mediterranean diet + Fast diet

No Fooling!

~ 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 claridad who is now Following.

Tomorrow will be April 1st — April Fools’ Day.  What is the origin of that expression?  Why is that day a time for playing tricks?  The most widely-held origin story relates to the switch [anytime from the 1500s to the 1900s] from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar.  There was a 14-day gap [akin to the clocks ‘springing forward’ to Daylight Savings Time] and what had been the start of the new year on March 25 was now on April 1. Confusing to anyone to be sure, but those who got it wrong were labeled ‘fools.’  In France, the butt of a prank is called a ‘poisson d’Avril’ [April fish], since the young fish are foolish enough to be caught more easily.[??]  A popular joke is to tape a picture of a fish to someone’s back.  [At least it doesn’t say ‘kick me.’]   What is your favorite prank for April 1?                                                                                                                        We will not be fooled — we will know that April 1, 2019 will be a Fast Day and we will be ready for it.  Neither will we be fooled by other diets which promise great results and can’t deliver.  Today’s menus include fish so that you can eat the Poisson d’Avril rather than being one.  Interested in the Mediterranean Diet? I’m not kidding: these meals are for you.

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

1 two-oz egg                   ½ Tbsp cottage cheese       1 Tbsp brandade [see St Bernard]                                                                                                                                      shake or two granulated garlic            1 oz peach slices + ½ oz blueberries                  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea                Optional:  5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie  [88 calories]

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

Fish with Polenta & Zucchini Ribbons:  261 calories   5.6 g fat  3.9 g fiber   32 g protein 23 g carbs [Complex]   225 mg Calcium  PB  The polenta needs to be made ahead. Simple to prepare and delicious and filling [even though I forgot to add the cheeses!].Fish w: Polenta & Zucchini Ribbons

1 slice of polenta [that’s 1/6 of the recipe from SIDEKICKS II Oct 4, ’17]                                                  3 oz zucchini ribbons                                                                                                                                       1 oz roasted red peppers                                                                                                                   1 clove garlic                                                                                                                                     2 Tbsp crushed tomatoes                                                                                                                                      4 oz firm fish filets, skinless and boneless                                                                                       large pinch herbes de Province or thyme                                                                                            1 Tbsp Parmesan, grated                                                                                                                        ½ oz mozzerella, grated

Slice the garlic as a julienne. Using a potato peeler, make lengthwise cuts on the zucchini to produce thin ‘ribbons.’  Alternately, use a spiralizer.  Cut the slice of polenta in half so it is about 1/3” thick. Heat a heavy skillet and spray with a non-stick product. Lay the fish on the skillet and sprinkle with pepper and and salt. Cook on one side, then flip to the other. Add the polenta to the pan at this point. Cook it in the hot pan on both sides until it is warm and beginning to brown. Remove cooked fish and polenta and keep warm. Put the garlic in the pan and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the other vegetables, herbs, salt, pepper, and Parmesan. Stir to combine until everything is warm, about 45 seconds – the zucchini will be just barely cooked. Plate the fish and polenta slices, spoon the vegetables around the polenta, then sprinkle with mozzerella.

Shipwrecked!

~ 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 laurarose who is now Following.

Tomorrow, February 10, is “San Pawl Nawfragu.” But you knew that, right?  You would have known if you were familiar with Chapters 27-28 of the Book of Acts.  There, Luke, the author of Acts, describes being transported from modern-day Crete to Rome with St Paul who was a prisoner. [Paul, in 60 CE, was accused of crimes against the state, but being a citizen of Rome, he demanded that the trial be held in Rome. Hence the sea voyage.]  The ship was in a storm off southern Italy and the crew were fearful for their lives.  Paul told them they would all live and when the ship ran aground, everyone survived. “Once safely on shore,” wrote Luke, “we found out that the island was called Malta.  The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold.”  The shipwreck at Valletta or possibly St Thomas Bay was the start of the conversion the Maltese to Christianity. After three months, the crew and passengers continued to Rome and to this day, the people of Malta celebrate the shipwreck and the rescue of all hands.                                                                                                         “Mediterranean Vegetables” [similar to French Ratatouille] are a popular ingredient in Maltese recipes [a recipe will call for ‘a can of Mediterranean Vegetables’], and so we use them in today’s meals.  From breakfast to dinner, we can dine like those unusually kind people of Malta. The dinner is a scaled-down version of the local favorite “Torta tal-Ispinaċi u t-Tonn taż-Żejt.”

ratatouille-egg crepe

Ratatouille-Egg Crepe:    292 calories   5.7 g fat   4 g fiber   15.5 g protein   43 g carbs [37 g Complex]   205 mg Calcium    PB  GF – if using GF flour in your crêpes     Straight out of Malta – if it weren’t for the crêpe! A perfect blend of French/Mediterranean flavors.

1 crêpe [see Sidekicks I, 17 Sept 2017]                                                                                                            one 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                               ¼ cup Mediterranean Vegetables [Sidekicks II, 4 Oct 2017], drained of excess liquids [reserve the liquid]                                                                                                                                                   ½ oz fresh mushrooms                                                                                                                                           5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasturized apple cider                                            blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

Drain the vegetables of excess liquids. Use the liquids to cook the mushrooms. Combine the vegetables and mushrooms and heat. Warm the crêpe and plate it. Poach or fry the egg. Spoon the vegetables over the crêpe and top it all with the egg.

maltese spinach-tuna pie

Maltese Spinach-Tuna Pie:   185 calories   9.6 g fat  5.3 g fiber  19 g protein   24 g carbs [16 g Complex]   49 mg Calcium   PB   This dish is a classic in Malta and you will enjoy it at home too. Lots of ingredients, but it is really easy to prepare and remarkably tasty. NB: This recipe serves two.

1/6 sheet purchased puff pastry                                                                                                       100 g frozen spinach                                                                                                                                 1 tsp olive oil                                                                                                                                    ½ cup onion, chopped                                                                                                                           2 cloves garlic, chopped                                                                                                                     100 g tuna                                                                                                                                           100 g Mediterranean Vegetables [see Sidekicks II,  4-October -’17]                                                                                 ¼ c peas                                                                                                                                            1 Tbsp capers                                                                                                                                     2 anchovies, rinsed                                                                                                                              2 Tbsp tomato puree 

Put the puff paste sheet on the counter to warm for 30 minutes. Thaw the spinach and squeeze out the moisture. Heat the oil in a pan, then saute the onions and garlic. When they are just cooked, add everything else except the puff pastry. Stir and cook until everything is warmed through. Transfer to a lightly-oiled oven-proof dish. Cut 1/6 of the pastry sheet. Rewrap and refreeze the rest. Place the puff paste on top of the tuna/vegetable mixture. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until the puff pastry is browning and flakey.

Indian Summer

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

Here we are on the other side of Fall: it is darker, the color is gone from the leaves, and as Ned Stark would say, “Winter is coming.”  And yet… along comes a warm day or two to get our hopes up.  “Indian Summer,” as it is called around here, is a spell of warmer weather following the killing frost.  One can imagine the early Europeans, trying to hack an existence out of the New England landscape, going into despair as the cold weather arrived.  “This is not like England,” they’d moan. “We should have more time to get ready for winter!”  “Not to worry,” their First Nations allies [at that point in time they still had not thoroughly alienated the locals] would rejoin, “There will be more warm weather.”  And since they were correct, the Europeans dubbed it Indian Summer.  The Old Farmer’s Almanac says that it begins this year on November 12, so let’s enjoy it.                                   In honor of those warmer days, we will enjoy some foods of summer once again.  Breakfast will include melon, which is available Summer and Fall, paired deliciously with prosciutto which is the product of Autumn. For dinner, a chance to grill again by putting tuna and summer vegetables on the flames. And although we are talking about Fall in northern New England, these recipes will whisk you off to a sunny Mediterranean diet.

Prosciutto & Melon Plate:  266 calories  7.3 g fat   2.2 g fiber  23.6 g protein   36 g carbs [24 g Complex]  294 mg Calcium   PB GF  Once again the Inn at Saint Peter’s inspires a breakfast! Nothing beats the salty-sweet flavor combination of this meal. HINT: I plated everything the night before and stored the plates in zipper-close bags in the refrigerator.Prosciutto-Melon Plate

4 oz canteloupe melon [Charentais melon would be fabulous!]                                                              1 oz thinly-sliced prosciutto                                                                                                                                     ¼ cup red onion pickle                                                                                                                                        0.1 oz shavings of Parmesan cheese                                                                                                            fresh basil or mint leaves OR crumbled dried basil                                                                                                          drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction, optional                                                                                       blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water                                                                                               5-6 oz fruit smoothie, green smoothie or natural apple cider

Cut the melon into bite-sized cubes [8 pieces look well on the plate]. Cut the prosciutto into 8 long strips [mine were 1”x4”]. Arrange the melon and ham in a circle on the plate with the red onion in the center. Shave off curls of Parmesan and place them on top. If using fresh herb leaves, tuck them in here and there. If using dried herbs, rub the leaves in your palms to crumble over the plate. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar if you wish. Serve with your chosen beverages. Wonderful flavors, however you combine them on your fork.

Tuna with Grilled Vegetables:  244 calories   7 g fat  3.9 g fiber  29 g protein  14.6 g carbs  [10.6 g Complex]  32.5 mg Calcium  PB GF  The recipe comes from the Fast Diet Book and it is wonderful. An exemplar of the Mediterranean Diet.tuna & grilled veg

6 oz tuna steak                                                                                                                                                          4 oz red bell peppers                                                                                                                                               5 oz zucchini  or summer squash                                                                                                                                  2 oz cherry tomatoes                                                                                                                                               1 tsp olive oil                                                                                                                                                        splash of lemon juice

Cut the peppers into long strips. Same with the zucchini. Toss all the vegetables with the olive oil. Cook the tuna and vegetables on a grill pan or grill, 3 minutes on each side. Serve with the lemon juice. Delicious and quick.

Happy Pairing: Dill + Salmon

~ 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 Douglas W. who is now Following.

Some food flavors have a natural affinity for each other. Culinary articles and books have used a lot of ink on the topic. [One of our favorite tomes is What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg]  In many cuisines, the favorite pairing is Dill with Salmon. Scandinavian cooks love that combination, as do the Russians. In fact, throughout the Northern latitudes where salmon live in the waters and dill grows in the gardens, there are recipes to combine the two.

Leek & Salmon Bake:  270 calories  7 g fat  2.9 g fiber  15.2 g protein  36.4 g carbs  225.6 mg Calcium PB GF Simply delicious.Leek-Salmon Bake w: plum

One 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                                ½ oz salmon [could be leftover from a previous meal]                                                                                  1/3 oz leek, sliced thinly                                                                                                                                                 1 tsp low-fat sour cream OR plain Greek Yogurt                                                                                       dill weed to taste                                                                                                                                                  dash lemon juice                                                                                                                                                        1 small plum  OR  ¼ cup blueberries                                                                                                                                                    6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasturized apple cider                                                      blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

Spritz an oven-proof ramekin [for 2 people, my Husband likes to use a 6×4” oval casserole] with non-stick spray and set the oven for 350 degrees F. Slice the leek and put in a microwave-safe dish. [NB: if the fish is raw, cut it into small pieces and put it in the dish, too]Cook in microwave for 30 minutes at high heat to soften the leek. Add to the ramekin. Whisk the egg with the sour cream, dill, lemon juice, and salt/pepper to taste. [NB: some people find dill to be a very strong flavor] Pour over the salmon/leek mixture and bake for 12-15 minutes. Prepare your beverages and dish the berries. Have a wonderful breakfast and a wonderful day.

Salmon-Dill Casserole:   281 calories  10.4 g fat  5 g fiber  24.6 g protein  24 g carbs  253 mg Calcium PB GF  This is a wonderful combination.Salmon-Leek Casserole

3 oz salmon, raw                                                                                                                                                          1 cup leeks, sliced                                                                                                                                                      1 clove garlic                                                                                                                                                                 2 oz clam juice                                                                                                                                                             2 Tbsp milk                                                                                                                                                             ¼ cup peas                                                                                                                                                                                                     pinch nutmeg + pinch cayenne  +  ½ tsp dill                                                                                                     ½ tsp cornstarch                                                                                                                                                            1 oz green beans  

Cut the salmon into one-inch cubes and put in an oven-proof dish, dusting the fish with salt and pepper. Cook the leeks 5 minutes in a pan with a spritz of oil and some water. Slice the garlic and add that to the leeks for 15 seconds. Take pan off the heat and add dill, cayenne, nutmeg, peas, and  cornstarch. Pour over salmon and bake around 15 minutes until it is hot through. In the meantime, cook the green beans and drain. Scrape the hot salmon mixture into your serving bowl [I used one 7” bowl per serving], being sure to include all the sauce. Top with the cooked beans. If there is broth left in the bottom of the bowl, don’t be shy – drink it!

Crossroads: Mediterranean

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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 Nourish Naturally who is now Following.

There are some locations so remote you wonder how Lonely Planet finds them.  Then there are other places that have had so many waves of ‘visitors’ that you wonder how they have their own identity.  Malta and Sicily, the islands off Southern Italy, are such crossroads. The Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Minoans, the Romans, the Arabs, the Normans, the crusaders: all left their mark. Every one seems to have been there: Odysseus sailed through the Strait of Messina [Scylla + Charybdis] and even Saints Luke and Paul set foot on the islands.                                                                                                                                  

Are you ‘between Scylla and Charybdis’ about your health and dieting?  You want to lose weight, but you don’t know how to begin?  Eat these meals tomorrow and see how you like Fasting. The breakfast features many of the flavors of Malta in one savory meal.  The dinner combines tuna [common in the Mediterranean] with local produce to make a fine, quick meal for any time of year.

Maltese ScrOmelette:   293 calories…  8.4 g fat…  3.5 g fiber…  18 g carbs…  252 mg Calcium…   PB GF  With the fish, the vegetables, and the fruit, 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    ++++ ½ clementine    ++++ Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or  berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++++ Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or  mocha cafe au lait [75 calories] ++                                                                                                                                                                           

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!

Tuna with Grilled Vegetables:  244 calories…  7 g fat…  4 g fiber…  29 g protein…  14.6 g carbs…  32.5 mg Calcium…  PB GF  The recipe comes from the Fast Diet Book and it is wonderful. So pretty on the plate.

+++ 5 oz tuna steak ++++ 4 oz red bell peppers ++++ 5 oz zucchini++++ 2 oz cherry tomatoes ++++ 1 tsp olive oil ++++ splash of lemon juice ++

Cut the peppers into long strips. Same with the zucchini. Toss all the vegetables with the olive oil. Cook the tuna and vegetables on a grill pan or grill, 3 minutes on each side. Serve with the lemon juice. Delicious and quick.