Holiday Recipes From Your Favorite Dance Stars

November 30, 2009

Katie Martin’s Prancer’s Peanuts

Dance credit: Radio City Rockette.

“This is, by far, my favorite holiday recipe! Prancer’s Peanuts are not only a wonderful Christmas tradition for my mom and I, but they also make aprecious gift for someone special.”

Ingredients:

2 cups raw Spanish peanuts

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

wax paper

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Combine peanuts, water and sugar in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir until all the water evaporates. (Peanuts will look like they have a white coating.)
  • Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes.
  • Take baking sheet out of oven and spread the peanuts on waxed paper. Let mixture cool.

Serves 4-6 people.


Misty Copeland’s Citrus Salmon

Dance credit: Soloist with American Ballet Theatre.

“I created this recipe myself and worked on it over the years. It’s one of my favorite things to cook, and my boyfriend loves it. Pair the fish with sweet potato mash for the holidays. Just put a bit of the marinade in the mash—delicious and healthy!”

Ingredients:

In a large bowl, mix:

1 cup orange juice

A bunch of green onions (approximately 15-20 stems), sliced to measure about half an inch long

3–4 dashes red wine vinegar

and soy sauce (adjust to taste)

Handful brown sugar

1 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. salt

For the salmon:

  • Place 2 fillets of salmon in marinade, cover with foil and place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
  • Preheat the broiler while salmon marinates.
  • Place fish in a greased casserole dish skin down.
  • Broil for 15 minutes.

For the sauce:

  • While the salmon cooks, bring the remaining marinade to a boil (at high heat).
  • Lower heat and let the sauce simmer until it thickens.
  • To finish, drizzle sauce on the salmon on a clean plate.

Serves three people.


Cody Green’s Oatmeal Lace Cookies

Dance credits: Riff in the Broadway revival of West Side Story, Eddie in Movin’ Out and the winner of Bravo’s reality TV show “Step It Up and Dance.”

“I definitely have a sweet tooth! My mom makes these on Christmas Eve and Thanksgiving. There’s nothing better than eating a big holiday meal with your family.”

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

2/3 cup butter or margarine

1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

3 tsps. all-purpose flour

A pinch of salt

1 egg, beaten lightly

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, finely chopped (optional)


Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Grease 2 cookie sheets.
  • Melt butter or margarine in a small saucepan (or microwave).
  • Combine flour, brown sugar, white sugar and salt.
  • Add the egg, butter and vanilla extract.
  • Mix ingredients until blended, then add nuts.
  • Place rounded teaspoons of batter 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
  • Bake for 6–8 minutes; allow cookies to cool for 2 minutes, then remove them with a spatula.

Makes 36 small cookies. For bigger cookies bake 10–12 minutes. For a special treat, add a spoonful of whipped cream to the cookies and roll them into logs.

Did You Know?

Are the holidays stressing you out? Take a breather and brew a cup of tea. Studies done in the UK found that the act of making tea and drinking it have calming effects. The best de-stressor is chamomile tea, which also relieves bloating, solving two holiday issues at once!

According to a study by the National Institutes of Health, each American gains only about one pound during the holiday season. See? A few gingerbread cookies won’t do too much harm!

Photo of Katie Martin by MSG Entertainment Photos