Sunday, January 18, 2015

Cooking Smart for a Healthy Heart - Orange Glazed Cornish Hens



Flavorful Cornish Hens; all in one small meaty, tender bird.  With this recipe, the hens are glazed as they roast with a delicious orange-tea marmalade.  Plus a wealth of heart-healthy vitamins and minerals come in each little hen.

Prep Time: 20 min.    Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes plus resting time  Serves 4

1 tea bag - Earl Grey
2 medium oranges
1 cup orange marmalade
2 Cornish Hens, about 1 pound each
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, slice
1/4 cup fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup fresh thyme, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 and prepare roasting pan with rack.  Steep tea bag in 1/4 cup boiling water for 5 minutes in a small saucepan.  Discard tea bag, then squeeze juice from 1 orange into tea, and then stir in marmalade until melted.
While keeping marmalade warm, cut remaining orange into quarters (do not peel).

2. Remove and discard giblets from hens.  Wash hens and dry thoroughly, and then sprinkle cavities with pepper and salt.  Loosen breast skin slightly.  Stuff each hen with 2 orange quarters, slice onions, rosemary, and thyme.  Tie legs together with kitchen string.  Place hens, breast-side up, on rack in roasting pan.  Brush hens with orange glaze.  Then pour just a little water; just enough to cover the bottom of the roasting pan.

3. Roast hens on middle oven rack, basting the hens every 20 minutes with remaining glaze, until browned and juices run clear, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Then remove hens from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes. Garnish with rosemary and thyme.

To round out this meal, you can serve your hens with roasted beets/carrots and coconut collard greens.

See recipe for Coconut Collards 


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