recipes to use for Michael Mosley’s Fast Diet

Rhubarb Again!

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

The rhubarb is up — way up by late May, so our town’s Rhubarb Festival will take place during the first weekend in June. The plants are so hardy, patiently waiting under the ground all winter, sleeping soundly under the 25″ of snow that fell in mid-March. We enjoy rhubarb as a beverage, as dessert, as a relish/chutney. During the heyday of the Silk Road from Constantinople to China, rhubarb roots were traded back and forth for their medicinal use. They were more valuable than silk. Soon, I will be in pie-baking mode: for the Pie Contest, for the Bake Sale, and for our freezer. But on a Fast Day, Rhubarb is not just for pie, although it is nicknamed the “Pie Plant.” Here is rhubarb for breakfast and rhubarb sauce at dinner. Win-win! Rhubarb is always a winner!

NB: If you love rhubarb as much as I do, visit https://benningtonnhhistory.blog/2023/04/11/rhubarb-what-is-it/ for a monthly dose of rhubarb lore and recipes.

Yogurt Creme Brulee: 208 calories 2 g fat 2.5 g fiber 19 g protein 28 g carbs 115.6 mg Calcium   NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB GF  Let’s have dessert for breakfast! A Bobby Flay dessert was the inspiration for this breakfast recipe.  HINT: This makes enough for 2 [two] servings.

You will need a small blowtorch to caramelize the sugar. You CANNOT use the broiler for this or you will melt the yogurt.
8 oz Greek yogurt, skim
½ tsp vanilla		Stir yogurt and vanilla in a medium bowl until combined. Cover and refrigerate 30+ mins to allow the flavors to meld.
1 cup rhubarb mush or berries
2 Tbsp water + 1 tsp sugar
½ tsp lemon juice		Put 2 cups sliced rhubarb in a pan with 1/2 cup water. Simmer until just softened, ~10 mins. Add sugar and stir to mash rhubarb. –OR–
Put berries in a small saucepan and add water. Simmer until just softened, ~5 mins. Add sugar and stir in the lemon juice. Let cool. 
2 ramekins
¼ c rolled oats, toasted		Divide fruit between the ramekins. Toast oats in a dry skillet and sprinkle on the fruit. Fill with yogurt. Cover and freeze 5 mins.
2 tsp turbinado sugar per ramekinSprinkle sugar over each ramekin. Caramelize by slowly sweeping the blowtorch flame back and forth. Let sugar harden, ~2 mins.

In addition: 1 oz 3%-fat ham slice  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water 

While the ramekins are in the freezer, cut the ham slice into ribbons and quickly cook in a dry skillet. Plate the ramekin with a wreath of ham around it. A fine mix of opposite flavors, temperatures, and textures.

Halibut with Rhubarb Relish: 182 calories 5.5 g fat 1.5 g fiber 25 g protein 6.4 g carbs 82 mg Calcium  PB GF Whether you bake or broil or grill the fish, a fruit relish makes for a splendid topping. The idea for the Rhubarb Agrodolce came from Todd English in his Olive’s Table.

4 oz halibut filet 4 spears asparagus OR side salad with beets + cukes  2 Tbsp Rhubarb Agrodolce

Pan sear the fish in a lightly-oiled cast iron skillet for 4 minutes per side over medium-high heat. In the meantime, prepare the asparagus or salad. Plate and spoon the fruit relish onto the fish. Believe me, you will eat this fish “with relish.”

Rhubarb Agrodolce:  makes 2 cups  per fluid ounce [2 Tbsp]: 23 calories 1 g fat 0.6 g fiber 0.3 g protein 3 g carbs 27 mg Calcium PB GF From Todd English.

1.5 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
½ cup onion, chopped
1 pound rhubarb, chopped in ½” dice		Spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray. Add the ginger and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the rhubarb and cook for 4-5 minutes.
1 Tbsp butter
¾ cup hard cider
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped 		Add each item one at a time, stirring thoroughly after each addition. Bring to a low boil and cook until reduced by half – about 10-15 minutes.
1.5 tsp brown sugarAdd sugar and stir to combine.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

one plain butter croissant weighing 2.5 oz 1.5 two-oz eggs  + strawberries
Turkish figs, fresh or driedhummus: canned chickpeas + garlic + tahini….
prosciutto….lemon juice + pepper + cayenne pepper + onions
Mediterranian Vegetables 
optional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

two 2-oz eggs6 oz chicken thigh meat
Bechamel sauce, no cheesechicken broth + deglet noor dates
chives or scallionsHawayij spice  + watermelon
green beans + Cheddar cheesequick-cooking barley
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Shek Yeung, Pirate Queen

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to melissaketodiet who is now Following.

She was born in the poorest province of China and served as a child prostitute, yet she rose to be the richest, most powerful woman of her time. She was Shek Yeung [aka: Ching Shih, Zheng Yi Sao, Shi Yang, Shi Xianggu], the Pirate Queen of the South China Sea. Wow. As a prostitute, she worked in a floating brothel in Canton harbor. Her beauty and elegance attracted many customers. Her ability to find out and to trade secrets made her important to influential people. When she was 26, a pirate leader named Zheng Yi either won her heart or forced her into marriage. Her status enabled her to negotiate a hefty bride price: control over half of her husband’s piracy enterprise. They married in 1801, and established a coalition of six pirate chiefs along the coast in 1804. Each group was known by the color of their flags –Shek Yeung and Zheng Yi commanded the Red Flag Fleet. But in 1808, Shek Yeung was a widow. Her tactical move was to join forces with the second in command, her late husband’s adopted son, Cheung Po Tsai. They married and continued marauding along the coast. Within a few years, Shek Yeung had 1800 large and small junks under her control, carrying 80,000 pirates! She was not merely “Cheung’s Widow” [one of her many names], she was respected and obeyed by all her men. Shek Yeung was also a thorn in the side of the colonial factions. The Portuguese and English banded together to subdue the pirates, with varying degrees of success. At last, in 1810, the Qing Dynasty had had enough. They negotiated with Shek Yeung: she could retire with impunity, earn a government appointment for her husband, and keep all her wealth if she would step down as Pirate Queen. She took the deal, leaving the South China Sea in relative peace. The Fragrant Lady retired to Macao, where she set up a gambling parlor [forerunner of today’s casinos in Macau?] and, unfortunately, a brothel, before she died in 1844. Remarkable life. Remarkable woman.

The famed pirate queen has been depicted in print, on TV [with Dr Who] and on film [Madame Ching in Pirates of the Caribbean]. The latest work about her, the highly-anticipated novel Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea, by Rita Chang-Eppig will come out on May 30.

Shek Yeung was from Guangzhou [formerly Canton] and so are today’s foods. Quickly-cooked fresh vegetables are a hallmark of the cuisine of Guangdong Province 广东省. Seafood also figures prominently in the region’s cooking, so we will have shrimp and crabmeat on the menu.

Foo Yung ScrOmelette: 150 calories 7.6 g fat 1.5 g fiber 13 g protein 8 g carbs 68 mg Calcium  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  Here we take the Cantonese classic and prepare it for breakfast. Filling and nutritious.

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.  2 Tbsp crab meat ¾ tsp soy sauce ¼ c mung bean sprouts ¼ oz mushrooms green parts of one scallion, sliced ¼ tsp ground ginger splash of hot sauce 1 oz applesauce   OR 1 oz pear Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

The night before, combine the crab, soy, sprouts, mushrooms, scallion, ginger and hot sauce in a small bowl. Next morning, spritz a non-stick saute pan with oil or non-stick spray and briefly cook the crab mixture to heat it thoroughly. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper and pour into the pan, scrambling to incorporate the crab mixture. Cook to your favorite degree of doneness. [Alternately, cook like pancakes: put half of the crab mixture in the pan, then pour half of the egg on top. When done on the bottom, turn to cook the top. Repeat with other half of ingredents.] Dish up the fruit, brew your hot beverage, and prep the smoothie. And your fortune cookie says: “You will lose weight.”

Wonton Soup: 257 calories 34 g fat 1 g fiber 23.5 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 or an addition to a Dim Sum assortment.

Filling: 4 oz ground pork 4 oz chicken meat ½ 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 shrimp. Refrigerate until ready to fill the wontons. TIP: Can be made the day before.

Wontons: wonton skins are small squares of egg-roll wrappers 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 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 1.5 oz cabbage in strips 5 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 the bowl, add the stock and cabbage, sprinkle with scallion. Pass the soy sauce.

Saint Bede

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Who was the premier historian of Medieval England? The Venerable Bede. Who was the leading authority on scripture in Medieval England? The Venerable Bede. Who wrote the first translation of Saint John’s Gospel into ‘English’? The Venerable Bede. Who was this guy?? Bede was born near Jarrow, England in 673, a time when the Romans had departed, the Vikings had not yet arrived, and England was a melting pot of Angles, Saxons, Jutes. At age seven, his parents turned him over to the Benedictines for his education. Young Bede was a voracious learner and very devout, so at age 19 he was ordained as a deacon although he did not become a priest until he was 30. As a monk, Bede lead daily Mass, worked in the bakery, at the farm, and still had time for scholarship. To Bede, prayer and fasting were important parts of his devotion, but he maintained that loving one’s neighbor was as important as loving God. Despite invitations to visit and preach at other monasteries, Bede was almost like an anchorite in his refusal to leave the Jarrow area. He even turned down an invitation to visit the pope in Rome. So the world came to him. From all over England and parts of Europe. Through it all, Bede studied. He wrote 45 books on scripture and his seminal text: the five volume Ecclesiastical History of Britain in 731. Bede worked to solve the thorny issue of knowing the date for Easter and he was the first to discuss time based on years since the birth of Christ [Anno Domini]. Much as he loved learning, Bede said that “It is betters to be a stupid and uneducated brother who, working at the good things he knows, merits life in heaven, than to be one who –  though being distinguished for his learning in the Scriptures, or even holding the place of a teacher – lacks the bread of love.” We should all remember that.

The residents of monasteries ate a lot of fish. To meet a year-round need, fish was smoked or brined or dried to preserve it. Today’s meals rely on smoked fish for their flavor.

Kippered Yorkshire Pudding:  226 calories 5 g fat 6 g fiber 11 protein 33.5 g carbs 102 mg Calcium   HINT: This is enough for 2 [two] servings. Nothing says Yorkshire like the iconic pudding and kippers. This is a meal to eat at home or to take on the road for a get-away breakfast.

1 oz kippered herring ½ cup 1% milk 1 rounded tsp high gluten flour ½ cup white whole wheat flour [or all-purpose, for lower protein and fiber] one 2-oz egg ½ tsp dry mustard ¼ tsp salt 3 oz pear   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait[65 calories] or lemon in hot water 

Soak kippered herring in water for 30+ minutes. Drain and mince. Whisk the milk, flours, egg, mustard and salt until combined, but do not over-mix. Spray a 7” pie plate with cooking-spray and sprinkle in some kippers. Carefully pour in the Yorkshire Pudding batter, then sprinkle with the remaining kippers. Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes, until puffed and golden. Cut into 4 pieces. Plate two pieces per person along with the pear. What a flavor combination!

Finnen Haddie with Cabbage:  287 calories 12.5 g fat 6.5 g fiber 25.5 g protein 18 g carbs 250 mg Calcium   PB GF – if using GF flour in the Bechamel  The flavor of smoked haddock is so marvelous that it elevates the humble cabbage to new heights.

3 cups sliced cabbbage and/or kale 1/3 cup [100 ml] Bechamel sauce, without cheese nutmeg 2½ oz finnen haddie [smoked haddock], skin removed ½ oz Brie or Camembert cheese, chopped

Cook the cabbage, covered, in boiling water for around 10 minutes. Drain, saving some of the water. [use remaining water for baking] Place the Bechamel, 2-3 Tbsp of the cabbage water, and the finnen haddie in a pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the fish and break into pieces less than an inch in size. Add the cooked cabbage to the sauce with a sprinkle of nutmeg, and stir until well-combined. Add the fish and turn into an oven-safe dish. Strew the cheese bits on top and bake at 375 F for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts. Sigh. Delicious.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

1.5 two-oz eggs + apple or pear rhubarb + vanilla
crab meat + soy sauceplain fat-free Greek yogurt
mung bean sprouts3%-fat ham + rolled oats
mushrooms + scallionlemon juice + turbinado sugar
ground ginger + hot sauceoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

pork + chicken + sugar + sherryhalibut
wonton wrappers + scallionside salad or asparagus
chicken stock + cornstarchrhubarb agrodolce: onion, fresh ginger, rhubarb..
shrimp + sesame oil + cabbage …butter, hard cider, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, brown sugar
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Victor Hugo

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to Ovat Friday who is now Following.

On May 22, 1885, Victor Hugo died and the Paris bourgeoisie went into mourning. Two million people formed a funeral procession to escort his body from the Arc de Triomphe to the Pantheon where he is interred. Why the acclamation? Hugo was the premier man of letters of the French Romantic period: protesting the monarchy in his plays, and moving readers to social action with his novels. He was born in 1802, in Besançon, Franche-Comté, and raised in Paris. His parents encapsulated the polar opposites of French society of the time: an anti-monarchy atheist and a pro-monarchy Catholic. His career began in poetry, which brought fame and early recognition. Novels followed, along with marriage to a childhood sweetheart. Then there were plays, produced to popular praise and condemnation from government censors. The Hugos had five children, none of whom lived into adulthood. During Hugo’s early life, he was a conservative and faithful Catholic, but his views changed in the late 1840s, as he became increasingly aware of the misery of life among the lower classes. In 1831, the novel Notre-Dame de Paris [Hunchback of Notre Dame] was published, with its anti-clerical plot and the memorable bell-ringer, Quasimodo. The book’s popularity called attention to the crumbling condition of the Cathedral of Notre Dame and lead to its much-needed restoration. Hugo made a name for himself as a politician, serving in the Assemblies and speaking against the death penalty. When the elected President of France declared himself to be Emperor Louis Napoleon III, Hugo denounced him as a traitor. It was then that Hugo moved his family to Belgium, fearing retribution. For 19 years, he lived in the Channel Islands, in self-imposed exile. During that time, he wrote the poem “Proscrit” with the touching refrain, “The month of May, without France, is not the month of May.” While there, he also finished Les Miserables, his crowning achievement of social activism. Upon his return to Paris, Hugo was elected to the Senate, but the fire had gone out of him. As a writer, he influenced authors as wide-spread as Dickens, Dostoevsky, and Camus. And of course his stories live on in movies and stage shows, still rousing people to the cause of social justice.

Bescacon has many cheeses, so we will have cheese with our eggs at breakfast. Jean ValJean, a major character in Les Miserables, was hounded for years for having stolen a loaf of bread. We will have bread at dinner for a sandwich.

Cheesy-Bake: 144 calories 8 g fat 1 g fiber 12 g protein 7 g carbs 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 ½ oz cheddar cheese, grated 1 Tbsp reduced fat ricotta cheese ½ c raspberries [If frozen, portion it into its dish the night before, so it will thaw by morning] OR 1½ oz apple, sliced  OR 1 oz grapes  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]   Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Spritz a ramekin/oven-safe dish with olive oil or non-stick spray. Heat the toaster oven at 350F. 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 your beverages of choice, and enjoy a cheesey start to your day.

Tuna Salad Sandwich, nouveau: 281 calories 9 g fat 4 g fiber 20 g protein 31 g carbs 91 mg Calcium  PB GF – if using a GF bun  Mayonnaise is an annoyance to me – I’d rather spend my calories on something else. So I came up with a different way to make tuna salad, improving the protein and Calcium along the way. Try it. HINT: These amounts make enough for three [3] sandwiches. Invite friends, or reserve the remaining tuna salad for a later lunch.

One 5-oz can white tuna in water [4.5 oz drained/ 115 g/ ¾ cup] 1 hard-boiled egg 4 Tbsp 2%-fat cottage cheese 2 Tbsp chopped celery 2 Tbsp chopped onion salt and pepper   per serving: 1 hot dog bun   ¼ cup 4-bean salad + ½ ear corn on the cob

Drain the tuna and turn it into a bowl. Break up the tuna with a fork. Chop the egg and add it to the tuna along with the cottage cheese, celery, onion, salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate. Boil the corn for 8 minutes. Divide the tuna salad into three equal portions. Put tuna salad into as many hot dog buns as needed for the meal and plate with the vegetables. Refrigerate any left over tuna salad to enjoy it another day soon.

Loyalists

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

When the American colonists rebelled against the British in 1776, not everyone was on board. The Torys were Americans with British sympathies who hoped the war would go their way. When it didn’t, they were in a pickle. The most prudent thing a family could do was to leave town before the town drove them out. Or worse. Now they called themselves Loyalists and they departed for other British colonies or returned to England. In New England, most of them went to Canada: Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island — often bringing their enslaved people with them. Those farthest away from the border lost everything except what they could carry. In far eastern Maine, Loyalists moved entire houses across the bay and set them up in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick. Two infamous Loyalists were Benedict Arnold and his wife. They removed to Campobello Island, NB, where they were told they would be feted. Arnold’s wife, socialite Peggy Shippen, hated provincial life, so they moved to England where they were scorned as traitors. Most of the Loyalists were honored in Canada and welcomed as new citizens — except for the 3000 Black Loyalists, who were promised freedom from enslavement and their own land to farm. That did not materialize, and the first ‘race riot’ in Canada was near Shelburne, Nova Scotia, where White locals tried to wipe out the Black settlers. Loyalists added to the culture. Houses with gambrel roofs were introduced from America, along with the “Federal” style of architecture. The great numbers of settlers lead to the division of Nova Scotia into two provinces — the other being New Brunswick. St John, NB became a city due to the Loyalist influx. In the Louise Penny books, the fictional town of Three Pines was settled by Loyalists in the late 1700s. New Brunswick, Canada celebrates Loyalist Day on May 18th every year.

Architecture wasn’t the only thing the Loyalists brought to a new land. Recipes from New England would have come too. Red Flannel Hash, baked beans, brown bread, Johnny Cakes — welcome foods anywhere they appear. But life in the Maritimes meant rubbing elbows with the French Acadians, and eating mussels [moules] might have rubbed off on the arriving settlers. Mussels are certainly popular there today.

Red Flannel Egg: 135 calories 5 g fat 2.5 g fiber 9 g protein 12 g carbs 48.5mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF  Red Flannel Hash is a fine old New England dinner recipe. Here, for breakfast, we add an egg for more flavor and nutrition.  HINT: Serves 1 [one]

2 cups cooked beets, diced ½ c onion, diced ½ oz ham, diced two 2-oz eggs Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water   Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Cook the ham and onion in a frying pan until ham is well-warmed. Remove the ham and dice it. Put beets in the pan with onion, and continue to cook until well warmed. In another pan, fry the egg. Plate the cooked vegetables, top with the egg, and serve with assurance. Very nice.

Moules Frites: 270 calories 5.5 g fat 2.5 g fiber 24.4 g protein 23 g carbs 110 mg Calcium PB GF In Belgium and France, folks are ga-ga over moules frites, and now it is possible to enjoy them on a Fast Day. HINT: This serves two [2], so invite a friend.

Here is the in-shell presentation
Here is the shell-less presentation

22 blue mussels in their shells, rinsed 3 Tbsp white wine ¼ c. whole milk 4 oz sweet potato 3 oz broccoli florets

Peel potato and cut into square batons, about 1/4” on a side. Spread on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Bake at 400F for 10 minutes and take out of oven. Put mussels in a large pot, adding wine and ¼ cup water. Cover and cook at a boil 10 minutes, until shells are fully open and mussels look plump not stringy. Check potatoes for doneness. Salt generously. Put back in oven for 5-8 minutes if not fully cooked. Strain mussels and their liquid through a sieve, not a collander.** Put mussel liquid back into the pan and cook down to ½ cup. Add milk and simmer until thicker and reduced to 1/2 cup. Cook the broccoli to desired doneness. Divide mussels between serving bowls, pour the cream sauce over them, then top with frites and broccoli. **If you don’t want to deal with mussel shells on your plate, remove the cooked mussel meat from the shells, discard shells, and add the meat to the finished sauce.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg 1 two-oz egg  + 1%-fat milk
low-fat ricotta cheese1 oz kippered herring +dry mustard
raspberries or apple or grapeswhite whole wheat flour + high gluten flour
Cheddar cheesepear
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverage optional hot beverage

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

5 0z tuna canned in water + celery Finnen haddie [smoked haddock]
hard-boiled egg + 3 hot dog bunscabbage +/or kale + nutmeg
2%-fat cottage cheese + onionBechamel sauce, no cheese 
corn on the cob + 4-bean saladBrie or Camembert cheese
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Isadore, the Worker

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to ______ who is now Following.

Isadore was a peasant, a campesino, a farm worker. There is no other way to say it. He was born in 1070, near Madrid, Spain. He and his wife lived on land that was the property of a wealthy land-owner, and Isadore worked the fields for him. That was his life: doing the jobs that his boss ordered him to do, every day. His only break from work was found at church. Every day, Isadore would attend the first Mass of the day. This often made him late for work and once his co-workers complained to their patron. The employer went to the field, hoping to have a word with Isadore about not getting his work completed. To his astonishment, he saw his man plowing a furrow — and next to him was an angel from heaven plowing too. Thus Heaven supported Isadore in his work and his faith — and no one ever begrudged his time at prayer. All his life, Isadore was conscientious, generous, faithful, humble, dignified, and kind to humans and animals. He died on May 15, 1120. Twenty years after his burial, a flood washed his coffin from the ground. When it was opened, Isadore’s body was found to be incorruptible, at that time considered to be a sign of sainthood. He was canonized in 1622 and became one of the 5 Spanish Saints and the Patron Saint of Farmworkers.

Our meals today contain vegetables from the farm. Isadore was probably more involved with cereal grains, but every farm also has a vegetable patch for home use. The dinner is from the Basque Region of Spain: very Spanish and very good.

Zucchini Nests for Egg:  123 calories 7.5 g fat 1.5 g fiber 8 g protein 7.6 g carbs 52.5 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg and nest only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF Found this recipe online, then I changed it to fit our calorie restriction requirements.  HINT: This recipe makes enough for 2 nests which serve 2 people.

Serves 2
1 tsp olive oil
¼ cup diced onion		Cook onions in oil until lightly browned, 4-6 mins.
2 tsp fresh sage/1 tsp dried 
1 clove garlic
large pinch hot pepper flakes or 2 tsp New Mexico green chili		Chop fresh sage and jalapeno, if using.
Press or mince garlic. 
Add these and stir 30 secs.  
2 tsp cider vinegar
1 c. grated zucchini
pepper + ¾ tsp salt		Grate zucchini on a coarse hole of a box grater. Add these to the pan, cover and cook about 6 mins.
1 oz roasted red pepper, chopped 2 Tbsp parsley, choppedAdd roasted pepper and parsley. Cook 6 mins until zucchini is soft. HINT: Do this part the night before to save time in the morning.
Next morning: Divide cooked vegetables into two . Cover and heat 1 min.
2 two-oz eggs
salt and black pepper 		Uncover and break egg into each ‘nest.’ Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on the stove top 4-5 mins or until the eggs are cooked to your liking. 
Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Now that’s something different!

Omelette Basque: 274 calories 15 g fat 4.4 g fiber 16.5 g protein 20 g carbs 69.5 mg Calcium   PB GF – if using GF bread  A savory omelette is a wonderful dinner, any day of the week. Susan Herrmann Loomas’ French Farmhouse Cooking is the source of this delicious meal.  HINT: serves two [2].

4 two-oz eggs 8 oz Italian bell peppers, green +/or red, cut in 1”x2” pieces 1 tsp olive oil Espelette or Aleppo pepper, ground   per serving: one side salad with tomato 0.8 oz whole-wheat sourdough bread

Cut the peppers as described above. Heat the oil in a 10-12” saute pan along with some healthy sprays of non-stick spray. When the oil is hot, add the peppers and cook, tossing them to turn to the other sides, until they have blackened parts. Lightly salt and pepper the peppers. Remove and separate into two portions. Whisk the eggs. Divide the eggs into two equal portions and add a pinch of espelette or Aleppo pepper to each batch. Put the pan back on the heat and add one portion of the peppers. Arrange them so that they are evenly distributed on the pan. When the pan is sizzling, add one portion of the eggs to the pan. Tilt the pan around so the eggs flow over the bottom and around the peppers. As the sides cook, lift the edge and let uncooked egg go to the bottom of the pan. Lightly salt and pepper the eggs. As the top just sets, remove the pan from the heat. Lift up one-third of the omelette and fold it over the rest. Fold the other side over the center, too, and ease the omelette onto a plate. Cook the other omelette right away. Plate with the salad and the bread. Everything you want in a dinner: delicious, quick, healthy.

Viking Tales: Harald & Rognvald

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

…..no, they don’t ‘Go to White Castle,’ but they did have some ‘excellent adventures.’ They were a real “buddy story” in medieval Norway. Our Harald was born in 852 in Norway, son of Halfdan of Vestfold. Our Rognvald was born in 835, son of Eystein of Maer/Møre. Rognvald and Harald were related, possibly 2nd cousins. [Rognvald and I are related too!] In his youth, Harald had wooed a lass, proposing marriage. She said, in so many words, “What great deeds have you accomplished? Come back when you have something to say for yourself.” Harald decided then and there that his goal was to become king of all Norway – and that he would not cut or comb or wash his hair until he had achieved that. For 10 years he kept that oath, thus he was called Harald Lufa [Harald with the matted hair]. Harald married Rognvald’s sister, Swanhild, and began to conquer the many small earldoms in Norway. The brothers-in-law went a-viking together, to Ireland and Scotland, where rebelious jarls/earls had fled, and from which they harried the Norweigan coast. Rognvald’s eldest son, Ivar, was killed on one of these missions, so to make it up to him, Harald gave Rognvald a Jarldom in the Orkney and Shetland Islands. But Rognvald was already Jarl of Møre in Norway, so he gave the islands to his brother, Sigurd. At last, in 872, Harald became King of Norway, and Rognvald held a celebration for him and his men. When Harald went to have a soak in the bath, Rognvald pointed out that since Harald was now king of Norway, he could cut his hair. The King permitted the Jarl to cut, wash, and style his hair. Rognvald then presented the King to the group with a new sobriquet: Harald Harfager [Harald Fair-Hair]. The name stuck. Unfortunately, Harald’s sons were jealous of Rognvald. Halfdan and Gudrod killed him in 894 by burning his house down with him and 60 supporters in it. So ended a beautiul friendship. A furious King Harald banished Gudrod, but Halfdan escaped punishment by fleeing. The Jarldom of Møre was given to Rognvald’s son Thorir, along with Princess Alof as his wife. You may have seen the character Harald Fair-Hair in the Vikings TV series. He was a real person, and this is how he got his name.

The Orkney and Shetland Islands are part of Scotland now, so we will enjoy Scottish Bannocks at breakfast. For dinner, a genuine Scandinavian treat: the open-faced sandwich called smørrebrød.

Bannock & Bacon:  143 calories 3.5 g fat 1 g fiber 12 g protein 14.6 g carbs 15 mg Calcium  NB: Food values given are for the main meal only, and do not include the optional beverage.  PB  For years we have enjoyed this on Slow Days, only to find that it fits for Fasting, too.

3 two-inch bannock**  2 slices Hormel Canadian Bacon OR Jones brand OR back bacon @ 60-70 calories ½ cup applesauce, unsweetened 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 

Prepare the bannock according to the recipe and bake. Warm and lightly brown the Canadian bacon. Plate the applesauce and pour the beverages. Simple and delicious.

**BANNOCK: each 2” bannock = 16 calories 0.5 g fat 0.2 g fiber 0.4 g protein 2 g carbs 4 mg Calcium  This recipe makes the full batch, which yields 3 cups of dry mix. The dry mix keeps well in a sealed glass jar in a cool dry place. Splendid for breakfast or with a soup. NB: 1½ cup of dry mix makes 16 [sixteen] 2” bannocks 

1 cup flour ½ cup white whole wheat flour 1 cup rolled oats, called ‘old fashioned’ in the US, as opposed to ‘instant’  4 Tbsp butter 1.5 Tbsp sugar pinch of salt 1 Tbsp baking powder

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until well-incorporated. Measure out the amount you need into a bowl, and put remaining dry mix into a jar for storage. Add 1 Tbsp of milk to the bowl of mix and stir with a fork. Add a little more milk until a stiff dough ball is formed. Roll out on a lightly-floured board until 1/3” thick. Cut out with a 2” round cutter. Gather the scraps together, reroll, and continue to cut out the rounds. Bake on a lightly-greased baking sheet at 400 F. for 10-12 minutes.

Smørrebrød with Turkey: 243 calories 8 g fat 3 g fiber 10 g protein 29 g carbs 18.5 mg Calcium  PB GF – if using GF rye bread From Oslo comes the best of Summer sandwiches: smørrebrød [smeared bread]. Light and flavorful from summer vegetables, this meal is filling and simple to prepare without heating the kitchen. It is a great quick meal in any season.

1 slice [1.5 oz] sourdough rye bread @ 110 calories [the bread should be dense, not fluffy] 1 Tbsp whipped cream cheese 4 large leaves of fresh spinach 1.5 oz thinly-sliced tomato, slice and salt about 30 minutes earlier for best taste 1 oz cooked turkey breast or tenderloin ½ hard-boiled egg, sliced ½ cup Swedish Cucumber Salad**

Spread the bread with the cream cheese and lay the spinach leaves on top. Place the tomato slices atop that. For the next layer, put down the turkey, topped by the egg slices. Season with saltand pepper to taste. Drain the Cucumber Salad and plate. Excellent!

SWEDISH CUCUMBER SALAD: 1 cup = 2 serving 23 calories 0 g fat 0.3 g fiber 0.4 g protein 5 g carbs 14 mg Calcium 

1 cup sliced cucumber 1.5 tsp sugar 1 oz white wine vinegar ½ tsp cold water salt and freshly ground pepper ½ tsp dill

Combine the sugar, vinegar, water, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Slice the cucumbers, spread them out on towels and pat dry. Stir the cukes into the liquid, wetting all the slices. Chill for at least one hour.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg olive oil onion sage1 two-oz eggs 
hot pepper flakes/jalepeno/New Mexico green chiliesbeets + onion
garlic zucchiniham
vinegar roasted red pepperapple
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

4 two-oz eggs + Esplette or Aleppo pepper1.5 pounds blue mussels
Italian bell peppers — red or greendry white wine
olive oil + Side Salad heavy cream
whole-wheat sourdough breadsweet potato
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Julian, the Anchorite

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Would you enjoy being walled into a tiny room, walled off from the world, after having to pay for the privilege? Can’t say that would appeal to most people, but in the Middle Ages in Europe, this would have been a lifestyle choice. Such was the fate of an ‘anchorite.’ The original anchorites, from the Greek word anachorein meaning ‘to go apart,’ lived in the deserts of the Holy Land and Egypt. Paul of Thebes walked into the desert around 250 CE and never returned. He lived in total isolation in a cave for 70 years, until he was visited by Saint Anthony the day before he died. The idea of renouncing the world to seek a closer relationship with God became a goal for several. By the Middle Ages, women were choosing to be anchorites — to flee an unhappy marriage, to flee the complexities of their lives, to gain control over their own fates. They would apply to a church or convent, pass an entry interview, and prove that they had sufficient funds for a life of being fed by others. Then they were immured. A room, 12 feet x 12 feet, would be built onto the wall of the church. This would be the anchorite’s home for the rest of her life. There was a tiny window that looked outside to the world, a small window for watching the daily Mass and for receiving communion, and a larger window in a third wall that was a pass-through for food. And there she would be walled-up — following a funeral service to mark that she was indeed ‘dead to the world.’ One of the most famous anchorites was ‘Julian of Norwich,’ 1342-c.1417. She had visions which she wrote down in her Revelations of Divine Love — the first book in English attributed to a woman. People, especially women, came to visit her and ask her advice. By withdrawing from the world to a cell at the Church of Saint Julian in Norwich, Julian became famous, sought-after, and saintly — even though no one knew her real name! Although she was never elevated to sainthood, she is considered the patron saint of cats. Julian’s optimism and understanding of God’s ‘motherhood’ might be the inspiration for her comforting words to all of God’s children: “All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”

Anchorites often ate very little, as a way to mortify the flesh. When they did eat, they were served the same fare as the monks or nuns of the parent community: porridge or other vegetarian meals. Our foods today consist of a simple but delicious breakfast and a classic vegan dinner.

Fruited Porridge: 183 calories 1.4 g fat 9 g fiber 7 g protein 38 g carbs 36 mg Calcium  NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage.   PB Here is a delicious way to get your superfoods in one meal. Berries and whole-grain cereal are unbeateble together and easy to prepare as well.

¼ cup Bob’s Red Mill 10-Grain Cereal + ¾ cup water ¼ cup diced strawberries ¼ cup blueberries ¼ cup raspberries   Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water 

If the fruit is frozen, as mine was: place in a sieve over a small bowl the night before to thaw. Save the juice to add to a smoothie. Cook the cereal in the water for 8 minutes, stiring twice. Take off heat and add the fruit. Stir gently and serve with a little milk, if you wish.

Red Beans & Rice: 295 calories 1 g fat 9 g fiber 11 g protein 60 g carb 142 mg Calcium  PB GF  This is the old classic recipe for the ‘perfect protein’. Once we were afraid that we wouldn’t like it – it sounds so bland – but we do like it. Yeah, you’re right, the carbs are way out of control, but these complex carbs are really good for you. HINT: This is enough for 4 servings. Either have a gathering or cut the recipe or freeze for later.

1¾ cups brown rice, cooked ½ cup celery, chopped ½ cup sweet yellow or other color pepper, diced 1 cup onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced ¾ cup crushed tomato oregano black pepper 1¾ cups red beans, drained and rinsed ½ cup green beans or peas

Start cooking the rice 60 minutes ahead of time. Saute the celery, pepper, and onions for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 5 minutes more. Add the tomato sauce and seasonings. Stir in the red beans and heat through. Measure out the cooked rice and add to the mixture.  HINT: if there is extra rice, it freezes well. Serve with the cooked green vegetable. 

https://www.bl.uk/medieval-literature/articles/the-life-of-the-anchoress

The 4th of May

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

The 4th of May this year is the confluence of two favorites of mine: the celebration of Floralia and Star Wars Day.  From late April to early May, is the festival of Flora, the Roman Goddess of Springtime and Flowers. The English celebrate it with baskets of flowers and maypoles.  The French celebrate it by decorating their towns with floral displays, handing each other lily of the valley, and wearing green. In Brussels, Belgium there is a month-long flower show at the castle, while in Munich, Germany there is a flower-themed art show. My mother loved to celebrate holidays with special foods. Whether the holiday was religious, patriotic, or ethnic, she would find a recipe to go with it. The tradition continues with me. Plant or gather flowers in early May and be glad. Put flowers in your food and share the loveliness.

Saying, “May the 4th be with you” on May 4th, originally had to do with Margaret Thatcher, oddly enough. Ever since watching Star Wars helped Dear Husband and me to get through writing our Masters Theses, we have been great fans. While the films go all over the Galaxy, visiting many diverse cultures and fighting the forces of evil, there are very few depictions of eating, except for Aunt Beru and her blue milk-shakes, and Luke Skywalker milking an alien creature for its green milk. The closest I want to get to that is a blueberry smoothie and the Green Milk that I enjoy at lunch.

Blueberry Smoothie: 118 calories 0 g fat 3 g fiber 5.5 g protein 30 g carbs 99 mg Calcium  PB GF  From the people at Wild Blueberries of North America comes this excellent smoothie. Take the calories into account when you meal-plan.  HINT: Recipe makes enough for 2 servings instead of juice OR drink the entire batch for breakfast.  The food values above are for one serving. 

3 oz banana ½ cup plain, fat-free yogurt  ½ cup blueberries ½ cup orange juice OR crushed rhubarb

Put banana, yogurt, and berries into the blender and process until smooth. Add the juice and blend on low. Wonderful berry flavor!

Green Milk: 145 calories 0.6 g fat 3 g fiber 10 g protein 25 g carbs 340 mg Calcium  PB GF I drink this for lunch daily for its high Calcium; to ‘keep the trains running;’ and because it tastes really yummy. HINT: When I get greens, I make up kits [spinach + dates] in 1-cup jars or zipper bags and freeze them.

8 oz skimmed/low-fat milk ½ oz deglet noor dates, cut into pieces 1 oz spinach, fresh or frozen

Put everything in the blender/VitaMix/container suitable for using with an imersion blender. Whirl on low speed at first, to break up the ingredients, then at the speed that will pulverize everything to a lovely shade of green. Makes 1.5 cups.

Pork Salad: 144 calories 4 g fat 2.4 g fiber 17 g protein 7 g carbs 43 mg Calcium   PB GF When there is leftover meat from a roast, the easiest meal is to turn it into a salad with lots of yummy components. NB: I sprinkled each serving with ¼ oz flax-seed corn chips which added 40 calories, only 2½ g fat and 4 g carbs. For Floralia, strew the salad with fresh, edible flowers instead.

2 cups salad greens, cut as chiffonade if leaves are large 2½ -3 oz pork tenderloin, cooked, sliced 2½ -3 oz tomatoes 1 oz red bell pepper, cut in ½” dice 1 oz whole cranberries, not dried 2 oz zucchini sticks 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar + ½ tsp olive oil + 1 tsp blue cheese herb mustard

Prepare all the vegetables as described. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a wide bowl and toss with the greens. Plate the greens and decorate the salad with the other components. That was fast!

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

Bob’s Red Mill 10-Grain Cereal Canadian bacon or back bacon
blueberriesunsweetened applesauce
strawberriesbannock
raspberries
Optional milkoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

Brown rice + red beans, cannedcooked turkey breast meat + slicing tomato
bell pepper + crushed tomatoeswhipped cream cheese + fresh spinach
celery + onion + oreganohard-boiled egg + 1.5 oz sourdough rye bread
Garlic + Green beans or peasSwedish Cucumber Salad 
Sparkling waterSparkling water

Anton Dvořák

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How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier. Welcome to Fairy Qu33n who is now Following.

The first time that I heard a part of The New World Symphony, I was entranced. We sang a choral version of the music in high school Glee Club and I wanted to know more of this composer. He wasn’t one of the Three Bs of European composing — and how did he get to Iowa as part of his career??? This was Anton Dvořák of Bohemia, now in Czechia, then in the Austrian Empire. His innkeeper father’s love of zither music opened the world of native tunes for young Anton. The boy’s early schooling was hindered by a limited knowledge of the dominant German language, but he persevered. An elementary teacher taught Anton the violin at age 6, and at age 13, he was studying organ, music theory, and piano. He joined a restaurant orchestra and then played for the opera. While he enjoyed hearing new music from the pit, he was captivated when Richard Wagner arrived to conduct one of his operas. But since $7.50 a month was not a living wage, he gave piano lessons and met his future wife. On the side, Dvořák was composing music: string quartets, an opera, and many other works that we will never hear since he burned much of his early output. From 1871, he devoted all his time to composing. His work was being performed, but the family struggled financially. In 1874, Dvořák won the Austrian State Prize, which provided a stipend to help fund the work of young musicians. Winning again in 1876 and 1877, he earned the admiration of Johannes Brahms who offered to help his work receive wider recognition. A commission to compose work similar to his Moravian Duets resulted in the Slovanic Dances in 1888. From then on, he was on his way, conducting his own compositions in England, Germany, Austria, and Russia, and returning to Prague to teach at the Prague Conservatory. When offered an astounding salary to teach and compose at the National Conservatory of Music in New York City in 1892, he leapt at it. Dvořák, his wife, and their 6 children moved to the US. Unusually, the Conservatory made a point of admitting Black students and women. This put Dvořák into contact with the Black tradition and style of music. He was convinced that America needed it own music — one based on Native rhythms and Black spirituals. The result was the 9th Symphony, From the New World. A member of his household, his secretary whom they had brought from Bohemia, was an American-born Czech from Iowa. He convinced Dvořák to visit the Mid-West so the whole family went to Iowa for the summer. Dvořák was enchanted with this Bohemian town and was so relaxed there that he wrote two pieces of music in his new American style. At summer’s end, he returned to New York and then to Europe where he died on May 1, 1904. As a professor, he had a lasting influence on American music, since his students taught some famous musicians: Duke Ellington, Charles Ives, Aaron Copeland, and George Gershwin.

Our breakfast has flavors loved by the Czech people. The dinner from Chicago evokes Dvořák’s time and interest in the upper Mid-West of the USA.

Czech Breakfast: 165 calories 4.5 g fat 3 g fiber 10 g protein 20 g carbs 61.6 mg Calcium  NB: The food values are for the meal and fruit only and do not include the optional coffee. I’m told that the majority of citizens of the Czech Republic eat this for breakfast daily. Join them.

1 oz sourdough rye bread 1 oz sliced ham, 3% fat ½ oz Hermelin cheese, or substitute Camembert 2 yellow plums Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait  [65 calories] or lemon in hot water 

Whether you pile everything on the bread and eat it that way, or sample each item separatly, this is a hearty way to start the day. For those of you who start your day with lunch, this is for you.

Hull House Soup: 183 calories 4 g fat 5.5 g fiber 7.5 g protein 23 g carbs 34.6 mg Calcium  PB GF – if using GF pasta  An Italian woman in Chicago once served Jane Addams a meal of pasta with a simple ragu sauce, which opened Addams’ eyes to how food connected immigrants with their home country. This simple soup packs a lot of flavor.

2 cups spaghetti sauce, purchased**
2 cups chicken stock
2 [1 Tbsp] cloves garlic sliced, chopped 
3 oz [2/3 cup] green pepper in ½” dice 
1 cup chick peas
1 cup chopped cabbage
chopped fresh rosemary
2-3 pinches red pepper flakes		Put in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

**I used Classico brand “Florentine Spinach and Parmesan” sauce
½ cup water 1 oz [¼ cup] short pasta like ditalini salt and pepper to tasteAdd these to the soup in the pot and cook 15 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender. Taste for seasoning and add water if too thick.