intermittent fasting

Star-crossed Lovers: Romeo & Juliet

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

A version of the famous balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet.

My mother told me that there are seven basic plots in literature, and one of them is the story of the “Star-Crossed Lovers.” This plot centers around two people who are in love — yet fate intervenes, in one way or another, to keep them apart. Shakespeare coined the term, implying that one’s astrology [one’s stars] controlled one’s destiny. Shakespeare also created the iconic, classic example: Romeo and Juliet. As he told it, the two teenagers lived in Verona, Italy in the 1500s. When they meet at a party [which Romeo has crashed], they are instantly smitten. The problem is that their families are feuding, a feud that is both petty and lethal. Yet the two vow to wed in secret, aided by the culpable Friar Lawrence who gives Juliet a potion that will mimic her death. She is laid in the family crypt, but Romeo, returning from exile, is not in on the plot. He finds her seemingly lifeless body and drinks poison to kill himself out of sorrow. At that moment, Juliet awakes from her induced coma, finds her husband dead, and stabs herself with his dagger. The tale of star-crossed lovers doesn’t always end in double suicides, but Shakespeare was a dramatist.

Juliet’s birthday is Lammastide-eve, thus July 31 [even though Verona officially celebrates it on 16 September –???]. She was 14 years old in the play. Even though she is a fictional character, people write letters to Juliet — some 300 per month. A squad of volunteers answers each letter to Juliet, and you could join them.

Spinach Fritatta: 151 calories… 7.5 g fat… 2 g fiber… 14 g protein… 7 g carbs… 157 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the plated items only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Long an item in food magazine brunch articles, it was time to take Fritatta to the Fasting table. Wait no more: this is delicious and filling.

++ 1 two-oz egg ++++ 1 egg white ++++ 3 Tbsp cottage cheese ++++ ¼ oz Manchego cheese, grated ++++ ¼ cup scallions, chopped ++++ 3 Tbsp cooked spinach, pressed, drained, and chopped ++++ salt to taste + nutmeg + granulated garlic ++++ 2 oz strawberries ++++  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] ++

Combine the cheeses, spinach, scallions, and flavorings. Spritz a 4” custard cup with non-stick spray and spread the cheese mixture evenly in the bottom. [Since I was cooking for 2, I used an oval 5×7” baking dish]  HINT: do this the night before and leave on the counter. Set the oven for 375 F. Beat the eggs until broken up and frothy. Pour over the spinach/cheese mixture and bake for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the beverages and plate the fruit. Breakfast is great.

Shepherds’ Salad: 286 cal… 14.5 g fat… 5 g fiber… 21 g protein… 21.5 g carbs… 311.5 mg Calcium…  PB GF  This delightful meal is from Lynne Rossetto Kaspar’s The Italian Country Table. I have included a version of the original cooked salad dressing, but you may use a simple herbed vinaigrette as indicated below.

++ ½ oz salami ++++ 1/3 c white beans ++++ 2½ cups/3 oz lettuce, from the garden, the store, or ‘wild greens’ : sorrel, dandelion, or lambs quarters ++++ 1 oz mozzerella ++++ 1 radish, thinly sliced ++++ 2” celery, thinly sliced on diagonal ++++ ½ oz chicken breast ++++ 2 tsp of boiled dressing** or vinaigrette dressing++

Prep your toppings: slice the salami rounds into matchsticks; shred the lettuce; cut the cheese into strips about 1/4” square; slice the radish and celery. Measure 2 tsp dressing into a serving/salad bowl and add the lettuce. Toss to coat with the dressing. Arrange the meat, beans, cheese, and radishes in decorative groupings. Hearty and delicious, even if you didn’t have to forage for it yourself.

SHEPHERDS’ SALAD DRESSING  1/3 cup1 serving = 2 tsp = 32 calories
3 Tbsp olive oil 
4” rosemary 
6 sage leaves		Put in a pan and simmer 5-10 minutes.
4 smashed cloves garlic 
pinch of hot pepper flakes		Add to the pan and stir for a few seconds.
½ cup red wine vinegarAdd vinegar and boil the liquids down to 1/3 cup.
Strain and cool before serving. Put the remainder in a jar and store to use anytime.
++Vinaigrette Dressing makes 6 Tbsp, enough for 9 servings  1 serving = 1½ tsp = 52 calories ++++1 Tbsp cider vinegar ++++ ¼ tsp salt++++++++ +++
4 Tbsp olive oil + 1 ½ tsp cold water + ½ tsp tarragon or thyme ++		Whisk vinegar and salt, let sit 5 minutes.
Add vinegar to oil, water, herbs, then whisk again.

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

whipped cream cheese 16-oz can black beans  + raspberries
herring marinated in white wineparsley or cilantro + garlic
Finn Crisp crackerssmoked paprika + ground cumin
cherriesrolled oats + plain, low-fat yogurt
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

sourdough rye bread + whipped cream cheese4 oz bison burger + catsup
fresh spinach + tomato coleslaw + mushrooms
smoked salmon + hard-boiled egg90-calorie slider bun
strawberries
Sparkling waterSparkling water

George Stephenson

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

George Stephenson was not supposed to become an engineer. He was not supposed to rise above his origins. But he did. George Stephenson was born in tiny Wylam, Northumberland, on June 9, 1781. His parents were illiterate, so George was destined to follow his father into the coal mines. Which he did — at age eight. But George was not cut out for a life of grinding drudgery. He had a good mind, and he liked to see how things worked. In his off hours, George taught himself to read and write. While in the mines, he observed the pumping and lifting machines and surely asked a lot of questions about them. His aptitude and quick intellect were noted, and over time Stephenson became a mining engineer. One of his strengths was seeing new applications for technology, and he saw a need for moving goods like coal from the mines to the shipping port of New Castle. There was a wagonway where carts riding on iron rails were pulled by oxen, hauling coal from the Wylam pit down the river to Newcastle. From the little white house where he grew up, Stephenson could see the slow parade of coal. In 1776, James Watt had perfected the steam engine, and it was used in mines to pump out water. In 1814, Stephenson built a steam-powered railroad engine — with several improvements over existing steam locomotives. In 1815, the ox-carts on the Wylam Wagonway were replaced by a railroad, as the use of trains took over the hauling of freight. George Stephenson is called the “Father of the Railroad”, and the title is well-deserved. His locomotives and the coal they carried fueled the Industrial Revolution and made Newcastle into an industrial giant of steel-making, ship-building, and coal exporting. The first passenger railroad was established in 1825 — the rest is history. All because little George Stephenson in Wylam looked out the window and thought of a better way to “Carry coals to Newcastle“.

Robin Hood Egg: 150 calories… 6 g fat… 1 g fiber… 15 g protein… 26 g carbs… 111 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB What this breakfast has to do with the legendary outlaw, I don’t know. At least no robbery is involved – you can keep your wallet and your waistline.

++ ½ multi-grain Sandwich Thin @ 60 calories ++++ one 2-oz egg ++++ 1 slice “Canadian bacon” [or 1 round = 1 oz = 20 calories slice of ham] ++++ 2 oz sliced tomato  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories] ++

Lightly toast the sandwich thin and plate it. Broil the tomato slice and lightly cook the Canadian bacon while you fry the egg in a pan lightly-spritzed with non-cook spray. Assemble the layers in your order of preference and pour the optional beverages. Tuck [not Friar Tuck] in with knife and fork.

Bleu Cheese & Oyster Pie: pie filling only, 1 of 6 servings = 116 calories… 8 g fat… 1 g fiber… 5.6 g protein… 5 g carbs… 88 mg Calcium…  With pie crust, 1 of 6 servings: add 193 calories [the entire pie crust for an 8” pie plate = 1160 or fewer calories] PB GF  NB: if you want a GF meal, do not use any pie crust – especially not a purchased GF crust which is very high in calories. The pie makes a fabulous, indulgent meal but it is low in protein and fiber. For a very special treat, it is wonderful. The left-hand column gives the recipe is for an 8”, full-sized pie plate, which serves 6. The center column gives amounts to prepare a 6” pie plate to serve 4.  HINT: leftover pieces freeze well.

8” pie pan with pie crust6” pie pan +pie crustRoll out dough, fit into pie pan. Crimp edge. Blind bake 15 mins. Remove foil and weights + bake until golden, ~ 5 mins.  SEE ABOVE NOTE ABOUT PIE CRUST
++++1 Tbsp butter++++ ½ c leeks++ ½ c fennel bulb++++½ c tart apple++ ½ tsp ground black pepper+++ pinch salt ++2 tsp butter ++++¼ c leeks+++++++ ¼ c fennel bulb++++¼ c apple++++++ ¼ tsp pepper+++++pinch saltFinely chop leeks and fennel. Dice apple. Melt butter in a skillet, add leeks, fennel and apple, and sauté on low until tender and translucent. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and remove from heat.
Heat oven to 400F.
12 oysters – we like East Coast oysters which are brinier
6-8 oysters

Put oysters flat in a saucepan w/ just enough water to cover. Heat pan on med-high until water reaches 131F/55C, on a food-safe thermometer. Shut off heat and let sit on burner 5 mins. Take oysters from water, cool in a bowl. Open shells, remove oysters, catching juices in bowl. 
++4 oz blue cheese +++++++3 Tbsp reserved oyster juice ++++++++++++
1 egg white		++2 oz blue cheese ++++1.5 T oyster juice +++++ ½ egg white In a separate bowl, mash cheese, adding reserved oyster juice. Beat egg white until softly peaked and fold into cheese.
Spread leek mixture in pie shell. Spread cheese mixture on top. Bake 20 mins.
oystersoysters Take pie from oven, arrange oysters on top. Bake 2 mins.
fennel fronds +++++4-5 asparagus stalks/personfennel fronds+++ 4-5 asparagus stalks per personTake from oven, strew with fronds. Let pie set about 10 mins, cut in portions and serve with steamed asparagus.

James Beard

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle. Welcome to tn289 who is now Following.

Chef James Beard , cookbook photo.

When our sons were very young, they would help in the kitchen by fetching ingredients and cookbooks for me. Before they could read, they learned the name and appearance of each book. Fannie Farmer was gold. Craig Claiborne was green or blue. One day, I asked for James Beard’s American Cookery. Looking at the cover photo, one son said, ‘The book with the fat man?’ Yup, James Beard was over-sized [6’3″, 300 pounds], and the non-PC nickname for that cookbook stuck. James Andrews Beard was born in Washington State, USA on May 5, 1903, and he would have an over-sized influence on cooking in the United States. His English-born mother ran a boarding house and his father was a customs inspector. The family was comfortably off, spending summers on the Oregon coast. Beard was admitted to Reed College, but was told to leave due to his homosexuality. Next, he went to London, hoping to go into theater or opera. His ambitions were to no avail. A few weeks in Paris were revelatory, introducing him to sexual freedom and great food. Next, he went to New York, but still couldn’t break into performing.  To pay the bills, Beard started a catering business in Manhattan, which marked the beginning of his career as a Foodie. His first cookbook, Hors d’Oeuvre & Canapés, came out in 1940, followed by a book on outdoor cooking. The war years saw him setting up canteens for the United Seamen’s Service. After the war, Beard starred in the first US television cooking show — “I Love to Eat” in 1946 on NBC. A cooking school in New York established him as the go-to-guy for simple American food. In addition, Beard tirelessly wrote columns for magazines and newspapers; appeared on radio and TV shows; and wrote 20+ cookbooks. To his shame, he endorsed a string of kitchen products and foods in an effort to support his school and his profile. Although it was clear to anyone who knew him that he was gay, Beard never “came out”. His “beard” was Mary Hamblet, a childhood friend from Oregon. On his birthday, the winners of the James Beard Awards will be announced, recognizing chefs, culinary writers, restaurant critics, and restauranteurs for excellence in promoting authentic cuisine. The James Beard Foundation is a lasting legacy for the man who was considered the Dean of American Cooking.

Our meals reflect two early influences on James Beard’s culinary development. The family’s Chinese cook gave him a life-long love of Chinese food. His stay in France after leaving college opened his senses to the flavors and savors of French Cuisine. Would James Beard have benefitted from the Fasting Lifestyle? You bet. But all his appetites were huge, and moderation was not in his repertoire.

Swiss Chard Fritatta: 154 calories… 8.4 g fat… 1.3 g fiber… 12 g protein… 5.7 g carbs… 58 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Susan Herrmann Loomis is a cookbook author whom I trust, so when I saw this in her French Farmhouse Cookbook, I had to try it. She serves it as an appetizer or main-meal, and by reducing the recipe, it makes a great breakfast.

++ 1½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. ++++  1 oz Swiss or rainbow chard, coarsely chopped or sliced; stems removed ++++  sprinkles of garlic powder ++++ 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese ++++ pinch salt ++++ pinch paprika ++++ 2 oz strawberries OR 1 oz grapes ++++ 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] ++

In a saucepan, simmer the chard in water and add some pinches of garlic powder. Cook, uncovered, about 15 minutes until the leaves are limp and the water has cooked away. [keep a good eye on it so it doesn’t stick or burn]  HINT: I did this the night before. Find a small [8” diameter] heat-proof skillet which can be used both on top of the range and under the broiler. Spray it generously with non-stick spray and spread the cooked chard over the bottom. Whisk the eggs, then add the cheese, salt, and paprika. Whisk again and pour the eggs over the greens. Place on the stovetop over medium heat for 3-4 minutes while the eggs cook on the bottom but the top is still liquidy. Place under the broiler until set and slightly browned. Plate with the fruit. [Loomis wants you to invert it on the plate, but we preferred the puffy top to be on top] Delicious!!

Shrimp Fu Yung: 239 calories… 14 g fat… 2 g fiber… 23.4 g protein… 9 g carbs… 132 mg Calcium…  PB GF Here is the Cantonese classic, as delicious as ever. Americans seem to think it should have brown chicken gravy on top – not very authentic. I have recreated the look using a very savory sauce.

+++ 1¼ oz shrimp, cooked or raw ++++ ¼ stalk celery [substitute: leaf rib of Swiss Chard] ++++ 2 Tbsp chopped mushroom ++++ ¼ cup mung bean sprouts [substitute: chopped cabbage] ++++ 1½ scallions [spring onions] ++++ ¼ tsp ginger powder ++++ 2 two-oz eggs ++++ 1 oz spinach leaves ++++ garlic powder ++++ ¼ tsp sesame seed ++++ ½ tsp sesame oil ++++  Sauce: 1 tsp hoisin sauce ++ 1 tsp soy sauce ++ 1 tsp oyster sauce ++

Cut the shrimp into small slices and put in a bowl with the mushrooms. Slice the celery ¼” thick and put into another bowl. Slice the scallions and add to the same bowl, along with the sprouts. Combine the sauce ingredients and set aside. Whisk the eggs with the ginger. In a non-stick pan sprayed with non-stick spray and a tablespoon of water, cook the spinach, stirring, until it is just limp. Remove from heat, stir with a sprinkle of garlic powder. Plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Return the pan to the stove over high heat. Spray again and add the sesame oil. Put the vegetables into the pan and stir for 60 seconds. Add the shrimp/mushrooms and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds. Pour the eggs in a circular motion into the pan, trying not to disturb the other items. Tilt the pan as you lift the edge of the eggs to let the uncooked egg down to the pan. After a few minutes, flip the egg disk to the other side to cook. [I put a plate over the pan and inverted it, then slid the egg disk back into the pan.] Soon the bottom will be cooked. Slide the eggs onto a cutting board and slice into quarters. Arrange them on the plate next to the spinach. Drizzle the sauce on top and enjoy every bite.

End of an Empire

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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.

Hülegü locks the Calif in a cell filled with gold.

For 500 years, the Abbasid Caliphate had been living the good life. Initially, the Persians were followers of Zoroaster, and they were part of many empires – from the Greeks to the Parthians. In 651 CE, Persia came under the influence of Muslim Arabs. Their capital at Bagdad, founded in 762 CE, saw a flowering of intellect, attracting scholars, poets, artists, astronomers, and the top medical minds of the era. There were some periods of instability as various strong men vied for rule, but on the whole the Abbasid Caliphate preside over the Golden Age of Islam. Meanwhile, far to the East, the Mongols were riding rough-shod over the landscape. Literally. Hülegü, grandson of Ghengis Khan, had been assigned to invade the Persian Empire. So he did. In January of 1258, his army besieged Bagdad. There had been an exchange of letters previously, Hülegü threatening to sack the city if they did not surrender [“I will not leave a single person alive in your country, I will turn your city, lands and empire into flames.”], and the Calif al-Musta’sim thinking it was just trash talk. On February 10, the Mongol horde took the city. A few days later, the sacking began. Some estimates say that 2 million citizens were killed, but Hülegü admitted to only 200,000. The Mongols went on to threaten Eastern Europe while Bagdad rebuilt. Today it is the capital of Iran. Time to reread Oyzamandius by Shelley.

Our breakfast is based on favorite Persian flavors. Our dinner would have been favored by the conquering Mongols.

Jeweled Rice: 228 calories… 4.2 g fat… 0.3 g fiber… 6 g protein… 39.3 g carbs… 8 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values given are for the main meal only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB GF  Ancient Persians adored rice, and nuts grew abundantly on the hillsides. Let’s combine them for breakfast a Persian would love. The glistening honey-coated nuts give this meal its name and its flavor.

++ ½ c cooked brown rice ++++ 1 oz nut-honey mix, such as Buram brand ++++  Optional: blackish coffee  [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++

Take the rice off the hob or warm it, if pre-cooked. Warm the nut-honey mix, and stir to blend with the rice. Prepare hot beverage of choice and be transported back to Islam’s Golden Age.

Cod for the Khan: 223 calories… 2.4 g fat… 6 g fiber… 24.6 g protein… 28 g carbs… 176 mg Calcium…  PB GF This meal is based on ingredients from a Mongol Carp Soup. Instead of boiling, the fish is pan-cooked and it tastes good.

Marinated Cod: ++ 4 oz cod fillet ++++ ¼ tsp brown pepper, ground ++++ ¼ tsp coriander seed, ground ++++ 1½ tsp onion, chopped ++++ 1 Tbsp Chinese wine or sherry ++ >>>> Stir together the spices, onion, and wine in a glass pie plate. Marinate the cod, turning often, for 30-60 minutes.

The Dinner: ++ marinated cod ++++ 1 cup foraged greens: dandelion leaves, chickweed, chives, sheep-sorrel, spinach ++++ ¼ cup onion, chopped ++++ ¼ cup brown rice, cooked ++++ 1 Tbsp chives, chopped ++++ splash of vinegar ++ >>>> Spray a small cast iron pan with cooking spray and add the cod. Cook over medium for 4 minutes, turning to heat both sides. Pour in the marinade, cover, turn down heat and cook for 6-7 minutes, depending on thickness of the fillet. Chop the greens roughly. Put onion in a small pan with ¼ cup water and simmer until transluscent. Add the greens, turn down heat, cover, and simmer to wilt the greens. Heat the cooked rice and stir in chives. Test fish to see if it ‘flakes’ [when a fork is brushed over the side of the fish, the meat comes off in flakes]. Salt to taste and add a splash of vinegar. Plate the fish with the rice and greens, pouring extra pan juices over the fish and rice.  Don’t get delusions of ruling the world.

Fort Sumter

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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.

Fort Sumter, December 1860. NPS photo.

Fort Sumter is on an island in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina, USA. It was built after the War of 1812, to strengthen the defense of the harbor, since the town of Charleston had been a key site in the War of Independence in the 1770s. It was named after Thomas Sumter, an heroic fighter in the Revolution. But as the 1800s advanced, independence of other sorts came into question: many in the US wanted independence for the many enslaved people of the American South, and the slave owners of the South wanted the independence to do live as they pleased. As the fort neared completion in the late 1850s, the separatists in South Carolina told the US President Buchanan to remove the troops from the fort, and from nearby Fort Moultrie. He refused, and the fort was besieged. The soldiers there held out from December into January, but supplies were running low. A ship was sent from New York, with soldiers, ammunition, and food, but on January 9, 1861, as it neared the fort, it was fired upon. The ship retreated. In early April, the new President Lincoln told the South Carolinians that he would resupply the fort. The South Carolinians said that would be a declaration of war. The South began a bombardment of Fort Sumter on April 12, and on April 13, the 80 soldiers on the island struck their flag, and left the fort. The American Civil War had begun.

Thomas Sumter’s name was surely based on the word ‘sumpter’. The word originally meant a pack animal, but it became an occupation. Sumpters operated traveling grocery stores around the nation during peacetime, and during wars, they often sold food and sundries to soldiers. A popular item that a sumpter would sell to soldiers was an egg — at exorbitant prices. Eggs are more available to most of us, so we will have them for breakfast. Much better for us than the local Charleston favorite — Krispy Kreme doughnuts! The dinner is made with two popular food items of the Carolinas: ham and sweet potatoes.

Egg-Salad Toast: 167 calories… 8 g fat… 4.5 g fiber… 12 g protein… 22 g carbs… 101 mg Calcium…  PB Toast ‘n’ Egg for breakfast takes a new twist. If you must grab-and-go, this is a good choice. 

1 slice whole-grain bread [70 calories, 3 g fiber] ++++ one hardboiled 2-oz egg ++++ yellow Sriracha, ad lib ++++ 1 Tbsp reduced-fat ricotta -OR- reduced-fat cottage cheese ++++ 1 oz sliced tomato OR halved cherry tomatoes ++++ 2 oz strawberries -OR- 1 oz blueberries ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++ Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Slice the tomato and salt it to develop flavor. Shell the egg and mash it with a fork on a plate. Squirt some Sriracha on it, add the ricotta, and continue to mash and squirt until you get the consistancy you like. Add salt and pepper and herbs to taste. Lightly toast the bread and spread with the egg salad. Top with the tomato and plate with the fruit. Wholesome and hearty.

Ham Dinner: 297 calories… 8 g fat… 6 g fiber… 19 g protein… 40 g carbs… 41.5 mg Calcium…  PB GF This is a classic Easter Dinner in many homes, as well as being a popular diner order. From the succotash to the sweetened sweet potato to the pineapple garnish, this meal is a classic.

++ 3 oz ham, sliced 3/8” thick ++++ ¼ c. lima beans ++++ ¼ c corn kernels ++++ 1 oz sweet potato ++++ 1 tsp brown sugar ++++ ¼ c canned pineapple ++

Cube the sweet potato and simmer in a small pan until tender, ~10 mins. Heat the ham slice in a non-stick pan over medium, until ham begins to brown. Heat the vegetables together. When the ham is cooked and the sweet potato is tender, plate the ham and drain the potato. Put the potato in the ham’s pan, along with a bit of the potato water. Stir to incorporate the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Then stir in the brown sugar until the potato is covered with the sugar. Plate everything, putting a pinch of salt on the vegetables. Place the pinapple chunks on the ham and tuck into an all-American meal.

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

1 two-oz egg = US largeuncooked brown rice
kippered herringfat free milk
dry mustard powder + appledry, sweetened coconut flakes
reduced-fat ricotta
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

shaved rare roast beef106-calorie Naan bread + onions
provolone cheeseRogan Josh sauce + zucchini
broccoli + onionstomato + cauliflower
Martin’s potato bread or whole-grain breadIndian curry powder
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Ramadan ’21

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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 Serumbach and theunsandsorina who are now Following.

Ramadan, like Easter and Passover and Paris, is a ‘moveable feast.’ This means that it is not a fixed date on the calendar, but that it moves around from year to year. The annual one-month holy festival of the Muslim Faith follows the lunar calendar [which has 13 months in a year rather than 12], and is held 11 days earlier than the festival the year before. It is a month of family, feasts, charitable acts, prayer, and fasting. The Fasting means neither eating nor drinking from sunrise to sunset, every day for one lunar month. A morning meal before dawn, suhoor, is all you get until the evening meal, iftar, after dusk fades from the sky. The concept of 16:8 Intermittant Fasting is catching on, and this is the same thing, but the dial moves to 12:12 — and some of that is sleeping. The reason for the Festival? It marks the revelation of the Holy Quran to the Prophet Mohammed in the year 610 CE.

Our meals today are typical of the flavors of the West-Asian Islamic region, and can be prepared with halal ingredients.

Arabian Eggs: 153 calories 7.4 g fat 2 g fiber 10 g protein 12.5 g carbs [11 g Complex] 58 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the eggs and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF  Hawayij spice is widely-used in the cuisine of Saudi Arabia. And it clearly shows trade links to countries further East. Coffee [Coffea arabica is a native plant] and dates round out the flavors of the country. The sweet dates are a wonderful counter-point to the spicy eggs.

1½ 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 to store in the ‘fridge for next week.  1 to 1.5 tsp Hawayij spice  2 deglet noor dates    Optional: blackish Arabian coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Whisk the eggs with the spice mixture and pour into a heated skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Turn down the heat. Leave the eggs undisturbed until puffy and the top is set. Remove from skillet, and serve folded or flat. Pour the beverages, plate the dates, and enjoy the fruit/spice combination.

Lamb With Mediterranean Vegetables: 295 calories 14 g fat 9 g fiber 22 g protein 40.5 g carbs 205.6 mg Calcium  PB GF  Here’s a fine meal, full of complex carbohydrates and good flavor. 

1 oz ground lamb 1 cup Mediterranean Vegetables  ¼ cup cooked brown rice ½ oz Gruyere cheese, grated

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

Les Bourgeois de Calais

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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 tips4diet2020 and easyeverydayketo and angelketo and BHS and emraldlifestyle who are now Following.

The story of the Burghers of Calais is a dramatic one and never was it told so touchingly or with so much feeling as in the full-life bronze installation by Auguste Rodin. During the 100-Years War, the English warred all over the French country-side, trying to take land or win back lands that had once been theirs, whether by marriage or acquisition. In 1347, the English King Edward III, following his success at Crecy, laid siege to Calais. After nine months, the town fathers signaled that they would yield. As told by the French chronicolers Le Bel and Froissart, that wasn’t enough for the King: the town had to send out 6 citizens to be sacrificed for the rest of the townspeople. The ruling council, ‘Les Bourgeois’ [or Burghers], volunteered to go. Out they walked, barefooted and dressed in sack-cloth with nooses around their necks, ready for the hangman. They carried the keys to the city to hand over before they died. On January 28, 1885, the City of Calais engaged Auguste Rodin to create a monument to the bravery of the Burghers. They wanted a single triumphal statue to put on a pedestal. Rodin envisioned six life-sized figures at ground level, so the viewer could ‘be there’ with the councilmen and feel their emotions. Such emotions! The youngest one looks back, to see his family one more time. The leader grimly stands in the center, resignation etched in his face. The others step forward with mixed emotions and anguished gestures. Calais didn’t like it, but it has become one of the best-loved of all of Rodin’s works. It was a thrill to see it in the garden of the Rodin Museum at the Hotel Biron, Paris. It can also be experienced in 12 cities around the world.. PS: Edward’s wife, Queen Phillipa, lobbied for the Burghers to be spared, and they were. Perhaps she also influenced how the story was told.

Calais is in Northern France, on the English Channel. Being cooled by the ocean water, plants in the Chenopodiaceae Family grow well there, and enter the cuisine. Swiss Chard is one such plant, which stars in the breakfast. And for dinner, how can I resist the play on words? Burgers, of course!

Swiss Chard Fritatta: 154 calories 8.4 g fat 1 g fiber 12 g protein 5.7 g carbs [5 g Complex] 58 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the Fritatta and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF Susan Herrmann Loomis is a cookbook author whom I trust, so when I saw this, I had to try it. She serves it as an appetizer or main-meal, but by reducing the recipe, it makes a great breakfast.

1 ½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.  1 oz Swiss or rainbow chard, coarsely chopped or sliced; stems removed  several sprinkles of garlic powder 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese pinch salt + pinch paprika 2 oz strawberries    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]

In a saucepan, simmer the chard in water and add some pinches of garlic powder. Cook, uncovered, about 15 minutes until the leaves are limp and the water has cooked away. [keep a good eye on it so it doesn’t stick or burn]  HINT: I did this the night before. Find a small [8” diameter] heat-proof skillet which can be used both on top of the range and under the broiler. Spray it generously with non-stick spray and spread the cooked chard over the bottom. Whisk the eggs, then add the cheese, salt, and paprika. Whisk again and pour the eggs over the greens. Place on the stovetop over medium heat for 3-4 minutes while the eggs cook on the bottom but the top is still liquidy. Place under the broiler until set and slightly browned. Plate with the fruit. [Loomis wants you to invert it on the plate, but we preferred the puffy top to be on top] Delicious!!

Blue-Burger: 290 calories 6.7 g fat  5 g fiber 27.5 g protein 27 g carbs [10 g Complex] 100 mg Calcium The winter 2004 issue of Eating Well  magazine was the inspiration for this recipe. But this version suits our Fasting needs a little better. It is yummy.

This time, the coleslaw is made with red cabbage.

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

Thaw the meat and break it up in a bowl. Add the blueberries and all the flavorings. Gently combine ingredients with your fingers, without squishing the berries. Shape in a patty using a 4” muffin-cutter as a mold. Try not to pack the burger too much, but it does need to hold its shape. Broil or grill 4-5 minutes per side. Serve on a toasted potato bun. And don’t forget the coleslaw.

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

1 two-oz egg1.2 two-oz eggs 
Camembert cheeseJarlsberg cheese
nutmeg + Dijon mustard3%-fat deli ham
strawberries or applesapplesauce
Optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

70-calorie whole grain breadraw chicken breast + chicken stock
3% fat ham from deli + Gruyere cheesethyme + fresh pineapple
side salad + 2-oz egglime + brown rice
Bechamel sauceheavy cream + cornstarch for thickening
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Under the Influence: Italy

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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 Dominus O. Markham and bloghealth1 and Youth and Healthy and Scot Henry who are now Following.

Italian cooks are under the influence. No, they are neither drunk nor drugged, so let’s follow a culinary trail…. Central and Southern Italian cuisine involves tomatoes — everyone knows that. And in the North, there’s cornmeal polenta. And that’s been since forever, right? Well, no. Tomatoes and corn are not native to Italy or even to Europe. Spanish colonizers brought those foods from meso-America back to Europe in the early 1500s. The Spanish were not that impressed. From there, tomatoes and corn spread to Italy, where, by the 1600s, they were embraced like long lost relatives and quickly made part of the food culture. Tomato sauces and salads and pizzas abound all over the country, and corn shows up in the iconic polenta of the North — I even ate kernels of corn on a pizza in Rome. Italy owes much of its culinary traditions to the influence of far-away Indigenous Americans. Fancy that!

Our breakfast features tomatoes as part of a famously delicious Italian sauce, while dinner involves cornmeal polenta. You too can be under the influence.

Puttenesca Bake: 127 calories 6 g fat 0.6 g fiber 7.7 g protein 10 g carbs [10 g Complex] 77.7 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  Once you have Puttenesca Sauce in the freezer, preparing this breakfast is very easy.

one 2-oz egg 1½ Tbsp Puttenesca sauce, drained of excess liquid   ½ Tbsp Parmesan, grated ¼ cup peaches, fresh or canned in light juice   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]

Set the toaster oven at 350 degrees F. Spritz an oven-proof ramekin or small casserole [if serving 2 or more] with non-stick spray. Whisk the eggs with the sauce and cheese. Pour into the baking dish and heat for 12-15 minutes. Portion the peaches and prepare the beverages. Que bella!

Seafood with Polenta & Vegetables: 291 calories 8.5 g fat 3.5 g fiber 30 g protein 28 g carbs [24 g Complex] 180 mg Calcium  PB GF  Mediterranean Food, anyone? Here it is, a splendid way to eat healthily.

oops! This photo shows 3 logs of polenta when it should have only 2… must be Dear Husband’s plate.

½ cup Mediterranean Vegetables without chickpeas 2 ‘logs’ of home-made polenta, from a batch with 6 ‘logs’ 4 oz fish such as cod or tilapia, raw or cooked ¾ oz mushrooms, sliced 3 Tbsp Parmesan, grated Prepare or thaw the polenta. Prepare or thaw the Mediterranean Vegetables. Stir in the mushrooms and sea food and simmer, covered, until the fish is cooked through. Place the polenta on the side of the plate and spoon the warm mixture on top. Top with the grated cheese and enjoy your taste of Italy.

Berthe Morisot

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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 adrianus67 and Ketoonbay and dvepublishing and Home Fat Loss Workout who are now Following.

Berthe Morisot was a woman who followed her dream. Born into a wealthy French family in 1841, she was expected to be the decorative wife, the doting mother, and the charming society hostess. But Berthe liked painting. Her parents made it possible for her to have good instruction and when the art professor said that the child had the talent of a professional, then her course was set. She became friends with Edouard Manet and his group: Renoir, Degas, Monet. The names are famous now, but in the 1860s these nobodies wanted to paint what they saw: everyday people doing everyday things, all lit by natural light. The loose brush-strokes and spontaneous look of their work became scornfully known as a mere ‘impression’ of how things looked. Berthe was the only woman in the movement. She was accepted by the men, her work was displayed and her work was purchased. Morisot married Manet’s brother, who supported her career. Berthe was a bit shy about her work: she would hide it away when guests arrived and did not discuss her life as an artist. Her dream was to be an artist — and her luminous paintings live on to show her talent.

Berthe specialized in paintings of women and children. They look natural and happy. So our breakfast will be cheerful and laughing. The dinner is very French: a little meat and vegetables wrapped in a galette. Women and children would enjoy it.

Laughing Herb Omelette:  155 calories 7.6 g fat 1.4 g fiber 11 g protein 9 g carbs [8 g Complex] 82.4 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  I’m a big fan of Vache Qui Rit , any day of the week. But as a low-calorie ingredient, it is super!

1½ 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  ½ section Vache Qui Rit [Laughing Cow] cheese   1½ Tbsp or more fresh herbs 2 oz applesauce or fresh apple  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]

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

Beef & Asparagus Crepes:  302 calories 9 g fat 5 g fiber 19 g protein 31.5 g carbs 56 mg Calcium  PB  This is quick and easy – use with left-over galettes, meat, vegetables.

2 galettes  2 oz lean beef, raw or cooked 2 oz bell pepper, preferably red or orange 3 oz asparagus 2 tsp oyster sauce + 3 Tbsp chicken stock + 3 Tbsp water 2 tsp cornstarch + 3 Tbsp water

Slice the beef and pepper into thin strips. Cut the asparagus into 1” pieces. Spray a saute pan with non-stick spray and heat over medium. Add the beef and vegetables. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, adding a little water to prevent sticking. Turn down the heat. Add the oyster sauce, stock, and 3 Tbsp water. Cover the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Cook longer if vegetables are still uncooked. Stir the cornstarch into 3 Tbsp water, then stir into the pan of hot ingredients. Cook and stir until thicker. Warm the galettes and spoon the filling over them. Fold and serve.

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

1 two-oz egg1 two-oz egg 
puttanesca sauceavocado
parmesan cheese70-calorie bread
peaches in their juice
Optional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

mediterranean vegetables sirloin beef + asparagus
cod or tilapia + olive oilred bell pepper + oyster sauce
polenta + Parmesan cheesesoy sauce + chicken stock + cornstarch
mushroomsonion + garlic
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Saint Genevieve

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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 mycojohnhealthblog and Intermittant Fasting Formula and Healthopolitan and Faiz who are now Following.

Saint Genevieve is the patron saint of Paris. She was born in Nanterre, France in 422, during the Roman rule. She was very religious from childhood and always said that she wanted to live a spiritual life devoted to prayer. After her parents died, she moved to Paris and became a nun. So far, this is fairly standard. But the Huns, testing the weakness of the Roman Empire, invaded in 451 and marched toward Paris. The terrified populous wanted to run into the countryside, but Genevieve told them they would be safe inside the walls if they prayed and fasted. There are paintings of Genevieve standing in front of the walls of Paris telling Attila to go away. Whether that happened or not, Paris was not attacked. Thirty years later, the Franks invaded and laid siege to the city. Famine was imminent. One night, Genevieve and 11 boatmen ran the blockade and visited the towns along the river. The next night, Genevieve returned with boatloads of bread/grain and food to tide everyone over. Childeric, the Frankish leader, was impressed by Genevieve’s bravery and at her request, freed the prisoners he had taken. For having saved Paris twice, Genevieve, protector of the city, deserves to be its Patron Saint.

The name Genevieve is not heard much these days in English-speaking countries. In later centuries, it turned to Guinevier and to Jennifer. Our friends’ daughter-in-law Jenny has died. She was an intelligent, charming, beautiful young woman; a loving mother and wife. I hope St Genevieve has given Jenny a warm welcome.

Bread is always part of the story of St Genevieve. Breakfast features bread, mixed with other good things. Genevieve was a serious faster: she supposedly ate only on Sundays and Thursdays, and only on beans and barley bread. At age 50, she was persuaded to add some fish to her diet. The dinner made with salt cod would have been acceptable to her.

Breton/Norman Bread Pudding: 204 calories 8 g fat 1.5 g fiber 11.6 g protein 14 g carbs [6 g Complex] 124 mg Calcium This dish was invented to clear out the fridge when leaving a rental cottage in Brittany. We repeated it when departing Normandy. It works well anywhere, even at home.

¾ fluid oz milk ½ slice whole-grain bread 1 egg 1 oz cooked fish OR ¾ oz cooked chicken 1 oz tomato ¼ oz cheese 2 oz strawberries   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water 

Cube or dice the bread and tomato. Flake the fish and grate the cheese. Stir together everything, except the strawberries. The mixture should be moist throughout, but not soupy. Heat a saute pan and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Turn the bread pudding into the pan. Pat and nudge it into a large, flat patty. Cook until brown on one side, then turn it over. [Alternatively, bake it in an oven-proof dish for 18 minutes.] When done, it should be set and cooked all the way through and browned on both sides. Plate with the berries.

Brandade Plate:  266 calories 3 g fat 5.8 g fiber 39 g protein 21 g carbs [12 g Complex] 139 mg Calcium PB GF — if using GF crackers We find this meal to be very easy to plate, very easy on the eye, and very filling. HINT: Having the Brandade made ahead of time and in the refrigerator makes life so easy.

Presented here is a meal for TWO people.

½ cup codfish brandade 4 oz fresh tomatoes [no larger than 2” in diameter, but not ‘cherry or grape’ tomatoes] 2 Finn Crisp sourdough rye thins ½ oz baby spinach leaves, cut as chiffonade

Slice the tomatoes so you can get as many slices as you can. Arrange them on a plate. Using a scoop or spoon, place equal amounts of the brandade on each tomato slice. Sprinkle the chiffonade spinach over and around. Place the crackers alongside.