No-fuss dishes for busy athletes: Whip up one of these veg and protein-packed 20min meals

No time to cook? Too tired from a busy day or long bike session? Well, good news! One, you’re not alone, and two, you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen to produce delicious and nutritious meals to support your training. I’m absolutely convinced that it’s possible to rustle up a proper, healthy, weekday meal quicker than it takes to order in a takeaway.

So, prove me right! Sharpen your knives, stock up your store cupboard, and see if you can tuck into this month’s slow energy-burning recipes in just 20 minutes.

First up, a treat for lovers of Italian cuisine, this trottole with creamy hazelnut sauce will take your pasta repertoire to the next level. Rich in slow-releasing carbs, it’s a comforting, substantial dish that can work well as a day-before-a-race option. It tastes even better with a fresh tomato salad.

Chicken satay wraps are a quick and easy favourite of mine. These are a truly tasty way of getting your carbs, protein, healthy fats and your 5-a-day in minutes. They are nice and light on the stomach, too. Whip up the marinade, grill the chicken, chop the salad veg and save time by making your family or guests assemble their own wrap!

Next, a delicious Mexican rice bowl with tortilla chips. Here, packs of pre-cooked rice and lentils speed up the process of putting together a filling, nourishing, balanced vegetarian meal. You can prepare this one in advance and it will keep for several days. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for workday lunches or to take to events with you.

Lastly, we have a very tasty Thai-inspired prawn noodle soup. Packed with protein, slow-releasing carbs, fats and minerals, it’s a great meal for muscle recovery and replenishing lost electrolytes after exercise. Keep a variety of noodles and tins of coconut milk in your store cupboard, a pack of lime leaves and raw prawns in your freezer so you can get this one cooked in no time.

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Spinach trottole with creamy hazelnut sauce

Prep: 10mins | Cook: 10mins | Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 50g whole hazelnuts
• 4 slices of jambon de bayonne, or similar ham
• 500g pack of spinach trottole
• 200g ricotta cheese
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg, grated
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 leek, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Pop the hazelnuts on a baking tray and bake for 5mins until lightly toasted. Transfer to a plate. Then lay the ham on the tray and bake for 5mins or until crispy.
2. Boil a saucepan of salted water and cook the trottole as per pack details. Blitz the hazelnuts, add a pinch of salt, the ricotta, a grating of nutmeg and the garlic in a blender until you have a smooth paste.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add a tbsp of water and sauté the leek until soft and translucent. Drain the pasta once cooked, reserving a ladleful of the cooking water. Add pasta to the pan with the leeks, stir in the hazelnut sauce.
4. Add the crispy ham, along with plenty of freshly ground pepper and parsley.

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Chicken satay wraps

Prep: 10mins | Cook: 10mins | Serves: 4 (2 wraps each)

Ingredients

For the satay sauce:

• 3 tbsps crunchy peanut butter
• 1 tbsp hot chilli sauce
• 150ml coconut milk
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tsps fish sauce
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp soft brown sugar

For the wraps:

• 4 skinless chicken breasts, sliced
• 8 tortilla wraps
• 150g beansprouts
• 2 gem lettuces
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped
• Handful of green beans
• 2 carrots, grated or cut into thin strips
• 25g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 2–3 fresh green chillis, finely chopped

Optional extras:

• Chopped peanuts
• Lime juice
• Sweet chilli sauce

Method

1. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and stir to coat with the sauce. (If time, leave to marinade for 30mins or so.) Lay the chicken out on a grill pan.
2. Grill the chicken for 3–4mins each side, or until it’s golden brown. Transfer to a serving dish.
3. Prepare the salad vegetables, coriander and chillies and arrange in piles on a large plate. Heat the wraps according to the pack instructions. Place the chicken, vegetables, wraps and any extras in the table’s centre for each person to assemble themselves.

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Mexican rice bowl with tortilla chips

Prep: 10mins | Cook: 10mins | Serves: 4 (with leftovers)

Ingredients

For the tortilla chips:

• 1 pack corn tortillas
• 1–2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 tsp salt

For the rice bowl:

• 1 pack pre-cooked brown rice
• 1 pack pre-cooked lentils
• 200g can kidney beans, drained
• 200g can sweetcorn, drained
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 100g radishes, thinly sliced
• 100g baby tomatoes, quartered
• 1 fresh green chilli, thinly sliced
• 2 gem lettuces, shredded
• 25g bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped

For the dressing:

• 1/2 tsp hot smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lime

To serve:

• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
• soured cream or crème fraiche

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Cut each tortilla wrap into 8 triangles and lay these on a baking sheet. Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake in an oven for 8mins, until the chips start to brown. Leave to cool for 5mins and they will crisp up like magic!
2. Whisk the dressing ingredients together. Combine the rice bowl ingredients in a bowl and toss with the dressing ingredients.
3. Serve in bowls, with avocado slices and soured cream.

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Prawn noodle soup

Prep: 10mins | Cook: 10mins | Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 250g fresh raw, unpeeled prawns
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 400ml coconut milk
• 8 kaffir lime leaves
• 2cm piece of fresh ginger, finely sliced
• 2 stalks lemon grass
• 150g mushrooms, finely sliced
• 6 spring onions, sliced diagonally
• 1 tsp chilli paste
• 2 green chillies, seeds removed, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp palm (or brown) sugar
• 1–2 tbsp thai fish sauce
• 25g thai basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 250g fine egg (or vermicelli rice) noodles

Method

1. In a saucepan bring the stock and half the coconut milk to the boil. Add the lime leaves and ginger. Bash the lemon grass with a rolling pin and add to the stock. Boil for 2mins and turn down to a low heat. Add mushrooms, spring onions, chilli paste and chillies.
2. Add the prawns, then the lime juice, sugar and 1 tbsp fish sauce (to taste) and simmer for a couple of minutes until the prawns turn pink. Taste and adjust the flavour with more chilli paste, fish sauce, sugar or lime juice.
3. Cook the noodles in a pan and drain. Remove the lemon grass, then add noodles. Stir in the basil leaves and serve in warmed bowls.

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