Dinner Anytime: Marcus's Pork Fried Rice

         Look, I am a fan of an meal i can put in a Tupperware, throw in my bag and go to rehearsals all day, auditions all day, shows all day or any combination of all three.  I need something to give me energy, but not make me feel too full and satisfy me more than a protein bar or Juice Generation run can. Or after work when the only thing open to eat in my hood is Chinese, and its a try your luck game of how good or how greasy the food is. This recipe is one of my new staples that is easy, cheap and delicious.

Pork Fried Rice

Photo By: MPJ

½ pound     Boneless pork shoulder

2 cups         Brown Rice (Cooked)

½ cup          Frozen peas and carrots (bag)

½                Onion (medium) (diced)

½ teaspoon   Garlic salt

½ teaspoon    Onion powder

½ teaspoon    Cracked black pepper

½ packet        Sazón Goya (con azafran)

¼ teaspoon     Red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon      Rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon      Soy sauce ( reduced sodium)

    First make your brown rice according to the package. You only need 2 cups cooked so that probably like 1 cup of uncooked rice. (**Tip: When or how every I cook my rice, I put chicken stock or a ½ -1 cube of chicken bouillon and ½ tablespoon tab of butter in to water. A great way to add extra flavor and not have to season or butter your rice afterward.)

      Chop your Boneless Pork Shoulder pieces into  bite size cubes. In a bowl, add the meat, garlic salt, onion powder, cracked pepper, Sazón, red pepers flakes, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce.  Mix so that all the meat is seasoned.

      Heat 1 ½ Tablespoon of Oil (I like sesame oil) in a med fry pan. Make sure the oil is nice and hot , then add your meat to pan carefully. You want to sear it and it will go pretty quick because the pieces are so small. This helps lock the moisture in the meat.

      Add to pan your diced Onion and stir. Let onion cook for like 30 sec.

      Add you brown rice to pan and fold in. If your rice is cold cause it was left over from another night, add about ½ cup of water to pan with rice. This make sure the rice doesn’t stick to the pan while it is warming up.

      Once your rice is warm, Add the peas and carrots and fold in.  I put them in last so they keep there crunch and color.

      Let them sit together on the heat for like 2min and its time to eat.

You can substitute any ingredient you want in this dish whether meats or veggies, and this dish will still taste good and fill you up.

Potluck: Curry Shrimp

        Im am so excited this is my first Post and we got some good stuff coming your way. 
        Potlucks can be one of the tastiest ways a cast can get some downtime and do something together that isn't the steps or numbers in the show.  Whether its to sign posters for BCEFA, someone is leaving the show, or just to get out of the winter blues, potlucks are the best way of route out the chefs that secretly lie in you cast and crew. (P.S. I have one potluck rule, it is not called "potbuy". I can buy Popeye's chicken myself. Bring something that is uniquely delicious and if you cook, make something from home. You are cheating us all by not.)
         Here is a recipe i make that is easy, unique, and definitely a crowd pleaser.
Curry Shrimp

 Photo by: MPJ

1lb                Shrimp(peeled,deveined)*

2 Tbls            Jamaican Curry Powder(mild)

1 Tbls            Lemon and Herb Old Bay Seasoning

1/2 cup         Scallions/Green Onions(Chopped finely)

3-4 cloves     Garlic (Minced)

2 Tbls            Grapeseed Oil/Olive Oil

1 Tbls           Butter
1/2 cup         Water

           First think ahead and buy your shrimp the day before.  If frozen, let shrimp thaw in a bowl with warm water and sea salt for 10 min.  Then drain and pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel.  Season the shrimp with Lemon and Herb Old Bay Seasoning , cover and let sit in fridge over night or as long as you can.

           In a med to large thick skillet pan, heat oil and butter over med heat. Add Curry Powder to oil. I was told by some Jamaican friends that you should always cook the curry a little first as to avoid digestive problems, fine with me. Cook for like 2min periodically stirring.

          Add garlic pan and then shrimp. Give the garlic just a couple second before the shrimp to open it up a bit but you don’t want to burnt he garlic, that’s nasty.

          Add scallions and gently stir and flip to coat every shrimp with the curry oil. Everything should be green/yellow in the pan.

          Cover pan and let simmer for 10 minutes, make sure your heat is on the lesser side of medium. After 10 stir and if it seem a little dry add ½ cup of water to pan but no more. You don’t want to dilute the curry.  The shrimp should be nice and pink already.

           Let simmer for another 5-10min and then remove from heat and let cool for 10 min.

          Pour shrimp and all of its juice, which at this point like liquid gold, in your travel container and seal tight. And your ready for a wow potluck.

         Make sure to tell people that they are allowed only 2 shrimp per person cause you are not buying 5 pounds of shrimp so everyone can have 7. :)

*Any thing seafood and meats touch should be washed immediately, often and thoroughly.