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Creamy Pesto Filled Chicken Rolls

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds total)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ of an 8-ounce tub cream cheese with chive and onion
½ cup Texas Basil Pesto
2 ounces proscuitto, chopped
⅓ cup seasoned fine dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 tablespoon butter; melted
6 cups baby spinach leaves
3 tablespoons Parmesan Italian salad dressing with basil or Italian salad dressing

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Lightly coat a 13-inch-by-9-inch-by-2-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Place a chicken breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound chicken to about ⅛ inch thick. Remove plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining chicken breast halves. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
3. In a small bowl stir together cream cheese Texas Basil Pesto and proscuitto. Place about 2 tablespoons of cheese mixture in the center of each chicken breast. Fold in bottom and sides and roll up. Secure with toothpicks. Combine bread crumbs and chopped pecans. Brush chicken with butter and roll in the bread crumb mixture. Place seam sides down in prepared pan.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170ºF). To serve, toss spinach leaves with the dressing. Divide evenly among 6 plates; top each with a chicken roll.

Makes 6 servings

Texas Basil Pesto
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1½ cups fresh baby spinach; stems removed
¾ cups fresh basil leaves
½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
6 ounces Asiago cheese, grated
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and quartered

To Prepare In a Food Processor

1. Combine 2 tablespoons of the oil, the spinach, basil, pecans, cheese and garlic. Cover and process until nearly smooth, stopping processor and scrapping sides as necessary.
2. Drizzle in remaining olive oil until mixture is smooth.

To Prepare In a Blender

1. Coarsely chop spinach, basil, pecans and garlic on a cutting board, in a blender combine all ingredients.
2. Cover and blend until mixture is smooth.

To Store

Place pesto in an airtight container. Cover and refrigerate for 1 or 2 days of freeze up to 1 month.

Makes about 1¾ cups

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Crispy Pecan Fish Fillet

1½ pounds catfish fillets
1 cup milk
2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ pounds unsalted butter
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 cup chopped parsley
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice1. Wash the fish fillets under cold running water, and place them in a bowl with the milk, Tabasco and sea salt. Allow them to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
2. Just before cooking, drain the fillets and dredge them in the cornmeal.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and vegetable oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
4. Fry cornmeal covered fillets until crispy and brown, about 2 minutes on a side; don’t crowd the pan.
5. Remove from the pan with a slotted spatula, drain on paper towels. Repeat until all fish is fried. Keep warm.
6. Pour grease out of the skillet, and add the remaining butter. Place over medium heat, and when it has melted, add the pecans. Stir constantly while the pecans brown. Add parsley and lemon juice and stir to combine.
7. Pour sauce over fish fillets and serve immediately.

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Homemade Lemon Pasta with Butter and Pecans

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup unsalted butter
⅓ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces

1. In pasta machine, combine flour, lemon peel, and sea salt. Turn machine on to mix. Add combined lemon juice, eggs, and oil. Continue processing until mixture form balls the size of small peas. Turn machine to extrude. Cut into desired lengths.
2. Drop the noodles into boiling water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the pasta is al dente (tender but firm to the bite). Drain the pasta.
3. Toss with butter and pecans. Serve immediately.

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Homemade Lemon Pasta with Butter and Pecans

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup unsalted butter
⅓ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces

1. In pasta machine, combine flour, lemon peel, and sea salt. Turn machine on to mix. Add combined lemon juice, eggs, and oil. Continue processing until mixture form s balls the size of small peas. Turn machine to extrude. Cut into desired lengths.
2. Drop the noodles into boiling water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the pasta is al dente (tender but firm to the bite). Drain the pasta.
3. Toss with butter and pecans. Serve immediately.

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Honey Pecan Chicken

4 chicken breast halves
2 cup buttermilk
1½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pepper to taste
1 cup unsalted butter or margarine; melted
⅓ cup honey
⅛ teaspoon lemon peel
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces

1. Soak chicken pieces overnight in buttermilk (or at least several hours).
2. Mix flour, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and pepper. Dredge chicken in this. Let chicken “rest” after coating with flour mix for bout 30 minutes (so coating “sticks”).
3. Heat small amount oil in large fry pan.
4. Cook about 8 minutes per side (for boneless pieces, longer for with bone) until no longer pink.
5. Make sauce: mix melted butter or oleo, honey, lemon peel and bourbon. Mix and heat until warm.
6. Pour over cooked chicken. Top with chopped pecans.

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Mustard Pecan Chicken

2 whole skinless and boneless chicken breasts or 4 half skinless and boneless chicken breasts; slightly flattened and patted dry
½ cup flour
Sea salt to taste
Pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon crumbled dried tarragon
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1. Lightly dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, patting to remove any excess.
2. Brush 1 side of each breast generously with mustard. Pat the pecans into the mustard. Turn and repeat on the other side. Place the chicken in a flat dish, cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
3. In a large heavy skillet, heat the butter and oil just until the butter foams. Add the chicken breasts and sauté them over medium-high heat until the pecans are lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook the second side for an additional 2 minutes. Remove at once.

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Orange Pecan Couscous

1 tablespoon oil
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 onion; chopped
2 cups orange juice
3 cinnamon sticks
5 cloves, whole
1 pinch turmeric
1 pinch ground red pepper
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 cups couscous
½ cup raisins (more if desired)

1. Heat oil in a large skillet and cook pecans until lightly toasted. Add onions and cook until soft.
2. Add orange juice, cinnamon sticks, cloves, turmeric, red pepper and sea salt and bring to a boil. Quickly stir in couscous and raisins, then cover and turn off heat.
3. Let stand 5 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed completely. Fluff with a fork before serving.

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Oven Fried Pecan Cornmeal Chicken

2 pounds chicken breast
1 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; finely ground
½ cup yellow cornmeal

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Pound the chicken breast halves to an even thickness. Pour ½ cup of the oil into a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish, and heat it in the hot oven for 10 minutes.
3. Combine the remaining oil with the mustard, sea salt, pepper and paprika in a shallow bowl, and mix well. Set aside.
4. Combine the pecans and cornmeal on a sheet of wax paper. Dip the chicken pieces in the seasoned oil, and then in the nut mixture. Remove the pan from the oven, and place the chicken pieces in the pan.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes, then turn with tongs, and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels, and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6

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Pacific Rim Pecan Crusted Turkey Cutlets

¼ cup Oriental Hoisin Sauce (available in the Oriental section of the grocery store)
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon liquid hot sauce
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
6 turkey cutlets
12 ounces ramen noodles

1. Preheat broiler and grease broiler rack. In a shallow bowl, mix together the Hoisin Sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, hot sauce and ginger. Place pecans on wax paper.
2. Dip each turkey cutlet into the Oriental liquid mixture and then into the pecans, pressing so the pecans stick. Place on broiler-pan rack.
3. Broil 6 inches from heat, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
4. While cutlets are cooking, transfer remaining liquid mixture to a saucepan and bring to boil. Lower heat and keep liquid warm over low heat.
5. Cook the ramen noodles without the seasoning pack according to package directions.
6. To serve, place ramen noodles onto six dinner plates, then top with a cutlet and drizzle with warmed sauce.

Serves 6

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Panned Fried Fish with Pecan Topping

1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
½ cup unsalted butter, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons lemon juice,
⅛ teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
¼ teaspoon sea salt
6 fish filets
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
⅛ teaspoon red pepper
Vegetable oil
Lemon wedges for garnish1. Into a food processor place the pecans, butter, lemon juice, pepper, garlic, Worcestershire and sea salt. Process until uniform.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet to 350ºF. Heat enough oil to cover the fish filets half way.
3. Dredge the fish in flour. Shake off any excess.
4. Drop the fish filets in the hot fat and fry for seven minutes on a side (depending on the thickness of a fish.) The fish are done when they are opaque and flake easily with a fork.
5. Place the fried filets on a broiler pan and cover with the pecan topping.
6. Place the broiler pan in the oven about 6 inches away from the flame and broil for up to a minute. The fat content is so high here that you shouldn’t leave the fish alone. They will cook quickly and there is always the potential for burning.
7. Serve hot on a plate garnished with lemon wedges and parsley.

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