Joachim - A Man, a can, a plan: a second helping: 50 fast meals to satisfy your healthy appetite

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2007 by Rodale Inc.

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Contributing Writer: Eric Metcalf

Cover and Book Designer: Christopher Rhoads

Nutrition Consulting and Analysis: Kathleen Hanuschak, RD

Food Photographer: Mitch Mandel/Rodale Images

Food Stylist: Melissa DeMayo

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Joachim, David.

A Man, a Can, a Plan, a second helping : 50 fast meals to satisfy your healthy appetite / David Joachim and the editors of Men's Health.

p. cm.

ISBN-13 9781594866104 hardcover

eISBN-13 9781609617042

ISBN-10 1594866104 hardcover

1. Quick and easy cookery. 2. Cookery for one. I. Title.

TX833.5.J58 2007

641.5'55'DC22 2007003868

Men love convenience. Direct deposit. Overnight delivery. Remote controls. They all make life easier. Just like the modern convenience store. Walk into any mini-mart, and youll find the basic staples of life: food, clothing, and shelter (if it rains). But back to the food. Have you looked around your local gasmart lately? The food aisles have grown faster than our national debt. Its a regular grocery store in there. Convenience store owners arent dumb. They know you need to eat on the fly. But what else can you do with a can of Red Bull other than chug it? Use it as a marinade for unbelievably good .

This book shows you how to make 50 tasty meals that start with ingredients you can find in any convenience store, like canned tuna, canned cheese dip, and canned soda. The can is the key. The can is your ticket to freedom from cold pizza and drive-thru burgers. Whether youre in college, in your first apartment, in the armed forces, in a family of four, or in a retirement community, you can use basic ingredients that are probably sitting in your kitchen cabinets right now to whip up a fast, healthy meal. Thats right, healthy. Canned fish is good for your heart. Canned beans are high in health-boosting fiber. And canned tomatoes may help prevent cancer. You can even use the nutrient evaluations provided with each recipe to help limit your fat intake to 30 percent of the total calories in your overall diet and to monitor your salt intake if dietary sodium is a concern.

So the next time youre gassing up your car, take a quick swing through the mini-mart. Your next great meal may be just one aisle away.

A Happy Medium for Sodium

While canned food is convenient, it can be a source of unnecessary sodium. Look for the words no salt added on can labels. But if you cant find a low-sodium product, just try to keep your total daily sodium intake close to the recommended daily limit of 2,400 milligrams. While some research has shown that restricting dietary sodium to 1,500 milligrams can lower blood pressure in people with hypertension, one recent study following 7,154 people for more than a decade found that eating less than that amount was associated with a 37 percent higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. So track your sodium intake using the nutrient evaluations in this book and the Nutrition Facts labels on other foods you eat. And take it easy with the salt shaker1 teaspoon of table salt provides about 2,000 milligrams of sodium.

Beef

Red Bull Steak

8-oz can Red Bull Energy Drink
4 boneless strip steaks (about 2 lb total), trimmed of fat
10-oz can fat-free beef gravy
4-oz can sliced mushrooms, drained

Also: 3 Tbsp salt-free steak seasoning

HOW TO MAKE IT: In a big ziplock bag, mix the Red Bull and 1 Tbsp of the steak seasoning. Drop in the steaks, seal the bag, and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 8 hours. Fire up your grill to medium-high, or preheat the broiler. Debag the steaks and scatter 1 Tbsp of the remaining seasoning over them. Discard the marinade. Grill or broil the steaks 4 inches from the heat for 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare (145F on an instant-read thermometer). In a microwave-safe bowl, mix the gravy, mushrooms, and remaining Tbsp seasoning. Nuke on high for 2 minutes, or until hot, stopping to stir once or twice. Serve with the steak.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS.

Per serving: 329 calories, 9 g fat (25% of calories), 3 g saturated fat, 54 g protein, 5 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 654 mg sodium

MEAT AND POTATOES: Impale canned whole new potatoes on skewers and flavor with extra steak seasoning. Toss em on the grill or under the broiler with the steak.