The FastDay Forum

Thanks spurtle you are a gem I get it now. A little bit of speck goes a long way.

TML13 I may well have eaten sheep feta, oh I would have in Greece thats probablynwhy Greek salads never taste as good I have been using Australian feta

I have also eaten true home made Italian salami and been given bottled tomatoes and been around a local food farm here where everything from meat wine vegs fruit are grown raised and produced. Mind you those carrying on these traditions down involving the younger generations are still a good age.

Sorry izzy we are all here due to a love of food, just trying to get the formula right

I know that we had to protect the name "Feta" because many countries did white cheese, called it feta and sold it as such but here in Greece there are many varieties of that glorious cheese which I all happily eat. The varieties go from 3% fat and reach 60% but I tend to choose the ones that are lower in fat since I like their taste better.
One day, there will be a courier company which will find a way to ship cheese, hams etc around the globe and we'll be all able to send each other feta, speck, clotted cream, pie floaters etc...

Got my sheep milk haloumi waiting for after my 36 hour fluid fast . I did make a yummy Greek spinach feta filo pie and Greek salad for dinner last night. Boy it was yummy.

Mut have unicorn in me

I know that most people grill haloumi but it is interesting to try it with pasta or with a veggie stew aubergine, courgettes, peppers, tomato, basil...

Have a big fat eggplant in fridge and all the rest so you mean like a ratatouille. How do I add the haloumi. This is tomorrow of course . Is that with a crusty bread and salad as well
Ah have to stop right here ;(

You can do a ratatouille but with lots of tomato sauce so that the haloumi will semi-melt in it.
You can grill thick slices of the veggies and so some sort of napoleon with haloumi in the middle.
You can do the traditional Greek briam (sliced veggies with tomato sauce, baked in the oven) and then sprinkle it with grated haloumi.
Or, you can cut the aubergine in half, empty it from the flesh (to crate a small boat), dice the flesh, mix it with tomato, onion, garlic, perhaps a green pepper, a TS of olive oil, put it back in the boats, cover it with grated haloumi and bake it.

I'll do the last one yum.
Just finishing up a liquid fast day and have made it as time for bed and now tomorrow homemade meal mapped out thanks to you TML
Nice lunch out tomorrow will break the fast at my favourite little cafe but I'll already have cooked those little boats of eggplant and serve with a Greek salad. That ought to get me enough to meet my TDEE for a normal day
My DH just ate 2 pieces of chocolate in front of me - not tempted - ha ha

Aw, glad I was able to help! We do a lot of stuffed veggies with rice, pasta, other veggies, minced meat etc. It's an easy way to transform dull vegetables.

I'm starting two days of Dukan's attack today, I'm curious to see how it goes...

Hi TML13
''All the best with dukan. I am doing 36 fluids and Mediterranean on feed/normal/feast or whatever other days as want some structure and health benefits

Just polished off the stuffed eggplant dish which ended up more like Moroccan stuffing but put the sheepskin haloumi on top served with very healthy salad. It was lovely. The protein is looking a bit low though. I put in pine nuts, brown rice & chick peas in with herbs lemon juice and spices

Any other ideas gratefully accepted. Have collected all my Mediterranean cook books and am dipping in depending what I have available. Hope your fast went well

Sheep milk haloumi... Duh

He he, nice to know that you liked it. Well, the Med diet doesn't have protein in every meal or even every day. It's mainly a diet of seasonal products, so just eat whatever is in season. Currently, in Greece, it's a season full of fish, veggies and fruit.

My first attack day went great, today it's the second one and I'm fasting tomorrow. We'll see how it goes...

Good inspiration some fish sounds great.
I did think while I was cooking about what is seasonal now and locally grown. We are so removed from that as supermarkets bring in stuff from wherever. My asparagus the other day was from Mexico. Need to weed my asparagus patch and keep an eye out when it is really in seasonp

All the best with dukan attack, am going to check it out

I'm sure there are many websites which will tell you what is seasonal and when for where you live.
I use those websites everytime I go to buy fish because I always forget about which are in season. You can do the same with veggies and fruit.

TML13
Dukan attack - high protein minimal salad & carbs. Best of luck
I suppose if you have some excellent recipes it would be nice.

We have a local radio station which has a lady who does a regular slot on what is local in fruit & veg . I have a bit of a food garden so am up on that. Fish market pretty much indicates what is local too. Good to think this way when I head off to shop. More spontaneous

Typical breakfast prepared by my late MIL in Jerusalem would be a few dishes consisting of home prepared olives, tomato salad made with onions and fresh toms dressed in lemon and olive oil and lots of fresh chopped mint, labeneh (curd cheese made by draining home made yogurt) tuna, flat leaf parsley omelette, za'atar (a mix of herbs like wild thyme and sumac and sesame seeds),fooul mesdames (dried broadbeans,soaked and boiled) flat breads and a big pot of mint tea. There would be a dipping bowl of olive oil and cut lemons. It tasted amazing, and she was never overweight!