This week just plain got on my nerves! Sheri picked Pecans. Sounds easy right? But not so when you are trying to make up your own original recipes AND you want to do only appetizers! Who knew that pecans could be so obstinate?! They just don’t like being the star of a recipe. They want to hang out as a supporting cast member, and even then, they prefer a sweet musical to a savory drama.
Here’s what I finally came up with. It came dangerously close to being a dessert. But the rice and dipping sauce pulled it back.

Pecan Butter & Coconut Rice Balls
Step One:
Two cups pecan halves toasted
½ -1 teas. Salt
1-2 tbs. sesame oil
Chop pecans in food processor until fine. Add about half of salt. Drizzle in sesame oil slowly so that you only use enough to get the consistency you prefer. (Use a light hand. You can add more oil if you need to but you can’t take it away.) Taste for salt and add more if you need too.

Step Two:
1 cup sushi rice
1 ½ cup coconut milk thinned to the consistancy of skim milk
In a rice steamer cook rice in coconut milk. Allow to cool enough to handle with your hands.
Step Three:
½ c shredded coconut
½ – 1 ½ teas. salt
½ tea garam masala
½ teas. ground ginger
4 tbs pecan butter
¼ cup chopped pecans
Add all ingredients to cooled rice and mix well. The right amount of salt is vital to the flavor. So you will want to add in half the amount first and then taste before adding more.

Form rice mixture into golf ball size balls. Roll in shredded coconut and deep fry in hot sesame oil. You are not ‘cooking’ the rice balls, you are merely browning the coconut coating. You can also bake in a hot oven, turning once, to toast the coconut coating.

Dipping Sauce:
3 tbs. stir fry sauce (I used the Trader Ming’s General Tsao brand from Trader Joe’s)
1 Tsp Thai chili sauce
6 Tbs. pecan butter
4 Tbs. thin coconut milk
Blend all ingredients. These measurements are just a guide line, you may adjust any of them to your own taste.