Washington

February 21, 2018February 21, 2018 ~ 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.

Tomorrow will be the birthday of the Father of our Country, George Washington, who was born in 1732. Truly a man who needs no introduction, let us look at what the great man ate. For breakfast, he ate only ‘hoe cakes,’ a pancake made of white corn grits. He ate them every day, with butter and honey. Hercules, Washington’s enslaved cook, knew what to prepare for a man with false teeth: soft foods. The Marquis de Lafayette, whom Washington regarded as the son he never had, might have suggested the very French Cherry Flamusse as an alternative, and the cherries play into Parson Weems legend of young George and the cherry tree. The first president’s estate Mount Vernon is located in tidewater Virginia, and Washington liked oysters. He would surely have eaten Virginia ham, although every Saturday Hercules whipped up a batch of salt cod stew, according to the book Never Caught, a book which discusses Washington as a slave-holder . Today we’ll enjoy a more festive meal to celebrate Washington’s birthday: Ham & Oyster Pie.

Cherry Flamusse: 291 calories 5.3 g fat 2.2 g fiber 15.4 g protein 46.7 g carbs [12.6 simple carbs, 34 complex carbs] 316 mg Calcium This breakfast custard is borrowed from the dessert section of the cookbook, and it works very well either way! It is similar to a clafouti, but simpler. Baked with cherries or any firm fruit, it is sure to be a hit. HINT: This makes enough for 2 [two] servings: share with a friend or save the rest for a future breakfast or dessert. [Without the morning beverages, the dessert has 177 calories.] Cherry Flamusse

2 two-oz eggs 6 oz milk 4 tsp flour 1.5 Tbsp sugar 10 sweet cherries, pitted ½ clementine blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water 3 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie

Spritz 2 ramekins or an oven-proof dish with 1.5 cup capacity with non-stick spray. Cut the cherries in half and arrange on the bottom of the dish. Whisk eggs until foamy, then add flour and sugar, whisking until there are no lumps. Stir in the milk and pour the batter over the cherries. Bake at 375 F. for 20 minutes. Turn the flamusse out of the dish so that the cherries are on top. Plate with the clementine sections, serve with the beverages. You won’t believe this is a ‘diet.’

Ham & Oyster Pie: 256 calories 4.6 g fat 3.2 g fiber 20.7 g protein 25.5 g carbs 125 mg Calcium GF This dish was popular in the Colonial American South at Christmastime. I first enjoyed it in the Fox Tavern at the Hancock Inn. As long as oysters are available, one can have it anytime. HINT: This recipe serves 2 [two] as shown in the photo.

3 oz [2/3 cup] roast ham in 1/2” dice 1 cup oysters with their liquid, about 19 ½ cup onions, chopped ¼ cup milk 2 Tbsp white wine 2 tsp potato starch ½ cup peas, frozen 4 small stars cut from a 70-calorie slice of whole-grain bread = 0.55 oz bread

Drain oysters and reserve their liquid. Combine onion and oyster liquid [1/4-1/3 cup] in a small pan. Simmer, covered, until onions are transluscent. Stir milk, wine, and potato starch into the liquid until it is smooth. Add oysters, ham, and stir to combine. Heat over low until sauce has thickened. Taste for seasoning. Add peas, stir, and turn into a two-cup casserole. Bake uncovered at 400 F. for 15 minutes while you lightly toast the stars. Before serving, nestle the stars into the bubbling sauce. A meal fit for a president.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
corned beef	leek
sauerkraut, canned or bagged or fresh	Caerphilly or Cheddar cheese
catsup
strawberries	apple or pear
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:

chicken + wonton wrappers	4 oz mackerel
turmeric + ginger-garlic paste + ginger	leek
carrots + cabbage + scallion	tomatoes
onion + soy sauce	oregano
chili sauce + catsup	coriander
garlic	grainy mustard
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Go West, Young Man

February 18, 2018January 27, 2022 ~ 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 diet969 who is now Following.

I’ll bet you know who said the undying words of Manifest Destiny, don’t you. Horace Greeley, native of New Hampshire and publisher of the New York Tribune, of course. Not so fast. John Babson Lane Soule, born in Maine, actually moved ‘West’ to Indiana and became a newspaper owner. Evidence points to Soule as the author of the phrase, since in 1851, he urged, “Go West, young man, and grow up with the country.” Although Greeley did write ““Fly, scatter through the country — go to the Great West,” in 1837, when he used the words, “Go West, young man” in 1865, he was quoting Soule.

Their idea of ‘the West’ was to leave the cities and worn-out farmland of the East Coast to settle in Ohio and Illinois. For the menus today, you will go a bit South that — Texas for breakfast. And if you keep going, you will cross the Pacific Ocean and arrive in Canton, China for a dinner of wonton soup. Now that’s going West!

Western Bake: 270 calories 5.4 g fat 4.5 g fiber 12.4 g protein 45 g carbs [43.7 g Complex Carbs] 199 mg Calcium PB GF My father taught me to love a good Western Sandwich. So it seemed natural to incorporate that flavor combination in a breakfast. And its a winner.

1 two-oz egg 2 oz green pepper 2 oz onions 2-3 tsp ketchup, made without high fructose corn syrup 2 oz pear 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

Chop the pepper and onions and cook: either in the microwave or by poaching in water for 2 minutes. Drain and combine with the ketchup. Whisk with the eggs, salt and pepper to taste. Spritz an oven-proof ramekin or other dish with non-stick spray. Pour in the egg mixture and bake at 350 F. for 15-18 minutes. Plate the fruit and pour the beverages. Yee-haaw, that’s a breakfast!

Wonton Soup: 257 calories 34 g fat 0.9 g fiber 23.7 g protein 29 g carbs 25 mg Calcium PB Cantonese wonton soup can be your’s, easily and without the extra salt or MSG. I prepared the entire batch of filling, then stuffed and poached all 26 wontons. Frozen, they will be the ‘instant’ source of future meals.

Filling: 4 0z ground pork 4 oz chicken meat 1/2 tsp cornstarch ¾ tsp sugar 1 tsp sesame oil ¼ tsp white pepper + ¾ tsp salt + 1 Tbsp water 1 Tbsp sherry 4 oz shrimp, chopped to the size of green peas

Combine all ingredients except the shrimp in the bowl of a food processor and mince to a paste. Stir in the chopped shrimp. Refrigerate until ready to fill the wontons. TIP: Can be made the day before. Wontons: Wonton skins [wrappers] are small squares of egg-roll wrappers. You’ll need 5 wonton skins per bowl of soup, 26 skins for the entire batch. Put 4-6 wonton skins on a cutting board. Moisten two edges of one of the squares. Place 1 Tbsp of filling on the square, fold over to make a triangle, and pinch the sides together. Set aside, up to 30 minutes covered with cling wrap or foil, until ready to poach them.

Poaching filled wontons: Bring a pan of water to boil. Depending on the diameter of the pan, add wontons 4-5 at a time. They will sink to the bottom of the pan. When they float to the surface [in 4-5 minutes], fish them out and put on a tea towel to drain.

To finish the soup: 1.5 cups delicious chicken stock, purchased or home-made 1.5 oz cabbage in strips 5 filled wontons 1 Tbsp sliced scallion Heat the stock to a simmer and add the cabbage. Cover and simmer until the cabbage is cooked. Put 5 poached wontons in your soup bowl, add the stock and cabbage, sprinkle with scallion. Pass the soy sauce.

Agatha

February 4, 2018October 26, 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. Welcome to masterchefu who is now Following.

Tomorrow will be the Feast Day of Saint Agatha. That’s a name you don’t hear much any more… She lived in Sicily and Malta. Legend says she was a beautiful young woman who refused to marry due to her faith. [Agatha thought that she could serve God better by staying single and dedicating her life to religion.] Victimized by a Roman official, she died most cruelly, and is remembered for her steadfastness. Agatha could be a symbol of both the modern ‘MeToo‘ movement and the campaign against breast disease. Due to her association with the island nation of Malta, breakfast features the flavors of traditional Maltese foods. Due to her being the patroness of those with breast diseases, it is common to prepare foods shaped like breasts on February 5.

Maltese ScrOmelette: 293 calories 8.4 g fat 3.5 g fiber 18 g carbs 252 mg Calcium PB GF Between the fish and the vegetables, these flavors have “Malta” written all over them.

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 [see Sidekicks II from October 4, 2017] ½ clementine blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz green or fruit smoothie or unpasteurized apple cider

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!

Fish Timbale: 276 calories 17.3 g fat 1.6 g fiber 23.5 g protein 8 g carbs 95 mg Calcium PB GF Sounds high-falutin’ but really very easy. Made with two types of fish, it is a good use of leftovers. Fish Timbale w: chard

2 Tbsp spinach 1/2 Tbsp shallot 1 and 2/3 oz mackerel or salmon 1.3 oz haddock or cod 3/4 oz egg [either pullet egg or an egg white], well-beaten 1/3 oz white beans 2 Tbsp cream 1 oz chard 1/8 tsp olive oil nutmeg + granulated garlic

Wash the spinach and leave water on the leaves. Put in a lidded pan along with the chopped shallot. Put on the lid and let cook until the spinach is limp. Remove, chop, and squeeze the water out of the spinach. Thoroughly mash the white beans and add the cream. Stir the spinach + shallot into the bean + cream. If fish is raw: Put in a pan with a little water. Cover and steam until fish is cooked. Flake the fish and combine with the other ingredients, except the chard. Turn into a spritzed ramekin and bake at 400 degrees F. for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, coarsley chop the chard and cook it in a little water until done. Drain and season with nutmeg and granulated garlic. Run a knife around the sides of the timbale and invert the plate over it. Turn the plate right-side-up and remove the timbale. Plate the chard.

“C” is for Comfort

January 21, 2018October 10, 2019 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

This is a continuation of the posts which show, I hope, that Fasting meals are as easy a A-B-C. How to begin the Fasting Lifestyle? From this blog site, choose your favorite 2 breakfast menus: have one on Monday, one the following Thursday. Then find your favorite 2 dinner menus: plan on one for Monday, one for Thursday. Repeat the following week, or choose a different breakfast and dinner. Plan 1st, then eat. Then weigh and repeat. Soon Fasting will become your new comfort zone.

Cheesy-Bake: 144 calories 7.8 g fat 1 g fiber 12 g protein 7.3 g carbs [5.7 g Complex] 183 mg Calcium NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF This is the baked version of a cheese omelette that thinks that it is a cheese souffle! Delicious.

One 2-oz egg ¼ oz cheddar cheese, grated 1 Tbsp reduced fat ricotta cheese ¼ c raspberries, fresh or frozen [When I use frozen fruit, I portion it into its dish the night before, so it will be thawed by morning] ½ oz apple, sliced Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Spritz a ramekin with olive oil or non-stick spray. Set the toaster oven at 350 degrees F. Stir the two cheeses together with a fork until blended and whisk with the egg. Without waiting, pour into the ramekin and bake for 12-15 minutes, until puffed and beginning to brown. Prepare the fruit and optional beverages, and enjoy a cheesy start to your day.

Chickpea Ragout with Cod: 213 calories 3.6 g fat 5.3 g fiber 25.8 g protein 20 g carbs 44 mg Calcium GF PB This is from Jacques Pepin’s Fast Food My Way. Although he doesn’t mean my kind of ‘Fast Food,’ Pepin has long been a proponent of healthy cooking. He presents this as a side dish, but for our purposes it is best prepared as a main course with seafood for more protein.

½ tsp olive oil ½ cup diced onions ½ cup scallions, chopped 1 Tbsp garlic, chopped 2 cups diced tomatoes, fresh or canned and drained 1 and ½ cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed if canned ½ cup chicken stock ½ tsp salt + ½ tsp pepper 4 oz cod** fillet. fresh or frozen

Heat the oil in a saute pan. Add the onion, scallion and garlic. Stir briefly over the heat then add the tomatoes, chickpeas, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat until liquids are mostly evaporated. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Divide it in 4 portions, each about 3/4 cup. Keep one portion aside for today. TIP: Cool the remaining ragout and freeze it in serving portions.

** If you can’t get cod, use one of these: 4 oz swordfish 4 oz salmon 4 oz halibut 4 oz smelts 2 oz shad 4 oz haddock 4 oz tilapia 4 oz flounder

Barbara

December 3, 2017December 4, 2025 ~ me ~ 1 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: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

December 4th is the Feast of Saint Barbara. I have always liked this saint, partly because of frequently seeing the lovely young woman holding a tower during classes in Northern Baroque art; partly because my dear sister-in-law is named Barbara. Living in Heliopolis, Syria, Saint Barbara’s wealthy Roman father wanted to keep his beautiful daughter safe from men who might prey on her, so he locked her in a tower for her own good. In the years she was thus cloistered, Barbara became interested in religions other than the Roman pantheon. The new Christian religion appealed to her, so she studied it secretly and became an adherent. When at last her father chose a husband for her, Barbara rejected him because he was not a Christian. Enraged, her father cut off her head. Is Barbara the pre-cursor of Rapunzel? IDK. Eid il-Burbara, the Feast of Saint Barbara is celebrated in Christian families in Lebanon.

In some Levantine Christian cultures, barley or wheat is sprouted in shallow trays of soil on December 4. The greenery is used around the Christmas crêche, then in February it is plowed into the fields to bless the crop. In that tradition, our breakfast features bean sprouts. Since a coastal city in California is named after her, we will enjoy “Santa Barbara Salad” from that fair realm for dinner.

Sprouted Bake: 156 calories… 9.7 g fat… 2.5 g fiber… 10 g protein… 9 g carbs… 47 mg Calcium… PB GF Time to get the sprouts out of the sandwiches and into the breakfast.

++1 two-oz egg +++ ¼ c radish or alfalfa or mung sprouts ++++1 oz avocado ++++ 1 Tbsp 2%-fat cottage cheese ++++ ¼ cup blueberries ++++ optional: blackish coffee or blackish tea ++++ optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie, green smoothie or natural apple cider

Mash the avocado and mix with the cottage cheese. Heat the toaster oven to 350 degrees F. Spritz a 1-cup ramekin with cooking oil or spray and put the sprouts in it. Whisk the egg with the avocado mixture and pour over the sprouts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Portion the fruit and pour the beverages. Rich and smooth.

Santa Barbara Salad: 280 calories… 13.3 g fat… 5.7 g fiber… 16 g protein… 21.3 g carbs… 105.8 mg Calcium… PB GF From a Washington Post food column, this salad sings of California. Truly delicious. HINT: This amount serves 2 [two]. Invite a friend or save for lunch later in the week.

++ ½ head Boston or buttercrunch lettuce++++1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved ++++ ½ medium apple, cored and diced ++++½ cup diced chicken breast ++++¼ cup chickpeas++++ 1 oz soft goat cheese ++++1.5 tsp pinenuts ++++1 Medjool date ++++ 1 hardboiled egg, sliced in rounds ++++ per serving: 1.5 tsp cinnamon dressing**

First prepare the dressing and refrigerate. Next, toast the pinenuts in a heavy skillet until they just begin to brown. Take off heat and set aside. Shred the lettuce and put in a bowl along with all the other ingredients. Toss with 1.5 tsp dressing per serving, sprinkle with pine nuts, and arrange the sunny sliced eggs on top. Play a Beach Boys song and wear your sunglasses.

**Cinnamon Dressing: makes 4.5 tsp [you will have some leftover] ++ ½ shallot [¾ oz]++++1 Tbsp olive oil ++++1.5 tsp balsamic vinegar or raspberry vinegar ++1/8 tsp cinnamon ++ Shake together in a jar. Refrigerate until needed.

Different

September 27, 2017September 23, 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.

We Fasters are different from other people: we have wonderful self-control; we are all at our target weight; we excel at everything we do. Or maybe we aspire to those qualities. If you would like some foods that are different from the run of the mill, try these. The Watercress Sauce is a great item to have on hand. Do try it. And when was the last time you saw liver as a diet food? Turns out it is high in protein and low in calories. Now that’s different!

Watercress ScrOmelette: 291 calories 8.2 g fat 2.5 g fiber 16 g protein 34.4 g carbs 235 mg Calcium PB GF Having Watercress Sauce in the freezer in handy cubes sure makes this meal a snap. And is it good! Watercress ScrOmelette w:peaches

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. ½ Tbsp Watercress Sauce**, well drained ½ Tbsp low-fat ricotta, drained HINT: I set the sauce and cheese out to drain through a fine sieve the night before to make sure there was no extra liquid. 1/8 tsp dry mustard 1.5 oz peach, sliced or whole blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or unpasturized apple cider

Combine the drained watercress, drained cheese, and mustard. Whisk in with the eggs and cook in a hot saute pan spritzed with olive oil or non-stick spray. Cook the way you like them and plate with the peaches. Pour the beverages and enjoy the summer taste of watercress all year long.

**Watercress Sauce: 8 oz watercress, rinsed and trimmed of tough stems 1 medium-large onion 1 tsp olive oil 1 cup vegetable stock Put the onion in a food processor and run until completely chopped. Heat oil over medium heat and cook onions for 10 minutes until softened. Process the watercress until finely chopped. Add to the onion and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in the stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve immediately or cool and store. I froze it in ice-cube trays and got about 18 cubes. The cubes were put in a bag for future use: in egg dishes; in sauces.

Liver & Onions: 273 calories 10.4 g fat 2.9 g fiber 25 g protein 20 g carbs 43.5 mg Calcium When my father was away on business, my mother would serve us liver and onions which we came to regard as a special treat. Still a favorite on diner menus, still full of protein and Iron. Liver & onions 4 oz beef liver 2 tsp flour + salt + pepper ½ cup onion, sliced ½ tsp butter ½ cup green beans

Cook the onions in a non-stick saute pan with a little water and a spritz of oil to keep from scorching. Set the onions aside. Blot the liver on paper towels. Put 2 tsp flour on a plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge the liver in the flour. Melt the butter in the pan the onions were in, add some spritzes of non-stick spray, and cook the liver over low heat until done. If the pan gets too dry, spray it with non-stick spray. Meanwhile, cook the beans and salt them. Just before the liver is done, add the onions to the pan to heat. A taste of home.

Ingredients for next week: breakfast, single portion

1 two-oz egg	next week I will continue the list of foods that are great with other foods
black olive, oil cured
gouda cheese
mushrooms
applesauce, unsweetened
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:

four 2-3″ mushroom caps
clam stuffing [posted 27 Nov, 2016]
fresh tomatoes
Snap Pea Crisps
Sparkling water	Sparkling water

Summer’s Last Fling

September 3, 2017September 4, 2017 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Tomorrow is Labor Day so this is the week-end for the third and last big “patriotic pig-out” of the Summer. Labor Day picnics are notorious for their intake of vast quantities of food, as we subliminally stock up against the coming Winter. Oh get over it! This is not the time to let down your guard. You can eat well and still be in the spirit of the day. Labor Day: the day to relax from your work, but not to relax in your Fasting. Here are 2 good meals which take advantage of the Summer foods still available to us. And look at this article to help you to eat a healthy diet: https://ca.yahoo.com/style/4-foolproof-ways-eat-healthy-180000032.html

Parmesan-Chive Bake: 279 calories 7.5 g fat 3.7 g fiber 15 g protein 30 g carbs 275 mg Calcium PB GF While I was away for 10 days, Dear Husband invented this breakfast to take advantage of the fresh chives in the garden. Clever man. Parmesa-Chive Bake w: kiwi One 2-oz egg 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated 1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped 1.5 tsp reduced-fat ricotta cheese 1 oz kiwi fruit 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or green smoothie or natural apple cider blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water

First set the toaster oven to 350 degreese F. My Dear Husband is the one who prepares the breakfasts. He says to start the coffee next and then to prepare the smoothie. Spritz a ramekin with oil or non-stick spray. Whisk the egg with the cheeses and chives and pour into the ramekin. Bake in the toaster oven at 350 degrees F. for 12-15 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Prepare the kiwi fruit, pour the beverages and have an easy day.

Hot Dog & 4-Bean Salad: 277 calories 10 g fat 3.6 g fiber 16.7 g protein 21 g carbs 75.7 mg Calcium GF Hot Dogs and summer salads go together, even for Fasters. This meal is very straight-forward, assuming the 4-bean salad has already been prepared. Hot Dog w: 4-bean salad

1 Hebrew National reduced-fat hot dog 1 deviled egg [hard-boiled egg who’s yolk has been creamed with yellow mustard and black pepper] ½ cup 4-bean salad*** [When I prepared this, I forgot to add the 4th bean….still delicious] 2 oz tomato broiled with ½ Tbsp Parmesan cheese

***4-Bean Salad 2 cups green beans 2 cups yellow[wax] beans 2 cups canned kidney beans 2 cups canned garbanzo beans 1 cup onions, chopped 1/3 cup cider vinegar 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup olive oil Cook the fresh beans until tender. Drain and rinse the canned beans. Combine with the onions. Salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together the vinegar, sugar and olive oil. Toss with the vegetables and refrigerate 4+ hours.

Grill or pan-cook the hot dog. Prepare the deviled egg. Broil the tomato and cheese and serve up the bean salad. Simple food at summer’s end.

Meals that begin with “L”

August 13, 2017August 22, 2017 ~ me ~ Leave a comment

Last week was Lammas-tide, so just for the ‘ell of it, we’ll have some foods that start with that Letter. These meals are Lovely and Luscious and might Lead you to be Lithe and Lively as you lose some weight. Give some thought to what you eat on a Slow Day as you read this article: https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/dietitian-put-2-daily-meal-162000478.html

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, smoked or not [could be leftover from a previous meal] 1/2 oz leek, sliced thinly 1 tsp low-fat sour cream OR plain Greek Yogurt dill weed to taste 1 plum 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 with a little water. [NB: if the fish is raw, cut it into small pieces and put it in the dish, too] Cook in microwave for 30 seconds at high heat to soften the leek. Add to the ramekin. Whisk the egg with the sour cream, dill, 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 plate the plum. Have a wonderful breakfast and a wonderful day.

Lobster a l’Armoricaine: 272 calories 2.6 g fat 2.5 g fiber 20.5 g protein 12.2 g carbs 123 mg Calcium PB GF No, it isn’t a typo. This lobster dish is from the Armor coast of Brittany, therefore: Armoricain, “from the Armor.” The recipe is from Brittany Gastronomique by Kate Whiteman. Elegant yet simple. Lobster a l'Armoricaine

3 oz lobster, cooked or uncooked 2 Tbsp shallot, minced ½ clove garlic, minced 1 oz cognac or other brandy 2 oz dry white wine [not cooking wine] ½ cup tomato, diced 1 tsp tomato puree [not paste] 1 Tbsp half & half [blend cream in Canada] 1 oz broccoli florets + 1 oz carrots, in coins or batons

Remove lobster meat from shell and cut into 1” pieces. Put the shallot and garlic in a pan spritzed with oil. Saute over low heat until soft. Add the lobster meat, and cognac. Tip the pan to distribute the brandy, then, off the heat, light the contents on fire until the flames die. Put into a heat-proof dish and keep barely warm. Add the wine, tomatoes, and puree to the pan and cook until syrupy. Add the cream and heat slowly to reduce in volume a bit. Do not let if boil lest the sauce separate. TIP: You could do this the day before. Meanwhile, cook the vegetables. Pour the sauce over the lobster and heat under the broiler or in an oven until bubbly. Plate with the vegetables.

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

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Lammas-tide

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