Stuffed Pheasant

¾ cups unsalted butter
¼ cup Wild Turkey Bourbon
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 pheasant; 3 pounds each
2 pounds seedless grapes
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF.
2. Melt butter in small saucepan and mix in bourbon, thyme, pepper and salt. Rub birds inside and out with part of seasoned butter mixture.
3. Mash half the grapes. Mix mashed grapes, whole grapes, and pecans with remaining seasoned butter until well blended.
4. Place mixture inside birds and truss birds closed. Place birds on rack in open roaster, breast side up.
5. Roast in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 325ºF.
7. Continue baking for 45 minutes. Baste frequently with drippings.

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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

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

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.

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.

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.

Pecan Chicken Tepees

3 ounces cream cheese

3 tablespoon butter

½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces

¼ cup onion; finely chopped

1 8-ounce can cooked chicken

3 cans refrigerated crescent roll dough

18 thin pretzel sticks for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a small saucepan, melt cream cheese and butter over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Add pecans, onion, and chicken; mix well. Remove from heat.
3. Divide crescent rolls into 6-inch squares. (Two triangles with their seams pressed together make one square.) Place heaping spoonful of chicken mixture into middle of each square. Fold corners in an upward motion towards the middle and seal so they form a “point” (like a tepee). Place on ungreased cookie sheet
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or until brown.
5. After removing the tepees from the oven, garnish each with 3 pretzel sticks placed vertically in the center to form the tepee frame.

Serves 6

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

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

2 cups Pecan Valley Pecan Meal

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