BULK UP BY CHEF DEVIN ALEXANDER TO LOOK LIKE A PRO, YOU’VE GOT TO COOK LIKE A PRO. HERE’S HOW TO PREPARE A WEEK’S WORTH OF MUSCLE-BUILDING MEALS IN A FEW HOURS >> It’s a common dilemma: you gotta eat, but you don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen. And it’s not like you can just toss together a salad – as a bodybuilder, you need protein 5–6 times a day, seven days a week. That’s 35–42 protein portions a week. >> Sure, protein shakes or other quick fixes work for some mini meals or snacks. But most of the time you need something to sink your teeth into – and, no, dry chicken breast isn’t gonna cut it. So what’s a hungry lifter to do? Cook ahead, like the well-fed, well-built bodybuilders we feature here. Each one has that golden recipe that both gives him the nutrients he needs and, because it makes multiple servings, keeps him out of the kitchen. Go ahead, spend a Sunday cooking. Then wrap up the leftovers for easy eating later. Because the less time you spend in the kitchen, the more time you can spend in the gym. ERNESTO’S HONEY MUSTARD BARBECUED CHICKEN 1 Tbsp. soy sauce 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 1⁄4 cup mustard 5 tsp artificial sweetener 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6–8 oz. each) Preheat grill to highest heat setting. Mix soy sauce, vinegar, mustard and sweetener in a small bowl until well combined. Using a barbecue brush or pastry brush (or even an unused paint brush), brush both sides of chicken with sauce. Discard remaining sauce. Place chicken on grill and cook 3–5 minutes per side or until it’s no longer pink inside. Makes four servings. Per serving: 320 calories, 69 g protein, 1 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat, 0 g fibre. >> Chef’s Note: If you want extra sauce for dipping, double the recipe, then pour half of it into a separate container before brushing it on the chicken. Once you dip a brush into sauce, brush raw chicken and dip the brush back into the sauce, the remaining uncooked sauce is unsafe to eat. TOMM'S OATMEAL EGG-WHITE PANCAKES 6 egg whites 2 whole eggs 1 cup quick oats 1 Tbsp. cinnamon 1⁄2 cup chopped fresh or dried fruit (strawberries, blueberries or raisins work well) 3 tsp artificial sweetener Nonstick cooking spray Combine all ingredients except cooking spray in a blender. Spray a medium nonstick frying pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. When the pan is hot, pour in half the batter. Cook on one side until the edges look done and batter bubbles in the middle, approximately three minutes. Then flip pancake and cook until no longer runny inside. Cook remaining batter the same way. Eat hot or at room temperature. Store in refrigerator in large resealable plastic bags or cling film. Makes one serving (two large pancakes). Per serving: 290 calories, 23 g protein, 34 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 5 g fibre. >> Tomm’s Tip: Top your pancakes with sugar-free jam or sugar-free apple sauce or sliced kiwi fruit. CHEW WISELY IMPORTANT FOOD SAFETY TIPS >> Never re-use chicken marinade. If you don’t cook it, discard it. >> Always wash your hands after touching raw meat. >> Meat should be cooked within 3–5 days of purchase. >> Cook meat to its proper temperature — invest in a meat thermometer. >> Leftovers should be refrigerated promptly to below 40°F/4°C, then reheated to at least 165°F/74°C immediately before consumption. >> Date leftovers so you know how long they’ve been stored in your refrigerator. >> Leftover cooked chicken and beef should be refrigerated promptly and used within 3–4 days. Cooked minced chicken and turkey should be used within 1–2 days. >> Cooked pasta and leftover pizza should be safe to eat for 3–5 days and cooked rice for one week, assuming they’ve been promptly refrigerated at 40°F/4°C or less. >> When transporting food, make sure to store it in a well-insulated coolbox with plenty of ice. GRAB & GO HOW TO STORE YOUR MASTERFUL MEALS Now that you’ve cooked up all this extra grub, you need to pack and store it properly, conveniently and safely. Small, shallow containers are ideal because they allow food to cool quickly — we suggest economy microwavable containers. Promptly after cooking, put one serving of meat, rice or vegetables into each container (or combine them if you wish), seal the top tightly and refrigerate. Add a label with the date so you don’t forget when you cooked each dish. If you want to keep the food beyond 3–4 days (1–2 days for the turkey patties), freeze it right away. Don’t let it sit in the fridge for four days before putting it in the freezer. Ready to eat? When you’re all set to tuck into your Greek chicken or turkey burger, just grab the container, heat and eat. Frozen food should be defrosted in the refrigerator overnight before being reheated. If you’re packing a meal for later, keep it cool with ice blocks and an insulated container, or keep it in the fridge at work. And be sure not to forget your knife, fork and a very big napkin. GARRETT DOWNING This Southern Californian pro has competed in more than 20 IFBB contests. After a year away from the stage due to an injury, he plans to make his comeback at the 2004 Night of Champions in New York City. A veteran of Operation Desert Storm, Garrett served five years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He turned pro by winning the 1999 NPC USA heavyweight title. GARRETT’S GREEK CHICKEN Garrett uses this recipe to get through the training season and post-season alike. “It’s my favourite because my wife Annamarie is Greek,” he says. You can double or triple the recipe, which Garrett often does to have extra meals awaiting him. 2 lbs. raw boneless, skinless chicken breast Salt and pepper, to taste 1⁄4 cup olive oil 1⁄2 cup chopped onion 8 cloves garlic, chopped 1⁄2 cup pitted Greek (Kalamata) olives 2–3 Tbsp. lemon juice >>Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large casserole dish, combine remaining ingredients. Place chicken in a single layer in the marinade, then cover dish with cling film and refrigerate overnight. To grill: Preheat grill or large frying pan over high heat until hot. Remove chicken from marinade (discard marinade) and cook two minutes per side until browned. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking chicken until no longer pink inside, 3–5 minutes per side. To bake: Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas mark 4. Replace cling film with aluminum foil and place casserole dish in oven. Bake 20–25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside. Makes four servings. Per serving: 330 calories, 47 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat, 1 g fibre. Although Garrett uses a good deal of olive oil, he believes that most of it gets cooked off. Plus it keeps the chicken moist even after a few days. He usually marinates the chicken on Sunday night, then cooks it Monday morning. To accompany the chicken, most mornings Garrett makes a pot of white rice in his rice cooker. “That’s the handiest utensil you can have,” he says. “I have a hot pot of rice all day.” Or he’ll make brown rice when he cooks his chicken, then place single servings of each in the same container. He also buys large bags of frozen vegetables. He steams them for a few seconds, then adds them to the meal. TROY ALVES Troy Alves made an impressive stand in his Mr. Olympia debut last October, finishing eighth. He followed that up with a remarkable European Grand Prix tour, once again battling Coleman, Cutler and company. Troy placed fourth in Moscow, qualifying for the 2004 Mr. Olympia. He finished sixth in both London and Amsterdam. What a year! TROY’S MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN Troy says his wife Tara makes this recipe often. Although it has a few more ingredients than some of our other recipes, our taste-testers agreed it was worth the effort (we skipped the basil and honey). Juice of 2 lemons (approximately 1⁄2 cup) 1⁄3 cup thinly sliced garlic 1⁄3 cup fresh chopped rosemary 1⁄4 cup fresh sage leaves 1⁄4 cup coarse ground pepper 2 tsp. salt 4 Tbsp. olive oil, or to taste Basil to taste (optional) Honey to taste (optional) 8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4–6 oz. each) >> Combine all ingredients in a large plastic container or glass dish and mix well. Add chicken and refrigerate at least a few hours. Preheat grill to highest heat setting. When hot, reduce heat to low and remove chicken from marinade. Discard marinade. Place chicken on grill and cook 3–5 minutes per side or until no longer pink inside. Makes eight servings. Per serving: 205 calories, 33 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat, 3 g fibre. Chef’s Note: This recipe is really simple if you throw the rosemary leaves, sage leaves, garlic cloves and peppercorns together in a mini-food processor. In seconds the spices will be ground, and the recipe will be practically ready to go. TROY’S TURKEY BURGERS 2 lbs. minced turkey breast 1–2 tomatoes, diced (approximately 3⁄4 cup) 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese, or to taste 10 pitted Greek (Kalamata) olives, chopped, or to taste 2 cloves garlic, finely diced 1⁄2 cup diced white onion, or to taste 1 tsp. dried oregano, or to taste 1 tsp. garlic salt, or to taste >> Mix all ingredients until combined. Shape into eight patties. Preheat grill and cook burgers 3–5 minutes per side or until no longer pink inside. Store burgers in resealable bags for the week. (Freeze those you won’t eat within 1–2 days). Makes eight burgers. Per burger: 170 calories, 29 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 0 g fibre. M&F Devin Alexander is a graduate of the Westlake Culinary Institute, USA. She can be reached at devin@devinalexander.com

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