Cornish Game Hens with Rosemary & Garlic

Ingredients

• 4 Cornish game hens
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 24 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Rub hens with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Lightly season hens with salt and pepper. Place 1 lemon wedge and 1 sprig rosemary in cavity of each hen. Arrange in a large, heavy roasting pan, and arrange garlic cloves around hens. Roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a mixing bowl, whisk together wine, chicken broth, and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil; pour over hens. Continue roasting about 25 minutes longer, or until hens are golden brown and juices run clear. Baste with pan juices every 10 minutes.
4. Transfer hens to a platter, pouring any cavity juices into the roasting pan. Tent hens with aluminum foil to keep warm. Transfer pan juices and garlic cloves to a medium saucepan and boil until liquids reduce to a sauce consistency, about 6 minutes. Cut hens in half lengthwise and arrange on plates. Spoon sauce and garlic around hens. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, and serve.

Read Full Post »

Roast Carrots & Turnips

Roasted Carrots and Turnips with Herbs
(Makes 2-3 servings, recipe could easily be doubled or tripled, adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook.)

6-8 small carrots, peeled and cut into diagonal slices
2 large turnips, peeled, sliced, then cut into diagonal strips slightly larger than turnips
1-2 T olive oil, enough to coat vegetables
2 tsp. plus 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. very finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. very finely chopped fresh sage
salt and fresh ground black pepper to season if desired

Preheat oven to 350 F. Peel carrots and turnips and cut into diagonal pieces, making the turnips slightly larger than the carrots, since turnips cook a little faster. Put vegetables into ziploc bag, pour in olive oil and 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar, then add herbs. Seal the bag and squeeze to move the vegetables around until they are well-coated with oil and the vegetables are mixed around.

Spray a roasting pan with olive oil, or drizzle on a tiny bit of oil and wipe around with a paper towel if you don’t have an olive oil mister. Pour veggies out onto pan and spread around so they’re in a single layer. Roast 35-45 minutes, until vegetables are softened and starting to brown. Put into serving bowl and toss with remaining 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar, and season with salt and pepper if desired. (I used the tiniest bit of sea salt and no pepper.) Serve immediately.

Read Full Post »