75 complete recipes

Lifter's Table

75 Practical Recipes for Training Days and Everyday Appetites

Lifting fits into a life that also includes work, shopping, washing dishes and deciding what sounds good for dinner. Lifter’s Table brings together 75 recipes for adult recreational weightlifters who want enjoyable food, clear portions and practical ways to cook around a busy week.

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75 complete recipes, each with its own original illustration.

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Skyr breakfast pot topped with roasted pear wedges, walnuts and toasted oats.

Breakfasts with Staying Power

Roasted Pear, Walnut and Skyr Breakfast Pots

Roasting gives an ordinary pear a soft, browned edge while leaving enough structure to slice it.

2 breakfast pots, each with half the fruit, skyr and crunch · 45 min

Golden broccoli and cheddar breakfast slab with one thick square lifted from the dish.

Breakfasts with Staying Power

Broccoli, Cheddar and Cottage Cheese Breakfast Slab

A breakfast bake earns its place in the refrigerator when it cuts cleanly, reheats evenly and still tastes like vegetables rather than a large plain omelet.

1 square breakfast slab cut into 4 equal portions · 1 hr 10 min

Orange ricotta buckwheat pancakes with fresh orange segments and ricotta.

Breakfasts with Staying Power

Orange Ricotta Buckwheat Pancakes

Buckwheat gives these pancakes a deep, toasted flavor that suits orange zest and mild ricotta.

6 pancakes, about 4 inches/10 cm wide; 3 per serving with ricotta and orange · 35 min

Yogurt overnight barley with fresh peach wedges and tahini.

Breakfasts with Staying Power

Peach, Tahini and Yogurt Overnight Barley

Cooked barley gives overnight breakfast a pleasantly chewy texture.

2 bowls, each with half the barley-yogurt mixture and 1 peach · 8 hr 15 min

White bean and tomato breakfast skillet with four fully set eggs.

Breakfasts with Staying Power

Tomato, White Bean and Egg Breakfast Pan

White beans turn a tomato-and-egg pan into a substantial breakfast with a sauce worth scooping onto toast.

1 skillet with 4 eggs; half the skillet and 1 toast slice per serving · 45 min

Sesame tofu scramble with red pepper, spinach and brown rice.

Breakfasts with Staying Power

Sesame Tofu Breakfast Scramble with Brown Rice

Tofu scramble works best when the tofu keeps a little structure and the vegetables have enough space to cook.

2 plates, each with half the tofu scramble and 3/4 cup rice · 32 min

Golden chicken and sweetcorn waffles with a small bowl of parsley yogurt dip.

Breakfasts with Staying Power

Chicken and Sweetcorn Breakfast Waffles

These savory waffles have little pieces of roast chicken and sweetcorn tucked into an oat-and-flour batter.

4 breakfasts: one quarter of all waffles plus 60 g yogurt and its share of lemon and parsley; usually 8 modest waffles, 2 per serving · 1 hr 5 min

Golden baked pockets cut open to show chickpeas, spinach, red pepper and feta.

Breakfasts with Staying Power

Spinach, Feta and Chickpea Breakfast Pockets

A quick yogurt dough folds around a filling of chickpeas, red pepper, spinach and feta.

4 filled half-moon pockets; one complete pocket per serving · 1 hr 10 min

Savory oats with tender salmon cubes, pale leek ribbons and chopped dill.

Breakfasts with Staying Power

Savory Salmon and Leek Oats

Soft oats make a gentle base for salmon and sweet, buttery-tasting leeks without needing a separate pan of rice.

2 substantial bowls; each contains half the salmon and half the oat-and-leek porridge · 40 min

A wedge of baked peanut butter and raspberry cheesecake with an oat crust and softly set filling.

Breakfasts with Staying Power

Baked Peanut Butter and Raspberry Breakfast Cheesecake

An oat-and-peanut crust supports a softly set cottage-cheese filling dotted with raspberries.

One 8-inch/20 cm cheesecake cut into 4 generous breakfast wedges; one quarter of the complete cake per serving · 6 hr 10 min

Chickpea-filled pita halves with pink beetroot yogurt, carrot-walnut slaw and the remaining dip alongside.

Breakfasts with Staying Power

Chickpea Breakfast Pitas with Beetroot Yogurt

Warm cumin chickpeas meet vivid beetroot yogurt and a crisp carrot-walnut slaw in whole-wheat pitas.

2 meals: 2 filled pita halves each, plus half of all remaining beetroot yogurt and carrot-walnut slaw · 30 min

Paprika pork tenderloin slices over creamy butter beans.

Good Dinner after Training

Paprika Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Butter Beans

Pork tenderloin cooks quickly enough for an ordinary evening, while butter beans make a creamy base without a separate long simmer.

4 portions of sliced pork with creamy butter beans · 45 min

Ginger beef and broccoli tossed with thick udon noodles.

Good Dinner after Training

Ginger Beef and Broccoli Udon

Thick udon noodles, thin beef strips and broccoli make a quick dinner only when the pan is not asked to do every job at once.

2 generous bowls of beef, broccoli and udon · 35 min

Three turkey meatballs over creamy red roasted-pepper orzo.

Good Dinner after Training

Turkey Meatballs with Roasted Red Pepper Orzo

Roasted red pepper gives the orzo a red, savory sauce without requiring a long tomato simmer.

12 meatballs; 3 per serving over one quarter of the orzo · 45 min

Mustard salmon with warm potatoes and green beans in dill yogurt dressing.

Good Dinner after Training

Mustard Salmon with Warm Potato and Green Bean Salad

This warm dinner salad has salmon at its center, with softly cooked green beans and waxy potatoes in a mustard-yogurt dressing.

2 salmon fillets with warm potato and green bean salad · 55 min

Cumin chicken skewers over lentil and bulgur pilaf with carrots.

Good Dinner after Training

Cumin Chicken Skewers with Lentil Bulgur Pilaf

Cumin-seasoned chicken skewers sit over a pilaf of bulgur, cooked lentils and small carrot pieces.

8 short chicken skewers; 2 per serving with one quarter of the pilaf · 45 min

Shrimp, sweet corn and white bean skillet with parsley.

Good Dinner after Training

Shrimp, Sweet Corn and White Bean Skillet

Shrimp cook quickly; canned white beans need only warming; sweet corn keeps a little bite.

2 bowls of shrimp, corn and white beans · 35 min

Baked sweet potato filled with beef and mushrooms, cheddar and scallion.

Good Dinner after Training

Beef and Mushroom Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

A baked sweet potato makes an edible base for a savory beef and mushroom filling.

2 stuffed sweet potatoes; 1 whole potato per serving · 1 hr 10 min

Chicken piccata cutlets with capers, peas and pearl couscous.

Good Dinner after Training

Chicken Piccata with Peas and Pearl Couscous

Thin chicken cutlets cook quickly and leave flavorful browned bits for a lemon-caper pan sauce.

4 plates, each with 2 small chicken cutlets and one quarter of the pea couscous · 45 min

Chicken tostadas with avocado and charred pineapple-cabbage slaw.

Good Dinner after Training

Chicken Tostadas with Charred Pineapple Slaw

Crisp oven-baked corn tortillas carry sliced chicken and a juicy pineapple-cabbage slaw.

6 small tostadas; 3 per person with half of all chicken, slaw and avocado · 50 min

Beef and mushroom crepes with a light melted Gruyere topping and a visible cut filling.

Good Dinner after Training

Beef, Mushroom and Gruyere Stuffed Crepes

Thin homemade crepes wrap a browned beef-and-mushroom filling, with a measured layer of Gruyere melting over the tops.

4 filled crepes;2 per serving with half of all beef-mushroom filling and cheese · 1 hr 20 min

Shrimp and broccoli served over soft yellow lemon-Parmesan polenta.

Good Dinner after Training

Shrimp and Broccoli over Lemon Polenta

Soft yellow polenta catches a little lemony liquid from shrimp and broccoli cooked in a separate skillet.

2 bowls, each with half the soft polenta and half the shrimp-broccoli mixture · 50 min

Ginger pork noodle soup with shiitake mushrooms, carrots and soft cooked egg ribbons.

Good Dinner after Training

Ginger Pork and Shiitake Egg-Drop Noodles

Fresh shiitake mushrooms, ginger and browned pork flavor a simple water-based broth.

2 large soup bowls, each with half of all noodles, pork, vegetables, egg ribbons and broth · 45 min

A cut whole-wheat wrap filled with pulled chicken and carrot apple slaw.

Cook Once, Keep It Interesting

Cider Pulled Chicken with Carrot Apple Slaw

A pot of cider-braised chicken can provide several useful meals, but the treatment after cooking matters as much as the batch size.

6 large filled wraps, each with one-sixth of the chicken and slaw · 1 hr 5 min

Turkey chili with three kinds of beans and tender pumpkin cubes.

Cook Once, Keep It Interesting

Turkey, Pumpkin and Three Bean Chili

Pumpkin gives this turkey chili body without turning it into a sweet dish.

About 3.3 quarts/3.1 liters; 6 generous bowls · 1 hr 15 min

Roasted garlic chicken and red lentil soup with whole-wheat bread.

Cook Once, Keep It Interesting

Roasted Garlic Chicken and Red Lentil Soup

Roasting a whole head of garlic changes the direction of a chicken and lentil soup.

About 3 quarts/2.8 liters soup plus 6 slices of bread · 1 hr 5 min

Beef, barley, carrot and parsnip stew in a deep bowl.

Cook Once, Keep It Interesting

Beef, Barley and Root Vegetable Pot

Beef and barley reward a different kind of planning from a quick chicken skillet.

About 3 quarts/2.8 liters; 6 substantial servings · 3 hr 10 min

Turkey, ricotta and spinach stuffed pasta shells baked in tomato sauce.

Cook Once, Keep It Interesting

Tomato Turkey and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Stuffed shells make meal prep easier to portion because each serving has a count.

24 stuffed jumbo pasta shells; 4 shells per serving; divide all surrounding filling and sauce equally as well. · 1 hr 30 min

Lemon tuna and chickpea pasta bake with green peas and a golden crumb top.

Cook Once, Keep It Interesting

Lemon Tuna and Chickpea Pasta Bake

Tuna pasta bake does not have to become a dry block after one night in the refrigerator.

One 9 × 13-inch/23 × 33 cm bake; 6 portions · 1 hr 10 min

Chicken, leek and white bean pie with a golden puff pastry lid.

Cook Once, Keep It Interesting

Chicken, Leek and White Bean Pie

This is a pastry-topped chicken pie with a full savory filling, not a deep crust holding a little sauce.

One 9 × 13-inch/23 × 33 cm pie; 6 servings · 1 hr 40 min

Orange-braised pulled pork served with black beans and white rice.

Cook Once, Keep It Interesting

Orange Braised Pork with Black Beans and Rice

Orange-braised pork brings enough sauce to make a batch of rice and black beans feel like a finished dinner.

6 portions, each with one-sixth of the pork, beans and rice · 3 hr 30 min

Lamb, lentil and spinach cottage pie beneath ridged mashed potatoes.

Cook Once, Keep It Interesting

Lamb, Lentil and Spinach Cottage Pie

Lamb, lentils and spinach make a deep savory filling beneath a ridged potato top.

One 9 × 13-inch/23 × 33 cm cottage pie; 6 portions · 1 hr 30 min

Harissa chicken with roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, couscous and lemon yogurt.

Cook Once, Keep It Interesting

Harissa Chickpea Chicken with Roasted Cauliflower

Harissa gives this tray of chicken, chickpeas and cauliflower a warmly spiced coating, while a measured portion of couscous catches the juices at serving.

6 portions of chicken, chickpeas, cauliflower and couscous · 1 hr 5 min

Chicken and white bean bread salad packed with roasted pepper, cucumber, tomato and separate toasted bread.

Cook Once, Keep It Interesting

Chicken, White Bean and Roasted Pepper Panzanella Boxes

This bread salad borrows the idea of panzanella while adding plain roast chicken and white beans for a substantial carried meal.

4 salad meals; each includes one quarter of all bread, chicken, beans, vegetables and dressing · 1 hr

Turkey and sweet potato moussaka with eggplant layers and a softly set golden yogurt topping.

Cook Once, Keep It Interesting

Turkey and Sweet Potato Moussaka

Roasted sweet potato and eggplant form layers around a thick turkey-tomato filling.

4 portions of layered turkey, eggplant and sweet potato with a yogurt-egg topping · 1 hr 50 min

Cabbage rolls with beef-bulgur filling and tomato gravy, with one roll cut open.

Cook Once, Keep It Interesting

Beef-Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Tomato Gravy

Tender cabbage leaves wrap a filling of beef and bulgur, then braise in a mild tomato gravy.

12 cabbage rolls; 3 per serving with one quarter of all tomato gravy · 2 hr 30 min

Salmon and spinach lasagne with pale white sauce and a golden cheese top.

Cook Once, Keep It Interesting

Salmon and Spinach Lasagne with Lemon White Sauce

A light-colored milk sauce carries raw salmon pieces and wilted spinach between layers of boiled lasagne sheets.

4 portions of three-layer salmon-spinach lasagne, including all pasta, sauce and cheese · 1 hr 45 min

A golden pork, mushroom and lentil hand pie with a cut face showing its compact filling.

Cook Once, Keep It Interesting

Pork, Mushroom and Lentil Hand Pies

A simple butter shortcrust encloses browned pork, mushrooms and cooked lentils in six individual pies.

6 medium hand pies; one complete pie per stated serving · 3 hr

Peanut lime tempeh over broad noodles with crisp cabbage and carrot.

Plant Meals with a Proper Center

Peanut Lime Tempeh with Crunchy Cabbage Noodles

Tempeh has enough texture to remain the center of a noodle plate, especially when it is briefly steamed and then browned before the sauce goes on.

4 generous noodle plates · 40 min

Crisp baked tofu katsu cutlets with edamame rice and a separate sauce cup.

Plant Meals with a Proper Center

Baked Tofu Katsu with Edamame Rice

This baked tofu katsu gets its golden color from crumbs that are toasted before they meet the tofu.

8 tofu cutlets with edamame rice; 2 cutlets per serving · 1 hr 5 min

Rigatoni coated in red lentil and toasted walnut tomato sauce.

Plant Meals with a Proper Center

Red Lentil Walnut Bolognese with Rigatoni

Red lentils and walnuts give this tomato sauce two different textures: soft lentils bind the sauce while finely chopped toasted walnuts keep a little bite.

4 large rigatoni bowls · 1 hr

Black bean and quinoa enchilada skillet with corn tortillas and melted cheese.

Plant Meals with a Proper Center

Black Bean Quinoa Enchilada Skillet

This enchilada-style skillet combines black beans, quinoa and corn with soft pieces of corn tortilla in a smoky tomato sauce.

One 12-inch/30 cm skillet; 4 portions · 1 hr

Golden chickpea crepes filled with spinach and cottage cheese.

Plant Meals with a Proper Center

Chickpea Flour Spinach Crepes with Cottage Cheese

Chickpea flour makes a savory crepe with a gentle nutty flavor and enough structure to fold around a substantial spinach and cottage-cheese filling.

8 small filled crepes; 2 per serving · 1 hr 30 min

Sesame soba noodles with edamame, carrot ribbons and seared tofu.

Plant Meals with a Proper Center

Sesame Edamame Soba with Seared Tofu

Soba noodles make a useful change from rice, particularly when they are rinsed thoroughly and dressed while their strands are still loose.

4 soba bowls with tofu and edamame · 40 min

Red pepper halves stuffed with lentils, mushrooms and feta.

Plant Meals with a Proper Center

Lentil Mushroom Stuffed Peppers with Feta

Red pepper halves become useful edible serving dishes for a substantial lentil and mushroom filling.

8 stuffed pepper halves; 2 halves per serving · 1 hr 5 min

Crisp butter bean cakes with a coarse creamy center and green yogurt sauce.

Plant Meals with a Proper Center

Crisp Butter Bean Cakes with Green Yogurt Sauce

Butter beans make a creamy-centered cake when they are drained thoroughly and mashed with a little texture left.

12 bean cakes with green yogurt sauce; 3 cakes per serving · 1 hr 15 min

Gochujang tempeh, bright broccoli and white rice in a dark bowl.

Plant Meals with a Proper Center

Gochujang Tempeh and Broccoli Rice Bowls

Gochujang gives tempeh a glossy red coating that is savory, a little sweet and distinctly warming.

4 complete tempeh, broccoli and rice bowls · 45 min

Roasted eggplant wedges with warm lentils, two golden halloumi slices and bread.

Plant Meals with a Proper Center

Roasted Eggplant, Lentil and Halloumi Plates

Roasted eggplant becomes the soft center of this plate, supported by warm lemony lentils and two measured slices of golden halloumi.

4 plates, each with eggplant, lentils, 2 halloumi slices and bread · 1 hr

Golden chickpea panisse fingers over tomato-caper lentils.

Plant Meals with a Proper Center

Crisp Chickpea Panisse with Tomato-Caper Lentils

Chickpea flour cooks into a thick paste, chills into a slab and then fries into golden fingers with soft centers.

12 panisse fingers;3 per serving with one quarter of all tomato-caper lentils · 5 hr

Miso hotpot with firm tofu cubes, red-skinned potatoes, napa cabbage and shiitake.

Plant Meals with a Proper Center

Miso Tofu and Cabbage Hotpot

Firm tofu, red-skinned potatoes and napa cabbage simmer in a light ginger-miso broth.

2 large bowls, each with half of all tofu, potatoes, vegetables and broth · 50 min

A beet and black lentil burger with tahini cabbage-carrot slaw and extra slaw beside it.

Plant Meals with a Proper Center

Black Lentil and Roasted Beet Burgers with Tahini Slaw

Cooked lentils, grated beetroot and ground oats form dark red patties, held with a small flaxseed mixture rather than raw egg.

4 burgers, each with one patty and one quarter of all tahini slaw, including any served beside the bun · 1 hr 40 min

Green-flecked edamame and potato dumplings with roasted tomatoes, Parmesan and basil.

Plant Meals with a Proper Center

Edamame and Potato Dumplings with Roasted Tomatoes

These rustic green-flecked dumplings combine cooked edamame and floury potatoes with egg and flour.

42 small dumplings;14 per serving with one third of all roasted tomatoes, Parmesan and basil · 2 hr 30 min

A glass pot of dark chocolate cottage-cheese cream layered with chopped cherries and topped with fresh cherry halves.

Smaller Meals and Sweet Finishes

Chocolate Cherry Cottage Cheese Pots

Cocoa turns blended cottage cheese into a dark, spoonable cream, while chopped fresh cherries keep the finish bright.

4 chilled pots, about 250 g each · 45 min

Three pea, cheddar and egg muffins, one split to reveal the green peas inside.

Smaller Meals and Sweet Finishes

Savory Pea, Cheddar and Egg Muffins

These flourless savory muffins are little baked egg cups with peas, cheddar and spring onion.

12 standard egg muffins; 3 muffins per serving · 50 min

Two baked peanut, date and oat bars served with a small bowl of plain skyr dip.

Smaller Meals and Sweet Finishes

Peanut Date Oat Bars with Skyr Dip

Chopped dates and mashed banana hold these baked oat bars together, with peanut butter providing a distinct roasted flavor.

8 baked bars and about 2 cups dip; 2 bars plus one-quarter of dip per serving · 1 hr 15 min

Roasted red pepper and white bean dip with thin homemade crackers containing three kinds of seeds.

Smaller Meals and Sweet Finishes

Roasted Red Pepper White Bean Dip with Seeded Crackers

Roasted peppers make white bean dip a warm terracotta color, while homemade seed crackers give it something crisp and substantial to scoop with.

About 3 cups dip and one cracker sheet; divide both into 4 equal portions · 1 hr

Two tuna, corn and potato patties, one open to show the filling, with lemon yogurt in a small side dish.

Smaller Meals and Sweet Finishes

Tuna, Corn and Potato Patties with Lemon Yogurt

Potato gives these tuna patties a soft center, while sweet corn and a little mustard keep the flavor lively.

8 patties about 3 1/2 inches/9 cm across, plus lemon yogurt; 2 patties and one-quarter sauce per serving · 1 hr 35 min

Two ricotta toasts with fresh apricot wedges, toasted almond flakes and a light honey drizzle.

Smaller Meals and Sweet Finishes

Apricot Almond Ricotta Toasts

Cool ricotta, ripe apricots and toasted almonds turn a few slices of bread into a smaller meal with a proper contrast of textures.

4 loaded toasts; 2 toasts per serving · 20 min

A pale golden mango and yogurt chia cup with visible chia speckles and fresh mango pieces.

Smaller Meals and Sweet Finishes

Mango Lassi Chia Cups

Mango, yogurt and cardamom borrow the familiar flavor combination of a mango lassi, but chia turns this version into a spoonable cup.

4 chilled cups, about 280 g each · 4 hr 15 min

A cinnamon raisin yogurt flatbread torn open beside a small bowl of plain Greek yogurt.

Smaller Meals and Sweet Finishes

Cinnamon Raisin Yogurt Flatbreads

These soft pan breads have raisins and cinnamon worked into a simple whole-wheat yogurt dough.

4 small flatbreads; 1 flatbread with 75 g yogurt per serving · 55 min

A whole graham-cracker sandwich showing its frozen pink raspberry and Greek-yogurt center.

Smaller Meals and Sweet Finishes

Frozen Raspberry Yogurt Sandwiches

A frozen raspberry-yogurt disc sits between two graham-cracker squares in these small sandwiches.

8 frozen sandwiches; 1 sandwich per serving · 4 hr 30 min

An individual baked vanilla ricotta custard in a ramekin with roasted purple plum wedges and their juices.

Smaller Meals and Sweet Finishes

Baked Vanilla Ricotta with Roasted Plums

Baking ricotta with yogurt and eggs makes a soft, lightly sweetened individual custard with a fine cheese texture.

4 individual ricotta custards, about 190 g each before baking, plus one-quarter of the plums per serving · 1 hr 5 min

Savory cottage cheese scones with pumpkin seeds and chives, one wedge split open.

Smaller Meals and Sweet Finishes

Cottage Cheese and Pumpkin Seed Scones

Cottage cheese softens these savory scones, while pumpkin seeds bring a small, nutty crunch.

8 savory wedge scones;2 scones per stated serving · 1 hr 5 min

Rye crepe pinwheels filled with roast beef, horseradish cream cheese and spinach.

Smaller Meals and Sweet Finishes

Roast Beef and Horseradish Rye Crepe Pinwheels

Soft rye crepes wrap cold roast beef, cream cheese, prepared horseradish and a little fresh spinach.

4 filled rye crepes cut into 24 pieces;6 pieces/one whole crepe per serving · 1 hr 50 min

A crisp filo roll filled with cooked apple and softly set ricotta.

Smaller Meals and Sweet Finishes

Apple and Ricotta Filo Rolls

Thin filo sheets wrap a soft filling of cooked apple and lightly set ricotta.

4 filled filo rolls;one whole roll per serving · 1 hr 35 min

Cumin-seasoned shelled edamame with a separate pot of Parmesan yogurt dip.

Smaller Meals and Sweet Finishes

Cumin Edamame Snack Cups with Parmesan Yogurt

Fully cooked edamame warm briefly in cumin and olive oil, then meet a cool Parmesan-yogurt dip.

4 smaller-meal sets, each with one quarter of all seasoned edamame and Parmesan yogurt · 30 min

Golden apricot chickpea blondie squares with small dried-apricot pieces and a softly set crumb.

Smaller Meals and Sweet Finishes

Apricot Chickpea Blondie Squares

Blended chickpeas give these soft golden squares body, while almond butter, maple syrup and dried apricots provide the flavor.

9 squares from one 8 inch/20 cm pan;one square per stated serving · 1 hr 40 min