The Pixie Press

Lisa's Fantasy Football Stromboli's!

2009-09-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

Every Fantasay Football Party, or Home Event, I am asked to make the Famous Lisa Stromboli, homemade from scratch right down to the homemade pizza dough.

Depending on the event, will depend on the contents of the stromboli, since this recent request was for Glenn's Fantasy Football League, I made 4 meat lover's stromboli's: 2 hot sausage, garlic, onion w/mozzarella and 2 pepperoni w/cheddar.

For each stromboli I roll out the dough, fill w/the ingredients, sprinkle w/parmesan, roll, cut slits into the top and coat w/beaten egg using a pastry brush, back for 35minutes at 375 degrees!

Simple, Fast and Delicious!

Other past variations:

-Spinach, garlic and provolone
-Pesto, asparagus, broccolini, spinach, onion and parmesan
-Brie, raspberry jam, candied walnuts and grilled chicken
-Chicken, parmesan, mozzerella, hot peppers, onions and garlic
-Ceasar salad and chicken

Just to name a few past versions!

Baked Coconut Almond Custard French Toast

2009-04-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
•one loaf french bread cut into 1-inch slices or challah bread cut into 1-inch slices
•1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
•4 whole eggs
•1/2 cup sugar
•3 cups heavy cream
•1 Tablespoon vanilla
•1 Tablespoon almond extract
•1/4 Teaspoon anise extract
•1 cup dried Coconut
•1/2 cup sliced candied almonds (no salted almonds)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350.

1. Brush both sides of bread with melted butter with pastry brush

2. Arrange bread in a 9" x 12" or larger, baking pan.

3. Next, beat the eggs, then add the remaining ingredients (except for the coconut and sliced almonds) and mix.

4. Pour this mixture over the bread, then sprinkle with the coconut and almonds.

5. Now place this pan with the bread/mixture into a second larger pan and pour hot water into that larger pan to come about halfway up the sides of the pan. This will ensure even making. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned and puffy. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Meatloaf Supreme Recipe

2009-03-04T16:00:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
2 pounds lean ground sirloin beef (or ground turkey)
2 cups Instant Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 cup Chicken Broth
2 eggs, beaten
1 Whole Red Onion, chopped
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 1/2 Tablespoons Garlic
1/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
2/3 cup Barbecue Sauce, divided
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees, Mix all ingredients except 1/2 the barbecue sauce in a large deep bowl.
2.When mixed, drop into a large baking dish, preferably 13 inch by 9 inch.
3. Shape mixture the into an oval loaf, then top with remaining 1/2 of barbecue sauce.
4.Bake for 1 hour uncovered or until cooked through.

Makes approx. 8 servings

Substitions:

-Use A sausage stuffing in place of chix stuffing, add sage, remove barbecue sauce and replace with 1/2 cup dijon or honey mustard.

-Substitute ketchup for the barbecue sauce

-Substitute bread crumbs for the stuffing mix

Creme Brulee Whipped Cream!

2009-02-11T20:51:00.001-08:00

Creme Brulee Whipped Cream!

Do you love homemade whipped cream or love whipped cream cupcakes and layer cakes? If the answer is yes, then this fast and easy recipe is for you. Its my all time fave and everyone loves it!

Ingredients:
-1 pint of Heavy Cream
-1 small box of French Vanilla Instant Pudding

Directions:
1. Chill a metal or glass deep mixing bowl in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, then remove.
2. Pour the whole container of heavy cream into the chilled bowl, next empty the pudding mix into it, starting on medium speed, beat the mixture with a hand electric mixer, for 2 minutes.
3. Raise mixer speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form about another minute.

Now you are ready to frost your fave cake or cupcake. If mixture is too thick, add some milk or light cream and beat into mixture.

Carmelized Balsamic Chicken

2009-02-09T20:12:00.000-08:00

Carmelized Balsamic Chicken
Here is my take on the Italian Classic, Balsamic Chicken, only faster and easier!

This recipe serves 4
Ingredients:
-4 Boneless Chicken Breasts, cut into small cubes
-3 Tablespoons Crushed Garlic
-2/3 cup Olive Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-1 Large Onion, chopped
-1 Large Pepper, chopped
-2 Chicken Boullion Cubes, dissolved in 1 Cup Water (place in Microwave for 2 minutes or until dissolved)
-1 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
-1 1/2 Teaspoons Fresh Ground Basil or Dried Store Bought
-Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In large deep dish cooking pan, saute the garlic in the oil for 1 minute, add, the onions and the peppers, cover with lid and cook for 5 minutes, on medium high heat.

2. Now add the chicken, stir and cover.

3. Once the chicken as cooked almost through (about 10 minutes), add the boullion water, stir, let set in for additional 2 minutes, now add the Balsamic Vinegar and seasonings, stir, place lid on and reduce heat to medium heat.

4. Let the whole mixture cook for an additional 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, during this time you will start to see the color of your mixture go from light to a dark molasses color, once that color starts to set in, remove from heat,
pour over cooked linguini or rice.

Total cook time 35-40 minutes!

Options:
-Follow instructions through step 3, remove from heat, place everything into a glass baking pan, transfer to pre-heated 375 degree oven and bake for 35 minutes.

-Substitute Shrimp for the chicken.

Lisa's Homemade Apple Pie

2009-02-09T10:06:00.000-08:00

Lisa's Homemade Apple Pie
I love to bake as much as I love to make art, its been a long passion of mine, since I was a child, I was always in the kitchen with the different Grandma's cooking and baking. In high school I loved to cook for my friends and help out at bake sales too.
As I entered college, I started cooking more, experimenting with gourmet recipes and eventually creating my own.

I scouted flea markets to find jumbo baking ware, finally I found a humongous Cheesecake spring form pan and apple pie pan, which make over the top cakes and pies.
This following recipe is my very own apple pie recipe which I have streamlined over the years, adding and taking away from it. I normally make this from summer to late fall.

This year, friends, Glenny and I headed for a local apple and pumpkin farm to hand pick our apples which grow in a large variety of stylesm colors and tastes. For the following recipe I mixed, red rome, red delicious, George Washington, sweet delights and yellow delight apples, many were picked from this tree below. (Don't they look like cranberries or enchanted berries, instead of apples?)

Here is a photo of all the apples I used in this pie

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Lisa's Apple Pie
Enough for 2 apple pies
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Ingredients:
15 apples cut in halves and peeled
1 Cup Brown Sugar (Dark Brown)
2 Tablespoons Flour
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
6 Tablespoons Un-salted Butter
1 Egg for brushing on crust
1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla
1 Teaspoon Almond Extract

-Frozen Pie crust, pie crust mix box or pre-made crust

Directions:
1. Place cut apples into a large mixing bowl, set aside.
2. In medium sized bowl, mix all the ingredients above except for the, egg and butter.
3. Now pour the mixed ingredients from the medium bowl into the large bowl filled with the apples, mix.
4. Now pre-pare the pie crust according to package directions, place base crust into the pie pan, fill with mixed apples, dot with the butter (See step 2 above for example).
5. Cover the pie with another layer of pie crust, tuck around the pie crust edges, pinch sides together. Beat the egg with a fork or whisk, then using pastry brush, brush onto the top of the pie. (See Step 3 above for example)
6. Cut a few slits inside the pie top with butter knife, cover with aluminum foil,
and bake for 50 minutes. Un-cover the foil and bake for additional 10 minutes. Let cool for 2 hours ontop of your own or wire rack.

Tips:
-To prevent the pie crust edges from burning, cut a long strip of foil, and place tightly around the pie brim, then cover with the top foil.
-Use your own pie crust recipe for the pie. I use both, but in a crunch I buy a box mix, or Pillsbury roll out pie crust available in Frozen Department of Food Store, for faster results. It is just as good.

If you want my pie crust recipe, I will post it in the next week or two.

Have a apple filled day!
Lisa!

Garlicky Cheese Baked Toast!

2009-02-08T22:08:00.000-08:00

For Italian style garlic bread:

Ingredients:
-Loaf of French Bread
-3 to 4 Tablespoons Butter, softened
-Crushed Garlic 2 to 3 Tablespoons, more for extra garlic
-Grated Parmesean Cheese

1.Cut French bread into 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick slices.

2.Coat the bread slices with butter and crushed garlic.

3.Put into the pan, sprinkle with grated cheese (parmesean), some pepper and salt, bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees!

Options:
-Try melting butter in microwave for 35 seconds or on the stove just until melted, then with pastry brush, brush the melted butter onto the bread slices, follow the rest of the above instructions.

Baked Custard Garlic Bread:

Ingredients:
-Loaf of French Bread
-3 to 4 Tablespoons Butter, softened
-Crushed Garlic 2 to 3 Tablespoons, more for extra garlic
-Pint Heavy Cream
-1 Extra large Egg
-1 Tablespoon Sugar
-Grated Parmesean Cheese
-Paprieka

1.Place butter coated bread slices into a glass baking pan, lay flat, set aside.
2.In medium sized bowl, whisk the heavy cream, egg and sugar together, set aside.
3. coat top of bread with garlic, pour cream mixture over the bread, sprinkle with cheese and paprieka, salt/pepper to taste.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes, until slightly golden brown on top.

Lisa's Cherry Almond French Toast

2009-02-08T22:07:00.000-08:00

Lisa's Cherry Almond French Toast:

Ingredients:
•one loaf french bread cut into 1-inch slices or challah bread cut into 1-inch slices
•1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
•4 whole eggs
•1/2 cup sugar
•3 cups heavy cream
•1 Tablespoon vanilla
•1 Tablespoon almond extract
•1 cup sliced maraschino cherries, pitted fresh cherries or 1/2 cup dried cherries
•1/2 cup sliced candied almonds (no salted almonds)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350.
1. Brush both sides of bread with melted butter with pastry brush
2. Arrange bread in a 9" x 12" or larger, baking pan.
3. Next, beat the eggs, then add the remaining ingredients (except for the cherries and sliced almonds) and mix.
4. Pour this mixture over the bread, then sprinkle with the cherries and almonds.
5. Now place this pan with the bread/mixture into a second larger pan and pour hot water into that larger pan to come about halfway up the sides of the pan. This will ensure even making.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned and puffy. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

The Ultimate Fairydipity Cakes Recipe!

2009-02-08T22:05:00.001-08:00

The Ultimate Fairydipity Cakes Recipe!

This basic recipe makes 12 large fairydipity cupcake cakes!
12-hole bun tin (these are 6 1/2 cm at the rim and 2cm deep).

Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsalted softened butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup self-raising flour
3 tablespoon milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Grease the cupcake tin with butter or line with the cupcake baking cups.

1. In a mixing bowl beat the butter and sugar until pale in color and fluffy.(Use an electric beater, mixer, whisk or a wooden spoon. )
2. Then add the lightly beaten eggs, a little at a time. Next beat in the vanilla.
3. Now sift in half of the flour and fold into the mixture. Add the milk.
then add the rest of the flour and fold until well mixed
4. Finally spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden on top.
Let the tin cool for ten minutes on a rack before removing the fairydipity cakes from the tin.

Options: Pour half the batter into cupcake tins, add red raspberry jams, pudding or fruit, lemon glaze or frosting, toffee pieces, coconut or almond paste, then pour remaining cupcake batter on top.

Frost with your favorite frosting.
Ideas: Cherry Vanilla Whipped Frosting:
Mix 1 pint heavy cream, 1 small box instant French Vanilla Jello pudding mix, 1/2 cup pitted cherries( or maraschino or 1 tablespoon cherry oil/extract) and 4 drops red food coloring to a large bowl, then beat until whipped. (should be fluffy yet firm in texture).

Lavender: Lavender Vanilla Mojitos or Lavender Lemonade Recipes!

2007-07-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

Lavender Lemonade
(Makes 1 quart)
14 fresh lemons, squeezed
4 cups water
2 cups granulated fine sugar
2 inch piece fresh peeled ginger root, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh dried lavender buds
Lemon circles and fresh lavender springs for serving

Combine and allow to steep for 30 minutes (or longer if stronger flavor is desired). Strain if you like and serve over ice in a tall glass garnished with lemon circles and lavender sprigs.

Options: Store-bought lemonade can be substituted. Simply add ginger and lavender and steep.

Lavender Vanilla Mojito
(Makes 1 drink)
2 sprigs fresh mint, chopped up
1 1/2 ounces rum
2 teaspoons super-fine sugar
1/4 teaspoon Pure Vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Pinch of fresh lavender
Club or lemon soda
Fresh mint and lavender sprigs

Fill a pint shaker glass 1/3-full with ice. Add ripped mint, sugar lavender and rum. Cover shaker and shake vigorously for one minute. Pour into a tall glass; add more ice, top with club or lemon soda. Garnish with a sprig of mint and lavender.

To turn regular granulated sugar into fast-dissolving super-fine, whirl it in a blender for a minute or two.

Note: A herbal syrup is a simple way to enhance fresh, ripe seasonal fruits and berries. This one is especially good with stone fruits like peaches, apricots and nectarines, with berries, and poured over that old French standby, ripe figs. It will keep in the fridge for a good week, ready for an impromptu feast when you are.