Family-Friendly Ways to Rethink Favorite Recipes. Freshen up family dinners by adding new ingredients like pecans, with natural richness and subtle sweetness coupled with an irresistible crunch.
Kitchen staples are being used to add twists to traditional dishes, so finding an item you can use to mix up classic family recipes is key. Pecans pack flavor, texture, and nutrition all in one bite, and they have a long shelf life. Shelled pecans can be kept in airtight containers in the refrigerator for about nine months and for up to two years in sealed plastic bags in the freezer.
While pecans are beloved in classic desserts, like pecan pie, they also offer a variety of nutrition benefits that can be added to nearly any meal. They are among the highest in “good” monounsaturated fats, contain 3 grams of plant protein per serving, and are a source of fiber, flavonoids, and minerals like manganese, which is essential for metabolism and bone health.
Nearly two decades of research document the heart-health benefits of pecans. In fact, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1 1/2 ounces per day of most nuts, such as pecans, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. One serving of pecans (28 grams) has 18 grams of unsaturated fat and only 2 grams of saturated fat.
Add crunch to this Chinese Chicken Salad with Pecans by swapping out croutons, use chopped pecans as a flavorful and nutrient-dense coating for Pecan Chicken Meatballs and bake this Pecan Banana Bread as a nutritious and kid-friendly breakfast or snack to fill your home with a delicious scent.
Discover more nutritious recipes at AmericanPecan.com.
Pecan Chicken Meatballs
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: 9 meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/4 cup spinach, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 cup finely chopped fresh pecan pieces, divided
- Heat oven to 400° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix ground chicken, spinach, lemon juice, egg, garlic, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne (if desired), and 1/2 cup pecans until well combined.
- Roll chicken mixture into 1 tablespoon-sized meatballs.
- Place reserved pecans in a bowl. Roll meatballs in pecans to coat then place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 20-30 minutes until meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve warm with sauces for dipping or over pasta.
Chinese Chicken Salad with Pecans
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup pecan butter
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons warm water, plus additional as needed (optional)
Salad:
- 4 ounces dried thin rice noodles
- cold water
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 4 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
- 1/4 cup toasted and chopped pecans
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup crispy wontons
- 1 cup mandarin oranges
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken breast, chopped
- To make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk pecan butter, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, and soy sauce until smooth.
- Add 2 tablespoons of warm water and whisk until incorporated. Add additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if desired, until dressing reaches a pourable consistency.
- To make the salad: Cook rice noodles according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain and transfer to bowl with cold water to keep from sticking.
- In a large bowl, toss romaine and iceberg lettuces, pecans, scallions, bean sprouts, crispy wontons, mandarin oranges, and sesame seeds.
- Divide salad among four plates; top each with 1/2 cup chicken and serve with dressing.
Pecan Banana Bread
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Servings: 8
- 10 ounces gluten-free baking flour mix
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 flax eggs
- 1 cup organic brown or coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- 1/2 cup vegan yogurt
- 3/4 cup mashed bananas, ripe
- 1 cup raw pecan pieces, chopped, plus additional for topping
- Heat oven to 350° F. Prepares 9-by-5-inch banana bread pan.
- In a medium bowl, sift flour mix, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt; whisk to combine.
- In a mixer bowl, mix eggs, sugar, and coconut oil for 2 minutes on medium-low speed.
- Scrape vanilla bean and add to mixture. Add vegan yogurt and mashed bananas; mix 2 minutes on medium-low speed.
- Remove bowl from mixer and fold 1 cup raw pecan pieces into batter until evenly distributed.
- Add batter to the banana bread pan and use a spatula to smooth down the top. Sprinkle additional pecan pieces on top.
- Bake banana bread on top rack 60 minutes until a toothpick comes out with few crumbs but not completely clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes in pan. Hold sides of the pan and flip onto a wire rack.
- Allow bread to cool completely. Slice as desired.
SOURCE:
American Pecan Council
Celebrate friends and family virtually
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Classic Canned Salsa Recipe
Classic Canned Salsa Recipe. This classic salsa recipe is perfect for both new and veteran canners. All the flavor of classic canned salsa using the easy water bath processing method.
Servings 13 pints, approximately
Ingredients
12 cups peeled cored diced paste tomatoes (about 30-35)
6 cups diced peppers mixture of mild and hot about 5 large green peppers and 6-8 hot peppers
4 cups chopped onions about 6 medium onions
3 cloves garlic peeled
2 Tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 Tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup distilled white vinegar
Instructions
In a large pot fill ¾ full of water and bring to a boil. Place whole tomatoes in the pot for 1 minute and then immediately remove and place them into an ice water bath for the same amount of time.
Remove from the water, and once safe enough to handle, the skins will peel off without difficulty.
Over a large bowl, squeeze the majority of the pulp and juice out of each tomato and discard, Dice tomatoes in sections slightly larger than the tomatoes you would typically find in your salsa. Add to a large stock pot.
Remove seeds and ribs of the peppers – roughly chop them and place them in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, or finely hand chop the peppers. Add the peppers to the tomatoes in the stock pot.
Roughly chop onions and place them in your food processor. Add the peeled garlic to the onions and pulse until they are finely chopped.
Add chopped onions, garlic, cilantro, salt, pepper, and vinegar to the pot.
Heat on Medium-High heat until it begins to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add to sterilized and heated pint jars leaving 1/2” headspace. Wipe the rim, and add a warm lid and hand tighten the ring. Process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes, adjusting time for altitude variances.
Remove jars by using a jar lifter and place on a thick towel and let cool for 24 hours.
Before storing, check to make sure all jars are sealed by pushing on the lid -if it doesn’t move it is sealed properly. If it didn’t seal, immediately add to your refrigerator and use within 2 weeks.
Recipe Notes
If you prefer hot salsa do not remove the ribs or seeds of the hot peppers.
Store sealed jars on cool dark shelf for up to 12 months.
Recipe courtesy of Old World Garden Farms
Charlotte’s Uptown Directory
Family-Friendly Ways to Rethink Favorite Recipes
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Family traditions and in-person connections are important parts of gatherings of loved ones, and many of those get-togethers are centered on food. The entire family coming together around a table covered with warm, delicious food to share stories and create new memories is what makes mealtime special. (Family Features)
Forty chefs from around the nation came together to create “Come to the Table,” which offers a delicious mix of cuisines from a variety of cultures, including this sampling of classic family favorites, sweet indulgences and family-style creations all inspired by what family means to each chef.
“Sales from this book will directly benefit the families we serve, so we are so grateful for each and every chef that has offered their time and talent to this cookbook,” said Jill Cumnock, CEO of Ronald McDonald House of Dallas. “The way ‘Come to the Table’ has been created reminds me of a recipe that culminates in a feast for the senses. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate our 40th anniversary, particularly at a time when families are starting to reunite after the pandemic forced so many apart.”
Baked Stuffed Pasta Shells
Visit rmhdallas.org for more information and to order the cookbook.
Baked Stuffed Pasta Shells
Recipe courtesy of chef Kevin CurryServings: 6-8
6 ounces jumbo pasta shells
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh garlic
1 medium onion, diced
5 portobello mushroom caps, gills removed then diced
1 pinch sea salt, plus additional, to taste
1 pinch pepper, plus additional, to taste
2 cups shredded kale
3 tablespoons water
15 ounces skim milk ricotta cheese
4 tablespoons pesto
1 tablespoon The Fit Cook Land spice blend
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat marinara, divided
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat mozzarella
fresh herbs, for garnish
Preheat oven to 420 F.
Bring pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta shells according to package instructions. Drain then set aside.
Heat pot or cast-iron casserole dish over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, garlic, onion and mushrooms. Add pinch of sea salt and pepper as it cooks. Cook until onions turn brown and mushrooms shrink in size, about 3-5 minutes. Empty contents and set aside.
Place pot back over heat. Add shredded kale and water to create steam. Toss kale in pot until it turns vibrant green; set aside to cool.
In large bowl, mix ricotta cheese with mushroom mixture, kale, pesto and spice blend.In casserole dish, spread about 1/2 cup marinara on bottom. Then one-by-one, stuff each pasta shell with approximately 2 tablespoons ricotta mixture and add to casserole dish. Repeat with remaining shells.
Cover shells with remaining marinara and mozzarella cheese. Cover casserole dish with foil and bake 20 minutes. During final 5 minutes, remove foil so mozzarella can brown.
Garnish with fresh herbs and salt and pepper, to taste.
Family-Friendly Ways to Rethink Favorite Recipes
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