Vegetable Pecan Patties

1½ cups; water
½ cup millet
1 tablespoon canola or safflower oil
1 celery rib; with leaves;
1 medium onion; finely chopped
4 slices whole-wheat bread; torn into large pieces
2 cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 cup parsley; fresh; chopped
½ cup basil; fresh; coarsely chopped or2 teaspoons basil; dried
2 tablespoons thyme; fresh; chopped or 1 teaspoon thyme; dried
3 tablespoons tamari
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 medium carrot; grated
1⅓ cups Herbed Bread Crumbs
Pecan Valley Pecan Halves
Parsley sprigs; for garnish

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Stir in the millet, cover, reduce the heat and simmer until the water is absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes. (the millet must be freshly cooked and still warm to form the patties).
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
4. Add the celery and onion and cook, until softened, about 6 minutes.
5. Transfer to a large bowl. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the bread, pecans, parsley, basil, thyme and tamari and process until coarsely chopped.
6. Add to the onion/celery mixture.
7. Add the cooked millet to the onion mixture, along with the grated carrot, and stir to mix.
8. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
9. Shape the warm millet mixture into 2-inch patties (about ½ cup) to serve as a main dish or 1-inch patties (about ⅛) cup for an appetizer.
10. Roll each patty in the herbed bread crumbs, patting to make the crumbs adhere, and put on the baking sheet.
11. Bake until lightly browned, 20 to 30 minutes.
12. Arrange the patties on a serving platter and garnish each one with a pecan half or a sprig of parsley.

Herbed Bread Crumbs
4 slices of white bread
a pinch of salt
fresh ground pepper
¼ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (or ⅛ teaspoon dried)
¼ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (or ⅛ teaspoon dried)

1. Cut crust from bread and discard. Tear pieces in food processor equipped with a metal blade or in a blender. Add a pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper and process mixture until it forms crumbs.
2. Add thyme and rosemary; and mix well. Set aside.

Share Your Favorite Entrée Recipes

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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 sauce

1. 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

Calvert’s Pecan Flounder

4 6-ouncefillets flounder (any delicate fish fillet may be used)
2 tablespoons Calvert’s Cedar Street Chive Mustard
⅔ cups Calvert’s Cedar Street Pecan Vinaigrette
4 tablespoons dry white wine
½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Halves
8 thin lemon slices

1. 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.

Brunoise Demonstration

Brunoise is an extremely fine and exact dice. We're demonstrating the technique on a red bell pepper.



First, cut panels from the pepper and remove any white membrane.




Next, cut the prepared panels lengthwise into very thin strips, called a julienne.




Then neatly group the strips into a "woodpile" and slice across in thin cuts--creating very fine, confetti-like pieces of pepper. These are beautiful as a garnish, or in a soup or sauce.




To brunoise a broader vegetable, such as a carrot, first trim the vegetable so its sides are straight and at right angles.




Next, holding your knife vertically, slice very thin panels.




Stack the panels or lay them out, then cut them lengthwise into very thin julienne. Remember to keep your fingers tucked in, and out of the knife's path.

Finally, turn the julienne and chop them into a beautiful brunoise.

Crab Pecan Delight

½ cup celery; chopped
2 tablespoons green onion; chopped
1½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; finely chopped
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 crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Sauté celery, green onion and 1 cup pecans 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 pecans: pat with remaining butter.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until brown.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

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 juice

1. 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 nuts. Stir constantly while the nuts brown. Add parsley and lemon juice and stir to combine.
7. Pour sauce over fish fillets and serve immediately.

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 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.

Iowa Pork Chop with Apricot Pecan Stuffing

8 ounces dried apricots
⅓ cup brandy
⅔ cups hot water
½ cup onion; minced
½ pounds unsalted butter
12 ounces Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 ounces dried currants
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
¼ cup apricot jam
Whole eggs
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 pound packaged seasoned bread; stuffing crumbs

12 6- to 8-ounces each Iowa Pork Chops
3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Optional Flambé
1 cup brandy

1. Soak apricots in brandy and water for ½ hour. Drain, reserving liquid, and chop apricots finely. Place together in a large bowl.
2. Sauté onions in butter until tender. Add to apricots and reserved liquid; set aside to cool slightly.
3. Add pecans fennel seed, white pepper, nutmeg, currants, grated orange peel, apricot jam, eggs and sea salt order given. Mix well to break up the eggs.
4. Add bread crumbs and mix well. Refrigerate stuffing while preparing pork.
5. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
6. Make a pocket in the meat by slicing horizontally toward the bone halfway up the thickness of the chop. Stuff each chop with about ⅓ cup of the prepared stuffing, and then sear both sides of the chop in a skillet with the vegetable oil in it. Arrange the chops in a baking pan.
7. Cover, and bake in a preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. When pork tests 160ºF internally, it is done. T
8. There will be about 2 quarts of stuffing left, which should be served as a side dish. Place it in a greased baking dish and bake uncovered in the oven with the pork.
9. Heat brandy in a small saucepan until hot but not boiling. Pour hot brandy into the hot baking pan with the meat, and then touch with a lighted match. The brandy will flame up, and at this point you can carry the meat dish to the table and place it on a heavy trivet. The flames will subside after a= minute or so, but the baking dish will be too hot to pass, so the chops must be served by the host or hostess.

New Orleans Pecan Loaf

4 slices dry bread
6 med size raw potatoes
2 cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
3 onions
3 eggs
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon Accent (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Grind bread. Potatoes, pecans, and onions through chopper in order given. (Or use a food processor.) Add eggs, sea salt, and seasonings. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Cover top of loaf with oil or melted shortening (or a brown gravy).
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour. Slice and serve hot or cold.

Note: A little water may be added before baking if it looks like it is going to be too dry.