Michael Mosley’s Fast Diet

A Word From the Experts

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When a new diet comes out, some people are quick to jump on the latest fad. They don’t often think of the nutritional merits of the plan.  Others stand back and sneer and say it can’t be as good as it seems.

When the Fast Diet was proposed, it was the same way: proponents, like me, were quick to try it and tout its benefits. Nay-sayers could not believe that dieting only 2 days a week would work or that the other claims [fasting was good for you and promotes the growth of new brain cells] were true.

Don’t just take my word for it, here are some recent reports about the topic.

“You Can Grow New Brain Cells. Here’s How.                         TED Posted: 10/19/2015 04:29 PM EDT | Edited: 10/19/2015 04:29 PM 

Can adults grow new neurons? Until relatively recently,  experts believed the answer was no.

But as neuroscientist Sandrine Thuret explains in a new TED Talk, humans can indeed generate new brain cells, a process called neurogenesis. More importantly, doing so has a range of important benefits, including  improving mood, increasing memory formation and preventing the decline associated with aging…..

Thuret also explains how dietary habits are crucial to new neuron growth. Practices that  increase neurogenesis include:

*Calorie restriction of 20 to 30 percent                                                      *Intermittent fasting (i.e., spacing the time between your meals)                                                                                         *Intake of flavonoids, which are contained in dark chocolate or blueberries                                                      *Omega-3 fatty acids, present in fatty fish, like salmon

Conversely, some dietary habits have a negative impact on neurogenesis, like diets rich in high saturated fat and alcohol consumption. “

Does any of that sound familiar?  Calorie restriction and fasting are key components of the Fasting Lifestyle!

Does Intermittent Fasting Have Benefits? Science Suggests Yes          http://news.yahoo.com/does-intermittent-fasting-benefits-science-suggests-yes-173453757.html                                                 By Charles Q. Choi

Instead of eating three square meals a day, an eating schedule that involves “intermittent fasting” could help fight not just obesity but many related diseases of modern life, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s, researchers say.

The advice given on fighting obesity usually focuses on consuming fewer calories and exercising more. The benefits of such foods as vegetables, fruits, nuts, fiber and fish, and the value of reducing or eliminating snacks are often also touted.

However, mounting evidence reveals that other key aspects of diet — when and how often people eat — can also play a major role in health. In fact, the most common eating pattern in modern societies of three meals daily, plus snacks, is abnormal from the perspective of human evolution, an international group of researchers wrote in an article published online Nov. 17 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  More and more research shows that intermittent fasting could have benefits, they said.

“Fasting alone is more powerful in preventing and reversing some diseases than drugs,” said Satchidananda Panda, an associate professor of regulatory biology at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego, California, and one of the co-authors of the article.

Ancient hunter-gatherers often ate only intermittently, the researchers noted in their article. This suggests that the ability to function at a high level both physically and mentally during extended periods without food may have been crucial in human evolution, and that the human body may have adapted to perform at its best with intermittent fasting.  Such intermittent fasting could consist of eating 500 calories or less either two days each week, or every other day, or not eating breakfast and lunch several days each week, the researchers said.

Prior research suggests that in animals, intermittent fasting can fend off or even reverse such illnesses as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders. Animal studies suggest that intermittent fasting provides these benefits by allowing the body to respond better to stress that might otherwise damage it. For example, fasting could starve tumors, reduce inflammation, or improve the removal of damaged molecules and other components of cells, the researchers said.  “Intermittent fasting helps the body to rejuvenate and repair, thereby promoting overall health,” Panda told Live Science.

In addition, the body may respond better to meals eaten at some times of the day rather than others because of the body’s circadian rhythms. In the years before artificial light, people depended on natural patterns of day and night, with food primarily eaten during the day and fasting occurring at night. This means that eating at certain times of the day may be healthier for the body’s metabolism — for example, in 2013, two studies in humans suggested that eating meals earlier in the day improved weight loss in overweight and obese people.

Panda said that it may be challenging for people to fast intermittently, instead of eating three meals every day. Eating breakfast is often promoted as a weight-control aid, but recent evidence has suggested it might not be, the researchers said.

Future research needs to further explore the benefits and drawbacks of different types of intermittent fasting in a variety of populations. “Its effectiveness in both preventing and reversing diseases, as well as interaction with standard medications for chronic metabolic diseases, should be tested in appropriate volunteer groups,” Panda said.

Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

For The Adventurous

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Sometimes we eat food that is quick; that is familiar; that spells comfort for us; that is what we’ve had before.  And sometimes we want to do something completely different! For those of you who are adventurous, here we go. And believe it or not, we are still on the Fast diet — even with baked beans and spring rolls!

Improper English     265 cal.     4.3 g. fat       17.2 g. protein          47.5 g. carb                               A “proper English” is the full Victorian breakfast, serving every conceivable food you can imagine. This version leaves out the eggs and kippers [how improper!], but keeps the protein-rich baked beans along with the rest of the usual stand-bys.Improper English

¼ cup baked beans                                                                                                                                      one 50-60 calorie sausage                                                                                                                             ½ piece of 70-cal toast                                                                                                                                     ½ of a 2.5” diameter tomato                                                                                                                            1 oz mushrooms                                                                                                                                                a few grapes or strawberries                                                                                                                         5-6 oz fruit smoothie or unpasturized apple cider                                                                        blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water

Cut the tomato around its equator and put one half away for later. Salt the tomato and put under the broiler until it softens. Cook the sausage and mushrooms in the same pan to heat through. Heat the beans – perhaps in the microwave. Toast the bread and brew the hot beverage. Pour the smoothie and plate everything. Cheerio!

Shrimp Spring Rolls 290 caloriesShrimp Spring Rolls

This is the same recipe as the Shrimp with Udon Noodles but without the noodles. The Spring Roll wrappers look like 8” disks of opaque plastic, but after soaking for 10-15 seconds in water, they become clear and very pliant. If you are not accustomed to wrapping spring rolls or egg rolls, you might want to practice using wonton wrappers which are easier to manipulate.

3 oz raw shrimp, cleaned and cut in half across the body                                                                                            2 oz carrot, peeled and sliced into thin coins or cut as julienne                                                        1½ oz green cabbage                                                                                                                                            1 1/2 tsp soy sauce                                                                                                                                                1 tsp olive oil                                                                                                                                                          1 oz chopped green onion [or 2 Tbsp steamed chopped broccoli]                                              Thai hot chili sauce                                                                                                                                          three 8″ Spring Roll wrappers

Chop and prepare all the ingredients and put them in small dishes near the stove-top. Heat a cast iron skillet or wok until hot and add the oil. When it is hot, add the carrot and cabbage. Stirfry for 3 minutes on heat high enough to keep the vegetables sizzling. If the pan becomes dry, add some water. This is supposed to be a no-no in stir-frying, but we are cutting down on oil, OK? Add the shrimp and stirfry about 1 minute, until it is cooked. Add the scallion or cooked broccoli and soy sauce. Stirfry a bit longer until all is mixed and warm. Take off the heat. Remove the cooked mixture to a bowl. [if you want to, run it briefly through the food processor. This step is optional.]                                            Wipe out the pan and put a mere film of oil on it. Turn on the heat to medium-low.               Put a pie plate of warm water on the counter. Add one of the spring roll wrappers. When it is clear, remove it and lay it flat on a dish towel. Spoon 1/3 of the mixture onto the wrapper. Roll up a bit, then fold in the sides, then finish rolling. Put the roll in the warm pan. Repeat with the other rolls. In the pan, turn the rolls until they are warm and slightly browned.    Serve with a dollop of hot sauce.

Meals on a Raft

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The hash house waitress used to yell, “Adan and Eve on a raft!” when she called in an order of poached eggs on toast.  Putting food on some sort of bread-stuff is popular in many cuisines, and some people would say that you can’t eat carbs while dieting. Not so. On the Fast Diet complex carbs are fine in moderation, as long as they are accompanied by lots of protein. Even though this menu has carbs in both meals, the total for the day is 62 g. carbs — far below what is considered ‘usual’ for a day.

Tostada : 308 calories       7.6 g. fat            18.1 g. protein        39.7 g. carbs         GF     PB            HINT: Use some of the chili non carne [See November 4 posting for recipe] to give this simple breakfast rich flavor. It will keep you going for hours.Tostada

one 6” corn tortilla                                                                                                                                      one 2-oz egg                                                                                                                                                       2 Tbsp chili non carne   [November 4 Blog Post]                                                                                                                 2 tsp Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, grated                                                                                    hot beverage of your choice – hold the cream and sugar                                                                  5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasturized apple cider

Heat the toaster oven to 350. Put the chili in a custard cup and put it into the oven to heat. Warm a dry cast iron skillet over med-high heat. Warm the tortilla in the pan on both sides until it is warm and pliable and starting to brown. Remove the tortilla and keep warm in a dish towel. Spritz the skillet with non-stick spray and fry the egg until it is done as you like it. Remove the egg. Spread the chili on the tortilla and return the tortilla to the skillet. Put the egg on the chili and sprinkle with the cheese. Put the pan into the hot oven until the cheese melts. Brew your beverage, pour the smoothie and wake up your mouth.

Tuna Melt:        274 calories       10.9 g. fat          24.7 g. protein          22.2 g. carbsTuna melt

1 slice 70-cal. bread                                                                                                                     1/2 of a 5-0z can of water-pack tuna, drained                                                                      1 Tbsp onion, finely chopped                                                                                                    1 Tbsp celery, finely chopped                                                                                                         1 pinch celery seed, salt, pepper                                                                                                1 and 1/2 tsp low fat mayonnaise                                                                                             1 slice Swiss cheese, the deli kind                                                                                              1/2 cup romaine lettuce, shredded                                                                                       1/2 tsp lemon juice & 1/2 tsp olive oil

Combine the tuna, onion, celery, celery seed, and mayo as you would for tuna salad. Toast the bread. Spread the tuna mixture over the bread and top it with the cheese. Toast or broil until cheese is melting. In a wide bowl, whisk the oil and lemon juice. Toss the lettuce with the dressing and relax while you dine.

Chili Time!

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As the weather gets colder, we want to curl up with some warm, spicy food. Chili! Here are two recipes which we enjoy: Venison Chili and Chili Non Carne. The second is the springboard for a breakfast next week. How easy is that!?

Venison Chili:     297calories            5 g. fat             35.6 g. protein            GF                        HINT: This is enough for 2 one-cup servings. Save the remaining chili for another dinner later or invite a fellow-Faster for dinner.venison chili w: melon

½ pound ground venison                                                                                                                             16 oz canned tomatoes – in chunks or diced                                                                                          1 clove garlic, chopped                                                                                                                                     1 cup red onion, chopped                                                                                                                            1/2 green pepper, chopped  and seeded                                                                                                    1 cup canned red beans, drained and rinsed                                                                                          2-4 tsp chili                                                                                                                                                         ¾ tsp salt                                                                                                                                                             ½ – 1 tsp ground cumin                                                                                                                                 per serving: a small slice of melon, as a garnish

Cook the venison, onion, garlic, and green pepper in some of the tomato juices until tender. Add remaining ingredients and cook gently until the chili is hot throughout. Taste to see if it needs more seasoning. Serve one cup for dinner tonight with the melon on the side.

Chili non Carne:     277 calories    3.5 g. fat    15.6 g. protein      48 g. carbs   PB    GF              HINT: This is enough for 2 one-cup servings. Save the remaining chili for a lunch or watch for future postings to see how we use it for breakfast!   The recipe is my mother’s, except that she added beef. And she served it on a heap of mashed potatoes, but we won’t do that on a Fast Day.

15 oz canned red beans, drained and rinsed                                                                                         16 oz canned tomatoes – in chunks or diced                                                                                           1 cup chopped onion                                                                                                                                            1 green pepper, chopped                                                                                                                                2-3 tsp chili pepper, or more if you like it spicy                                                                                                    ½ – 1 tsp ground cumin                                                                                                                               per serving: 1 Tbsp cheddar cheese, grated, as a garnish

Cook the onion and green pepper in some of the tomato juices until tender. Add remaining ingredients and cook gently until the stew is thickened. Taste to see if it needs more seasoning. Serve one cup for dinner tonight with the grated cheese on top.

Number One Son

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Today is the birthday of Number One Son, so we will celebrate with a breakfast that he might not like and a dinner he would enjoy.  The breakfast involves blueberries which he stopped eating when he saw that the insides were actually green and gooey-looking. But he does like oatmeal. The crab cakes are a real winner and a family favorite.

Oatmeal Pudding      295 cal       2.6 g. fat          12.1 g. protein      49.7 g. carb      GF PBoatmeal pudding w: green smoothie

A riff on a recipe found in Marion Cunningham’s Breakfast Book, this can easily be prepared the night before. NB: THIS MAKES ENOUGH FOR TWO [2] PERSONS OR 2 [two] MEALS FOR ONE PERSON

½ cup oatmeal, cooked in 1 cup water                                                                                                      2 tsp maple syrup                                                                                                                                             ½ cup fatfree cottage cheese                                                                                                                  pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon                                                                                                                     4 Tbsp. blueberries [fresh or frozen]                                                                                 …………………………….                                                                                                                                           per serving 1  oz of watermelon per person                                                                                            5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or natural apple cider                                          blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

Cook the oatmeal in the water. Take off the heat and stir in the maple syrup and nutmeg. While it is still a little warm, stir in the cottage cheese. Let sit to cool. HINT: I did this part the night before while cleaning up after dinner. If making one portion, pour half of the pudding into a freezer container and top with 2 Tbsp blueberries. Freeze it. HINT: make the entire batch, eat half of it today and freeze the rest for a really simple-to-prepare breakfast for another day. With the remainder, stir in 2 Tbsp blueberries and pour the pudding into a ramekin. Nuke it for a minute to heat through – longer than that and it will bubble over. Serve with the melon, smoothie, and hot beverage for a hearty, healthy meal.

Crab Cakes:     250 cal        4.7 g fat         24.0 g protein                14.2 g carbs   PBCrab Cakes w: beans

Rock and Jonah crabs abound on the coast of New England and they are grand as crab cakes. This recipe is from Todd English’s Olive’s Table cookbook. Note: this is the full recipe and makes 5 cakes – more than you will eat at one meal. Prepare them all and cook as directed. HINT: This will provide a few future meals.

½ pound crab meat                                                                                                                                                      2 T [1 oz] plain nonfat yogurt                                                                                                                        1 tsp Dijon mustard                                                                                                                                      2 Tbsp. chopped green or white onion                                                                                                      1 T. parsley, minced                                                                                                                                           1 two-oz egg                                                                                                                                                         1 tsp salt & ¼ tsp pepper                                                                                                                                 1 slice fresh 70-cal bread, crumbled   [I like Nature’s Own wholegrain]                                                                                                        4 T. flour                                                                                                                                                                   2 tsp oil                                                                                                                                                                 4 oz green beans                                                                                                                                                    1 tsp low-fat mayonnaise + few drops of lemon juice + pinch each of tumeric and garlic powder [this is your aioli dressing]

Gently combine 1st 8 ingredients in a bowl. Dust a large plate with the flour. Using a 1/3 c. measure as a mold, form the crab cakes and turn them out onto the flour. There should be 5 cakes. Dust the top of the cakes with some of the flour. Heat a non-stick skillet and add 2 tsp olive oil. Handling them carefully, cook the crab cakes until they are beginning to brown on the top and bottom. Cook the green beans.  Put aioli on crab cakes.

One Fast Day serving = 1.5 crab cakes. Cool the others, wrap in cling wrap and freeze. Reheat in a toaster oven. Since the cakes will have been previously cooked, they need only to be reheated at this point.

You Want To, But Your Partner Doesn’t….

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I hear this a lot from people: “You are lucky that your husband is Fasting too.  Mine isn’t [won’t/ thinks he doesn’t need it] and it is so hard to cook two different meals. I can’t keep this up.”  I hear you and here’s the solution: cook the same meals for everybody! Then the preparer gets the convenience of one preparation and the non-Faster gets the benefit of the meals without fearing that he/she will be starving.  The key difference is amount.

Fish Tacos for 2For example, Fish Tacos are one of my summertime favorites. By increasing the recipe slightly, I produced 5 tacos. I ate two, he ate three.

PB
Baked White Fish for 2

Then there’s Baked White Fish with Cheese. Same recipe but he gets some left-over rice pilaf as a side dish.  PB  GF

Chicken Dinner for 2

Or a Chicken Dinner. Each plate has 4 oz roast chicken breast and a cup of snap beans.  But my plate has the tomatoes and he has a bit of left-over potato casserole. So much food it was tough to eat it all!      GF

Breakfasts are easy! Serve any of the egg meals and add a piece of toast for your table-mate. Or extra fruit.

On Fast Days, your partner may feel like eating lunch. OK, it is a free world. You don’t have to be at the table or even in the same room. Take your cup of tea and go do something else. You aren’t being anti-social, it is a matter of self-preservation. Feel free to stay true to your Fasting Lifestyle  and be safe in the knowledge that everyone had eaten well and that you will have lost weight tomorrow.

Hope this helps to bridge the gap in a House Divided. And maybe your dining partner will come to like the Fast Food that you are serving and wish to join you on the quest for healthy eating

Holy Crepes

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In the 1970s the crêpes really hit the pan in the USA. Restaurants featuring the French ‘pancakes’ were very popular, giving the impression that this type of food was newly invented.  Au contraire, mon ami. The original crêpes come from Brittany, the peninsula in NW France where they grow buckwheat instead of wheat. Buckwheat crêpes are seldom seen in the US, and the tourist food from street corners in Paris use crêpe batter without it.

Crêpes are easy to make, without fancy equipment, and lend themselves to a variety of healthy fillings. By using a combination of unbleached wheat flour and buckwheat flour, you get a crêpe which is lighter in texture and in flavor. The batter can be made ahead and frozen. Or the crepes themselves can be made ahead and stored for a few days in the ‘fridge.

Crêpe batter   1 batch makes 16 crepes, each using ¼ cup batter      each crepe =  55 calories   0.8 g. fat   2.4 g. protein  9.9 g. carbs       PB   The recipe is from Susan Herrmann Loomis’ terrific book, French Farmhouse Cookbook.                                

1 cup unbleached flour                                    ¾ cup buckwheat flour                                                                                                                                         1 ¾ cup water                2 eggs               ½ tsp sea salt                                                                                                                                                              

Vigorously whisk the flours and the water until batter is smooth. When you lift the whisk, the batter should fall off in ‘ropes.’ Let sit for 2 hours or over night. HINT: batter could be divided into 1 cup or ½ cup portions and frozen. If using frozen batter, whisk it vigorously after it thaws. Heat a small cast-iron pan or ceramic saute pan. Lightly spritz with oil.  {If your pan is well seasoned or you use a ceramic pan, you should not have to oil the pan more than once.}  Dip a ¼ cup measure into the batter and let the extra drain off. Grasp the handle of the cook pan with one hand as you slowly pour the batter into the center of the pan. Tilt the pan in a swirling pattern to let the batter form a circle roughly 6” in diameter. Don’t get hung up on perfectly round or perfectly flat. Watch the crêpe cook and look to see when the edges start to dry and curl a bit. Using a heat-resistant bur non-scratching tool [I use my fingers], lift the crêpe and turn it over. Cook the other side until done. Time will vary, depending on the heat of your pan. Lift the cooked crêpes out, put it aside, and cook the next one. HINT: if storing them for later today or tomorrow, let them cool on a tea towel, then stack and store in a plastic bag.

What shall we do with the crepes? Are you getting ideas already of what to put inside? Stay tuned in future weeks to put your frozen crêpe batter into use.

Busy Week-end?

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In Canada, this is Thanksgiving week-end. Here in New England, these October weeks hurry by with leaf-peepers visiting for Columbus Day Week-end or apple picking or long drives to see the foliage display. No time to cook doesn’t mean a break from the Fast Diet. Plan ahead for simple meals.

Easter-After Breakfast   296 calories    8.9 g. fat       16.1 g. protein     18.6 g. carb                                This is a simple breakfast for the day after a big family meal, using a few left-overs from the dinner table. Last time this was served was after Easter, hence the name.Easter Breakfast

1 two-oz egg, hardboiled                                                                                                                              ¾ oz ham  [I save some ham slices from a roast and keep them in the freezer]                                                                              ¼ cup Yorkshire Pudding batter with added herbs. HINT: This batter is left over from before and you put some in the freezer. Add a pinch of thyme and a pinch of basil.  Never made the Y. Pud before? Recipe below.                                                                                 2 oz fresh pineapple OR ¼ cup mixed berries                                                                              pinch of chopped mint leaves                                                                                                                          5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or natural apple cider                                            blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water

It begins with a Yorkshire Pudding batter which you need to prepare in advance. Like, say, the night before. The Yorkshire Pudd recipe is from the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook.                                                                                                                                Y. Pudd batter:                                                                                                                                            one 2-oz egg                                     1 cup flour                           ½ tsp salt                                                  ½ cup water                                     ½ cup fat-free milk

Mix all the ingredients together and let the batter stand at room temp for 30-60 minutes or in ‘fridge overnight. You will need 1/3 cup of the batter per person. HINT: The remainder can be frozen in 1 cup or 1/3 cup batches for future meals. When it is time to use the batter, beat it with a rotary beater until it is frothy. Two minis = one serving.

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

Morrocan Tuna:    297 calories    [sorry. no photo available for this one]

4 oz tuna steak  [When I see frozen tuna steaks at the supermarket, I get a few]                                 2 pinches of Moroccan spices  OR ground cumin                                                                                                         1/3 cup white beans, rinsed     [Goya brand is always reliable]                                      1 slice preserved lemon OR 1 slice fresh lemon                                                                    2/3 cup peas                                                                                                                         cilantro                                                                                                                                           1 cup broccoli florets

Rub tuna on both sides with Moroccan spices. Chop the lemon and stir into the beans. Bake the tuna on a cast iron skillet for 4-5 minutes per side in a 400 degree oven.  Meanwhile cook and season the broccoli  and peas. When the peas are cooked, drain and stir in the cilantro. 

Some of that…

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Sampling different cuisines is something I enjoy. One of my challenges as a meal-planner is to mix it up and have a lot of variety. You don’t have to sample everything I post, but if you are an adventurous eater, then you can say, “I’ll have some of that today.”  AND you can still lose weight.

Laughing Herb Omelette 287 calories                                                                             PBLaughing Herb Om w: apple

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                                                                         1/2 section Vache Qui Rit [Laughing Cow] cheese                                                                             1.5 Tbsp fresh herbs — your choice                                                                                                              3 oz apple                                                                                                                                                             ½ slice bread  Nature’s Own is still my go-to for Fast Day                                                                 5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or natural apple cider                                              blackish tea or blackish coffee or hot water with lemon

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, toast bread, shake up the smoothie, pour your hot beverage and laugh along with the cow.

Red Beans & Rice   280 calories   1.2 g. fat    13 g. protein    57.5 g. carb   PB    GFRed Beans & Rice w: gr. beans

This is the old classic recipe for the ‘perfect protein’. Yeah, you’re right, the carbs are way out of control, but for a once-in-a-while this is really good. HINT: This is enough for 4 servings! Either have a gathering or cut the recipe or freeze in 1 cup portions for later.

2 cups brown rice, cooked                                                                                                                        ½ cup celery, chopped                                                                                                                                 ½ cup sweet yellow pepper, diced                                                                                                              1 cup onion, chopped                                                                                                                                     2 cloves garlic, minced                                                                                                                                  ¾ cup tomato sauce                                                                                                                            oregano,   black pepper                                                                                                                                 2 cups red beans, drained and rinsed [Goya brand is very good]                                                   ½ cup green beans per serving

Cook the rice. Spritz a non-stick pan with oil and saute the celery, pepper, and onions for 5 minutes, adding a bit of water if it seems dry. Add the garlic and cook 5 minutes more. Add the tomato sauce and seasonings. Stir in the red beans and heat through. When the rice is done, add 2 cups to the mixture. Serve with the cooked green beans.

This is for you, D.C.P.

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Today is the birthday of our good friend DCP who recently said, “It’s easier for you to Fast — you like eggs.”  For those of you who would rather not see an egg on the plate at breakfast, try these. Many are Plant-based and all are Fasting-friendly. Many of the recipes are high in Carbs, so be careful to pair with a low-carb and high protein dinner. Happy Birthday, DCP.                                                                                                                Nordic Breakfast, September 20                                                                                      French Toast, September 6                                                                                                     Toad in the Hole, July 9                                                                                                     Cottage Cheese and Pears, July 2                                                                             Improper English, May 17                                                                                              Oatmeal Pudding, May 26                                                                                                   Rotate these meals through your Mondays and Thursdays, and you won’t repeat for three weeks.  Of course some people like to eat a favorite again and again. Go for it!  But keep Fasting.  Hmm… those breakfasts look so good, I might even eat one on a Tuesday!

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