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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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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 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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Calvert’s Pecan Flounder

4 6-ounce flounder fillets (any delicate fish fillet may be used)
2 tablespoons Calvert’s Cedar Street Chive
⅔ cups Calvert’s Cedar Street Pecan Vinaigrette
4 tablespoons dry white wine
½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Halves
8 thin lemon slices1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In a stainless steel or glass pan, place flounder fillets which have been spread with Calvert’s Cedar Street Chive Mustard. Pour ½ cup Calvert’s Cedar Street Pecan Vinaigrette over fillets and marinate for 1 hour, turning once.
3. Place each fillet of flounder on a rectangle of aluminum foil large enough to encase it. Top each marinated fillet with another teaspoon of pecan vinaigrette, two slices of lemon, and ¼ of the pecan halves. Sprinkle with one tablespoons. Dry white wine. Seal foil to envelop fish.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for oven for 20 minutes. Place flounder with garnish on individual, warmed plates.

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Catfish Pecan Meuniere

1 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons rustic rub
2 eggs; beaten
½ cup milk
4 6 to 6½ ounce each catfish or trout fillets
½ cup vegetable oil
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons garlic; minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne

1. Combine the flour with 2 teaspoons of the rub in a shallow bowl.
2. In another shallow bowl, blend the eggs and milk together. Season the fish with the remaining 2 teaspoons rub.
3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the fillets in the flour, coating evenly. Dip the fillets in the egg mixture. Dredge again in the flour. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, lay the fillets in the skillet.
4. Pan-fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden.
5. Transfer to a warm platter. Discard any oil remaining in the skillet and wipe clean with paper towels. Return the skillet to the stove.
6. Over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. When the butter foams, add the pecans and stir constantly for about 1½ minutes, or until lightly toasted. Add the parsley, garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and cream. Stir with a whisk for about 15 seconds and remove from the heat.
7. Add the sea salt, cayenne, and remaining 6 tablespoons butter, broken into small chips, and stir until the butter melts completely.
8. Spoon the sauce over the fillets and serve.

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Chicken, Wild Rice and Pecan Salad in Romaine Spears

6 cups chicken broth
8 ounces wild rice
2½ pounds chicken; roasted, skinned and boned, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper; chopped
2 bunches arugula; chopped
¼ cup green onions; chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; toasted
3 heads romaine lettuce

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in medium saucepan. Add rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until just tender, about 50 minutes. Drain well. Transfer the rice to a large bowl.
2. Mix in chicken, bell pepper, arugula and green onions. Set aside.
3. In another bowl mix soy sauce, vinegar and oil. Pour over salad and mix to coat. Season with sea salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)
4. Mix nuts into salad. Place salad in center of platter.
5. Reserve outer romaine leaves for another use. Arrange inner leaves on platter around salad.

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Crab Pecan Delight

½ cup celery; chopped
2 tablespoons green onion; chopped
1½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Meal
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
Dash of garlic powder
1 pounds crab meat
1 10-ounce can cream of celery soup
¾ cup evaporated milk
¼ cup dry bread crumbs1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Sauté celery, green onion and 1 cup pecan meal in ¼ cup butter until vegetables are crispy-tender. Add sea salt, pepper and garlic. Stir in crab meat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add soup; gradually stir in milk. Pour into baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs and remaining pecan meal: pat with remaining butter.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until brown.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

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Cranberry Pecan Stuffing

¼ cup margarine
2 celery stalks; chopped
1 large onion; chopped
1 14½-ounce can chicken broth
1 16-ounce package herb stuffing mix
½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries
½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces

1. In 4 quart saucepan melt margarine over medium heat; add celery and onions and cook until tender. Add broth. Heat to boiling. Remove from heat.
2. Add stuffing mix, cranberries and nuts; toss to coat well.
3. Use to stuff 12 to 14 pounds turkey according to directions on turkey package.
4. Bake any remaining stuffing in covered casserole dish along with turkey, for 30 minutes.

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