I am sorry there was no Saturday recipe. You will have to blame Birgit at BB Creations. In her blog she reminded me of Ben Hur which I taped from the TV many years ago. I decided to watch it, it's a long movie and it was gone midnight when it finished. I really enjoyed it - particularly the chariot race - funny, last time I watched it I was a tad disappointed. Not Friday night. Anyway, at midnight I was too tired to do my blog.
I love Cornish Game Hens although I have never cooked them. The first time I ever ate them was in North Carolina when a good friend and neighbour cooked them for my birthday one year. That was before we moved down there and we used to visit our single wide trailer there twice a year for vacations. This recipe says 8 servings. Whenever I have eaten a Cornish hen, we have had one per person.
Quinoa-Stuffed Cornish Hens
Cornish hen stuffed with aromatic and flavorful Moroccan-inspired quinoa is an elegant main dish to
serve at your next dinner party.
For the Quinoa:
1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
½ cup slivered almonds
1 Tbs olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 cup sliced fennel (~1/2 inch slices)
1 Tbs minced garlic
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sherry vinegar
½ cup dried apricots, chopped
½ cup dried plums, chopped
1 Tbs honey
1 Tbs lemon juice
¼ tsp Kosher salt
Fresh-ground black pepper
For the Cornish Hens:
4 Cornish hens
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp paprika
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs honey + 1 teaspoon for sauce
Fresh-ground black pepper
¼ cup dry white wine (or broth)
1. Heat oven to 425° F.
2. In a small saucepan, bring the quinoa and broth to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until all the broth is absorbed. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
3. While the quinoa is cooking, toast almonds in a dry skillet, 3-4 minutes; set aside.
4. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat, add onions and saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.* Add fennel and saute 3-4 minutes until caramelizing and golden brown. Add garlic and spices and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sherry vinegar to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
5. Transfer mixture to the bowl with the quinoa and stir to combine. Add the toasted almonds, dried fruit, honey, lemon juice, Kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Fold all the ingredients together.
6. Fill the cavities of the hens with the quinoa mixture. (Set aside any remaining stuffing to serve on the side.) Twist the wings of the hens behind their backs, and tie the legs together if necessary to prevent quinoa from spilling out. Place hens breast-side up in a roasting pan.
7. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, paprika, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon honey. Coat the hens with the mixture, drizzle with remaining lemon juice, and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Pour wine around the hens.
8. Roast the hens for 35-40 minutes, occasionally basting with pan drippings.
9. When the hens are done, transfer them to a plate and let rest for about 5 minutes. Transfer the pan drippings to a small pot, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any brown bits. Add 1 teaspoon honey and if there are not a lot of drippings, add a few tablespoons water and/or wine. Simmer on low heat about 3-5 minutes. Add a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cut the hens in half and serve with the stuffing and pan juices.
Servings: 8
Author: Jessica
Source: Nutrilicious
Author Notes
*Since pan is already hot from toasting the almonds, the onions won't take as long to cook. If you omit the almonds from the recipe the onions will need about 5 minutes cooking time.
Have a great day
I love Cornish Game Hens although I have never cooked them. The first time I ever ate them was in North Carolina when a good friend and neighbour cooked them for my birthday one year. That was before we moved down there and we used to visit our single wide trailer there twice a year for vacations. This recipe says 8 servings. Whenever I have eaten a Cornish hen, we have had one per person.
Quinoa-Stuffed Cornish Hens
Cornish hen stuffed with aromatic and flavorful Moroccan-inspired quinoa is an elegant main dish to
For the Quinoa:
1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
½ cup slivered almonds
1 Tbs olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 cup sliced fennel (~1/2 inch slices)
1 Tbs minced garlic
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sherry vinegar
½ cup dried apricots, chopped
½ cup dried plums, chopped
1 Tbs honey
1 Tbs lemon juice
¼ tsp Kosher salt
Fresh-ground black pepper
For the Cornish Hens:
4 Cornish hens
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp paprika
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs honey + 1 teaspoon for sauce
Fresh-ground black pepper
¼ cup dry white wine (or broth)
1. Heat oven to 425° F.
2. In a small saucepan, bring the quinoa and broth to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until all the broth is absorbed. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
3. While the quinoa is cooking, toast almonds in a dry skillet, 3-4 minutes; set aside.
4. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat, add onions and saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.* Add fennel and saute 3-4 minutes until caramelizing and golden brown. Add garlic and spices and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sherry vinegar to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
5. Transfer mixture to the bowl with the quinoa and stir to combine. Add the toasted almonds, dried fruit, honey, lemon juice, Kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Fold all the ingredients together.
6. Fill the cavities of the hens with the quinoa mixture. (Set aside any remaining stuffing to serve on the side.) Twist the wings of the hens behind their backs, and tie the legs together if necessary to prevent quinoa from spilling out. Place hens breast-side up in a roasting pan.
7. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, paprika, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon honey. Coat the hens with the mixture, drizzle with remaining lemon juice, and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Pour wine around the hens.
8. Roast the hens for 35-40 minutes, occasionally basting with pan drippings.
9. When the hens are done, transfer them to a plate and let rest for about 5 minutes. Transfer the pan drippings to a small pot, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any brown bits. Add 1 teaspoon honey and if there are not a lot of drippings, add a few tablespoons water and/or wine. Simmer on low heat about 3-5 minutes. Add a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cut the hens in half and serve with the stuffing and pan juices.
Servings: 8
Author: Jessica
Source: Nutrilicious
Author Notes
*Since pan is already hot from toasting the almonds, the onions won't take as long to cook. If you omit the almonds from the recipe the onions will need about 5 minutes cooking time.
Oops! 😀. I'm glad you enjoyed Ben Hur even though it delayed your post. I have never had Cornish game hens and this sounds delicious!
ReplyDeleteLOL Birgit. I have always enjoyed them, have been served them several times but never cooked them for some reason. Odd really.
Delete