When I look for ideas for blogs, I sometimes float around the internet (or interweb, for those of you that are a certain age) for celebratory days or months. And what did I find? I found PECANS! I LOVE pecans! April is the month of pecans! So golly good gravy, I have to have recipes. And I’ve added a little history.
Pecans Have A History
Why reinvent the wheel? Rather than write it up myself, I copy from this website, which has the history and some fun facts.
The history of pecans can be traced back to the 16th century. The only major tree nut that grows naturally in North America, the pecan is considered one of the most valuable North American nut species. The name “pecan” is a Native American word of Algonquin origin that was used to describe “all nuts requiring a stone to crack.”
Originating in central and eastern North America and the river valleys of Mexico, pecans were widely used by pre-colonial residents. Pecans were favored because they were accessible to waterways, easier to shell than other North American nut species and of course, for their great taste.
Because wild pecans were readily available, many Native American tribes in the U.S. and Mexico used the wild pecan as a major food source during autumn. It is speculated that pecans were used to produce a fermented intoxicating drink called “Powcohicora” (where the word “hickory” comes from). It also is said that Native Americans first cultivated the pecan tree.
Fun Facts:
- Presidents Washington and Jefferson loved pecans.
- Albany, Georgia is the pecan capital of the United States.
- Pecans can improve your love life. (Zinc helps to produce testosterone.)
- Texas adopted the pecan tree as its state tree in 1919.
- There are over 1,000 varieties of pecans. Many are named for Native American tribes, including Cheyenne, Mohawk, Sioux, Choctaw and Shawnee.
- The US produces about 80% of the world’s pecan crop.
Recipes
I have tagged two websites (70 Sweet And Savory Recipes and 39 Perfect Recipes). If you can’t find something you like from these two sites, well, I just don’t know about you.
I wanted to list all of the items from the first site, but stuck with what I thought might be the more unusual recipes:
- Caramel-pecan pumpkin pull-aparts (sticky buns)
- Maple-pecan pork chops (simmered in apple juice, then drizzled with maple syrup and topped with crunchy pecans)
- Slow cooker candied nuts (great as holiday gifts)
- Salted pecan shortbread squares (great for cookie trays and gift-giving)
- Pecan coconut crusted tilapia (gluten-free and loaded with flavor)
- Cream cheese turtle cups (create memories with your children)
- Raspberry pecan chicken salad (add some zip with Chinese five-spice)
- Banana butter pecan kabobs (set out pecans and butterscotch with kabobs so everyone can customize)
- Maple pecan tarts (make it better with ice cream)
- Jalapeno pecan cheese spread (it’s a pepper jelly spread)
- Pecan crusted chicken waffle sandwiches (a Southern tradition with a kick)
- Caramel pecan apple pie (scrumptious)
- Chicken, pecan & cherry salad (use cooked chicken strips or grab a rotisserie chicken)
- Velvety chocolate butter pecan pie (use bittersweet chocolate to tame the sweetness and add richness)
- Double nut baklava (blend coconut, pecans and macadamia nuts)
- Pecan-stuffed butternut squash (a great dish for autumn)
- Cajun pecan catfish (or tilapia, or whitefish, or ….)
- Roasted banana and pecan cheesecake (roasted bananas and a nutty crust)
- Louisiana pecan bacon bread (did I say that bacon is a food group?)
- Nutty stuffed mushrooms (with basil and parmesan cheese)
- Chocolate pecan torte (an impressive dessert that is worth the effort)
- Caramel pecan apple slices (warm, decadent, delightful as a side dish or spooned over ice cream)
- Cherry chocolate pecan pie (brandy-infused cherries and chocolate chips)
- Secret ingredient stuffed eggs (mango, goat cheese and pecans)
The other site has, again, lots of recipes, and again, I have listed only a few:
- Green bean salad with fennel and toasted pecan dukkah (easy, crisp and zesty)
- Chocolate pecan sheet pie with molasses (sweet, earthy, crunchy)
- Beets with pecorino, pecans and shishito peppers (roast the beets)
- Nectarines and peaches with lavender syrup (ripe fruit, candied pecans, Gorgonzola, herb syrup, hugging the line between savory and sweet)
- Warm cocoa pudding with candied pecans (you’ll never like cold pudding again)
- Iron skillet peach crisp (peaches, garam masala (an Indian spice), brown sugar crumble)
- Pecan praline semifreddo with bourbon caramel (combination of pecan pralines and creamy Italian semifreddo)
- Crisp cocoa pecan cookies (double chocolate chip cookies with pecans)
- Maple pecan sundaes with candied bacon (um……. What else can I say?)
- Angel hair pasta with lemon, kale and pecans (yum!)
- Chocolate, pecan and pumpkin seed pie with gingersnap crust (!!!)
- Bourbon balls (I used to make these every Christmas)
- Crudites salad with ferro and pecans (a texture riot, crunchy and creamy, with almond butter!)
In Closing
There was never a better nut.