lowering cholesterol

Simple, Delicious, Easy

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Hooray for S & E who started the Fast Diet last week! Join them in sampling this Monday’s menu and see how much weight you can shed by Tuesday.  It is a real ego boost and an incentive.

Today’s breakfast ingredients:                                                                                                                           ½ slice 70-cal whole grain bread, cubed;                                                                                                       one 2-oz egg;                                                                                                                                                         ½ a slice of thinly-sliced minced low-fat ham                                                                                                 2 Tbsp skimmed milk                                                                                                                   herbs/seasonings of your choice                                                                                                                        ½ tsp of Dijon-style mustard.                                                                                                                          1/3 c. of mixed melon and strawberries

Breakfast Casserole: This is my take on strata-type breakfasts. We find it to be so satisfying that we want to eat it on a ‘Slow Day’.  Spray a ramekin with non-stick spray. In a bowl mix the bread,  egg,  ham;  milk, herbs/seasonings, and  mustard. Stir ingredients together and pour into the ramekin. HINT: you Breakfast casserole w: s-bs+meloncould prep this the night before, cover the ramekin in plastic, and pop it in the ‘fridge for morning.  Bake at 350º for 18 minutes. While it is baking, cut and plate the fruit, brew your beverage, and make your smoothie [or take it from ‘fridge if made last week].        271 calories;   6.7 g. fat;    13.9 g. protein;       22.2 g. carbs

Today’s dinner ingredients:                                                                                                                                 5 oz salmon.                                                                                                                                                       salt, pepper, herbs to taste                                                                                                                                 10 small cherry tomatoes [5 oz larger tomatoes, cut in large chunks]                                                        2½ oz broccoli and cauliflower florets

Roasted Salmon with Tomatoes: In an oven-proof dish place the salmon. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, herbs to taste. Scatter  tomatoes over the salmon.  HINT: This part could be prepped hours before and kept in the ‘fridge. Roast in a 400º oven for 10 minutes. In the meantime, steam the veg. to serve with the fish. It doesn’t get easier than this, does it?  This recipe is adapted from one found in the original Fast Diet book. The 10 recipes in that text are good, but I needed to quantify the amounts a bit.    304 calories per serving

Flavorful Thursday

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Dieting and calorie restriction do not mean subsisting on salads and bland food. These 2 recipes are full of flavor for a Winter’s day.

mushroom omelette, applesMushroom Omelette:  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. For this morning’s breakfast, chop or slice ½ oz mushrooms and saute with a little water in a skillet. Remove and set aside. Now whisk the 1.5 eggs with seasonings to taste. Pour into a heated skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cook, tipping the pan and lifting the cooked eggs until the bottom is set but the top is still moist. Top with the mushrooms and ½ tsp grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with 1.5 oz apple [or 2.25 oz melon or 1.2 oz grapes], plus your beverage and Fast Smoothie. You are off to a good start.      295 calories

Chicken Curry: Based on Craig Claiborne’s ‘Anything Curry’ from his Gourmet Diet book, this meal takes a bit of preparation. But maybe the snow has kept you inside and you have more time to cook. Start with the curry sauce: Chop 1 c. onions, 1 clove garlic, and ½ c. celery and 1 c. apple. Cook until wilted in 2 sprays of cooking oil and 2 Tbsp water. Strew 1-2 TbChicken Curry w: tomatoessp curry powder [more if you wish] and 3/4 tsp dry mustard over the vegetables and stir to combine. Add a bay leaf and 2½ c. chicken stock. Cook down until the mixture measures 2½ cups. If you are serving one person, you will use 10 fluid oz. of the sauce; double that if serving 2 people.  HINT: Freeze the remaining sauce, either in 10 oz portions or 1¼ c. portions. To continue. Steam 1 oz carrot slices and ½ c. cauliflower florets. Boil ¼ c. yellow lentils until cooked. [You will need ¼  c. cooked lentils for this dish, so use any leftover another day.] Add the cooked vegetables to the curry sauce along with 2 Tbsp green peas. Add ¾ oz cooked chicken and heat the sauce to warm all the parts. Serve with the lentils on the side and a garnish of ¼c. diced tomato or diced cucumber.       288 Calories

Why We Do This.

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Remember that this isn’t just about losing weight — that’s the part that shows.  Following this faithfully will lower your cholesterol. And if studies are to be believed, calorie restriction will help you to live longer and grow new brain cells. [See ‘About this Blog’ for links to the original TV show about Fast Dieting.]  Those are good reasons, as far as I’m concerned, to follow this lifestyle and stick to it. What is there to eat on Monday?

Coddled Egg Breakfast: 280 calories  These eggs can be prepared in an ‘egg coddler’  or in a custard cup. If using an official coddler, fill a pan with enough water to cover the coddler by an inch. If using a custard cup, put enough water in the pan to come half-way up the cup. Spray the cup with nCoddled Eggson-stick spray and break one 2-oz egg into the container. Add 1½ tsp grated Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, herbs, and screw on the lid. Lower the coddler into barely-boiling water and simmer 4 minutes. Turn off heat and leave the eggs in the water 1-2 minutes longer, depending on how you like your eggs. Meanwhile toast ½ slice of 70-cal bread. Mix ¼ c. blueberries with 1 Tbsp yogurt and serve on the side. Coffee or tea. Fruit smoothie [Blog Post #1] or 6 oz apple cider.

soba:shrimp quickfryShrimp Stir-fry with Soba Noodles: 275 calories Cook 1 oz of dry soba [or udon] noodles in a quart of water about 4 minutes. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, shell 3 oz raw shrimp and cut in half across the body.  Peel 2 oz carrot and slice into coins. Slice 1½ oz green cabbage and 1 oz onion. Measure 1.5 tsp soy sauce. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a cast iron pan or wok. Add the carrot, cabbage, and onion and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and any liquid and cook one minute more. Toss the cooked noodles into the pan and mix to warm them. Add 1 oz chopped green onion [or a Tbsp steamed chopped broccoli], salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Toss to mix ingredients.  If you think this sounds complicated and long, I did it in 25 minutes and that included peeling carrots and cleaning shrimp. Satisfying and good to eat.  If you don’t like shrimp, substitute just under 2 oz sliced chicken breast.