Easy muscle-building meals: tough day? These ready-in-minutes main courses deliver mucho protein with little fat - Active Nutrition

Men's Fitness, Nov, 2002 by Kathryn E. Scherb

That casual morning meeting dragged into a brawling afternoon of Sturm und Drang, then your training partner shamed you into reaching a new threshold of workout pain, then your normal 30-minute commute turned into two hours of stop-and-go thanks to that car chase that opened the 6 o'clock news. Now that you're finally home, cooking a meal is about as appealing as responding to "What are you thinking?"

But you know from reading us faithfully every month that working out is just half of the muscle-building equation. To gain size and to recover quickly from hard training, your meals have to deliver high-quality calories packed with nutrients. That means it's time to make like the Iron Chef. Speed, brother, speed!

We've cooked up five easy recipes that include hefty amounts of protein, moderate levels of carbohydrates, plus a substantial dose of recovery-promoting antioxidants. Best of all: The finished products taste great and are ready within 20 minutes. Now fire up that stove.

SWEET & SPICY PORK PICANTE

For generous helpings of protein and low levels of fat, pork loin and tenderloin are on par with chicken breast. Pork is also one of the richest sources of thiamine in the American diet, a nutrient that helps the body convert carbohydrates into usable energy.

PREP TIME: 5 minutes COOK TIME: 15 minutes

What you need:

3/4 pound boneless pork loin, cut
  into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tbsp taco seasoning
2 tbsp minced parsley or cilantro
1 tsp canola oil
1 bottle (8 oz.) chunky-style salsa
1 can (7 oz.) whole kernel corn,
  drained
1/4 cup apricot spreadable fruit (such
  as Smucker's Simply 100% Fruit)

How to make it:

1. Combine the pork, taco seasoning
and parsley, and toss the pork cubes
until they're coated.

2. Heat the oil in a large, nonstick
skillet on medium-high. Add the
pork; cook and stir until brown
(about three to five minutes).

3. Mix in the salsa, corn and fruit,
then reduce the heat and simmer
until the meat is tender (about 10
to 12 minutes).

Per serving (makes two servings):
415 calories, 44g carbs, 40g protein,
9g fat

Suggested sides: Toasted fat-free
nacho chips, fresh vegetable platter.

* Tip 1: Make your own nacho
chips by cutting flour tortillas into
wedges. Place the wedges flat on a
nonstick cookie sheet, then bake
them at 350 degrees for eight to 10
minutes.

* Tip 2: Use up the leftover taco
mix by combining it with low-fat
sour cream. It's terrific as a dip
for oven-baked nachos or fresh
vegetable sticks, or for topping a
baked potato.

BARBECUED BEEF AND
CORN BREAD

Stir-frying,
the original
fast-cooking
method, uses
high heat to
cook small
pieces of food
quickly.
Presliced beef
and precut
vegetables from
the supermarket
salad bar
will save big on
prep time.

PREP TIME:
5 minutes
COOK TIME:
10 minutes

What you need:

1 medium
onion, cut
into thin
wedges
2 tsp canola oil, divided
3/4 pound (12 oz.) beef strips (such
  as top round)
1/3 cup each prepared barbecue
  sauce and prepared chili sauce
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 squares corn bread
2 tbsp shredded reduced-fat
 cheddar cheese

How to make it:

1. Cook and stir the onion in one
teaspoon of oil in a large, nonstick
skillet on medium-high for about
four minutes, or until brown. Set
aside the onion and keep it warm.

2. Cook and stir the beef in the
remaining oil for two or three
minutes.

3. Add the onion, crushed red pepper,
and barbecue and chili sauces,
and then heat the mixture up.

4. Spoon the beef mixture over the
corn bread and top with cheese.
Per serving (makes two servings):
530 calories, 50g carbs, 45g
protein, 15g fat. (Without corn
bread: 390 calories, 32g carbs,
42g protein, 10g fat.)

Suggested sides: Cole slaw made
with fresh, ready-to-use cole slaw
mix and fat-free ranch dressing
and topped with apple slices.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Simply pick up a store-made
rotisserie chicken, ready-to-eat
salad-bar vegetables and a jar of
minced garlic, and this weeknight
wonder will be ready in 15 minutes.

PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 10 minutes

What you need:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 each: small red pepper, green
  pepper, onion; slice into strips
  (about 2 cups)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes,
  in juice
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 1/2 cups skinless rotisserie chicken
  breast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

How to make it:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet on
medium-high. Add the vegetable
strips, garlic and seasoning, then
cook and stir for two minutes.

2. Stir in the tomatoes with the
juices, tomato paste, wine and
vinegar. Simmer on medium-low
for four minutes.

3. Gently stir in the chicken. Heat
for two minutes, until hot.

Per serving (makes two servings):
475 calories, 25g carbs, 60g protein,
13g fat

Suggested sides: Cooked spaghetti
or penne; orange and grapefruit
sections.

MEDITERRANEAN
BAKED SALMON

Roasting at a high temperature is
an excellent low-fat method for
cooking fish. The vegetables
(tomatoes and onions) cook along
with the salmon. Get the sliced
black olives in the can to save time.

PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 15 minutes

What you need:

1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes in
  juice, drained
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 salmon fillets (6 oz. each)
1 tbsp reduced-fat Caesar salad
  dressing
1/2 tsp oregano
2 tbsp sliced black olives
1 tbsp capers, drained
1 tbsp grated asiago or Parmesan
  cheese

How to make it:

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Coat a shallow glass baking dish
with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Place the tomatoes and onion in
the pan and top with salmon fillets.

4. Drizzle the dressing over the fish
and sprinkle with oregano.

5. Top the fish with the remaining
tomatoes,
olives, capers
and cheese,
then bake
uncovered for
15 minutes or
until the fish
is tender.

Per serving
(makes two
servings): 345
calories, 8g
carbs, 40g
protein, 17g fat

Suggested sides:
Baby-spinach
salad with red
onion, fresh
orange slices,
almonds and
reduced-fat
vinaigrette.

TURKEY CAESAR
VEGETABLE SALAD

Make this grab-and-go lunch the
night before, using store-bought
rotisserie-cooked split turkey
breast. You don't need to cook the
frozen vegetables, as the boiling
pasta water makes them perfectly
tender. Also, make sure to use fresh
pasta, which cooks quicker than
the dry kind.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

What you need:

1 bag (1 pound) frozen combination
  vegetables, such as broccoli,
  cauliflower and carrots
1/4 pound (9-oz. package) fresh
  pasta, such as penne or cut-up
  angel hair
2 cups skinless cooked turkey
  breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup light Caesar salad dressing
2 tbsp grated asiago or Parmesan
  cheese
1 can (2 1/4 oz.) sliced black olives

How to make it:

1. Place the vegetables in a colander
and set them aside in your sink.

2. Cook the pasta in three quarts of
boiling water for two minutes, then
pour the water and pasta over the
vegetables to drain. Do not rinse.

3. Combine the pasta mixture,
turkey and remaining ingredients.
Serve at room temperature or chill.

Per serving (makes three servings):
335 calories, 28g carbs, 35g protein,
9g fat

Suggested sides: Whole-wheat
sesame bread sticks, grape