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 

Cooking Smart for a Healthy Heart - Roasted Beets

Healthy Heart Roasted Beets

Coming up in the White Household, my mother would make pickled beets in the summer time. She would boil the beets whole then once cool, peel and sliced them.  Then she would add slice onions, sugar, salt, and vinegar to them and let them chill.  I love eating her beets in the summer, but how can I enjoy this wonderful vegetable in the winter time without the added sugar?  Smarter cooking techniques such as roasting will deliver caramelize flavor and let the natural flavor of the roasted beets elevate the taste.  Elegant enough for company and easy enough for everyday.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 6  medium beets, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg 
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup scallions (green onions sliced)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine beets with olive oil, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl; mix well.
3. Arrange beets in a single layer on a baking pan.  Bake for 45 minutes or until tender.
4. Remove from oven and cool for about 15 minutes.  
5. In large bowl, combine beets with parsley, scallions and lemon juice.  Toss gently to blend.  Serve warm or chilled.