Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I own an active and naughty imagination. Rated M for lemony goodness. Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The original content, ideas, and intellectual property of this story are owned by PeppahLouie. Plagiarism is theft – so please no copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without express written authorization. ©2011 PeppahLouie. All rights reserved worldwide.
Recipes from WILD by PeppahLouie
Blueberry Muffins
(from Wild, Chapter 2)
Yield: 16 medium muffins
2 cups all-purpose white flour
3 tablespoons cane sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1¼ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
¼ tablespoon finely grated zest of lemon, loosely packed (microplane recommended)
½ tablespoon finely grated zest of orange, loosely packed (microplane recommended)
1 large egg, well beaten
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 400º F.
Sift first four ingredients into a bowl; add blueberries and stir briefly. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture.
In a separate bowl, combine egg, buttermilk and butter, then pour them into the well in the dry ingredients and stir until just blended.
Fill greased muffin tins about ⅔ full.
Bake for 20 minutes or so. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
.~.~.~.
Bella's Barlotto
(from Wild, Chapter 16 - Confessions)
Servings: 2
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup finely diced shallot
¼ cup finely diced celery
½ cup chopped morel mushrooms (reconstituted works well)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup pearl barley
several sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups chicken stock, heated
½ cup (loose) freshly grated parmigiano reggiano (parmesan cheese)
Rinse barley in colander with cold water; drain then lay out to dry on paper towel.
Heat olive oil in a frypan over medium to medium-high heat and add shallot, celery and mushrooms, and kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Sauté until celery is translucent.
Add barley and several sprigs of fresh thyme. Stir and heat barley through until it is slightly toasted.
Reduce heat to medium to medium-low. Add a half-cup or so of chicken stock (soup ladle) and stir barley. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost all the broth is absorbed. Add another ladleful of broth. Repeat until barley is tender. Do not add too much broth! The barlotto should be creamy, not soupy.
Sprinkle in parmesan and stir, then cover and set aside (away from burner) until ready to serve. Delicious!
.~.~.~.
Bell Pepper Salad
(from Wild, Chapter 18 – A Swan Can Break A Man's Arm, You Know)
Servings: 4
1 large red pepper
1 large yellow or orange pepper
1 large green pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Crush the garlic clove and add it to the olive oil. Set aside.
With metal tongs, hold peppers over a stove burner or flame on high and char the skin all over, one at a time.
Place each charred pepper in a sealed plastic or paper bag to cool.
With your fingers, carefully peel the charred skin off the peppers. Cut them in half, gently remove the seeds and membrane; cut peppers into long strips.
Arrange artfully on a serving plate. Remove garlic from oil, then drizzle oil over peppers.
Sprinkle with kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste.
Note: For a delicious variation, add crumbled goat feta or chevre.
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Cheese and Asparagus-Stuffed Chicken Breast
(from Wild, Chapter 18 – A Swan Can Break A Man's Arm, You Know)
Servings: 2
2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, 6-8 oz each
½ tablespoon butter, softened
2 oz Swiss cheese, grated
10 fat asparagus spears
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
lemon
2 sheets of very thinly sliced pancetta (Italian bacon), laid out parchment so as to allow wrapping around a chicken breast bundle – your deli should be able to do this for you
Preheat oven to 350º F.
One at a time, place chicken breasts bottom side up between plastic wrap and parchment paper and gently pound flat – to about ¼ - ⅓ inch thickness – using the base of a small saucepan (this will help prevent pounding holes into the meat).
Season each breast with a sprinkle of salt and pepper to your liking.
Smear half the butter over each breast, then divide cheese in half and place in the centre.
Pile five asparagus spears lengthwise on each breast and squeeze a little lemon juice over them (about a quarter of a teaspoon for each).
Roll each breast into a bundle, trying to seal the contents as best you can. Don't overstuff – if the asparagus are too big, remove what you need to and discard.
Wrap each chicken breast in pancetta by laying the bundle in the middle of the bacon and bringing each slice up and around. Take your time and have patience. If you've never seen it done, video Qf1ypEC0byc on YouTube shows an easy method starting at about 1:31. Secure the wrapped breasts with kitchen twine only if you feel it is necessary.
Fry the bundles in an oven-safe frypan (or be prepared to move them into a baking dish) at medium high heat for about five minutes, turning as necessary to achieve even browning.
Transfer pan to the oven and bake at 350º F for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of your bundles. Always make sure chicken juices run clear and there is no pinkness in the breast meat before consuming.
.~.~.~.
Lemon-Butter Basmati Rice
(from Wild, Chapter 24 – A Little Poison in the Pot)
Servings: 6
2 cups basmati rice
3 cups water
zest of one lemon
3 tablespoons butter
salt to taste
Add rice, water, lemon zest, salt and 1 tbsp of butter to saucepan.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15-18 minutes, until rice is cooked.
Remove from heat, add remaining butter and stir.
Serve with fish/seafood, pork or chicken.
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A/N: Bella and I hope you enjoy these delicious recipes from her personal repertoire. Thank you everyone for your amazing response to this story... and I do have another coming soon.
Wild has been nominated for Fic of the Month for September over on the Lemonade Stand! So, if you'd like to show me some good old Wild lovin', how about heading on over there to cast your vote :) tehlemonadestand. blogspot. com /p/ tls-fics-of-month. html
Love and kisses,
Peps