Pecan Recipes | May, 2005

Acorn Squash with Wehani Rice and Pecan Stuffing

  • 3 acorn squash
  • 2 cup wehani rice or rice blend
  • 4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon tamari
  • 1 tablespoon soy margarine or unsalted butter
  • 1 cup carrot, diced
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest, minced
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Glaze

  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  1. Halve squash lengthwise. Seed, then steam for 20 minutes. Squash will not be fully cooked. Set aside. May be prepared one day ahead. Refrigerate.
  2. Bring water and tamari to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Rice may be cooked up to 2 days ahead; refrigerate until used.
  3. For stuffing: in a large skillet, sauté carrots, celery, onion, thyme and ginger in margarine or butter until onions are golden. Thoroughly toss in pecans, orange zest and rice. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside. Stuffing may be prepared 1 day ahead and refrigerated.
  4. Put orange juice, honey and cinnamon into a small jar and shake vigorously to combine. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Glaze may be prepared a day ahead.
  5. One hour before serving, Preheat oven to 375ºF.
  6. Mound stuffing mixture into each squash half to about 2 inches over top of squash. Place stuffed squash halves in a baking pan filled with ½ cup of water. Drizzle some glaze over stuffing and brush onto squash. Cover with foil
  7. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. Drizzle remaining glaze over squash, and continue baking, uncovered, for another 20 minutes until glazed and lightly browned. Serve immediately.
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Apple Dressing with Texas Pecans

  • 2 medium onions; diced
  • 1 large green pepper; diced
  • 4 cooking apples; diced
  • 8 garlic cloves; minced
  • 2 tablespoon thyme leaves
  • ½ pounds margarine (or more)
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 large bag seasoned stuffing mix
  • 2 bunch scallions; diced
  • 6 celery stalks; diced
  • 2 cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
  • Turkey giblets; boiled, and diced
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano or 4 tablespoons fresh oregano
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
  • 6 cup chicken stock
  1. Melt the margarine in a large stock pot. Add the onions, scallions, green pepper, celery, apples, pecans, garlic, turkey g giblets, and all the spices and seasonings, and sauté in the margarine, until the onions are translucent, and the smell is driving you crazy.
  2. Add the stuffing mix; turn down the heat, and stir until it is well mixed, taking care not to let the bottom burn.
  3. Add the chicken stock, until you have the right texture and consistency. As soon as it is added, turn the fire off, and set the dressing to cool, before stuffing the turkey.

Stuffs a 20 pounds turkey

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Avocado Pate with Pecans

  • 4 avocados; peeled and pitted
  • Vegetable oil
  • 1 16-ounce package cream cheese
  • 2 tablespoons shallot; minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves; minced
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ cup parsley; chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
  • 4 butter lettuce or Boston lettuce leaves
  • ½ cup black olives; pitted
  • 10 cherry tomatoes
  • Tortilla chips
  1. Line a 6 cups rectangular glass loaf pan or ceramic dish with 3 layers of waxed paper, extending over long sides only. Brush top sheet of paper generously with oil.
  2. Puree avocados and cream cheese in processor. Add shallots, lemon juice, garlic, chili powder and sea salt and blend 30 seconds.
  3. Transfer mixture to prepared pan; smooth top. Press plastic wrap onto surface of pate and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
  4. Remove plastic and un-mold onto a platter lined with the lettuce leaves. Mix parsley and pecans and sprinkle over the pate.
  5. Garnish with olives and tomatoes. Surround with tortilla chips.

Yield: 10 servings

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Babe’s Pecan Pie

1 9-inch pie shell; unbaked
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
3 eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter; melted

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Combine sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Beat eggs at medium speed until blended. Gradually add hot sugar mixture to eggs, beating constantly. Stir in butter, vanilla and pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes.

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Baked Bulgur with Pecans

1 cup bulgur wheat, uncooked
½ teaspoon dried basil
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups boiling water
¼ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Lightly oil a 1 quart baking dish or spray with a nonstick cooking spray. Place bulgur, basil, sea salt and pepper in prepared baking dish. Add boiling water and mix well.
3. Cover tightly and bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes.
4. Fluff with a fork, add pecans, and mix well. Serve hot.

Yield: 6 servings

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Baked Catfish and Pecans

2 pounds catfish fillets
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
½ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Make pecan sauce by combining ¼ cup butter, chopped pecans, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce and blend well.
3. Combine flour, sea salt, pepper, lemon rind. Roll fillets in mixture, coating well.
4. Melt ¼ cup butter in large skillet. Brown fillets over medium heat until light brown; turn once to brown both sides.
5. Place fillets in well-greased 12-inch-by-8-inch-by-2 baking dish. Sprinkle pecan butter sauce over fillets. Sprinkle with additional chopped pecans if desires.
6. Bake uncovered in a preheated oven for 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork

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Basil-Pecan Cream Cheese

  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese; softened
  • ¼ cup butter; softened
  • ½ cup snipped fresh basil
  • ¼ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic; minced
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  1. In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
  2. Stir in basil, pecans, vinegar, garlic, red pepper, salt and black pepper until well combined.
  3. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 3 days

Makes 1½ cups

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Basil-Pecan Cream Cheese

1 8-ounce package cream cheese; softened
¼ cup butter; softened
½ cup snipped fresh basil
¼ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic; minced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
2. Stir in basil, pecans, vinegar, garlic, red pepper, salt and black pepper until well combined.
3. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 3 days

Makes 1½ cups

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Breast of Chicken with Pecan Chutney

3 whole boneless chicken breasts (skin on); halved
½ teaspoon lemon pepper
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup unsalted butter; melted
¼ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh parsley; chopped
Pecan Chutney

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Season chicken breasts with lemon pepper, Italian seasoning and sea salt. Place skin-side up, in lightly oiled 13-inch-by-9-inch baking dish. Pour butter over the chicken.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until no longer pink inside. Remove from oven.
4. Preheat broiler for 5 minutes.
5. Remove chicken from baking dish and set aside. Add wine to baking dish, stirring and scraping browned bits from bottom of dish. Return chicken to baking dish.
6. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven and sprinkle chicken with parsley. Let cool, cover and chill in refrigerator. Serve with pecan chutney.
Pecan Chutney
½ cup mango chutney
¼ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
½ apple; peeled and chopped
Pinch curry powder

In small bowl, stir together chutney, pecans, apple and curry powder.

Makes about 1 cup

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Butter Pecan Chocolate Marshmallow Bars

1 18-ounce Betty Crocker Butter Pecan Cake Mix
¼ cup margarine; melted
¼ cup water
2 cups miniature marshmallows
¾ cups semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
½ cup coconut flakes

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Mix cake mix, margarine and water until blended. Firm into greased 9-inch-by-13-inch pan.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes.
4. Layer marshmallows, chocolate chips, pecans and coconut over crust.
5. Continue baking for 2 to 3 minutes or until marshmallows begin to melt. Cool. Cut into bars.

Makes 24 pieces

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