot, brown the chicken in a little oil on all sides. Add the vegetables, bay leaf and pepper and water to cover. Simmer on the cooktop for 45 minutes. Add 2 tsp salt, cover, and simmer for another 45 minutes. Strain off the stock and let the fat rise to the surface to cool. Discard the fat. Reserve the vegetables. Cool the chicken and remove the skin. Pull off the meat in chunks: you will use 17 oz meat by volume.   You could stop here. HINT: save any remaining stock and chicken for excellent soup.

Measure ¼ cup of stock and whisk in the 2 Tbsp whole wheat flour to form a paste. Meausre 1.5 cups stock and pour into a stovetop-safe serving dish along with the Worcestershire sauce. Add the flour water paste and stir to incorporate. Put the vegetables and chicken meat into the dish and adjust seasonings to taste. You could stop here. When ready to serve, prepare the dough for the dumplings. Heat the chicken mixture and place 4 dollops of dumpling dough on the warm chicken. Let it all bubble gently for 15-20 minutes, then cover the dish and continue to cook for another 15-20 minutes. Steam the peas and pour over the top of the dish before bringing to the table. Serve this simple classic proudly.

Agatha

~ 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.                                                                                Welcome to masterchefu who is now Following.

Tomorrow will be the Feast Day of Saint Agatha.  That’s a name you don’t hear much any more…  She lived in Sicily and Malta. Legend says she was a beautiful young woman who refused to marry due to her faith. [Agatha thought that she could serve God better by staying single and dedicating her life to religion.] Victimized by a Roman official, she died most cruelly, and is remembered for her steadfastness. Agatha could be a symbol of both the modern ‘MeToo‘ movement and the campaign against breast disease. Due to her association with the island nation of Malta, breakfast features the flavors of traditional Maltese foods.  Due to her being the patroness of those with breast diseases, it is common to prepare foods shaped like breasts on February 5.

Maltese ScrOmelette:   293 calories  8.4 g fat   3.5 g fiber   18 g carbs   252 mg Calcium  PB GF Between the fish and the vegetables, these flavors have “Malta” written all over them.Maltese ScrOmelette

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                                                                                                   1/4 oz cooked tuna                                                                                                                                                                         2 Tbsp frozen spinach                                                                                                                                               2 Tbsp Mediterranean Vegetables, chopped    [see Sidekicks II from October 4, 2017]                     ½ clementine                                                                                                                                                     blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                                                                                5-6 oz green or fruit smoothie or unpasteurized apple cider

Thaw and chop the spinach, and drain it through a small sieve. Break the tuna into small bits. Combine all vegetables with the tuna. Heat the ingredients briefly in an oil-misted non-stick pan, then pour in the whisked eggs. Cook to your preference. Serve with the fruit and the beverages of choice. Sunny flavors!

Fish Timbale:   276 calories   17.3 g fat   1.6 g fiber  23.5 g protein   8 g carbs   95 mg Calcium  PB GF   Sounds high-falutin’ but really very easy.  Made with two types of fish, it is a good use of leftovers.Fish Timbale w: chard

2 Tbsp spinach                                                                                                                                                                    1/2 Tbsp shallot                                                                                                                                                           1 and 2/3 oz mackerel or salmon                                                                                                                                     1.3 oz haddock or cod                                                                                                                                           3/4 oz egg [either pullet egg or an egg white], well-beaten                                                                                                    1/3 oz white beans                                                                                                                                                            2 Tbsp cream                                                                                                                                                                   1 oz chard                                                                                                                                                                   1/8 tsp olive oil nutmeg + granulated garlic

Wash the spinach and leave water on the leaves. Put in a lidded pan along with the chopped shallot. Put on the lid and let cook until the spinach is limp. Remove, chop, and squeeze the water out of the spinach. Thoroughly mash the white beans and add the cream. Stir the spinach + shallot into the bean + cream. If fish is raw: Put in a pan with a little water. Cover and steam until fish is cooked. Flake the fish and combine with the other ingredients, except the chard. Turn into a spritzed ramekin and bake at 400 degrees F. for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, coarsley chop the chard and cook it in a little water until done. Drain and season with nutmeg and granulated garlic. Run a knife around the sides of the timbale and invert the plate over it. Turn the plate right-side-up and remove the timbale. Plate the chard.

“D” is for Delicious

~ 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.                                                                                                  Welcome to Coach Ashield who is now Following.

Are you finding Fasting to be easy? Are you eating good, wholesome, high quality food that is delicious? Everybody should eat delicious food every day, in my opinion. In our A-B-Cs of Fasting Food, we have done ‘comfort’ so now on to Delicious.  The Dutch Baby is not a meal for everyday, but it is yummy.  The Danish Stuffed Cabbage might be a variant of the Turkish/Greek stuffed grape leaves called ‘dolmas‘.  But some say there is a Danish connection to ‘dolmen‘, an ancient stone structure. They all begin with ‘D’ and are dee-licious.

Dutch Baby:   306 calories   8.2 g fat   5.9 g fiber   13.5 g protein   46 g carbs   253 mg Calcium PB  This fabulous confection, in its full-blown form, has long been a special treat at our Sunday breakfast table. It comes from Marion Cunningham’s Breakfast Book.  Low in fat, it seemed a good fit for a Fast Day, if only I could shoehorn it into the calorie limit. Here is the result.   HINT: This recipe makes 2 [two] Dutch Babies. Invite a friend.Dutch Baby

3 oz egg   nb: this is one egg plus part of another egg. Ex: one 2-oz egg + one egg white                   ¼ cup milk                                                                                                                                                              ¼ cup white whole wheat flour                                                                                                                               2 tsp melted butter                                                                                                                                                  per person: ¼ cup raspberries                                                                                                                                 6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or unpasturized apple cider                                          blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

Set the toaster oven at 450 F. Spritz two custard cups [3.5” to 4.5” in diameter] with non-stick spray. Vigorously beat together the egg, milk, flour and butter. Pour into the cups and bake fro 15 minutes. They should puff up high and turn golden brown. Remove from custard cups, and plate immediately, as they sink from their former heights. Spoon raspberries on top an dust with a mere whiff of confectioner’s sugar.

Danish Stuffed Cabbage:  282 calories  5.7 g fat   5.7 g fiber  35 g protein  25 g carbs  125 mg Calcium   GF – if using GF bread  Craig Claiborne’s International Cookbook provided this recipe. Its history involves a Swedish king and the Ottoman Empire. Very royal origin for a very common meal. The original recipe involves hollowing out an entire head of cabbage, but here it is adapted for fewer people.  Recipe doubles or triples easily.  Actually, I found this to be too much to eat!Danish Stuffed Cabbage

4 oz turkey meat, raw                                                                                                                                             2 oz pork meat, raw                                                                                                                                             2.75 oz veal, raw   OR equal volume of turkey meat                                                                                   ½ cup fresh bread crumbs [from whole-grain 70-calorie bread]                                                           2 oz milk                                                                                                                                                                   1 oz  [2 Tbsp] egg white                                                                                                                                                     sage + salt + pepper                                                                                                                                                    4 whole cabbage leaves from a whole head                                                                                                 1/3 c pickled beets                                                                                                                                                                     1 tsp mustard + 1/2 tsp horseradish

Put the meats, sage, salt, and pepper in the food processor and mince. Spritz a saute pan with non-stick spray and cook the meat until it doesn’t look raw. Cool meat. Combine the bread and milk, stir, let sit until soggy. Add the egg white and meats and stir to combine well. Set aside.                                                                                                                                                          To prepare the cabbage: Remove the coarse, shop-worn outer leaves from the head of cabbage. Cut off the stem end and discard.  Put the head of cabbage in a pot with enough water to cover and bring to a simmer. When the outer layer begins to cook, take out the head and gently remove the outer leaf. Return the cabbage to the pan of simmering water. Continue to remove the outer leaves as they cook, until you have 4. [Store the remaining cabbage in the ‘fridge for another use.]   If you use them at this point, the cabbage leaves will still have some crunch to them.  If you want them to be more limp, put the leaves back into the water and simmer them to the desired point.                                                                                    Cut a 2″-deep ‘V’ at the base of each leaf to remove the thickest part of the leaf’s rib. Orient the leaf so the V is away from you. Put ¼ cup filling on the leaf. Fold the near side over the filling, tuck in the sides, and continue to roll. Place seam-side down in an oven-proof dish large enough to hold all four rolls. Pour some of the water in which you poached the cabbage into the dish until it comes 1/2-way up the rolls. Put on a lid or foil and bake at 350 F. for 20 minutes or until heated. Plate with the pickled beets and the mustard/horseradish. Fit for a king.

Rabbie Burns    

~ 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.

Tomorrow will be Burns Night.  If you don’t get the reference, then: a] you are not a Scot; b] you don’t have rabidly Scottish friends;  c] you are unaware of Scottish poetry of the 18th century.  In 1759, during the Scottish Renaissance, Robert Burns was born on January 25. Despite a difficult life of poverty and low-paying jobs, he produced a body of poetry which has entered the language of the English-speaking world. This is odd since he single-handedly revived the Scots dialect by writing in the vernacular. You might think that a poem beginning: “Wee, sleekit, cow’rin, tim’rous beastie….” would be a game-ender but To a Mouse gives us the classic line ‘the best laid plans of mice and men.’  Burns greatest hits include: Auld Lang Syne;  Red, Red Rose;  Scots Wha Hae.                      In honor of Burns, our breakfast will include a tattie scone which is typical in a Scottish Breakfast. And dinner will give a contemporary [and lower calorie] twist to the Burns Night classic of haggis.

Tattie Scone with Egg:  286 calories  5.4 g fat   3.6 g fiber   13.3 g protein  47 g carbs   210 mg Calcium PB Tattie Scones have been part of a Scottish Breakfast ever since potatoes were considered fit to eat. Nice to make with left-over boiled potatoes.Tattie Scone w: egg, pears

One 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                                 1 tattie scone***                                                                                                                                                            2 oz pear                                                                                                                                                                      5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider                                                       nearly-black coffee or tea or lemon in hot water

Prepare the Tattie Scone and keep warm or re-warm. HINT: Prepare the batter the night before and cook them, too. Fry the egg to your liking. Prepare the fruit and beverages. Plate the scone, top with the egg. Plate the fruit and pour the beverages. Almost instant, if you made the scone beforehand.

*** Tattie Scone [makes three 4.5” pancakes]                                                                                                    ½ cup smashed potatoes, without milk or butter                                                                                          1 Tbsp egg white        2 Tbsp skimmed milk                                                                                                    1 Tbsp white whole wheat flour                                                                                                                          ¼ tsp salt             ½ tsp Baking powder                                                                                                             Mix all the ingredients to make a batter like thin Cream of Wheat.                                                       Spritz a heavy skillet with non stick spray and heat.                                                                                            Measure ¼ cup of batter and pour into the pan, spreading to about 4.5”.                                         Cook enough to brown the bottom and to firm it up enough to turn.                                                                  When you can, turn over the scone and cook the other side.                                                          Freeze the other scones or save for lunch.

Haggis Spring Rolls:   262 calories   12.8 g fat   2.8 g fiber  23 g protein  26 g carbs  41 mg Calcium     The first time I enjoyed these was at the Whiski Rooms in Edinburgh, along with a wee dram of single malt. Today, the whisky is in the dipping sauce to complete the fusion of Asian-Scottish flavors. This meal has my husband’s approval.Haggis Spring Rolls

4 six-inch rice spring roll wrappers                                                                                                                    8 Tbsp haggis filling**                                                                                                                                                1 cup lettuce leaves sliced cross-wise into <1/2” strips                                                                                       1/2 oz carrot, grated                                                                                                                                                    1 tsp flavored olive oil  +   1 tsp red wine vinegar    +  finishing salt                                                                                1.5 tsp Thai hot chili sauce + ½ tsp single malt Scotch whisky [I used Cragganmore from Speyside]

**Haggis [lamb sausage meat]:    3.5 cups = 28 fluid ounces = 56 Tbsp                                                              per Tbsp: 23 calories  1.3 g fat  0.2 g fiber  2.8 g protein  1.6 g carbs  2.6 mg Calcium                      This is not the ‘original’ recipe: lamb lung, stomach, and heart are not readily available in the US. Despite what it is not, it will do just fine.

8 oz lamb liver                                                                                                                                                            8 oz ground lamb meat OR lamb hearts              1 cup onion, chopped                                                     1 tsp or more coriander [I used whole, which I boiled with the meat]                                                   1 tsp or more black pepper       7/8 cup rolled oats          salt

Put the meat, onions, and coriander in a pot and cover with water. Boil 20 minutes. Drain [saving the liquid] and mince it all in the food processor. Return the mince to the pot, adding the oats, drained water, salt and pepper. Boil 10 minutes, adding more water if needed. If the sausage filling is too loose, turn heat down and simmer longer to firm it up. I let mine then sit over night to test the consistancy. Adjust the seasonings to taste. The cooled mixture should hold its shape when turned out of a spoon. Cover and refrigerate until you need it. Freeze what you don’t use.

To prepare the spring rolls:  Put water into a wide, shallow dish such as a pie plate. Lay a tea towel on the counter. Place one spring roll wrapper in the water. Initially, the wrapper will look like a piece of thin, stiff, whitish plastic. Soon it will become more transparent, colorless, and pliable. Remove it from the water while still a little stiff [NOT limp] and lay it on the tea towel. Place 2 Tbsp haggis filling on the lower 1/3 of the wrapper, arranged as a little log. Roll it up, folding the sides in after the 1st roll. Move finished roll to the side as you repeat the steps. Heat a 10” cast-iron skillet over medium flame and spray with non-stick spray. Place the spring rolls in the pan with room between them. Cook slowly on one side, then roll onto another side. Continue until all the rolls are browned on each side. Prepare the lettuce/carrot salad, dress and plate it. Combine the chili sauce and the whisky in a dipping cup. Plate the haggis, cue the bagpipes.

 

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

3 oz of egg  NB! Next Thursday:  Tips on Fasting
 milk
 whole wheat flour  browse the archive for a Monday menu
 butter
 raspberries, fresh or frozen
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:

 veal, pork, turkey
 fresh bread crumbs
 milk  browse the archive for a Thursday meal
 egg white
 cabbage leaves
 pickled beets
Sparkling water Sparkling water

“C” is for Comfort

~ 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.                                                                          Welcome to Kristen who is now Following.

This is a continuation of the posts which show, I hope, that Fasting meals are as easy a A-B-C.  How to begin the Fasting Lifestyle?  From this blog site, choose your favorite 2 breakfast menus: have one on Monday, one the following Thursday.  Then find your favorite 2 dinner menus: plan on one for Monday, one for Thursday.  Repeat the following week, or choose a different breakfast and dinner.  Plan 1st, then eat.  Then weigh and repeat. Soon Fasting will become your new comfort zone.

Cheesy-Bake:   144 calories   7.8 g fat   1 g fiber   12 g protein   7.3 g carbs [5.7 g Complex]  183 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  This is the baked version of a cheese omelette that thinks that it is a cheese souffle! Delicious.

cheesy-bake-w-apples-r-bs

One 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                           ¼ oz cheddar cheese, grated                                                                                                                                1 Tbsp reduced fat ricotta cheese                                                                                                                             ¼ c raspberries, fresh or frozen [When I use frozen fruit, I portion it into its dish the night before, so it will be thawed by morning]                                                                                                        ½ oz apple, sliced                                                                                                                                 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]

Spritz a ramekin with olive oil or non-stick spray. Set the toaster oven at 350 degrees F. Stir the two cheeses together with a fork until blended and whisk with the egg. Without waiting, pour into the ramekin and bake for 12-15 minutes, until puffed and beginning to brown. Prepare the fruit and optional beverages, and enjoy a cheesy start to your day.

Chickpea Ragout with Cod:   213 calories   3.6 g fat  5.3 g fiber  25.8 g protein  20 g carbs  44 mg Calcium  GF PB   This is from Jacques Pepin’s Fast Food My Way. Although he doesn’t mean my kind of ‘Fast Food,’ Pepin has long been a proponent of healthy cooking. He presents this as a side dish, but for our purposes it is best prepared as a main course with seafood for more protein. 

Halibut w: Chickpea Ragout

½ tsp olive oil                                                                                                                                                            ½ cup diced onions                                                                                                                                                 ½ cup scallions, chopped                                                                                                                                     1 Tbsp garlic, chopped                                                                                                                                           2 cups diced tomatoes, fresh or canned and drained                                                                                                  1 and ½ cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed if canned                                                                                                  ½ cup chicken stock                                                                                                                                                        ½ tsp salt   +   ½ tsp pepper                                                                                                                                 4 oz cod** fillet. fresh or frozen

Heat the oil in a saute pan. Add the onion, scallion and garlic. Stir briefly over the heat then add the tomatoes, chickpeas, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat until liquids are mostly evaporated. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Divide it in 4 portions, each about 3/4 cup. Keep one portion aside for today. TIP: Cool the remaining ragout and freeze it in serving portions.

** If you can’t get cod, use one of these:    4 oz swordfish               4 oz salmon           4 oz halibut            4 oz smelts         2 oz shad     4 oz haddock         4 oz tilapia          4 oz flounder

Pooh’s Father

~ 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.

Tomorrow marks the birthday of A. A. Milne in 1882. He was, of course, the actual father of Christopher Robin and the literary father of Winnie the Pooh.  After an education at most of the right schools, Milne became a writer for the popular magazine Punch.  WWI saw him serving on the Somme and returning with PTSD.  Following the war, Milne enjoyed long rambles with his son and the teddy bear which of course became the duo made famous in the books; much to the rue of the son and the father who were both over-shadowed by their association with a stuffed toy.                                                                   The appeal of the Pooh books is the depiction of a simple time and place, where toys can talk and life is idyllic.  Pooh did struggle with his weight.  “A bear, however hard he tries, grows chubby without exercise…”  Bearing this in mind, we will continue the Fasting Lifestyle with foods suitable for a comfortable cottage in the 100-Acre Wood.  No Hunny.

Cottage Breakfast:   278 calories  3.8 g fat  4.8 g fiber  10.2 g protein  24.2 g carbs   181 mg Calcium  PB   I wanted a breakfast that evoked a cottage in the English country-side, so here it is. The pan muffins are very good.cottage bfast

1 pan muffin **                                                                                                                                                               ½ c. raspberries                                                                                                                                                         1 Applegate sausage [or a 33 calorie equivelent]                                                                                                       5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider                                                   blackish coffee, blackish tea, or lemon in hot water

HINT: I prepared 8 griddlecakes from the 10-grain mufffin batter, cooked them, and froze them. I made the rest into muffins to eat on Slow Days. Take one griddlecake from the freezer the night before and let it thaw. Cook the sausage in the microwave or warm it in a non-stick pan along with the griddlecake. Dish the berries, brew the hot beverage, pour the smoothie. What a sweet and easy meal.

**10-Grain Muffin Batter: 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill 10-grain hot cereal mix                                                       1 and 1/4 cup buttermilk [combine cereal + milk and let sit while preparing other ingredients.                     1/3 cup butter           7 Tbsp sugar           1 cup unbleached flour                                                                       1 tsp salt         1 tsp baking powder         1 tsp baking soda

Cream the butter and sugar; mix in the egg. Add the dry ingredients and the cereal/milk mixture.                Stir until just combined. Use 2 Tbsp batter for each griddlecake                                                                     [use 4 Tbsp batter to make each muffin for Slow Day breakfasts]

Steak & Mushroom Pie:  277 calories  4.8 g fat   6.9 g fiber   27 g protein   25.6 g carbs   34 mg Calcium     Two very compatible flavors together again, topped [not encased] in puff pastry. Similar to a meal enjoyed at The Sign of the Angel in Lacock, Wiltshire, England. A real treat.  HINT: recipe serves 2 [TWO], photo shows one serving.Steak &amp; Mushroom Pie

4 oz grilled sirloin steak [leftover from a previous meal, restaurant or home-based]                                                                      1.5 cups mushrooms, chopped it very large                                                                                                    1 Tbsp red wine                                                                                                                                                        ¼ cup creamed onions                                                                                                                                         ½ tsp thyme + salt & pepper to taste                                                                                                               1/6 sheet puff pastry [Pepperidge Farm frozen sheets are easy to find and use]                                             per person: 1/3 cup peas

Thaw the frozen puff pastry for 40 minutes on the counter. Remove one of the sheets, unroll it carefully, and cut the sheet into 6 squares. Return the other sheet, wrapped, to the freezer. [TIP: stack the remaining 5 pieces with waxed paper or cling wrap between the layers. Pop into a zipper bag and freeze for later use.] Cut the steak into 1/2”-1” cubes. Combine the meat with the mushrooms, wine, onions, seasonings in an oven-proof dish just large enough to hold the meat mixture yet large enough to be topped with the puff pastry. Heat the meat mixture until it is warm. Lay the puff pastry on top, decoratively slitting the crust. Bake at 400° F. about 15 minutes, until the crust is nicely browned. Cook the peas and imagine that you are in what Americans imagine as an English pub.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg 1 two-oz egg
 Cheddar cheese Tattie Scone:  mashed potato, milk, egg white, white whole wheat flour, baking powder
 low-fat ricotta cheese
 apple
 raspberries  1 oz apple or pear
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:

 4 oz white fish or salmon  lamb liver
 olive oil  +  chicken stock  ground lamb
 onion  +  scallions  + garlic  onions  +  coriander
 diced tomatoes  rolled oats
 can of chick peas  6″ spring roll wrappers
 lettuce  + vinaigrette dressing
Sparkling water Sparkling water

Eimaischen

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How this Fasting Diet works: Eat these meals, and only these meals, tomorrow.  Read the blog on Wednesday to see what we’ll eat on Thursday.  The rest of the week, eat what you like, but sensibly. If you are like me, you will see results.    You may be interested to read what US News and World Report said about the Fast Diet: http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/fast-diet

Tomorrow in Luxembourg, they will celebrate the Feast of Emmaus or Éimaischen.  This involves a street fair with food and art and the air is loud with the sounds of “bird-calls.” For the Luxembourgers, this fair began centuries ago as a potters’ trade show on Easter Monday.  One of the best-loved items for sale are fist-sized, bird-shaped clay whistles which represent the Resurrection.  Tables are full of the colorful little birds and their sellers vie with each other to make the most melodious sounds. Our foods today evoke memories of a Spring day in lovely Luxembourg:  Easter ham and eggs for breakfast, and an international dish involving little fried fish which are popular there.

Holiday-After Breakfast:   282 calories      6.3 g fat       2.3 g fiber       16 g. protein        37.7 g carb 216.7 mg Calcium This is a simple breakfast for the day after a holiday, using a few left-overs from the dinner table or freezer.Easter Breakfast

1 two-oz egg, hardboiled                                                                                                                                          ¾ oz ham OR beef OR turkey OR one Applegate sausage                                                                                                      ¼ cup Yorkshire Pudding* batter with added herbs. HINT: If you made some before and you put some in the freezer, great. Add a pinch of thyme and a pinch of basil.   see ..Not by Bread.. from Feb. 7, ’18 for the recipe                                                                                                          2 oz pineapple OR ¼ cup mixed berries   +   pinch of chopped mint leaves                                       5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider                                                                                         blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water

Pour pudding batter into two holes of a mini-muffin pan, bake at 400 for 13 minutes. Warm the meat or not. Mix the fruit with the mint. Plate the meat, Yorkshire Pudding, egg, and fruit. Brew your hot beverage, prepare your smoothie. Sit down and relax with your easy breakfast of left overs.

*The Yorkshire Pudd recipe is from the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook. HINT: make the batter the night before to save time in the morning.

Meze Meal with Smelts:  297 calories 5.8 g fat 6 g fiber 21.5 g protein 22 g carb 174 mg Calcium PB GF ‘Meze’ is the Greek equivalent of Spanish Tapas. This meal features many small servings of common food items, which make it easy to prepare.  There are lots of good recipes in the book Meze by Rosemary Barron.  HINT: The photo shows enough for 2 portions, but the amounts given below are for ONE serving.Meze w: smelts for TWO

1/4 cup white beans                                                                                                                                                  ½ Tbsp capers                                                                                                                                                       1/2 oz marinated mushrooms                                                                                                                               2.5 oz tomato, cubed    OR cherry tomatoes cut in half                                                                                                                               generous pinch Greek oregano                                                                                                                      2 oz cleaned smelts, fins cut off, backbone removed, cut in half along the backbone                                                                                         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

Attend to the smelts by cooking them in a non-stick or well-seasoned frying pan spritzed with non-stick spray.  ‘Fry’ until crispy.  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.  Drain the marinade from the jar and pour it over the smelts. Plate the ingredients to please the eye.