50th

September 10, 2017April 27, 2018 ~ 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.

I’ve been spending the weekend celebrating my 50th high school reunion. Go Thundering Herd!! [yes, that was the school mascot and team name…] So it got me to thinking about the foods of our youth. In our childhood and teenage years, we set the course for our eating that will last a life-time. All that care-free chowing-down in high school and college leads many to over-weight in adulthood. And that is why we are Fasting now, isn’t it? Today’s menus are full of teenage flavor favorites, but designed for more adult eating. [And the bison in the burger was not from the Mascot.] Here’s to the days of our lives and the time of our life.

Pizza Bake: 271 calories 6.8 g fat 2.5 g fiber 14 g protein 38.4 g carbs 267 mg Calcium PB GF Pizza for breakfast just got healthier and more delicious.

One 2-oz egg salt + pepper to taste 1.5 Tbsp crushed tomatoes 1 thin slice pepperoni, minced [1 slice = 9 calories] ¼ oz mozzerella chesse, grated ½ oz bell pepper, chopped ¼ cup blueberries 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

Set the toaster oven at 350 degrees F. Prepare your beverages. Poach the bell pepper in a little water in the microwave for 30 seconds. Put the cheese, pepperoni, and pepper in a lightly-spritzed ramekin. Whisk the egg with the tomatoes, salt, and pepper and pour into the ramekin. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Pour the beverages, portion the berries, and consider how much nicer this is than a cold slice that tastes like cardboard.

Blue-Burger: 285 calories 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. Bison-Blue Burger w: bun & red slaw

4-oz ground bison meat, thawed 2 Tbsp blueberries, fresh or frozen 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, trying not to squish the berries. Shape in a patty using a 4” muffin-cutter as a mold. Try not to pack the burger too much. Broil or grill 4-5 minutes per side. Serve on a toasted potato bun. Grilled cherry tomatoes are nice as a topper. And don’t forget the coleslaw.

Western Lands

September 6, 2017September 4, 2017 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow. On Monday, eat the meals that will be posted on Sunday. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Where does the West begin? Sounds like a question from a Zane Grey novel… The concept of East and West is very Eurocentric: anything East or West of England/France/Germany. In England, ‘to go West’ meant ‘to go away forever; to die’ because those who set off for the Americas or Australia would never be seen again. Food that went off was said to have ‘gone West.’ The menus for today are from the Western US and from the Western Mediterranean. Both are from West of somewhere else. By eating them, the hope is that your extra weight will Go West. Good luck with that.

Western ScrOmelette: 299 calories 8.3 g fat 3.3 g fiber 15.8 g protein 42.8 g carbs 212.3 mg Calcium PB GF My father used to love a western sandwich for lunch on Saturday and I developed a taste for them too. Here’s all the flavor, without the bread.

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, crack three 2-oz eggs into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. 1 Tbsp catsup, made without cornsyrup 1 oz green pepper ¼ cup raspberries OR 3 Bing cherries blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasturized apple cider

Prepare the beverages for the meal. Chop the green pepper and put it in a hot saute pan spritzed with olive oil or non-stick spray. Cook until soft. Whisk the catsup and eggs and scramble with the pepper. Salt and pepper to taste. Plate the fruit and tuck in.

Lamb With Mediterranean Vegetables: 295 calories 14 g fat 9.3 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. Lamb w: Med Veg, cheese, br rice

1 oz cooked lamb, ground 1 cup Mediterranean Vegetables [see 20 April, ’17 ] 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, then 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 with the grated cheese.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg	1 hardboiled egg
Crushed tomatoes	1 oz ham 3% fat
1 slice pepperoni + mozzerella cheese	½ cup strawberries
Bell pepper
Blueberrries, fresh or frozen
Whatever you need for your smoothie	lunch: ½ cup minestrone soup
Whatever you need for your hot beverage

Dinner, single portion:

4 oz ground bison meat	1.5 oz chicken breast
Blueberries, fresh or frozen	2 oz green beans
Dijon mustard + Worcestershire sauce
Martin’s potato buns, slider size https://potatorolls.com/products/12-sliced-potato-rolls/
Coleslaw
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

East of Suez

August 23, 2017June 23, 2019 ~ 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.

In what has to be one of the most gripping and forlorn line in his work “Mandalay,” Rudyard Kipling wrote, “Ship me somewheres East of Suez where the best is like the worst. Where there aren’t no Ten Commandments an’ a man can raise a thirst.” We are not here to discuss religion or your drinking habits. Rather, today’s topic is the food of India. If the best is like the worst, then these meals rank right up there with the best. And the worst must be pretty good too. Here’s hoping that today’s menus help you to reach your goals, and you don’t have to ship out to foreign lands to enjoy it.

Tomato-Curry ScrOmelette: 300 calories 8.2 g fat 4.0 g fiber 16 g protein 40 g carbs 392 mg Calcium PB GF This recipe was loosely inspired by Fifty Breakfasts, a book by Col. A. R. K. Herbert, detailing “dishes men like” and containing many foods redolent of his years serving the Queen in India.

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. 1/2 Tbsp curry powder 2 oz fresh tomatoes, diced and drained 1.5 oz strawberries dollop of plain, fat-free yogurt optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider optional: blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water

Drain the tomatoes so that they are not too juicy. Combine with the curry powder and whisk with the eggs. Spritz a fry pan with olive oil or non-stick spray and pour in the egg mixture. Cook to your liking. Prepare the beverages and plate the fruit. Plop a dollop of plain, unsweetened yogurt on the eggs. A rousing good start to your day.

Tandoori Chicken and Vegetables: 265 calories 4.8 g fat 9 g fiber 20 g protein 32.6 g carbs 99.5 mg Calcium PB GF TIP: You can buy jars of tandoori sauce in most supermarkets. Be sure it does not contain corn syrup or sweeteners. Aim for 70-80 calories/ quarter cup

2 oz chicken breast, cooked or raw ½ cup eggplant, cubed 2 oz broccoli 2 oz bell peppers, cut in chunks 2 oz zucchini, sliced or cubed 2 oz carrots, sliced 1/4” thick or use ‘baby carrots’ cut in quarters ¼ cup brown rice, cooked TIP: when I cook a batch of brown rice, I freeze some in 1/4 cup portions to use for recipes like this ¼ c tandoori sauce: purchased or use the recipe in the link 2 Tbsp plain, non-fat yogurt

Cook the vegetables together in a little water until they are tender. Add the chicken and the sauce. Warm it all. If the chicken is raw, be sure to cook it through. Either stir the yogurt into the sauce or serve it atop the meal. Plate the brown rice [warm it if cold] and serve the chicken and vegetables on top. Perfect for eating on a hot night or a cold one.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
Crushed tomatoes	mixed fresh herbs [to taste]
Anchovy + Pear	1/4 cup zucchini, raw or cooked
Low-fat cottage cheese	Jarlsberg cheese
Tiny bit of cooked chicken	peach
optional smoothie	optional hot beverage
optional hot beverage	optional smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

4 oz halibut	3 cups grated zucchini + lettuce for salad
Olive oil + chicken stock	Onion + garlic
Onion + scallions + garlic	3 eggs + lots of herbs
2 cups diced tomatoes	Whole wheat ‘bisquick’
1.5 cups chickpeas, canned	2 oz chicken breast + Parmesan cheese
	2 wedges Laughing Cow cheese
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Nature’s Bounty

August 20, 2017August 28, 2017 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

This time of year, Nature seems to be determined to out-do herself. She is in high gear, producing all sorts of wild food for us to enjoy. Apples are ripening in the hedgerows along with wild cherries; mushrooms are coming up following recent rain; grain is golden in the fields; and the fishing fleet is out in force on the Gulf. Between mushrooms in the lawn and fish at the dock, meal planning is a snap. And all this very natural food goes along with this article which I recommend: What You Should Be Eating If You Want to Lose Weight http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/High-Protein-Low-Glycemic-Index-Diets-Weight-Loss-37254421

And tomorrow, Nature puts on the Show of Shows: a total solar eclipse in North America! “View” it if you can. Unforgettable.

Mushroom Bake: 280 calories 7 g fat 3.1 g fiber 15.2 g protein 38.5 g carbs 263 mg Calcium PB GF Natural goodness has everything to do with this delicious meal. Mushroom Bake w: peac 1 two-oz egg 1 Tbsp ricotta cheese, reduced-fat 1 oz chantrelle or other ‘wild’ mushrooms [foraged or purchased at the supermarket] 1.5 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated 1.5 oz peaches nearly black coffee or tea or lemon in hot water 6 oz green or fruit smoothie or natural apple cider

Spritz a ramekin [for 2 people, my husband prefers to use a 4×6” oval casserole] with oil or non-stick spray and set the toaster oven at 350 degrees. Chop the mushrooms and cream the cheeses together with the mushrooms. Whisk the eggs into the mushroom/cheeses and pour into the container. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Once you have prepared the beverages and fruit, you are ready for a bounteous day.

Mackerel Puttenesca: 298 calories 20.3 g fat [lots of Omega 3] 3.0 g fiber 22.8 g protein 7 g carbs 34 mg Calcium PB GF Such an easy summer meal, especially if your sauce is left-over homemade or from the supermarket shelf. Delicious and satisfying. Mackerel Puttanesca

4 oz mackerel [I fillet and broil the fish as soon as I get it home] ¼ cup puttenesca sauce, homemade or from a jar 2 oz green beans

Cook the green beans. Heat the sauce and mackerel together gently until warm. Plate. Done in minutes!

Think Sandwiches…

August 9, 2017August 9, 2017 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

There are many famous sandwiches: Po’ Boys from N’Orleans; Croque Monsieurs from France; Cheesesteaks from Philadelphia; Panini from Italy. Delicious! But not on a Fast Day. Today we take inspiration from two all-American sandwiches; the Cubano from Miami and the Hamburger from everywhere. Eat up without fear of a mounting calorie count. These ‘sandwiches’ are in a safe form.

Cubano ScrOmelette: 300 calories 8.8 g fat 1 g fiber 16.8 g protein 30.8 g carbs 244 mg Calcium GF The famous Miami sandwich comes to the Fasting breakfast table, with every flavor intact! NB: that’s a little piece of melon on the plate below. No calories in that. Cubano ScOmelette

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. 1/8 oz ham, diced ¼ oz Swiss cheese, diced ¼ oz pork, diced [this could be from a previous roast or a grilled tenderloin] ¼ tsp mayonnaise 1.5 tsp dill pickle, diced 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water

Cut up the meats and combine in a small dish. Dice the pickle and whisk with the mayonnaise and the eggs. Spritz a saute pan with non-stick spray and heat it. Put the meat mixture into the hot sauté pan to warm, then add the eggs. Scramble together [or cook like an omelette] until the way you like it. Pour your beverages and enjoy a semi-tropical start to your day.

Burger Bun Dinner: 280 calories This makes it possible to have a hamburger in a bun and still be Fasting! Think Summer! Bison-Blue Burger w: bun & red slaw

one 4-oz bison burger ½ oz mushrooms 1 tsp curried catsup one potato roll slider [90 calories] — our favorite buns are from Martin’s in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, if you are lucky enough to find them side veg to equal 50 calories: 2 oz boiled or baked beets = 24 calories 2 oz carrots = 23 calories 1/8 cup pickled beets = 19 calories 2 oz broccoli =20 calories 2 oz green beans = 18 calories 1 oz peas = 22 calories ½ cup coleslaw = 50 calories

In a cast iron or other heavy, non-stick skillet, put a healthy sprinkle of salt. Heat the pan over medium-low burner and add the bison burger. Cook 3-5 mins on one side, then the other. [You could grill it, but note that slow cooking is the key to tenderness.] When red juices no longer come out, it is done. Center the burger on the slider bun, top with catsup. Plate with sides.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
½ oz salmon, cooked leftover or raw	1 tsp ground cumin
leek	5 Bing cherries
Dab of low-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
Dill weed + lemon juice
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your smoothie

dinner, single portion

3 oz lobster meat, fresh, cooked or frozen	4 oz chicken breast, raw
Shallot + garlic	2 limes
1 oz cognac or brandy + 2 oz dry white wine	chicken stock
Tomatoes, fresh or canned diced	heavy cream
Tomato puree + half & half [blend cream]	oil + sugar + cornstarch
Broccoli + carrots	3 oz fresh pineapple
sparkling water	Sparkling water

Lammas-tide

August 2, 2017July 30, 2017 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Tomorrow will be Lammas, the old Celtic celebration on their solar calendar. Originally, the multi-day festival was in honor of Lugh, the Celtic craftsman god. Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo-NAS-ah) is the Irish name for the festival. It marks the half-way point of summer and it was the time for harvest festivals, leading to the old English origin of the name, ‘loaf-mass.’ In the modern calendar, lacking ties to our orbit around the sun or anything else in nature, people observe Lammas [sort of] by going to county fairs and getting in on back-to-school sales. WE will honor Lammas by eating the foods of summer with meals which are easily made, if you have the right leftovers from previous summer meals. This is very circular, isn’t it: rather like the Earth’s orbit around the sun, although that is elliptical.

Pork ‘n’ Beans Scromelette: 286 calories 8 g fat 3.1 g fiber 17.4 g protein 36 g carbs 211 mg Calcium PB GF As for the inspiration for this combination, I thought, ‘Well, why not?’ And it tastes good, too – like a meal while on a summer camping trip. Pork n Bean Scromlette

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, crack 3 2-oz eggs into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week 1 Tbsp baked beans, straight from the can ¼ oz pork tenderloin, raw or cooked, left over from a previous dinner ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce + ¼ tsp HP sauce 1 oz strawberries, thawed or fresh 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or pure apple cider blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

If the pork is raw, mince it and combine with the beans and a little water. Put in microwave for 45 seconds to cook the pork. If the pork is cooked, mince it and combine with the beans. Pour pork & beans to warm into a pan which has been sprayed briefly with cooking spray. Whisk the eggs with the two sauces and pour over the pork and beans. Scramble to taste, seasoning with salt and pepper. By now the beverage is hot, the smoothie is shaken, and the strawberries are looking wonderful. Sit, eat, enjoy your breakfast at camp.

Chicken Dinner: 284 calories 4.5 g fat 9.3 g fiber 31.6 g protein 34.2 g carbs 58.2 mg Calcium PB GF – if you omit the Finn Crisps. Perfect use for left-over roasted or lemon-marinated grilled chicken breast. Instead of potatoes, enjoy the crunch of high-fiber crackers. So low in calories that you may even have some lovely fruit for dessert! chicken-dinner-w-beans-carrots

4 ounces roasted/grilled breast meat, without skin 1/2 cup [3 0z] green beans 2 oz carrots, sliced as coins 2 pieces Finn Crisp crackers 1/2 cup sliced strawberries

Cook the vegetables [fresh from your garden or the farmers’ market] and plate the chicken cold. How deliciously simple.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

On Sunday, I will discuss various items suitable for summer entertaining.	1.5 two-oz eggs
	Ham [3% fat content, from deli]
	Swiss cheese
	Cooked pork, left-over
	Mayonnaise [a dab] + dill pickle
	Whatever you need for your hot beverage
	Whatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

	4 oz bison burger
	90 calorie slider bun
	½ cup coleslaw
	mushrooms
	catsup
	Sparkling water

Unusual

July 30, 2017July 29, 2017 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Today we will turn the menu on its head by eating the eggs for dinner. There are many good supper recipes which contain eggs as the protein, but for those days I prefer to serve a breakfast without eggs. Since I’m ga-ga over marinated herring, those become the star at breakfast. {NB: if you have high blood pressure and take a MOAI antidepressant, ask your physician about tyramine and certain foods such as marinated herring.} And while you eat through this unusual menu, read about some unusual ways to eat less: https://www.yahoo.com/news/6-unusual-ways-lose-weight-155500791.html

Herring Plate: 292 calories 8.4 g fat 4.9 g fiber 12.6 g protein 32.8 g carbs 199 mg Calcium PB If you like herring, this is the breakfast for you. It makes a nice change from morning eggs and this is prepared in no-time-flat. herring Plate w: cherries

3 Finn Crisp crackers 1.25 oz herring marinated in wine [not sour cream] 2 Tbsp whipped cream cheese 4 Bing cherries 3 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water Spread the crackers with the cream cheese and pile on the herring. Delicious and so satisfying.

Egg-Tomato Gratin: 293 calories 10.4 g fat 5 g fiber 18 g protein 21 g carbs 226 mg Calcium PB GF Jacques Pepin, in his book Fast Food My Way, tells about this family recipe. HINT: The recipe serves two. Invite a friend or save for lunch tomorrow. Tomato-Egg Casserole

3 hardboiled eggs, peeled and each cut into rounds 3 oz onions, sliced 2 tsp garlic, chopped 1 tsp dried thyme + 1 tsp salt + ½ tsp pepper 1/3 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed [Goya is a highly reliable brand] 10 fluid oz of tomatoes, drained [save the juice] 1 oz Swiss cheese or Gruyere, grated 2 oz broccoli

Arrange the eggs on the bottom of a 3-cup baking dish. Cook the onions and garlic in some of the tomato juice, about 3 minutes. Add seasonings, tomatoes and the remaining juice. If tomatoes are in large chunks, crush with a fork. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer covered for 4 minutes. Pour over the eggs and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake 10 minutes at 400 degrees F., then broil 2-3 minutes to brown the top.

…And the living is easy.

July 26, 2017January 15, 2018 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Maybe the fish are jumping and the cotton is high… Maybe not where you are, but today we will enjoy some easy-living menus. How easy? Make use of leftovers from the fridge for breakfast and for dinner prepare finger-food spring rolls with a minimum of cooking over a hot stove. That’s easy to me!

Salsa-Chicken ScrOmelette: 275 calories 8.2 g fat 1.8 g fiber 21.5 g protein 227 mg Calcium PB GF The lively taste of salsa adds some lift to these scrambled eggs while the chicken and cheese add protein.

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, crack three 2-oz eggs into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. 1 Tbsp low-fat cottage cheese, drained if very liquid 1.5 Tbsp tomato salsa, drained if very liquid ½ oz chicken, cooked and diced dash of cumin and/or pinch of crushed red pepper if you like it spicier 2 oz strawberries blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water 3 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasturized apple cider

Stir the cheese, salsa, chicken, and seasonings together. Heat a well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick pan and spritz it with oil or cooking spray. Whisk the eggs and pour into the pan. Dollop with the other fixings and scramble the eggs to mix everything together. Cook to your liking. Prepare the beverages. Plate the eggs along with the fruit and tuck in to a jolly meal.

Beef Spring Rolls: 277 calories 8.6 g fat 4.9 g fiber 19 g protein 29.7 g carbs 86.7 mg Calcium HINT: This makes 4 spring rolls, of which you will need 2/serving. Make the entire batch and invite a friend or save for lunch tomorrow. This recipe is for ‘fresh’ rather than fried or cooked rolls. Beef Spring Rolls w: asparagus

1 tsp olive oil 4 oz cabbage, sliced 4 oz carrot, sliced 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp oyster sauce 1 oz scallion, green and white parts sliced 3.5 oz roast beef, sliced into 1/2” strips [this could be left-overs or meat from the deli] ¼ tsp ginger 6 seven-inch Spring Roll wrappers per person: 3 oz asparagus Sriracha, ad lib

Stir the beef, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and ginger together in a bowl. Heat a wok or cast iron pan, then add the oil and 2 Tbsp water. Add the vegetables and stir-fry for 4 minutes. Put more water in the wok if it starts to dry out or if you can’t hear the vegetables cooking. Add the beef and marinade. Stir fry another minute, then take off heat. Run it all through the food processor to chop it coarsely. Put some water in the wok and cook the asparagus while you wrap the rolls.

Fill a pie plate with water and place a Spring Roll wrapper in the water until it just begins to become pliable. The wrapper shouldn’t be so limp that it begins to tear when you handle it. Take out immediately and lay it on a tea towel on the counter. Spoon 1/6^th of the filling onto the wrapper and roll it up following directions on the package. Put that one aside and continue with the others. Plate with the asparagus and use hot sauce ad lib.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

Finn Crisp crackers	1.5 two-oz eggs
Herring marinated in white wine	1 Tbsp baked beans
Whipped cream cheese	Worcestershire sauce + HP Sauce
strawberries	Strawberries, fresh or thawed
	¼ oz pork loin
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your smoothie

Dinner, single portion:

3 hardboiled eggs	Roasted/grilled chicken breast meat
Onion + garlic	Green beans
1/3 cup garbanzo beans	carrots
10 fluid oz tomatoes with their juice	Finn Crisp crackers
Swiss or Gruyere cheese	Sliced strawberries
broccoli
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Mushroom Season

July 23, 2017April 23, 2023 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Every summer we are delighted to find wild mushrooms growing in the neighborhood: some in the woods, some right in the lawn. Foraging for mushrooms is not something to undertake lightly since misidentification can be deadly. We stick to the 8 varieties that we definitely know how to recognize and reject all others. Mushrooms are super for the Fasting Lifestyle because they are low in calories, high in nutrients, and they pair deliciously with lots of different foods. Today, we salute the noble mushroom.

Start your day off right with these strategies for weight loss: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/articles/2016-12-29/6-science-backed-ways-to-lose-weight-before-you-even-get-to-work

Ham & Mushroom Bake: 277 calories 7 g fat 5.9 g fiber 15.5 g protein 38 g carbs 221 mg Calcium GF PB A hearty, flavor-packed breakfast begins with ham and mushrooms. Although these are flavors of autumn, they can be enjoyed any time, especially on a Fast Day.

One 2-oz egg 1/3 oz mushrooms, chopped ½ oz roast ham or 3% fat deli ham, chopped 1 Tbsp Gruyère cheese, grated ½ tsp ground sage + ¼ tsp savory ½ cup raspberries 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] or lemon in hot water

Set toaster oven at 350° F. Spritz some cooking spray into a ramekin. Chop the ham and mushrooms, and put them into the ramekin. Grate the cheese. Whisk together the cheese, egg, and seasonings, and pour that in too. Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on how well set you like your eggs. It will puff up and start to brown a bit. Heat your beverage, shake the smoothie, and portion the fruit. Off to a good start.

Clam-Stuffed Mushrooms: 205 calories 6.4 g fat 4.3 g fiber 18.4 g protein 20 g carbs 98 mg Calcium PB GF- if using GF bread So we had these small portobello mushrooms in the ‘fridge, and I thought “Stuff them!” and they were good! And very filling, despite the LOW calorie count.

3.5 oz mushroom caps [four 2-3” mushrooms] ½ cup clam stuffing* 2 oz tomatoes, cherry-sized or sliced ½ oz SnapPea Crisps

*Clam Stuffing: Makes 2 cups. 1 cup clams 1 slice 70-calorie bread 5 oz tomato 2 oz red bell pepper 3 turkey meatballs, purchased frozen 3 Tbsp plain yogurt 1 Tbsp Parmesan, grated thyme + garlic + salt Pulse in food processor until diced.

Poach the mushrooms briefly [2 minutes] in boiling water to cover. Using a paring knife, dig out any stem in the cap to create more of a cavity for the filling. Chop the stems and add to the clam stuffing. I used a 1-Tablespoon cookie-scoop to distrubute the stuffing into the caps. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes. Plate with the cool tomatoes and the crunchy Crisps. Easy to prepare, a treat to eat.

Quick and Easy

July 19, 2017April 27, 2018 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Even though there are more hours of daylight in the summer, we seem to be too busy to plan a meal and cook the food. Here are some foods for summer: easy to prepare, easy to eat, easy on the waistline.

Egg McArnold: 283 calories 6.8 g fat 5.6 g fiber 17.7 g protein 35 g carbs [30 g Complex] 249 mg Calcium The Fasting version of a fast-food favorite. 1 two-oz egg 1 Arnold-brand multi-grain Sandwich Thin [100 calories] ½ oz Canadian Bacon or 1 slice Jones Brand 2 oz grapes blackish coffee or tea or lemon in hot water

Open up the ‘sandwich thin’ and lightly toast it. Fry or poach the egg to your liking and cook the Canadian Bacon in the same pan. Assemble, adding salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy it with your coffee in a to-go cup and the fruit. But don’t eat in the car – sit down and slowly savor this Fast food.

Strawberry-Chicken Salad: 200 calories 8.3 g fat 4.8 g fiber 16.7 g protein 16 g carbs 110 mg Calcium PB GF Sometimes you go through the recipe drawer and look at all the clippings and photocopies, and wonder, “Where did these come from?” This is one of those recipes, but I think it might be from Eating Well. It is as delicious as it is lovely to look at. Strawberry-Chicken Salad

2 oz [½ cup] cubed cooked chicken breast ½ cup sliced strawberries ¼ cup kiwi, peeled and sliced 1.5 cups fresh spinach 1 Tbsp slivered almonds, toasted 1.5 tsp poppy seed dressing*** OR a red wine vinegar dressing with poppy seeds + a pinch of dried mustard added

***Poppy Seed Dressing – 2 tsp red wine vinegar 1 Tbsp olive oil pinch salt ½ tsp dried mustard 1 tsp poppy seeds Whisk together vigorously. NB: there will be dressing left over.

Toss 1 and a half tsp of dressing with the spinach. Toast the almonds in a heavy dry skillet on the stove-top until just starting to brown. Plate the greens and arrange the chicken and fruit on top. Sprinkle with the nuts. A real hit in our family.

Here are the ingredients you will need for next week’s meals: breakfast, portion for one

1 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
1/3 oz mushrooms	Cottage cheese, low-fat
½ oz roast ham or 3%-fat deli ham	Tomato salsa
1 Tbsp Gruyere cheese	Cooked chicken, ½ oz
½ cup raspberries	strawberries
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your hot beverage
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your smoothie

dinner, portion for two

Four 2-3” mushroom caps	cabbage + carrot
Clam stuffing [posted on ___________	Soy sauce + oyster sauce
Fresh tomatoes	Roast beef, 3.5 oz
½ oz SnapPea Crisps	7” Spring Roll Wrappers
	Oil + ginger, ground or fresh
Sparkling water	Scallion Srircha or other hot sauce
	Sparkling water

	me on Let Me Entertain You… Di…
	Mya on Let Me Entertain You… Di…
	Peter Eppig on Robert Gould Shaw
	me on 10 Years of FASTing
	Karen Loudon on 10 Years of FASTing

Eating well, with creative recipes, to follow the Fasting Lifestyle according to Michael Mosley's "Fast Diet."

Join me in following the Fasting Lifestyle, with recipes & tips

recipes for calorie restriction diet

50th

Western Lands

East of Suez

Nature’s Bounty

Think Sandwiches…

Lammas-tide

Unusual

…And the living is easy.

Mushroom Season

Quick and Easy

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