Pasta Primavera for Phase 1 of the Fast Metabolism Diet

I made this pasta for dinner for Phase 1, Meatless Monday.  It was soooooo good that I cannot wait to share it with you.  This is a complete one pot meal, minus the pot used to cook the pasta.  You could add a salad if you want but I didn't think it was necessary.  This meal contained the protein, veggies and grains required for a Phase 1 Dinner and was very filling.  You can enjoy a smaller serving with a piece of fruit the next day for lunch.

I came in after a busy day of working on the new, smaller farm.  For being smaller it sure is a lot of work right now but I know that as we get settled in things will be easier than before.  We had been outside working since 10 am.  When we came in at 5 pm, I showered first and then prepared dinner while Frank showered.  Dinner was on the table by 6 pm.

I was glad that I could make a good FMD dinner for us because when we are busy like that I forget to stop and eat my required snacks which I know is not good for the metabolism.

Phase 1 Pasta Primavera

1/2 lb brown rice ziti, cooked per package directions

1 small onion, diced

4 oz. mushrooms, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 t. dried Italian herbs

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with juices

1 (15 oz) can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

2 c. spinach leaves, packed

Place onion, mushrooms, garlic and tomatoes with their juices in a large skillet over med high heat. Bring to a boil and let cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the Italian herbs, salt and pepper.  Add the cannelini beans, reduce the heat to low and simmer until beans are heated through, about 5 minutes.  Add the spinach and allow to wilt, stirring to combine.  Stir in the pasta. Simmer, stirring occasionally until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes longer.  Print Recipe

Down 2 lbs in 3 days.....and I cheated!!

Imagine my surprise when I stepped on the scale this morning to find the numbers down two pounds. I started up on the FMD eating plan just 3 short days ago and each day I fell off the wagon and ate, but more often drank, something not on the plan.  And I still lost weight!!

You gotta just love an eating plan that works hard even when you don't.  Phase 2 breakfasts are the hardest for me.  I am sitting here at 8 am eating leftover roasted chicken and broccoli.  Why is it that I have been programmed that leftover pizza is a perfectly fine breakfast but leftover meat and veggies is not?   

Today, I'm going to share a wonderful soup recipe that makes you feel like you are cheating but you aren't.  Unless you garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt but that is just a tiny cheat and you can always leave that off.  It is friendly for both Phase 1 as written here or Phase 3 if you saute your veggies in olive oil as in the original recipe.  Either way it is delicious and nutritious.  This recipe made enough for six first course servings, with three of the six asking for seconds, and 2 lunch portions.  

Roasted Sweet Potato Soup

adapted from Whole Living

4 lg. Sweet Potatoes

1 med. onion, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

3 mini yellow bell peppers, seeded and sliced

1 lg. jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced

2 lg. garlic cloves, minced

8 c. vegetable broth

2 t. white wine vinegar

1 t. honey

1/4 t. curry powder

1 med tart apple, cored, peeled and cut into small dice

6 oz. plain Greek yogurt

Chopped mint leaves

Place potatoes on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400* oven for about an hour, until easily pierced with a fork.  Remove from oven and cut in half to allow to cool enough to handle. Remove the flesh from the skins.

Place the onions in a skillet with a tablespoon or two of the vegetable broth.  Cook over med heat until onions are caramelized, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the peppers, jalapeno and garlic, cook and stir for a few minutes.  Add the broth and the potato.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes. 

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender and place into a clean pot.  Taste and adjust seasonings. 

In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar, honey and curry powder to a boil.  Add the apple.  Cook and stir for one minute, remove from heat.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the curried apples, a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of mint.  Print Recipe

Back on track with a Cranberry/Carrot Smoothie

I started back up with my eating plan yesterday.  I got up and enjoyed my Phase 1 breakfast of blueberries and crispy brown rice cereal with rice milk.  I drank a couple of glasses of water and began cooking and baking for a dinner I was serving for 30 members of our church.

I snacked on cantaloupe as I cooked.  I stopped for lunch and had roasted chicken, vegetables and rice from my sister's party over the weekend that featured Lebanese food....YUM.  I drank more water.  I was doing great.  The first dessert came out of the oven, cooled and was cut into pieces.  I tried a bite and gave the rest of my piece to Frank.  It was delicious.

 

When it was time for my afternoon snack I took a few minutes to make myself a smoothie. Smoothies help me to make this eating plan much easier.  I grabbed some fresh cranberries and a carrot out of the fridge, added some water and ice, hit puree and in a moment had my afternoon snack in my hand.

And then everything went south.  The second dessert came out.  I certainly had to try it before serving it....or so I told myself.  The truth is...it was chocolate and peanut butter and I couldn't resist a piece. Then I took everything over to the church to finish the cooking there.  Come dinner time I was hungry and hadn't planned what I would eat as everyone else was enjoying the Polish Feast I had prepared.  Polish food is very delicious but it is not FMD friendly at all.  So I had some creamed cucumbers, some tomato salad, 1 stuffed cabbage, a little kielbasa and sauerkraut, 1 potato cheese pierogi with sour cream and another one of those peanut butter and chocolate bars.  

Sigh....I did drink 32 more oz. of water while at the meeting but when I got home I was tired and worn out.  Frank poured me a glass of wine before remembering that I had gone back on the eating plan.  He apologized and started to take it away but I snapped at him so he left it and then poured me another glass when I handed him my empty.

Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

Have you missed me?

It has been quite a busy couple of weeks here.  You acquire a lot of "stuff" when you live in a 4000 square foot home.  Trying to decide what you are going to keep for a house half that size can be very stressful and takes a lot of time and energy.  Moving all that stuff is overwhelming and setting up a new household, while fun and exciting, is also overwhelming.

For a full week we ate nothing but sandwiches, carry out, fast food and restaurant food.  Not at all Fast Metabolism Friendly.  The good news is that I was getting tons of exercise.  One day I actually got 35.000 steps...in one day!!  Most days, I was averaging around 20,000.  So even though my eating was worse than ever, my weight remained stable.

Things are finally slowing down a bit and the house is coming together.  The kitchen is put together, at least until they come to put in the new flooring, and ready to be used.  I actually started cooking again on October 13th when I made a Venison Gumbo Goulash that would have been FMD friendly had I used brown rice pasta and not sprinkled it with Parmesan.  

I had my first dinner party to celebrate our daughter's birthday this past Sunday and then had our other daughter and son in law over for dinner on Monday since they couldn't attend the birthday dinner.  I will be sharing recipes with you very soon.  

I have targeted this Monday to start anew with the FMD eating plan.  This will get me to Thanksgiving week so I can feast on Thanksgiving without any guilt involved.  I hope you will join me during this next journey.  I look forward to spending time with you.

In with the Good, out with the Bad

This moving stuff has me completely derailed. 

So much for my assertations early on in this FMD that life goes on so I may as well eat properly.

I thought that since I was able to stay strong while having out of town guests and traveling, this eating plan was going to be a piece of cake.

Hah.....Fool be I.  Moving is not for sissies!!  And it is not for dieters either....or at least not for this dieter.  The only thing attempting to stay strictly on this plan was accomplishing was to add to my stress levels which were already pretty high. 

The author, Haylie Pomroy, stresses that stress....hmmmmmm.  Yes, she stresses that stress makes you gain weight, especially belly weight.  She teaches that if you stress about stress eating it causes more stress which causes weight gain.  Therefore, should you fall down, as I so often do, you should be good to yourself and not beat yourself up over it.

So, that is what I'm doing.  I am not going to worry about strictly staying true to this plan until after we are settled into the new house.   That doesn't mean, however, that I am not going to try to eat healthily for the most part. That has always been important to me.

So, on that note, I want to share a great recipe that I adapted  from the Fast Metabolism Diet Cookbook.  It is seasonal, it is creamy and comforting and it is easy to prepare.  

I made this recipe as part of #PumpkinWeek that we are celebrating over at my other blog, A Day in the Life on the Farm.  Pumpkin doesn't have to be sweet and calorie laden......although I am sharing some of those recipes too.  It is also wonderful in savory dishes like this Ginger Pumpkin Leek Soup.

It is chock full of vegetables and contains black beans for protein that helps to fill you up and keep you filled.  2 cups of this soup along with a slice of Sprouted Grain Bread or Sprouted Grain Tortilla makes a complete Phase 1 meal.  You can serve it to guests and they will never believe that it is part of a healthy eating plan.

Ginger Pumpkin Leek Soup

adapted from The FMD Cookbook

1 lg. leek, halved, rinsed and thinly sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 c. pumpkin puree 1 lg. sweet potato, baked, peeled and cut into chunks 3 mini or 1 large orange bell peppers, seeded and diced 6 c. vegetable or chicken stock ( I used a mixture of each) 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 T. tamari 1/2 t. ground ginger 1/2 t. ground cumin salt to taste cilantro for garnish, if desired Place the leeks and garlic in a non stick skillet over med heat.  Add 1/4 c. stock or water and cook until tender and liquid is cooked away.  Set aside. Place the pumpkin, potato, peppers, stock, black beans, ginger and cumin in a large pot.  Place over med high heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, add the leeks and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Puree the soup using an immersion blender or putting it (in batches if necessary) into a regular blender until smooth.  Return to pot, taste and season with salt.  Rewarm gently.  Garnish each bowl with cilantro if desired.

Green Apple Smoothie

I created today's smoothie of the day in honor of an event in which I am partaking on my other blog called #AppleWeek.  If you, like me, love all things apple you are going to want to check out all the great recipes we are sharing.

I have found that smoothies are a great thing when you are trying to stick to a healthy, whole foods and fast metabolism eating plan.  They take minutes, they give you a full meals supply of vegetables and/or fruit, they are delicious and they are portable.  They are perfect for breakfast or a snack.  I did not use green apples in this smoothie but could have had I had any on hand.  

No, this is why I call it a Green Apple Smoothie.  Look at that perfect green color and icy goodness. I was able to give Frank breakfast in bed this morning. Enjoy.

Green Apple Smoothie

1 c. apple cider

2 c. dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, chard, etc.

2 small or 1 large apple, cored and cut into chunks

1 c. ice cubes

Place all ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth.  Print Recipe

Fast Metabolism Friendly Chopped Apple Salad

I wanted to stop by to say Hi and to share with you a great recipe that is perfect for this time of the year when apples are in such abundance.  This recipe is filled with dark leafy greens and crisp sweet apples.  I topped it with a vinaigrette made of pomegranate juice and olive oil.  It is gorgeous to look at and better to eat.

I served blue cheese on the side so the salad remained FMD friendly.  I meant to add some toasted nuts to the salad but forgot when I was putting it together as a side for my Soup Swap that I hosted. This salad was a huge hit at that party and I will be serving it again and again.  I am sharing it during #AppleWeek.  You can learn all about #AppleWeek and get tons of delicious apple recipes by checking out my this page on my Day in the Life on the Farm blog.

Chopped Apple Salad

1 lg. handful of dark leafy greens per person

1 apple for every 2 persons, try to use several different varieties

Blue Cheese to taste

1/2 c. pomegranate juice

1/4 c. olive oil

1 T. agave syrup

salt and pepper to taste

Place the greens and apples in a large bowl.  Place the juice, olive oil, agave, salt and pepper in a small jar with a lid.  Shake until well combined.  Pour desired amount over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with Blue Cheese or serve Blue Cheese on the side.  Serve with any remaining dressing, allowing people to add more if desired.  Print Recipe