SAVORY TOMATO BREAD PUDDING WITH PECANS
A great side dish with any grilled meat or fish! Most of these ingredients can be found at your local Farmers Market
· 3 pounds tomatoes, halved
· 1 tsp fresh thyme
· 1 tsp fresh basil
· 2 tsp salt, divided
· 2 tsp coarse ground white pepper, divided
· ½ cup olive or pecan oil, divided
· 2 cups Delta Pecan pieces
· 1 head garlic, peeled
· 10 cups cubed French or Italian bread
· 2 cups milk
· 1 cup cream
· 8 large eggs
· 2 cups Fontina cheese, grated
· 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Toss tomatoes in a bowl with the herbs, salt, pepper, and one tablespoon of the olive or pecan oil. Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, on a cookie sheet.
2. Sprinkle with garlic cloves and Delta Pecan pieces, and roast in the oven for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and taking care not to let the garlic or the pecans burn.
3. Remove from oven, and gently mash the garlic pods, tossing with the tomatoes and pecans. Transfer to a bowl.
4. Place the cubed bread on a cookie sheet, toss with remaining oil, then return to the oven.
5. Bake for 20 minutes until bread is golden brown. Remove from oven.
6. Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees. Whisk together milk, cream, eggs, one teaspoon of salt, and one teaspoon of pepper. Stir in the cheeses and mix well.
7. Butter a 3 quart baking dish and layer with the bread and tomato-garlic pecan mixture.
8. Pour custard over pudding, pushing down in places to let liquid soak.
9. Bake until firm to the touch and golden brown, about 50 to 60 minutes. Serve hot. Yield: 8 servings.
Pecan Spinach Salad
Dressing:
1/2 cup sour cream
3 Tbl vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp horserdish
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
Salad:
1 pound spinach (baby spinach works best)
1 16 oz carton cream style small curd cottage cheese
1 cup (4 oz) grated Swiss cheese
1 medium sized red onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 package bacon, cooked crsip & crumbled
1/2 cup chopped Delta Pecans
Prepare dressying by combining sour cream, vinegar, sugar, horseradish, salt and dry mustard, whisking to blend.
Combine spinach, cottage cheese, Swiss cheese, onion, mushrooms, bacon and Delta Pecans in srving bowl. Add dressing to salad tossing gently to mix. Serves approximately 8. (Cincinnati Jr. League Cookbook - 1998)
Chicken Pecan Quiche
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1 cup all purpose flour
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1 cup (4 oz) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
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3/4 cup chopped Delta pecans
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1/2 tsp salt
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1/4 tsp paprika
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1/3 cup vegetable oil
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1 cup sour cream
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1/2 cup chicken broth
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1/4 cup mayonnaise
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3 eggs, beaten
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2 cups chopped roasted or smoked chicken
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1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
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1/4 cup minced onion
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1/4 tsp dried whole dill weed
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3 drops of hot sauce
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Delta pecan halves
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, 1 cup cheese, chopped Delta pecans, salt and paprika in a bowl and mix well. Add the oil and stir until crumbly. Reserve 1/4 cup of the crumb mixture. Press the remaining crumb mixture over the bottom and up the side of a 9 inch quiche pan. Prick the bottom and side with a fork and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
Whisk the sour cream, broth, mayonnaise and eggs in a bowl until blended. Stir in the chicken, 1/2 cup cheese, the onion, dill weed and hot sauce. Spoon the chicken mixture into the baked crust and sprinkle with the reseved crumb mixture. TopDelta with pecan halves and bake for 45 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.
Compliments of Dallas Dish, Junior League of Dallas
Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon-Pecan Sauce
Ingredients:
2 pork tenderloins (about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
1/8 cup olive oil
1 Tbl poultry seasoning
Sauce:
2 Tbl butter
1 cup chopped Delta pecans
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbl bourbon
2 cups heavy cream
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine olive oil and poultry seasoning. Brush half of the olive-oil mixture on each pork tenderloin. Place the tenderloins on the rack of a roasting pan, and roast in oven until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees. This should take about 50 minutes. Remove tenderloin from oven and loosely cover with aluminum foil to keep warm while making sauce.
In a large skillet over medium heat on stovetop, melt butter. Add Delta pecans and salt; cook about 5 minutes, or until light brown, stirring constantly. Remove skillet from heat and add bourbon. Return skillet to heat and add heavy cream. Reduce heat to low and let sauce simmer until thick and creamy.
Slice port tenderloins into 3/4 inch thick medallions. Drizzle with sauce. Yields 6-8 servings.
Compliments of Taste of the South Magazine - Winter 05.
Vegetable and Pecan Calzones
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp dried oregano
16 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables
Salt and black pepper
1/2 cup plus 4 tsp shredded Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup chopped toasted Delta Pecans
10 oz tube refrigerated pizza dough
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a large baking sheet. In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat; add onion and saute 5 minutes. Stir in oregano, then mixed vegetables, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, sitrring occasionally, until vegetables have thawed - about 10 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese and the Delta pecans.
Remove dough from package and spread to about 14 1/2 inch square. Divide dough into 4 equal squares. Transfer 1 square to baking sheet and top with a heaping cupful of vegetable pecan mixture. Fold over one corner of dough to meet opposite corner; pinch and roll edges together to enclose fililing, creating a triangle turnover shape. Lightly brush top with water, sprinkle with a teaspoon of remaining Parmesan and some black pepper. Make two small slashes in top. Set aside on baking sheet and repeat to make 3 more calzones. Bake calzones 15-20 minutes or until well browned. Cool slightly before serving.
Penne Pasta with Asparagus and Pecans
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1 Tbl olive oil
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1 Tbl butter
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1 lb asparagus, cut into 2" pieces
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1 yellow bell pepper, diced
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1 red bell pepper diced
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1 tsp minced garlic
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1 3/4 cups chicken broth
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1 lb penne pasta, uncooked
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1 1/2 Tbl minced fresh basil
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2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
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3/4 cup toasted Delta pecans, divided
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Salt, pepper to taste
Combine olive oil and butter in a large skillet; add asparagus and cook until lightly browned, stirring constantly, about 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in peppers and garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add pasta and basil. Simmer 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in half the Parmesan cheese and half the pecans. Add salt and pepper to taste. To serve, transfer to a warm bowl and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and pecans. YIELD: 4 to 6 servings.
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Soft-Shell Crawfish in Praline Sauce
Serves 4
• 12 soft shelled crawfish
• 1 can artichoke bottoms (14 oz), drained
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 cups all purpose flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 6 Tbs unsalted butter
• Praline Sauce (see accompanying recipe)
• 2 Tbs chopped Delta pecans for garnish
Remove heads from crawfish. Soak crawfish and artichoke bottoms for 30 minutes in buttermilk that has been seasoned with salt and pepper. Drain and dredge in seasoned flour. Pan fry crawfish and artichoke bottoms in butter until golden brown, about 5 minutes each side, and drain on paper towels. On individual plates, arrange crawfish atop artichokes. Spoon over Praline Sauce, garnish with pecans, and serve immediately.
Praline Sauce – Yields 1 ½ cups
• 1 Tbs minced shallots
• 1 Tbs minced garlic
• ¼ cup clarified unsalted butter
• ¼ cup pecans, chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme ( ½ tsp dried)
• 1 ½ tsp black peppercorns
• 4 sprigs fresh mint, whole
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 2 Tbs praline-flavored liqueur
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 sprigs fresh mint, chopped
Sauté shallots, and garlic in butter over medium heat until golden. Add pecans, thyme, peppercorns, and whole mint sprigs and sauté 1 minute. Add wine and cook 1 minute, stirring. Heat liqueur in a small pan over low heat, until warm. Ignite and pour quickly over shallot mixture. Boil until reduced by half. Stir in cream and reduce by half again. Add chopped mint sprigs and keep warm to serve immediate or store refrigerated.
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Seared Salmon Salad with Delta Pecans
A salad can be so much more than just a pre-courser to a meal or a bland diet food. Dishes made from leafy greens make a delicious, and healthy, main attraction of any meal.
Seared Salmon over Mixed Greens
- 4 salmon fillets
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2 Tbl olive oil
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Salt and pepper to taste
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½ cup dried cranberries
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¼ cup thinly sliced scallions
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½ cup crumbled feta cheese
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½ cup Delta Honey Roasted Pecans
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¼ cup Wine Vinaigrette
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1 package Spring Mix salad blend
Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbl olive oil in a large pan. Sear salmon, skin side up, until the meat is well browned. Flip over and cook until the fish is medium rare, or desired temperature. While the salmon is cooking, toss the salad blend with cranberries, scallions, feta cheese, pecans and dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the salad among the individual plates. Place salmon fillet on top of the salad mixture. Serve immediately – Serves 4 as a main course.
Compliments of MidSouth Living Magazine – May 06