CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE CROCK-POT STEW

FROM ROBERT HILL, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, ORLANDO BALLET

“I developed this recipe as a way to have lunches for almost a week at work when I almost always have to do working lunches. It’s healthy and delicious.

I typically put the food on a bed of raw spinach (sometimes a bed of rice or even mashed potatoes) and heat it in my office microwave oven.
”

— Robert Hill

SERVES:
6+

PREP TIME:
25 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
5 HR 25 MIN

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INGREDIENTS

4 to 6 chicken thighs with bone and skin
5 six-inch chicken sausage links
2 cups of sliced mushrooms
1 3/4 cups soy sauce
1 cup of sliced garlic
1 cup of chopped onion
1 cup of chopped red, yellow, and green peppers
1 cup tahini
1 cup of your favorite infused vinegar
1 small can of sliced water chestnuts
One bag of baby carrots
4 tsp of powdered white pepper
Olive oil

DIRECTIONS

In a large crock-pot, coat the bottom with a light layer of Olive Oil.

Add all of the garlic, onion, and peppers. Add in a layer of the chicken thighs. Add in the sausage. Add the can of water chestnuts. Add the mushrooms on top of that. Add the carrots on top of that. Splash about a cup of soy sauce and a cup of your vinegar. Sprinkle the top with white pepper

Cook for 5 hours.

Mix a cup of tahini with a half cup of olive oil then add in ¾ cup of soy sauce.  Stir well and sprinkle some of it on top of the crock-pot chicken meal when done.

Enjoy!

NEW ORLEANS STYLE RED BEANS AND RICE

FROM DEVON CARNEY, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, KANSAS CITY BALLET

“Having been born in New Orleans and spent so many years of my youth there I am profoundly grateful for all that the Crescent City and its people and culture gave me. There is a rich history in the Big Easy that stems from multiple cultural backgrounds in a melting pot of influences that is so reflected in its cuisine. I grew up with so many amazing unique things one of which was Red Beans and Rice. And after a long day of rehearsals in the ballet studio it was, and still is, one of my go-to comfort foods.”

— Devon Carney

SERVES:
6+

PREP TIME:
8 HRS+

TOTAL TIME:
14 HRS+

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INGREDIENTS

1 pound red kidney beans
4-6 finely minced garlic cloves
1 large finely chopped white sweet onion (approx. 2 cups)
1 large finely chopped green pepper (approx. 1 cup)
4-5 long finely chopped celery stalks (approx. 1 cup)
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1-2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce depending on your level of desired “heat” (this is very much a part of the New Orleans style)
3 small bay leaves
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (be careful not to overdo this one)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 1/2 teaspoon raw sugar (I prefer turbinado but regular sugar will do)
2 ½ tablespoons corn oil
1 14-16 oz. can of crushed tomatoes (the finer the crushed the better)
1 or 2 small ham hocks, optional (I don’t use this but some New Orleans restaurants do)
1 pound smoked Andouille sausage cut into bite-size pieces (Kielbasa will do in a pinch as an alternative)
Cooked rice (preferably long-grain white rice)
4-6 good lengths of finely chopped scallions as optional garnish at the end

DIRECTIONS

Place the beans and ham hocks (optional) in a bowl or the pot they will cook in the next day which is large enough to accommodate and add water, then cover. It should be a few inches above the beans. Let sit for about 8-12 hours.

Drain and keep the water for later use. Put the beans and ham hocks (optional) in a 4 ½ - 6-quart pot. Add the saved soaking water and additional water to make about eight cups.  Bring to boil and cook at reduced heat, uncovered, for a minimum of two hours, stirring occasionally from the bottom. At this point, the beans may not yet be soft enough to eat but don’t worry the next part will get them there.

While the beans are cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet and add only the celery, green peppers, onions, and garlic. Cook, stirring until everything is relatively soft, and the onions have begun to break down. Add all of this to the pot of beans that have already cooked for a minimum of 2 hours. Now add the remaining ingredients which are the crushed tomatoes, parsley, Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper, bay leaves, thyme, sugar, salt & pepper. (Hold off on the Scallions which are an optional final touch garnish.)

At this point take the large skillet used earlier to cook the vegetables, and use it to cook the bite-size pieces of andouille sausage until lightly browned on both sides of each piece. Once cooked, add the sausage to the pot of beans.  Cook, at minimum, for an additional hour, all the while stirring occasionally from the bottom. 

Then remove about 1 & 1/2 cups of the beans and their liquid (be careful to not get a stray bay leaf in this) and put this in a food processor in order to make a puréed almost paste-like thick soup mix. Add this back to the pot of cooking beans to bring a thickness to the overall mixture. Allow at least an additional ½ hour of final low heat cooking. If the beans are not yet soft enough to your liking, cook for an additional ½ to 1 hour. Now remove the bay leaves.

Lay a bed of rice on a plate with raised edges. Ladle 2 to 3 large scoops of beans on top of the rice. Garnish with the scallions (optional) and serve with a bottle of ketchup and Tabasco sauce at the ready for additional flavoring, according to taste. Personally I usually add a light drizzle of the ketchup and a few random drops of Tabasco.

“Laissez les bon temps rouler (pronounced “Lay-say le bon tom roo-lay”) in Cajun French means: “let the good times roll.””

— Devon Carney

PAPA’S BLACK BEANS

FROM EDUARDO VILARO, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF BALLET HISPANICO

“Here is my recipe for Cuban Black Beans and my rationale.
This is my mother’s (family’s) recipe that she brought with us from Cuba in 1969. Every Cuban has its own version. This recipe is what kept me connected to my roots as I grew up in the States. I share it with all my friends, to share my culture.”

— Eduardo Vilaro

SERVES:
6+

PREP TIME:
2 HR+

TOTAL TIME:
4 HR+

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INGREDIENTS FOR STEP 1

1 lb of dried black beans
1 – large green bell pepper
10 cups of water

DIRECTIONS FOR STEP 1

Wash the beans and clean out any impurities. Place beans in a large bowl or pot and pour all 10 cups of cold water over the beans. Cut one of the green peppers in half and place in the pot with the beans and water. Let sit for a few hours or overnight until beans are tender.

INGREDIENTS FOR STEP 2: SOFRITO

2/3 cup of olive oil
¼ cup water
1 Large onion - diced
4 Garlic cloves - minced
1 Large green pepper - diced
2 teaspoons of salt
½ teaspoon of black pepper
¼ teaspoon of dry oregano
¼ teaspoon of dry cumin
1 Bay leaf
1 tablespoon of sugar

DIRECTIONS FOR STEP 2: SOFRITO

After beans are soaked, put them into an enamel or heavy pot and set them on a medium flame on the stove. Cook for about 45 minutes to an hour at a medium simmer. I always have some hot water handy in case the water evaporates too fast before the beans are fully soft and cooked through. Be sure to skim any foam that may rise to the top during the boiling process. Once the beans are done, heat olive oil in a non-stick pan and sauté onions, green pepper, and garlic. Once onions are translucent add the rest of step two ingredients and cook for a few minutes. Take a ladle full of cooked beans from the heavy-bottomed pot and add to the onion sauté mixture to the pan. Using the ladle, mash the beans into the sauté mix— this will aid as a thickening agent for your beans. Pour everything from the pan into the pot with the beans.

INGREDIENTS FOR STEP 3

2 tablespoons of vinegar
2 tablespoons of any dry wine
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2/3 cup of olive oil

DIRECTIONS FOR STEP 3

Allow the beans to thicken with the added sofrito mixture for another hour on a low simmer. Once the beans have come together and thickened, add the vinegar, wine, and olive oil and you are ready to go. Make sure you taste and adjust salt and pepper.

I always end up adding a bit more sugar and wine, of course.

“LAZY” CABBAGE PIE

FROM ROBERT JOHNSON, DANCE WRITER

VIA OLGA MATVEI’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL “SIMPLE COOKING”

“Here is a recipe I’ve been making lately. It’s from a Russian cooking show on YouTube from chef Olga Matvei. It’s really simple to make, healthy, and cheap. Has a nice buttery flavor, for those who like butter. The translation is my own.”

— Robert Johnson

SERVES:
4+

PREP TIME:
10 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
45 MIN

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INGREDIENTS

½ average cabbage
¾ cup sour cream
3 heaping soup spoons of mayonnaise
½ cup melted butter
3 eggs
½ cup flour
2 heaping tsp. baking powder
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat an oven to 350 degrees. Shred the cabbage thinly. Salt the shredded cabbage and mix with hands, squeezing to soften.  Add melted butter to cabbage and mix with a spoon. Butter the interior of an oven dish, add the cabbage, and spread it evenly.

In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and sour cream.  Add salt. baking powder, and eggs, and whisk together. Add flour and whisk to an even consistency.

Spread the batter evenly over the cabbage, all the way to the edges of the casserole.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until done. The top should be browned, but soft and spongy. Allow to sit for 20 minutes before serving, so the top firms up.

NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

FROM ROBIN COLLEN, PROFESSOR OF THEATRE & DANCE AND ASSOCIATE DEAN OF ARTS & SCIENCES AT SUNY POTSDAM

SERVES:
8+

PREP TIME:
20 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
ABOUT 3 HOURS

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INGREDIENTS

2 lbs cream cheese
6 eggs
1½ cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. corn starch
2 cups sour cream
2 oz melted butter

DIRECTIONS

Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. (If it is too stiff you can add some of the butter or sour cream.)

Beat in vanilla, lemon juice, corn starch, sour cream, and melted butter. Beat eggs into the mixture, on low, until just combined.

Pour batter in a 10-inch buttered springform pan, waterproofed with foil. Place in a water bath (on a large cookie sheet). 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Let cool in the oven. Don't remove it until it has time to set up a bit. Remove from oven. Completely cool, cover and refrigerate.

Serve with fruit if desired.

LEMON SHANDY

FROM ARTHUR MITCHELL, CO-FOUNDER OF DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM

RECIPE PASSED ON BY EDWARD SCHOELWER, OWNER OF RED SHELL MGMT

“Arthur Mitchell, the co-founder of Dance Theatre of Harlem, was a well-known teetotaler. At gala events he might sip on a glass of champagne for form’s sake for a toast, but never finish it. But on rare occasions, especially when he felt like celebrating, his alcoholic beverage of choice was a shandy. A shandy is a beverage most popular in the UK and in the Caribbean.”

— Edward Schoelwer, Founder of Red Shell Management

SERVES:
3+

PREP TIME:
35 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
1 HR 30 MIN

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INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar
4 strips of lemon zest (about 3 inches in length)
3 cups water
1 cup fresh lemon juice
Pinch of fresh grated ginger
Chilled beer, preferably a pale ale

DIRECTIONS

In a small saucepan bring sugar and 1 cup water to boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and stir in zest.  Cool sugar syrup to room temperature.

Transfer syrup to a small pitcher and stir in remaining 2 cups water, lemon juice, and grated ginger.  Chill lemonade until cold.  (Makes about 4 ½ cups lemonade.)

Pour ¼ cup lemonade, or to taste, into a chilled beer glass and top off with beer.  Think of Mr. Mitchell when you drink it.

ROOT VEGETABLE SOUP

FROM DANCE WRITER ROBERT JOHNSON

RECIPE ADAPTED FROM ROOTING FOR FOOD: NUTRITIOUS FINNISH VEGETABLE RECIPES FROM THE LEAN WAR YEARS BY RAILI GARTH AND KAARINA BROOKS

SERVES:
8+

PREP TIME:
20 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
60 MIN

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INGREDIENTS

3 Large Onions, minced
¼ cup Pearl Barley
4 tablespoons Butter or Vegetable Oil
8-9 cups Water
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
½ Rutabaga, peeled and diced
3 medium Potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Melt butter in a soup pot, and on a medium-low flame brown onions together with pearl barley.

Add water, carrots, and rutabaga, raise heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes.

Add potatoes. Cook for another 10 minutes. Add salt, and serve.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

FROM CHANDRA MOSS-THORNE, DANCER, CHOREOGRAPHER AND LECTURER OF DANCE AT SWARTHMORE COLLEGE

SERVES:
10+

PREP TIME:
15 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
25 MIN

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INGREDIENTS

½ cup softened unsalted butter
½ cup Crisco shortening
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ½ cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
16 oz. chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl, mix butter and shortening. Add sugars and mix. Add eggs and vanilla – mix until creamy.

Add mixture to dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips.

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. DO NOT over bake – bake until light brown. Devour warm.