Recipe Swap: Favorite ways to use the pecan harvest

Growing up in rural McClure, Ill., we always had pecans on our trees at home. Many years ago my parents had two pecan trees grafted to grow large paper shell pecans. Many old-timers say you will always have a large pecan crop in an election year. And you know, that really holds true. Just about every four years there is a bumper crop, and with this year being an election year, we are hoping to restock our freezers with fresh, homegrown pecans. In hopes of those coming pecans, I found a few recipes that I enjoy using those pecans in. I hope you have a chance to give them a try.

Hot Pepper Pecans

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup large pecan halves

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 or 3 dashes hot pepper sauce

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Melt butter in shallow pan and spread pecans evenly in a single layer. Bake 30 minutes or until nuts begin to brown. Stir several times; do not overcook. Mix soy sauce, salt and hot pepper sauce and stir into toasted pecans, turning them so the seasonings will be evenly distributed. Spread on layered paper towels to cool. Pack into an airtight container to store. Yields 1 cup spiced pecans.

Chunky Cheese Spread

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

2 cups pecans, chopped

8 to 10 green onions, chopped

1 teaspoon mayonnaise, or to moisten

1 (8-ounce) jar jalapeno jelly or another hot jelly

Combine all ingredients except jelly and spread onto a plate. Top with jelly of your choice. Serve with Wheat Thins crackers. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Chicken-Pecan Salad with Curry

The pecans add a nice crunch to this lovely luncheon salad.

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1 cup finely chopped celery

1 teaspoon grated onion

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 cups cooked, chopped white meat chicken

2 avocados, peeled, seeded and halved

Combine all ingredients except avocados. Serve salad mounded in avocado halves.

Tortellini Salad with Pecans

1 bag good green salad blend, like a romaine blend (not iceberg)

1 bunch green onions, sliced green tops only

1 small container grape tomatoes, washed and drained

1 box dry Parmesan cheese filled small tortellini, cooked per package directions, rinsed and cooled

1 handful dry cranberries

1 handful pecan halves

1 small package cooked bacon pieces

1 small package shredded Parmesan cheese

Bottled poppy seed dressing (preferred Brianna's brand is best)

Layer all ingredients except dressing into a serving dish. Cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, dress with poppy seed dressing, being careful not to overdress. Toss and serve immediately.

Seafood Bisque

Jodi Thompson of Jackson sent me this bisque recipe and I am anxious to give it a try. We enjoy seafood in just about every form, so in a soup will be a nice treat with cool fall days ahead.

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (about 2)

1/4 cup finely diced celery

2 sticks butter

1 quart water

1 tablespoon chicken base

A sprinkle or two of instant flour, your favorite low-carb thickener or regular flour

2 (6 1/2-ounce) cans chopped clams with juice

1/2 pound uncooked shrimp, cleaned, shelled, deveined

1/3 pound cod (leave in one piece)

1/3 pound salmon (leave in one piece and remove skin)

4 cups heavy cream

1 small can crab meat

1/2 cup dry sherry

Chives for garnish, optional

Saute shallots and diced celery in butter until soft. Add thickener, if desired, and stir with a wire whip for 5 minutes, on low heat and set aside. Bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Add chicken base, clams with juice, all of the shrimp and the whole pieces of cod and salmon. Return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Strain the stock, and reserve the seafood. Stir the shallot and butter mixture into the stock. Flake the large pieces of boiled fish and add the canned crabmeat. Add the heavy cream and sherry. Bring to a simmer and heat through. Add chives, if desired. Makes 8-10 servings.

To Die For Beef Brisket

An avid reader of this recipe column sent in this recipe for beef brisket and she said it is the best brisket she makes. She many times prefers to smoke the brisket in her smoker, but when inclement weather prohibits her from that, this is the preferred way of cooking.

1 (4- to 5-pound) beef brisket

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 envelope (from a 2-ounce box) onion soup mix

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Place brisket in roasting pan. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over brisket, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake about 3 hours, or until meat is fork-tender. Slice brisket across the grain and serve with pan drippings.

If you want to make this in advance, just put the sliced brisket back into the pan of drippings, cover, and keep refrigerated. Reheat it in the oven before serving.

Oven-fried Zucchini Sticks

Zucchini squash is abundant right now, and if you do not have a garden, the Farmer's Market has quite a bit as well. The nice thing about these is that they are not deep fried. I use canola spray and it works great.

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 3 medium), cut into 1/2-by-3-inch sticks

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper in a large, sealable plastic bag. Dip zucchini in egg white, shake in the bag to coat, and arrange, not touching, on the baking sheet. Coat all exposed sides with cooking spray. Bake on the center rack for 7 minutes. Turn the zucchini and coat any floury spots with cooking spray. Continue to bake until golden and just tender, about 5 minutes more. Serve hot.

Have a great week, and until next week, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.