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.

Imagine this: Your people have been living in a foreign land ever since a famine drove you from your homeland.  You are herdsmen and farmers, minding your own business and worshiping your own G-d. After many generations, the leaders of this country grow nervous about the size of your population.  They move you to the cities, make you take menial jobs, kill your sons, and restrict your movement in or out of the country.  What can you do to improve your plight? You pray to your G-d for help.  A leader arises from among you, who goes to the government and demands that you people be allowed to leave. The answer is no: you are worth more to the government as forced labor.  Plagues descend on the land, affecting millions of people, and still you cannot leave. At last a message is whispered from house to house: kill a lamb for your dinner tonight and daub its blood on the doorposts of your dwelling. Pack whatever you can carry, including food, and be ready to leave when the word comes. Do not even bake yeast bread, there isn’t time.  That night, children and livestock all over the country die mysteriously — but not in your house, for the evil passed over you. The next day, your people are allowed to leave and you march to the East, rejoicing that your G-d has set you free.  This is the story of Passover as told in Exodus Chapter I, verse 8 through Chapter 12, verse 39.

In case you are running out of menu ideas, today’s meals are in keeping with the Kosher food traditions of Passover.  Breakfast is styled on the popular Reuben Sandwich, served on matzo, an unleavened bread.  The dinner is a simple soup made of a ‘bitter herb‘ — watercress.

Reuben Matzo Egg:  168 calories   9.8 g fat   1.3 g fiber  14 g protein  18.6 g carbs  [2.5 g Complex]  54 mg Calcium   NB: Food values shown are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverages.   PB  The flavors of a Reuben but Kosher for Passover! What’s not to love? Delicious, filling breakfast. The original recipe is from Kosher in the Kitch.

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.                               ½ matzo cracker [14 g] [Streit’s brand]                                                                                                ¼ oz corned beef, sliced thinly and diced                                                                                            2 Tbsp sauerkraut [drained]                                                                                                            1.5 tsp Russian Dressing**                                                                                                      **Optional: black coffee with 1 tsp sugar [16 calories] or black tea or lemon in hot water Optional: 4 oz Kosher orange juice [56 calories]

**Russian Dressing    22 calories/1.5 tsp                                                                                                            1 tsp mayonnaise          ¼ tsp catsup              1/8 tsp hot sauce                                                    1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce           pinch paprika 

Whisk the eggs vigorously, then stir in the corned beef and sauerkraut. Pour into a non-stick pan which was spritzed with olive oil. Scramble until done to your preference. Carefully break the matzo in two, then in half again: you will now have two quarter pieces. Spread most of the Russian Dressing on the matzo crackers, then top with the eggs. Garnish with a little corned beef, a dollop of the Dressing, and black pepper. Delish.

Watercress Soup:  157 calories   5.4 g fat   2.9 g fiber   8.4 g protein  22 g carbs  [19 g Complex]  63.5 mg Calcium  PB  GF   Jacques Pepin’s Good Life Cooking is the source of this recipe and the stream that runs onto the beach is the source of our watercress.  So low in calories, you can add an egg for more protein and a Caprese Salad on the side. HINT: This recipe makes 5 cups. Freeze the remainders.

2 tsp olive oil                                                                                                                                          4 oz [by weight, not volume] watercress leaves and stemmer stems                                        1 cup celery, coarsely chopped                                                                                                            2 cups onion, coarsely chopped                                                                                                              2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed                                                                                                          2-1/2 cups very good vegetable broth [if not keeping Kosher, use chicken or beef broth]                                                                                                                                                       3/4 tsp salt                                                                                                                                             10 oz [weight not volume] potato, peeled and cut in 2″ chunks                                                  2 oz [weight not volume] sweet potato, peeled and cut in 2″ chunks                                       per serving: 1 Tbsp chèvre cheese

optional:  Caprese Salad — 46 calories  2.2 g fat  0.6 g fiber  3.9 g protein  2.6 g carbs  115.6 g Calcium  1/2 oz mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced       2 oz tomatoes, thinly sliced and sprinkled with salt    fresh basil leaves     There should be equal slices of cheese and tomato.  Arrange the cheese, tomato, and basil in over-lapping layers                                         optional: cut a hard-boiled egg length-wise into quarters and nestle them into the soup           70 calories    4.8 g fat   0 g fiber   6 g protein    0.4 g carbs   28 mg Calcium

Heat the oil in a sauce pan.  Add the cress, celery, onion, and garlic and stir-fry for two minutes.  Put in the stock, salt, and potatoes and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.  Cool slightly, then puree in a blender/food processor/immersion wand.  If not thoroughly pureed, run it through a sieve.  Heat the soup gently before serving.  After ladling into the bowl, put the chèvre in the center, let it soften in the heat, then swirl it into the soup with a knife. Serve with the optional additions.                                                  

Ingredients for next week:

Breakfast, single portion for Monday ………………… single portion for Thursday:

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