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.

During the Back-to-the-Land movement in the 1960s and ’70s, one of the ‘bibles’ of the people was Stocking Up, published by Rodale Press. It instructed the nascent homesteaders in the ancient arts of preserving food: canning, freezing, drying.  The goal was to save the harvest for times when food was not so available. When dieting, it is a good idea to have some meals in the freezer or foods in the pantry so that you are not caught short on a Fast Day wondering what to eat.  So here are some foods to make in multi-meal batches: prep once, eat often. It pays to stock up.

Seafood Chowder:  275 calories  11 g fat  15 g protein   16 g carbs  GF This makes 10 [TEN!] one-cup servings. It freezes nicely, or it can feed the family.  My husband found the recipe in Yankee magazine. He prepares this every year. It is wonderful. The directions look long and involved but the results are worth it.

4 strips thick-cut bacon, diced        1 medium Spanish onion, diced                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 1 pound baking potatoes, peeled + cut in ½” cubes                                                                                            2 pounds steamer clams in their shells                                                                                                       one lobster, weighing 1.5 pounds                1 pound scallops                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 1 pound shrimp, peeled         1 quart whole milk       4 Tbsp butter                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped     ¼ tsp paprika + salt + pepper                                                                                                                         

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

In a separate saucepan, cover cubed potatoes with salted water and boil until almost tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and add to the bacon/onions. Put clams in a large pot and add 1 quart water. Heat to boiling, cover, and cook until clams open, about 3 minutes. Remove the clams but leave the liquid in the pot. Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with paper towel. Remove the clams from their shells and cut them into smaller pieces if necessary. Add to the potatoes, onion, and bacon.

Put the strained clam broth back into the empty pot and bring to a boil. Add the lobster head-first into the boiling broth. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove lobster and let cool. Crack the shell to remove the meat. Cut the meat into 1/2” chunks and add to the potatoes. Heat the broth until boiling. Add the scallops and shrimp. Reduce heat to low. Simmer about 3 minutes, until the scallops + shrimp are just cooked through. Add all the previously cooked ingredients, along with the milk, butter, parsley and seasonings. Heat until steaming but not boiling.

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

Felafel:    1 batch = 648 cal  25.4 g fat  21 g fiber  32.5 g protein    72 g carbs    214 mg Ca                   each patty = 30 cal 1 g fat 1 g fiber 1.6 g protein 4 g carbs 8.5 mg Calcium      GF PB From the good old Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen, these are easy to prepare and, since it makes 26 patties, you will be set up for several future meals.

2 cups canned chick peas — [if you use dried chickpeas, you will get a grainer product. Factor in the time to cook them]                                                     1.5 cloves garlic, crushed [add as much as you enjoy!]                                                                                 ¼ cup celery, minced      ¼ c. scallions, sliced        1 egg                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1.5 tsp tahini        ½ t. cumin  ½ t. turmeric                                                                                                                                                            ¼ t. cayenne  ¼ t. black pepper  1.5 t. salt

Combine in food processer until ingredients form a uniform paste. Scoop into a bowl and chill 1 hour. Form into balls on a silicone mat or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. I used a 1 and 1/2 Tbsp scoop and then flattened the patties. TIP: You don’t have to bake them now. You could freeze the patties on a cookie sheet, then put them frozen into bags to cook later. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. The patties should be heated through and have an outside ‘crust’ which is firm to the touch. In most recipes, you will cook them further. At this point you want them to be firm enough to store well. There will be about 25 of them. Use now or cool and freeze for later use.

Next, stock the pantry.  Here are some things I always keep on hand:       garbanzo [chickpeas] beans, red kidney beans,  large white beans [Cannellini /Alubias], diced tomatoes, canned tuna, chicken stock With these ingredients, you are on your way to a bowl of chili or a plate of antipasto.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
reduced fat ricotta	cheddar cheese
Parmesan cheese	Worcestershire sauce
apple    +  bacon	dry mustard
sage  + prepared mustard	1 oz strawberries 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:

roasted red pepper	salt cod
pepperoni   + black olives	bell pepper
garbanzo beans  + green beans	scallion  +  garlic  + onion
mozzarella	tomato
tomato   +  canned white tuna	dumpling: flour, milk, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg
marinated mushrooms
Sparkling water	Sparkling water