Pre-workout breakfast Chocolate Protein Pancakes

I am used to having boys demand food of me. I have three brothers.
So having my Rugby player friend bring over a recipe for me to make for him was nothing out of the ordinary.
Turns out it's a winner and I blogged it immediately! Tasty, filling and perfect for my training diet.
This recipe is for people who are training hard and adding protein to everything they consume. 

Perfect for an epic breakfast as they take 5 mins to make. 

SCRIPT

2-4 egg whites (approx 5g protein per egg white)
1/2C oats (if you have whole grain oats blend them for a few seconds)
1 scoop of chocolate protein powder
Handful of berries (full of antioxidants)
Natural honey (New Zealand Manuka honey is full of good stuff)

METHOD

Whisk egg whites with a fork till combined, add oats and protein powder
Mix until well combined. 
Put spoonfuls in your non-stick frying pan and cook on a medium temperature. 
They don't take long and you should be able to flip them easily. 


Makes 3 hotcakes, serve with berries (or add berries to mixture) and drizzle a teaspoon of honey over top. 
Also you could add vanilla essence and/or a sprinkle of cinnamon to the mixture but they really don't need it. 

Some advice and info from the recipes source: 
Eat them before the gym in the morning as they are full of (good) complex carbohydrates which are an amazing source of energy, as well as protein for muscle repair.  These pancakes are very high in fibre.  Protein pancakes are an ideal choice for breakfast, not only are they very healthy, but they are very tasty.  

390 calories9 g fat
34 g carbs(good carbs)
43 g protein

http://www.muscleprodigy.com/amer-the-hammer-s-protein-pancakes-arcl-1244.html

A New Zealand favourite: Bacon & Egg Pie

I have an NZ Actor coffee snob best friend who came to stay with me for two weeks in Tokyo.
This particular friend is very much responsible for my escalating cooking and baking habits and has been encouraging it from many different countries for over 3 years now.

One of my favourite parts about his visit was all the cooking together.  My NZ Actor friend would ask me in his alpha male way "what's for dinner" and I would reply with, "what do you feel like?"
Don't think for one minute I was bothered by this.  I happen to adore cooking for people and for some reason am always inclined to take up a challenge from him.  
So my actor friend and I would play restaurants, he would behave as my sous chef each night as we created dinner.  I still miss his help and company in the kitchen even two months later.  I have to be honest we ate really delicious food but not low in fat... but since it was his choice! what we ate each night it wasn't my fault...

The request on one particular night happened to be bacon & egg pie which is a New Zealand favourite and very fitting since neither of us had lived in New Zealand for quite some time.

I had never made a bacon & egg pie in my life but what this friend wants/demands he's used to getting... haha

Years ago I had learnt beautiful handcrafted gourmet pie making skills from one of the most talented chefs I've ever known, so rather than be afraid of pastry my hands remembered exactly what to do.

I had no recipe and didn't like any of googles suggestions so we came up with the following and I've made it to great success 3 times in the last month.
 

* Bacon & Egg pie is what I call 'boy food' as it's not exactly low in calories...

SCRIPT

4 small sheets or 2 medium sheets pie pastry
6-8 free range eggs
1 small packet of bacon or 4-6 good size pieces
4 cherry tomatoes cut into wedges
1/2 C frozen peas, carrots & corn mix
2 handfuls of grated cheese
1/2 onion diced
add pepper to taste

Choose your dish according to what size pie you want to make.  I like to use a round glass 'quiche' dish.

METHOD

Preheat oven to 190C and lightly grease your dish.
Slice up bacon into pieces and add it to frying pan with 1/2 C of diced onion.  Remove from heat once onion is cooked.

with a lightly floured rolling pin roll out a sheet of your pastry to fit the base and up the sides of your dish cutting off any excess.  If your using two sheets for the bottom you lightly press them together on the base.

Pour the onion and bacon on top of the pastry, add your mixed frozen veges, tomato wedges and a handful of cheese, add pepper to taste (bacon is very salty so I prefer not to add any salt) combining gently with a spoon so as not to break the pastry.

Using the spoon make 6-8 spaces evenly for your eggs and crack them whole into the gaps.

Once you have rolled out your top layer of pastry to fit, place it on top completely covering the pie.
Find the edges of the pastry underneath and squeeze the top and sides together stretching them up slightly and folding and tucking any excess pastry down on to the sides. I was taught a nice rolling and pressing technique but can't really describe it so maybe try a youtube tutorial.

You can sprinkle your second handful of cheese on the top and then finish the pie by mixing an egg in a bowl and brushing it over the top of the pie.  I normally just add the cheese and sometimes a sprinkle of paprika.

Cook it in the oven at 190 degrees C for 30-45 minutes depending on your oven.  Check if it's cooked by placing a knife into the edge of the pie crust and ensuring that it's crisping up and not still doughy.

If your pie pastry still isn't fully cooked but your top is getting too brown you can add a layer of foil over the top to keep it from burning while the pie finishes cooking all the way through.

If your using a glass dish you can tell when your pastry underneath and around the sides is looking cooked.

When you cut into it you'll see all the layers of egg and veges, it's pretty filling on it's own and as a kiwi it wouldn't be bacon & egg pie without serving it with tomato sauce or ketchup on the side.

NOTES
*You can make it lower fat with less pastry by only using pastry for the top.  
*If you make it with both pastry layers then it will take a fair amount of time to cook!

Dan Bars (the ultimate protein/health snack recipe)

This is one of those recipes that should have been patented. How do you even do that by the way?

My friend Dan is crazy awesome and insane he created this recipe in college and since he's still a fitness freak it stuck with him.
In my opinion this recipe is a complete reflection of his life and personality. It's a little bit of everything with a touch of badass and a whole lot of freaking awesome.

They're a health bar
Protein snack
Training aid
No cheat, cheat day treat
Delicious

Without further ado here's the recipe.


SCRIPT

1 C Fruit/ dried cranberries 

2 1/2 C wholegrain oats

1 C whole raw almonds 

1/2C raw walnuts broken up

1/4C Pumpkin seeds and flaxseeds 

1C coconut 
1/2C pecans if you have them 

2 scoops chocolate protein 

1/2-1C chocolate bits I use dark choc

1-2 t cinnamon
1t ground ginger

1t Vanilla 

 To bind it all together:

2T apple sauce or Jam

2 eggs 

Dash of water 

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 190 Celsius and line a large slice or roasting tray. 

Add all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients one at a time until you reach the desired consistency. 
You want it to be Sticky, and binding together add more water if necessary.  

Press it firmly into tin a lined slice tin and bake

190 degrees for 20 mins. 

Don't over cook them, you  want them to have a soft chew but be bound together and able to be sliced when cooled down. 

*

I pack two every day (maybe 3 if I'm being honest) they are super tasty!
I have one before training as some quick stomach fuel and one after training to hold the hunger off while I'm getting home.

Since acquiring this recipe approximately two weeks ago it has gone viral. In my world at least. I made 3 batches in 4 days and was called for orders by a rugby player and had the recipe demanded of me.

A Trial-Athlete. Double chocolate protein cookies and a homemade electrolyte sports drink

I have a couple of thoroughly insane friends who are known as my Boston boys.  They do things like wake up at 5am and go to a boxing gym before work, do a sprint triathlon for fun on a Sunday or decide to work towards the international Iron Man competition.

I blame them for the following....

I literally woke up one morning in July and decided I was going to train every day from August 1st.

I do a pretty physically demanding show a few times a day here and in order to embark on my August and beyond endeavours I needed to get my hands on some good protein for fast recovery.

I was kindly donated a bucket of  'boy protein' as I call it by my mate 'The Rugby boy' living and playing here in Tokyo.

( anyone who knows me well will know that I avoid protein and using weights normally at all costs as my body type likes to bulk very fast which isn't something I'm interested in! so I guess I must be serious about this)

My new training partner - Nitrovol

I've made the following recipe once before for a snowboarding trip earlier this year with some protein I borrowed from my friend Hercules.  

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PROTEIN COOKIES

SCRIPT:

1/4 C Splenda & brown sugar blend (I used organic dark brown sugar only)

1/4 C unsweetened apple sauce

3 egg whites

1 t vanilla extract

1 t cinnamon

3 C Oats

1/4 C whole wheat flour

1 C Chocolate protein powder

1/2 C chocolate chips ( I used dark chocolate )

METHOD:

Pre-heat oven to 350F or 190C

Beat together the egg whites, apple sauce, brown sugar blend and vanilla

Gradually mix in oats, flour, protein powder and cinnamon to the above, stirring well before adding the chocolate chips

Drop a table spoon of the cookie mixture onto a non stick lightly sprayed cooking sheet.  

The mixture is pretty sticky and the cookies don't spread or rise.  

Bake for 10-12 minutes.  

*Be careful not to bake them like you would a normal cookie where you wait for them to go firm.  

The protein means that they will be teeth shattering if you leave them in too long.  

I cooked mine for 10 minutes and they are still a bit sticky a few days later which I'm totally fine with....

1 cookie = 170 calories, 3.5g fat, 18g carbs, 7g sugar, 13g protein

Great pre/post workout snack and awesome for a breakfast on the run!

It's currently the middle of summer in Tokyo with 100% humidity every day and temperatures in the early 30's C.
I hate buying electrolyte drinks every day (which I need to get through a normal work day let alone all the extra training) they are too sweet and a waste of money when I can make my own much nicer ones.

Here's my current favourite...

THE LIP TWISTER - Tart and Sweet

SCRIPT:

1/4 C lemon juice
1/4 C lime juice
1 t salt (one that contains sodium chloride and potassium iodide is ideal)
1 whole squeezed orange
1 Litre of water

METHOD:

Mix all together using as pure water as you can find and don't try to keep it for more than a day as the ingredients don't age too well together.
You may want to add another orange depending on how sweet you like it.



While running my longest distance yet I was encouraged to keep going just by the thought of my insane friends being far more epic than I'll ever be.  Looks like the competitive side has come back or maybe it's just the creatine and other 'boy protein' ingredients playing havoc with my system.

Big Mamas birthday bonanza. Caramel, White Chocolate, Praline, Cheesecake...

30 performers converge on a little Japanese home restaurant in Urayasu called Big Mamas.
It is totally my kind of place, homey feel, the menu is lined up along the bar top in pots, there is ghetto goodness playing on the stereo and Big mama is prepping, serving drinks, cooking, doing dishes and dishing plates all on her own in her overalls.
This woman is awesome. The food is awesome and genre less changing every day apparently!

We are celebrating a gorgeous dancer friends birthday and I have made him a birthday cake that I would make for my own birthday. 

 We bonded over our mutual love of all things Caramel and so there was really only one option for his birthday cake.

CARAMEL, WHITE CHOCOLATE, PRALINE, CHEESECAKE

 SCRIPT:
 Melted butter, to grease
1 x 250g pkt butternut snaps or caramelised lotus biscuits
125g butter, melted
1 1/2 tbs boiling water
3 tsp powdered gelatin
3 x 250g pkts cream cheese, at room temperature
200g (1 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
1 x 395g can sweetened condensed milk
40g butter
3/4C large white chocolate buttons broken up by hand

Almond praline
Vegetable oil, to grease
1 x 100g pkt slivered almonds
215g (1 cup) caster sugar
80ml (1/3 cup) water

 METHOD:

Brush a 24cm (base measurement) spring form pan with melted butter to lightly grease. (I will line the tin with baking paper next time for ease of extraction)

Place biscuits in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely crushed. Add butter and process until well combined. 

Transfer mixture to the prepared pan. Use a glass to spread and press mixture firmly over the base and side of pan.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

Place boiling water in a heatproof glass. Sprinkle with gelatin and stir with a fork until gelatin dissolves. (only prepare gelatin when you are almost ready to add it to the mix or it will set hard)

Use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese and 155g (3/4 cup) of the sugar in a medium bowl until smooth.

Combine condensed milk, butter and remaining sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens and turns a caramel colour. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.

Add gelatin to cream-cheese mixture and stir until well combined. Add the caramel and fold until caramel is broken up and well distributed through the cream-cheese mixture. 

Stir in broken up white chocolate buttons

Spoon into the biscuit base and smooth the surface. Place in the fridge for 4 hours to set.

Meanwhile, to make the almond praline, preheat oven to 200°C.
Brush a baking tray with oil to lightly grease.
Scatter almonds over prepared tray. 
Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes or until toasted.
Remove from oven.

Combine caster sugar and water in a heavy-based saucepan and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and gently boil, without stirring, occasionally brushing down the side of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water, for 15 minutes or until golden.  
Remove from heat and set aside until bubbles subside.
Pour hot toffee over almonds.
Set aside for 15 minutes to cool completely.

Coarsely chop almond praline.
Sprinkle cheesecake with praline and cut into wedges to serve.

My cake only had an hour and a half to set and then was transported to big mamas where it had to fight for time and space in her limited fridge space.  

It never did set but it didn't need to.
I extracted it from the pan after running a knife around the edge (next time I'll set the tin with baking paper)

We ate it with forks in a communal way feeding each other in a big crowd around the birthday boy!  

Best tasting piece of heaven I've ever made..! 

A Red Velvet Birthday for A Russian Ballerina

8th and 9th of June 2012

Two years ago I started making cheesecakes which until that point I had been too afraid to try and am now known in a few countries for my friends very amazing recipe that one day I'll tell the world about.
The Red Velvet Cake in my opinion is the most terrifying of all cake recipes.  I don't know why really, I think it's just an idea I got in my head and that's that.

On a more topical note, I have a cast mate who is an actual Russian Ballerina and she had a birthday this week.  In my opinion she is a living breathing princess and what better cake to serve a Russian princess on their birthday than the infamous Red Velvet Cake.  It looks terrific and tastes completely divine and unique which somewhat describes her.

It took me two days to complete, 4 cast mates assistance/company and  many hours of nervous procrastination.  I called a baking evening and with the company of 4 of my dancing sisters I got to it.

SCRIPT:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 Tablespoon of unsweetened, cocoa powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1-2 oz. red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar
• ½ cup of prepared plain hot coffee (don’t skip this ingredient)

FROSTING

2 225g pkts cream cheese, softened

1/4 C milk (add more if the frosting comes out too soft)

113g butter, softened

2 t vanilla extract

4 C powdered sugar 

Add softened cream cheese into a large bowl. Pour in milk, butter and vanilla.

Mix until well combined.

Pour in half of the powdered sugar.  Mix until well combined.

Add the remaining powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and fluffy.

METHOD/MADNESS:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and vegetable oil.
4. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and red food coloring until combined.
5. Stir in the coffee and white vinegar.
6. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients a little at time, mixing after each addition, just until combined.
7. Generously grease and flour two round cake pans with crisco and flour.
8. Pour the batter evenly into each pan.
9. Bake in the middle rack for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake as cake will continue to cook as it cools.
10. Let cool on a cooling rack until the pans are warm to the touch.
11. Slide a knife around the inside of the pans to loosen the cake from the pan.
12. Remove the cakes from the pan and let them cool in the fridge overnight.
13. Frost the cake with cream cheese frosting when the cakes have cooled completely.

after refrigerating the cakes over night and until I got home from the theatre the next afternoon, I sliced them in halves so I could make a more dramatic 4 layer cake.

With only an hour till the party I called over the same Connecticut Dancer cast mate who had shown off her decorating skills on the last birthday cake and two other dancing sisters and we stood around tentatively adding things and discussing how best to proceed....
Our Aussie Tinkerbell Ballerina cast mate had spent the baking night before keeping me company while painting these roses and petals silver.  They aren't edible and luckily no-one tried...

The Red Velvet Cake is so dramatic when you cut into it.  It's four layers of blood red and white and it has it's own uniquely fabulous flavor.
I've had it requested for Miss Connecticut Dancers birthday next month (but who will decorate it this time....)

I shared a piece with Aussie Tinkerbell Ballerina (so named for being feisty, tiny and blonde)
I then kept my fork and as people praised the cake I helped myself to a piece off their plate.

Look what I made and it's all your fault (Reese's Pieces Cookies Recipe)

Do not be complacent about these they are fantastic!!!

Earlier this week I sent an e-mail with this picture to my good friend currently residing in Boston, entitled "look what I made and it's all your fault."

I received a shipment of American candy at the beginning of this month from this particular friend.  With delight and dismay and the moral support of my Boston cast mate we hid the candy in the drawer under my couch.

I have no stop button when it comes to candy and neither do most other dancers who angrily glare at you while eating all candy in sight.
So it became common knowledge amongst my performer friends in the village that I had a drawer full of the candy that made them miss home.

One evening this week a dancer friend from LA came over for a cup of tea and right on cue I had the urge to make cookies.
While whipping up my favourite new cookie recipe that always goes down well, he asks, "do you still have all that hidden candy?" He opens the drawer and chooses an unopened bag of Reese's Pieces to munch on.  While baking, making tea and eating those amazing morsels I decide I'm turning these cookies into Reese's cookies.

REESE'S PIECES COOKIES (or any other kind of chocolate)
SCRIPT:

125g butter 

1/2 cup  Soft Brown Sugar (lightly packed) 

1/2 cup  Castor Sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla essence 

1 egg 

1 3/4 cups self-raising flour (or plain flour and 1 1/2 t bp)

1/4 tsp salt 

1/2 cup chocolate chunks or Reese's Pieces

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180°C and grease or line two baking trays with baking paper. 

Beat butter, sugars and vanilla until creamed, add egg and beat until mixed. 

Sift in flour and salt, mix until combined before stirring in the chocolate. 

Roll heaped teaspoon sized balls of mixture and place on tray, press down lightly with a floured fork. 

Bake for approx. 12 minutes. Makes 20 medium sized biscuits. 

* I didn't have any white sugar or butter left so I made them with brown and dark brown sugar and shortening.  I actually preferred them like that.

A Special Birthday Cake (Chocoholic Choccie Cake Recipe)

This is a special cake recipe. 

For many reasons but mainly that it has been used on all big occasions in my family including my own 21st where my mum decorated it with a custom built Tutu Skirt.  

This time I made it for my German Dancer friends birthday.  We celebrated his birthday as a diverse group of dancers, actors, a fashion designer, Americans, Australians, a Brit, a Kiwi and two Japanese at Bill's restaurant in Odaiba http://bills-jp.net/ which serves exquisite Australian style food, but with weird service.

My first go at really decorating a cake since I'm not much of an artist and I still required help to apply the red frosting I had made but didn't know what to do with.  I called my Connecticut Dancer cast mate and she finished it off for me just in time to leave.  

*It's like berry, chocolate, moist, thick, rich goodness...

CHOCOHOLIC CHOCCIE CAKE

SCRIPT:

125g butter

¾ C Castor sugar

2 eggs

1t Vanilla essence

½ C raspberry jam

1 ¼ C Flour

1t BP

½ C of cocoa

1 t soda

1 C milk          

1/2C Choc chips

(I also add a handful of mixed frozen berries to the cake once it's in the tin)

METHOD:

Cream butter, sugar add eggs and vanilla essence beating till well combined.  Mix in jam.

in a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder and cocoa.  warm milk in microwave and dissolve soda in it.

combine all ingredients slowly alternating between flour and milk.  

stir in Choc chips.

pour into lined 22cm cake tin and bake in an oven preheated to 180c for 40-50 minutes.

Mums Favourite (Lemon Cake)

Needing a birthday cake for my Russian cast and not wanting to make another cheesecake just yet...
I recently managed to get my mum to email me a couple of cake recipes from my recipe book I left in NZ as there are a ridiculous amount of birthdays in the casts this month.
Although people keep requesting cheesecakes, I don't want to keep making them when I know I have recipes like this one.
It's a killer summer dessert not really birthday cake material since it shouldn't really be iced.
It's a crowd pleaser, seriously zesty and sticky.
To be eaten hot and with yogurt is best.

 LEMON CAKE  

SCRIPT:
3 lemons zest and juice
125g butter
1C Castor sugar
3 eggs
150g sour cream or plain yogurt 
1C sifted flour
1t soda
¼ C white sugar  

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180c
Cream 1C sugar and butter,  beat in egg and add lemon rind to mixture,  stir in sour cream  (reserve  lemon juice for the syrup later)  
Fold in flour and soda.
Place in small cake tin or tin with hole in the middle  and bake 30-40 minutes in oven @180c or until cooked.
Prepare syrup by boiling 1/4C sugar and lemon juice until sugar is dissolved.  Pour over hot cooked cake.   When cold turn out and dust with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream or plain yogurt.             

Food and fellowship Pt.3 (berry crumble, homemade vanilla custard recipes)

There are 3 girls in the kitchen now as my dancing friend from Colorado joins us late from her theatre. Although the caffeine in my system is wrecking havoc with my delegation skills these two girls are awesome cooks and I love that even though they are mocking me for my crazy were having a blast attempting far too many recipes at one time.

People often say "oh I'm more of a cook" or "I'm more of a baker."
I'm neither, I just like to feed people and create environments where people can make friends with strangers and feel they can talk about important things and pray for each other.  I put it down to my mum for not liking to cook and then having 3 alpha male sons.... and to my pastors wife in NZ who taught me all about food and fellowship and catering for ridiculous numbers of people at the last minute.

On that note I make my crowd favourite

BERRY CRUMBLE
SCRIPT:
3-4 C Mixed frozen berries
1 lemon zested and juiced
1T sugar
2T water
1C white flour
1C coconut
1C rolled oats
1/2 C melted butter
1/2 C brown sugar
2t cinnamon

METHOD:
Put berries, water, lemon juice, 1t sugar in a pot on the stove.  At a low heat allow berries to melt but don't boil them down as it's nicer to have the berries still whole.  Taste and add more sugar if you want
it.  I like sour and tart flavours.  Once the berries are done put them in the bottom of a pie dish.
For the crumble combine all dry ingredients and with your hands mix in the butter, brown sugar and lemon zest until it sticks together but isn't to wet.
Crumble on top of the berries and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Cook for approx 20minutes on 180 C or until golden brown on top.

On this particular night I didn't have any coconut so we crushed up some fresh almonds.  Also I used my left over cinnamon, honey syrup from the pancakes (1st blog) to combine the crumble mixture instead of butter and brown sugar.
Feel free to ad more or less of any ingredient until the right consistency is reached for the size dish you are using.

accompanying the Crumble is my new favourite recipe (I have this thing for custard)

HOMEMADE VANILLA CUSTARD

SCRIPT:

570ml  milk

55ml single cream

1 vanilla pod or ½ tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs, yolks only

30g caster sugar

2 level tsp cornflour

METHOD:

1. Bring the milk, cream and vanilla pod to simmering point slowly over a low heat.

2. Remove the vanilla pod (wash the vanilla pod, dry and store in jar with caster sugar to make vanilla sugar).

3. Whisk the yolks, sugar and cornflour together in a bowl until well blended.

4. Pour the hot milk and cream on to the eggs and sugar, whisking all the time with a balloon whisk.

5. Return to the pan, (add vanilla extract if using) and over a low heat gently stir with a wooden spatula until thickened.

6. Pour the custard into a jug and serve at once.

7. To keep hot, stand the jug in a pan of hot water and cover the top with cling film to prevent skin forming.

Serve with vanilla ice cream if you like and eat it cold for breakfast the next morning if you like.  

We sat and digested, talked, laughed and bonded and eventually left the Ruby player with the leftovers and made our way home happy from a 12 hour day together bonding, meeting randoms, getting lost and wet, cooking and eating.  

Food and fellowship pt.2 (Beef Lasagne, Salad & garlic bread recipes)

On a day full of spontaneity out in Harajuku with a gorgeous Australian dancer And two dancing boys from LA what better way to finish it off than to meet at my friend the Rugby players apartment for some fellowship and death by food.
The boys talk boy in the lounge and the Aussie dancer and I hit the chaos in the kitchen.
(I get these compulsions during the day where I have an idea of things I want to cook and today was no exception)

BEEF LASAGNE:
SCRIPT:
For the Meat Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion, peeled and grated
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 pinches dried oregano
300g minced beef
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons red wine
1 (400g) tin chopped tomatoes
50ml milk
sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
 For the Cheese Sauce:
50g butter
50g plain flour
600ml milk
1 pinch ground nutmeg (or mustard)
120g Cheddar cheese, grated
 40g Parmesan cheese, grated
6 fresh lasagne sheets (approximately)
METHOD:
Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 40 mins Preheat oven to 230 C / Gas 8.
To make the meat sauce: Heat the oil in a hot pan and fry the onion, carrot and garlic together. Season with the bay leaf, 1 pinch oregano, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Allow the onion to soften before making a well in the centre of the pan.
Place minced beef in the middle of the pan and stir to break it up. Add the tomato puree and allow it to cook for 30 seconds. Cook until all the meat has browned.
Add wine and cook off alcohol before adding the tomatoes. Leave to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Finally add the milk, turn off the heat and set aside.
To make the cheese sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add flour to make a paste. When bubbling and grainy, add 1/3 milk, whisking to prevent lumps. Add remaining milk, a little at a time, whisking as you go. Season with salt and pepper and 1 pinch ground nutmeg.(mustard)
Allow sauce to cook for 1 minute before adding the Cheddar. Stir and remove from the heat.
Spoon 1/2 the meat sauce into a large baking dish and place lasagne sheets on top.
Pour 1/2 the cheese sauce and spread out evenly over the pasta sheets before spooning the remaining meat on top. Add the final layer of pasta and pour the remaining cheese sauce on top.
Finish with the grated Parmesan and sprinkle with 1 pinch dried oregano. Add a light seasoning of salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

We accompany the Lasagne with the very multi talented Aussie dancers salad creation.

SALAD
SCRIPT:
1 avocado chopped up small
1 green lettuce broken with your hands
2 bunches fresh baby spinach leaves torn off
1 lime squeezed as dressing through salad
Handful cherry tomatoes whole in salad
1 red pepper chopped through salad

My mum makes this garlic bread that I think is really yum and I always think of Lasagne with Salad and garlic bread so we had a French stick cut in two and sliced diagonally

GARLIC BREAD
SCRIPT:
Depending on how much you want to make.  Melt 50g butter and add 3 cloves of crushed garlic with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and some chopped fresh parsley.  Spread on French loaf, wrap in tin foil and place in the oven for 10 minutes or longer if needed. Open the tinfoil at the top and put back in the oven for another 5 minutes to crisp up the top.

and since there are now 3 boys and 3 girls and dessert is my thing.  We get the dessert under way before we all sit down to eat...

Food and fellowship pt.1 (espresso, doughnuts and Burgers in Harajuku)

We (Beautiful Aussie dancer, two male dancers from LA and me all from different casts and noone knowing each other except me) are enticed out of our apartments at 10am on our day off by the promise of breakfast and what we New Zealanders call 'proper' coffee.  Yes I'm somewhat of a coffee snob even though I actually don't drink if very often since I am insanely sensitive to caffeine.  

Harajuku calls us as I've heard great things about this place called 'eggs n things' http://www.eggsnthingsjapan.com/ by the time we find it we are extremely hungry and are thoroughly frustrated when finding that there is a 'Golden Week' sized wait time of 3 hours... yea right 

The mission continues with the promise I make them of actual espresso and doughnuts at Streamer Coffee Company http://streamercoffee.com/ (having been there only once before we get lost in the rain/I get them lost in the rain and end up at their other store)  At least we are there. It's totally worth it when we each order a doughnut with green tea flavored camo icing and our individual drinks.  One of the LA boys doesn't drink coffee?  He has a hot chocolate that comes out with pretty latte art, the Aussie dancer, LA dancer and I order their Streamer Latte Special (picture bellow)  I try my best not to have a tourettes moment when the LA boy pours the 'popular in Japan' sugar syrup in to his beautiful latte.  (you can take the kid away from starbucks but you can take the starbucks out of the kid)

Fuelled on caffeine and the promise of more food we explore the wonderful creative streets of Harajuku and find our way to the burger joint the LA boy promised us. Findin 'The Great Burger' http://www.the-great-burger.com/news/2011/03/31/  we end up sitting next to a documentary maker and magazine editor from LA and have a really entertaining lunch.  The Aussie dancer and I share a gorgonzola burger and chili cheese fries.  I couldn't possibly eat any more (and lucky that since we create a feast for dinner later on)

I love how conversation over food always leads to conversation about food.  On this note we invite the Aussie dancer and the LA dancer to dinner at my Rugby friends place and the eating continues...

A lunchtime Favourite (lemon, honey, ginger, soy chicken sandwich recipe)

29/4/2012

 This is lemon, honey, ginger, soy chicken....~!
I came up with this mix of flavors for my chicken a couple of months ago at about 1am having a food chat with an Aussie Dancer on the train heading home from a night out at a jazz bar in Ginza.  It's incredible how often food comes up in conversation with dancers.  I am still convinced that they can eat more than anyone.
I've been eating my chicken like this in sandwiches with different kinds of grainy bread ever since.
Even after eating it during rehearsals everyday I'm still not sick of it. It's that good!!!


GOURMET CHICKEN SANDWICH


SCRIPT:
1/4 avocado
QP Japanese Mayo
1/4 Red pepper
3 fresh spinach leaves
2 Pieces dark walnut bread
red leicester cheese optional
CHICKEN SCRIPT:
1/2 lemon Dash of Soy Sauce
1 chicken breast
1t honey (I use dark nz manuka)
1T fresh grated ginger
METHOD:
Cut the chicken into strips add lemon juice, grated fresh ginger and generous t of honey with a dash of soy sauce.
Mix so that chicken is coated then cook on low-med until all liquid has dried up and the chicken is cooked and black with seasoning (not burnt)
On one piece of the walnut bread spread some mayo, on the other cover with avocado.
Lay fresh spinach leaves, red pepper and 5 or 6 strips of freshly cooked chicken onto avocado. You can also add some Red Leicester Cheese if you like.

* I often cook up a couple of chicken breasts at a time and refrigerate the rest for using over the week.

With my sandwiches in tow I head to the theatre knowing very well that I have far too much food and won't be able to eat much at my cast mates birthday dinner.

Starting simple (I think I know what that means) choc chip pancakes with cinnamon honey syrup and tequila sunrise recipe

29.4.2012

Waking up to a stunning spring day in Tokyo and With a fair few hours to kill before my call time I, like any normal person decide to try out a new recipe for breakfast.
Cranking up Joss Stone I make the most of waking up 5 hours early...

CHOC CHIP PANCAKES with CINNAMON HONEY SYRUP:
SCRIPT:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
CINNAMON HONEY SYRUP SCRIPT:
1 cup honey
1/2 cup butter or margarine, cubed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
METHOD:
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Combine eggs, milk and oil; add to dry ingredients and mix well.
Stir in chocolate chips. Pour the batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased frying pan.
Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until second side is golden brown. Keep warm.
Combine the syrup ingredients in a 2-cup microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave, uncovered, on high until butter is melted and syrup is hot, stirring occasionally.
Serve with pancakes. (or anything else... sooo yummy )

Since I very rarely cook let alone eat without company I send the usual "I'm cooking" mass text...
While still wearing our pjs my gorgeous talented German dancer neighbor and I devour our first plate of these awesome fluffy pancakes drenched in the even more awesome syrup.

My German dancer leaves for Yoga and I am joined by a blood shot eyed Actor from LA wearing a 'chip n dale' onesie...  the night before need not be discussed.
This plate of pancakes obviously needs to be accompanied by a 'hair of the dog' beverage and what better on a sunny morning than a


TEQUILA SUNRISE
SCRIPT:
OJ
Grenadine Syrup
3Tbspn Tequila
Ice
Tall glass
METHOD:
Fill glass with ice add Tequila. Pour orange juice just bellow full and give a quick stir.
Pour a dash of Grenadine syrup down the side of the glass and leave to rise.
Enjoy.

After educating my Actor friend by playing Jim Breuer's 'party in the stomach' YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g0AJPqKybs
I still have time to spare and start thinking about preparing lunch for eating at the theatre...