I know what you are thinking, Anthony you’re not a chef, and you are right, I am not a chef. But guess what, that’s the point, I don’t have to be a 3 Michelin Star Celebrity Chef with French cuisine training to cook, create or write recipes. What I am is an artist, and like art, theatre, cinema and music, I am drawn to yummy good food. With that being said I hope that you will allow me to share some of my favourite recipes I use while I’m busy working on a show. Trust me, these recipes will make tough guy Tommy feel like an idiot for taking your lunch money instead of taking your actual lunch. But don’t let him know, it will be our little secret.
Let’s kick things off with some Guacamole. I personally love this green dip. If you don’t like the green creamy dip, then try the Salsa, if you don’t like Salsa, who hurt you? Pair together with your favourite tortilla chips, nice cool beverage and you will be set, while on set. Ha, film pumps.
Guacamole:
Ingredients:
– 2-3 Avocado’s
– 1 Lime- Zest and Juice
– 3 Cloves Garlic
– 2 Banana Peppers
– 1 Red Pepper
– 1 Red Onion
– Salt and Pepper for taste
– Optional: 1-2 Tomatoes
Instruction:
– Mash 2 Avocado’s and dice garlic, red onions, red peppers and banana peppers into nice little cubes. If you want, deseed tomatoes and add them also.
– Zest and juice 1 fresh lime, add salt and pepper for taste. Prepare the night before for maximum flavor! Bring mouthwash if you have a romantic scene with your show rehearsal crush. Or if you don’t like the person… add two more cloves of garlic.
Salsa:
Ingredients:
– 4 Tomatoes
– 1 Jalapeño’s
– 1-2 Onion
– 1- Lime Zest and Juice
– 2 Garlic
– 1 Can of Corn
– 1 each Orange and Yellow Peppers
– Optional: Cilantro
Instructions:
– Seed Tomatoes and get rid of extra juices. Roasting Corn and Peppers for extra flavor. But it’s not needed. Cut remaining vegetables to equal size and toss. Add Salt and Pepper for taste.
– Use hotter peppers for a bigger kick. Add any seasoning you see fit. Have with those yummy chips.
If you are rehearsing during the winter season, you might want to warm up with some Minestrone Soup, Wild Rice Soup or Fettuccine Alfredo. Though it will take sometime, you will be rewarded.
Minestrone Soup:
Ingredients:
– 1 LBS Ground Beef or Pork
– 1 cup diced yellow onion
– 1 cup diced Zucchini
– 1 up cubed Potatoes
– 2 cups diced Carrots
– 1 cup diced Celery
– 1 cup diced Leeks (Clean and wash well)
– 1 can Black Beans
– 1 – 15 Oz Can tomatoes
– 2/3 cup of Macaroni Noodles
– 6 cups of Water
– 1 Bay Leaf
– 1 tsp fresh or dried Thyme
– 5 tsp of Salt-Pepper for taste
– 1 tsp of Worcestershire
Instructions:
– Brown ground beef or pork in a soup pot with 1 tsp of vegetable oil.
– Remove meat and add diced vegetables until they begin to sweat.
– Add meat back into the pot with garlic, stir. Then add 5-6 cups of water.
– Stir in lack beans and macaroni noodles. Cover with lid and let cook. 10-20 mins.
– Add bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper, and worcestershire. Cook for 10 minutes.
– Remove the lid and let cook 5-10 minutes lid off and serve with parmesan cheese.
Wild Rice Soup:
Ingredients:
– 2 Tbsp Margarine
– Mushrooms, thinly sliced (your preference as to amount)
– 1 Onion
– 3 stocks of Celery
– 1 Green Pepper
– 1 Red Pepper
– 3 Tbsp Flour
– 1-3 ½ Cups Chicken Broth
– 1-2 Cups Wild or White Rice
– ½ cup Milk
– ½ cup Half and Half
– Salt and Pepper for taste
Instructions:
– In a saucepan, melt margarine over medium heat. Cook mushrooms, onions, celery, green pepper and red pepper for 6-8 minutes or until softened.
– Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in flour and ½ cup of broth into a separate bowl and mix together. Add back into the main pan when lumps are gone. Cook for 5 minutes.
– Add chicken broth; stirring constantly to prevent any lumps. Gradually add cooked rice, milk and cream. Stir constantly at low temperature.
– Season with salt and pepper.
Fettuccine Alfredo:
Ingredients:
– 2 Tbsp Margarine
– 2 Tbsp Flour
– 1 Cup Milk
– ½ cup cream
– ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
– ¼ Romano Cheese
– 3 tsp fresh chopped Basil
– ½ tsp Nutmeg
– 2 cloves crushed Garlic
– Pinch of Salt
– 1 tsp white Pepper
Instructions:
– Pasta:
o Fill pot with water and add 1 tbsp of salt, bring to a boil. Add pasta and fold into pot. Cook until pasta is “al dente” roughly 9 minutes. Drain in a colander and drizzle with olive oil 1-2 Tbsp. Keep some on the pasta water and add to sauce if you want.
– Sauce:
o Melt Margarine in a frying pan over low heat.
o Add Flour. Stir together until smooth. Use the back of a spoon to break up clumps. Cook over medium for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
o Add milk and cream a little at a time and keep stirring as you do. Increase heat to medium; continue stirring the sauce until thickened and smooth.
o Reduce heat to low. Stir in cheese and seasonings, let simmer for about 2 minutes.
o Spoon over fettuccine. Toss and serve.
If you are lucky enough to be able to head outside for an hour or two, nothing is nicer than having a Tomato Mozzarella Basil Salad and Greek Meat Kabobs with Rice while talking about past experiences with your fellow cast and crew.
Tomato Mozzarella Basil Salad:
Ingredients:
– 2 boxes of Cherry Tomatoes
– 1 Lemon zest and Juice (Instead of zest try it grilled and use the juices only)
– ¼ cup of Olive Oil
– 10 leaves of Fresh Basil
– ¼ cup of Balsamic Vinegar
– Salt and Pepper for taste
– 1-2 tsp of Chili Flakes
– 1-2 containers of Bocconcini Mozzarella Cheese
Instructions:
– In a bowl, place cherry tomatoes, olive oil and chilies together. Toss and let sit for 10 mins. Add Bochoncini Mozzarella Cheese.
– You don’t have to but you can grill the Lemon over a flame till there is a nice char.
– Roll and thinly chop Basil (ONCE!) Add to Tomatoes. Drizzle Lemon Juice over tomatoes and add Mozzarella Cheese.
– Taste and add seasoning if needed.
– When you are at rehearsals, drizzle with Balsamic Vinegar. Enjoy!
Greek Meat Kabobs:
Ingredients:
– Marinade:
o ¼ cup olive oil
o ¼ cup mint chopped
o ¼ cup thyme chopped
o ¼ cup rosemary chopped
o ¼ dry oregano
o 2 tbsp parsley
o Pepper to Taste
– Boneless chicken thighs, lamb, pork or tofu cut into cubes. Tofu works but I would recommend not using a grill.
– Salt and Pepper for taste
– 20 pearl onions pealed
– 3 Peppers cubed
– Optional: whole black olives
– ½ Lemon Juice
– Wooden skewers that have been soaking in water for at least an hour
Instructions:
– Place meat of your choice in a resealable plastic bag.
– In a bowl, combine “Marinade” and mix well. It will feel like a paste, if too dry add more oil. Pour into a bag with meat and refrigerator or 4 hours or overnight.
– Remove chicken and discard marinade. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Thread chicken and vegetables onto the skewers alternating between the onions, peppers, whole olives and meat. Please the skewers on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
– Prepare barbecue for direct grilling. Preheat the grill to a medium-high heat. Oil and add the skewers so they overhang the edge of the grill. Cook for about 8 minutes, turning over once every 2 minutes to get a nice char.
– Remove and let rest under foil for 5 minutes. Drizzle over with lemon juice.
– Serve with some rice or a mixed vegetable salad. So good.
These ones will take a little longer to prepare and should probably be done on a day off or dark day. I like street comfort food like Fajitas, or something in a bowl like Pork Stir-Fry. Sometimes I have too many and later feel sick cause those choreographers think it’s best to run the numbers from the top after the whole cast has eaten greasy, high fiber food. I’m just glad I didn’t have the bean burrito or have the tuna.
Fajitas (Veg. Chicken. Beef):
Ingredients:
– 2 Chicken Breast or Steak of beef.
– 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
– 1 Tbsp Cumin Powder
– 1 Tbsp Lime Juice
– 1 tsp Grate Lime Rind
– 1-2 Onion
– 2-3 Garlic Clove
– Vegetable Oil (10ml)
– 1-2 Green Pepper
– 4-6 Flour Tortillas
– 2 Cups Grated Cheese (Cheddar of Tex-Mex)
– Salsa or 1 diced Tomatoes
Instructions:
– Heat oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Add Chili powder, cumin powder, garlic, and lime rind.
– Chop onion finely and cook with spices, stirring often for about 5 minutes. Add lime juice.
– Cut meat into thin strips and add to the pan. Cook 5-8 minutes until meat is almost done.
– Add thinly sliced green and red peppers. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.
– Microwave or steam Tortillas and assemble.
Pork Stir-fry:
Ingredients:
– ¼ cup Chicken or Pork Broth
– 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
– 3 Tbsp Soya Sauce
– 1 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce
– 2 tsp Brown Sugar
– 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
– 2 green onion
– 3 garlic Cloves
– Ground Ginger (put your own amount)
– Portion of pork tenderloin. Cut into cubes
– 8-10 Broccoli florets
– 1 Green pepper
– 1 Red Pepper
– 1 Chili Pepper
– 3 Carrots Peeled into strips.
Instructions:
– Sauce
o Pour Broth and cornstarch into a mixing bowl. Whisk together until cornstarch is completely mixed in. Add soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, and light brown sugar. Mix together well.
– Pork and Vegetables
o Heat up the wok (Or big frying pan) and add vegetable oil.
o Once the oil is very hot, add sliced onions, garlic and ginger. Add cubed pork and stir constantly. 4-5 minutes as pork cooks.
o Add broccoli and peppers. Stir until vegetables are crisp.
o Lastly, add sauce. Stir constantly to coat and heat through for about 2 mins. Add sliced carrots and serve. Good on rice.
I hope you enjoy these recipes and have fun trying them. They are created to adjust for your own personal taste. Some people like ginger while some don’t. I like spicy food now, but 5 years ago, I didn’t want anything to do with spice in my Fajitas. All I ask is that you try it out and take risks. Taking risks in the kitchen will help you take risks on the stage. Oh, if only it was that simple.
