5:2 diet: vegetarian fast days 3&4

I’m quite busy at the moment, so day 3 and 4 will have to be jammed together into one post. Fasting is getting both easier and harder, which, I know, is an oxymoron. It’s easier, because I now know exactly what to expect in the day, the hunger and moods and all. But it’s also harder, because I know exactly what to expect, the moods and hunger and all.

Then there’s fact that I’m not really loosing weight, which is making me question the whole experiment. In the two weeks, I didn’t even loose a kg. I lost somewhere between 5 dkg and 8 dkg, which seems like almost nothing and I’m not even really sinning on the non fast days. (Ok, maybe I am, but by drinking way too much craft beer which always seems better than cakes, even though it’s more or less exactly the same or even worse, with the alcohol and all)

Anyway, tomorrow I’m planning on day 5 and I feel a cold coming on. If I wake up tomorrow feeling like shit, I’ll probably give up on the whole diet. If I feel OK, I’ll definitely fast, because some friends are coming over tonight and I made banofee pie;)

Anyway, here’s my fast days 3 and 4.

Breakfast 3: Cinnamon apple oatmeal (142)

20 g oats (71 cal) + 1 apple (71 cal)

Breakfast 4: apple&yoghurt&cereal (162 cal)

10 g malted wheats (34 cal) + apple (71 cal)+ 0 fat yogurt (57 cal)

Lunch 3: Cous cous with creamy mushrooms (200 cal)

1 tso olive oil (40 cal) + 50g onions (20 cal) + garlic clove (5 cal) + 5 g dried porcini mushrooms (14 cal) + 150 g chestnut mushrooms (48 cal) + 50g 0 fat greek yoghurt (29 cal) + 25 g couscous (40) cal

Soak the porcinis in about 1 dcl of water. Chop everything that needs chopping, heat the oil, add the onions and garlic, saute for 5 minutes. Then add the chestnut mushrooms and the now rehydrated porcinis (chopped if they are big) and just enough of the water the porcinis were soaked in to cover everything. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes. Prepare the cous cous in the mean time. Just before serving, mix the yoghurt into the mushrooms. Serve topped with a bit of chopped parsley.

Lunch 4:Chick pea curry (141 cal)

100g drained check peas (72 cal) + 100 g frozen spinach (26 cal) + 100 g chopped tomatoes (22 cal) + 40 g white onion (16 cal) + 1 clove garlic (5 cal) + 1 tsp curry powder ,1/2 tsp fenugreek, ½ tsp cumin + ½ tsp mustrad seeds (lets say 0)

In a nonstick skillet saute the chopped onion, garlic and spice with a tbsp of water for 5 minutes. Add al other ingredients and cook for 20 minutes.

Dinner 3: Mixed baby greens and egg salad (140 cal)

2 cups mixed baby greens (15 cal) + 1 small egg (60 cal) + 15 g 0 fat greek yoghurt (10 cal)+ juice of half lemon (5) + 2 tsp mixed seeds (50 cal)

Dinner 4: Broccoli stir fry (204 cal)

1 clove garlic (5cal) 50g yellow bell pepper (16 cal) + 50g carrot (20 cal) + 150 g broccoli (49 cal) + 50 g tofu (38 cal) + 5 ml sesame oil (41 cal) + 1 tsp mixed seed (25 cal) + 1 tbsp soy sauce (10 cal)

Heat the oil, add garlic, add carrot and bell pepper, fry for 3 minutes, add broccoli, a bit of water and soy sauce, fry for 5 minutes. add tofu, cook 3 more minutes. sprinkle with seeds before serving.

Spaghetti (squash) with vegetable marinara

Let’s start the year with a super healthy recipe for all of you who swore to only eat vegetables and give up carbs for ever this year. (I didn’t. My new years resolutions are: Eat all the chocolate! Maybe move a bit more, maybe not. Create more, care less.) But we had this spaghetti squash for quite some time (it came in a veg box before Christmas), and it was maybe time to cook it? If you’ve never encountered a spaghetti squash before- it’s an absolutely magical vegetable. You can make it into a spaghetti like dish without any fancy tools. It just grows that way! You just cook it and then scrape it out of its shell with a fork and voila- fake pasta! My father has been growing these for ages and one of my favourite things to do as a child was tricking my non-vegetable eating friends into eating it. (I was a weird kid… )

uncooked squas

So here’s how I prepare it (but there’s other ways of cooking it, like boiling or using a microwave oven)

 Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Cut the squash in half and spoon out the seeds. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place the squash on it, skin side up. Pour a bit of water into the tray (1/3 of a cup). Bake for 35-45 minutes- This depends on the size of the squash, usually they are ready in about 40 minutes. You know its done when the next step is possible (if it’s too hard for it, bake some more). Take a fork and start scraping out the squash meat sidewise. Spaghetti are supposed to form. They won’t be super long, but if you’re careful enough, they should look like pasta.

Serve with any sauce you like, but here’s a recipe for a tasty quick vegetable marinara.

1.  While the squash is in the oven, prepare the sauce.
2. Chop the onion, carrots and celery into small piece. heat a spoon of olive oil and saute the vegetables on medium heat for 10 minutes.
3. Chop the garlic, add to vegetables and saute for 30 more seconds.
4. Add the tomatoes. wash out the can with some water and add 1/2 of cup of tomato water to the sauce. Cook for 20 minutes on medium heat.
5. Add a handful of any fresh herbs you have lying around (preferably basil or parsley) and blend. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over the squash or regular pasta.
6.  Dober tek!