David Joachim - A Man, a Can, a Plan: 50 Tasty Meals You Can Nuke in No Time

Men dont cook. People tell me this all the time. Thats a load of bullweve been charring giant slabs of meat ever since we discovered fire.

The difference now is that we have better things to do. Why slave over a hot stove when we could be cooking up plans for a golf outing? Or warming up at the gym? Or making things sizzle in the bedroom?

Heres why: because sometimes you want a break from the local Burger-Rama. Sometimes you want a decent home-cooked meal.

Not worth it, you say? It is if you use the can. The can is fast. The can is healthy. Its even cheaper than that Burger-Rama mega-deal. The can holds the secret to every great guy meal.

When you come home from an insane day at work and open the fridge to find nothing but a slice of 3-week-old pizza, remember the can. If the guys are coming over to watch the game and you need some food to throw at the TV, turn to the can. When your girl insists that you cook something for a change, youve got it in the can.

With the recipes in this book, you can easily whip up 50 simple, healthy meals. This food does everything from prevent heart disease and prostate cancer to boost your immune system and energy levels. And it tastes damn fine, too. You dont need a culinary degree to make it. You dont need any fancy ingredients. All you need is a can openerand an appetite. No problem, right?

Size (Usually) Doesnt Matter

Different manufacturers package the same foods in slightly different-size cans. For sanitys sake, Ive rounded off all can sizes to the nearest ounce. Who cares if a specific brand comes in a 14.25 oz can? Fourteen ounces is all you need to know, because with most foods, such as beans, tomatoes, and corn, an ounce or two variance wont make any difference in the finished dish.

With big-flavor foods such as canned jalapeos, be a little more careful. A 2-ounce difference there could ignite your tongue. If it does, gulp down some milknot beerto douse the flames.

If you cant find a particular ingredient in a size close to whats listed in the recipes, buy whatever size is available and use this chart to measure out the right amount.

	2 5-oz cans chunk lean ham, drained
	2 15-oz cans barbecue baked beans
	cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

Also: 16-oz jar chunky salsa, 1 cups baked tortilla chips, 1 tsp oregano

How to make it: Preheat the oven to 350F. Dump the ham, beans, and salsa into a 1-quart casserole dish. Smother with the chips, cheese, and oregano. Bake for 30 minutes, until the cheese melts and the casserole is heated through.

Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 587 calories, 18 g fat (27% of calories), 6 g saturated fat, 22 g protein, 85 g carbohydrates, 11 g fiber, 1,610 mg sodium

A Salty Tale

Some canned foods are relatively high in sodium. If youre watching your sodium intake, eat smaller portions of the higher-salt dishes.

	5-oz can chunk lean ham, drained
	8-oz can crushed pineapple, drained
	4-oz can chopped or sliced jalapeos, drained

Also: 10-oz can refrigerated pizza dough, 8-oz can tomato sauce, 1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

How to make it: Preheat the oven to 400F. Coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Unroll the dough on the cookie sheet and press it out to a 12 diameter. Pour the sauce on the dough. Dump on the ham, pineapple, and jalapeos. Top with the cheese. Bake for 13 to 18 minutes, until the crust is golden.

Makes 8 slices.

Per slice: 202 calories, 7 g fat (34% of calories), 3 g saturated fat, 10 g protein, 22 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 725 mg sodium

Grand Opening

Technology has done little to improve the manual can opener invented in 1865. (Electric can openers almost always malfunction before manual ones.) The best manual is the Oxo Good Grips opener, sold for about $10. With its sturdy black grips and turning handle, its the most rugged utensil in the kitchen.