A Month-of-Mediterranean: Rock Cornish Game Hens

We eat a lot of poultry and have for years. I even did a February Month-of-Chicken a few years ago. Check the archives on the right hand side to find the recipes for February 2013. You’ll find recipes for Mother and Child Reunion (chicken quiche), Mae West Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Popeye Chicken Casserole (with spinach of course), and Rule-of-Four Sweet Garlic Chicken, among others.

Mediterranean Diet Guidelines say to limit poultry. Not as much limitation as other meats, perhaps, but limiting portions of animal protein and upping plant protein is a principle that we are trying to get used to. To that end, today’s recipe serves 4 with two game hens split.

Even though you may be used to eating a whole game hen, you don’t really need that much meat to get the RDA of protein you need in this meal. When you surround that half game hen with brown rice or quinoa and a great big salad, you will feel very satisfied. I promise.

My recipe is a simple classic with orange and rosemary. I use rosemary because I have a bush right outside my kitchen door, but any favorite fresh herb will do.

Easy peasy. Quick to fix and pop in the oven. Then just wait for the aroma to fill your kitchen!

 

Rock Cornish Game Hens (serves 4)

2 game hens

½ medium orange, cut in half again

Handful of fresh rosemary

Butter-flavored non-stick spray

Sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray pan with non-stick spray.

Clean out the inside of the game hens. Rinse with water and pat dry.

Put into pan and squeeze orange sections over the top of each hen.

Stuff each game hen with 1 squeezed orange section, then the rosemary, then the second orange section.

Spray top of each hen with butter-flavored non-stick spray. Sprinkle coarse sea salt on top of each game hen.

Bake for one hour and twenty minutes or until meat thermometer registers 165 degrees.

Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Baste with pan juice.

From the top of the game hen, slice through the middle to the backbone to separate each bird into two pieces. Remove rosemary and orange sections.

Serve immediately, basting with additional pan juice.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

“We haven’t had this in a while. That was tasty!”