These Hens Rule The Roost

I cook dinner just about every night, it gets a little challenging sometimes, trying to figure out what to make.  Chicken, beef and pasta are the forerunners in this house, and only occasionally pork.  I know you will all say, you can do a lot with chicken and pasta.  But after cooking for 28 years, it is still a bit difficult finding things that are new, and that my family will like.

While at the market I picked up these two Cornish hens.  Sometimes I will make these during the winter, or for holidays, I roast them in the oven.  But this time, I tried something new with them, I put them on the grill and they were a hit, my family even had seconds!  Recipe below.  

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These are my hens.

I washed them and removed all the parts we don't eat.  I placed them breast side down on a cutting board and with a sharp knife, removed the backbones of the hens, be careful!  This helps them to cook faster on the grill.  I sprinkled Chinese Five Spice Powder (see note) on them.......

 And then marinated in a resealable bag with teriyaki sauce for 2 hours.

Heat up the grill, and place them on breast side down.  Cook for about 30 minutes, and flip them over. Looking good!

Then I poured orange marmalade into a  bowl and heated it in the microwave for 30 seconds.

 

Let the hens cook for another 30 minutes on the back side.  Slather some of the marmalade on the hens, then flip them over and baste the other side.  Let them grill for about another 10 minutes on each side.  The skin will get crispy and browned.

 

 Keep an eye on them, if they start to burn just flip them over.  These are just  perfect.

 I love Summer cooking, I put EVERYTHING on the grill.  It keeps the house cool and barely any messes.

 My hens are done, extra crispy, because that's the way I like it, uh huh, uh huh!

 I served my hens with sesame garlic green beans and vegetable fried rice.  Nothing fancy, but the flavor is all there.

 Sweet and Spicy Cornish Hens

Ingredients

2 Cornish Hens

1 teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice Powder

1/3 cup Teriyaki sauce

1/2 cup orange marmalade

Directions

Remove the neck and gizzards from the hens, usually found in the cavity, and discard.  Wash the hens under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.  Flip them breast side down, with a sharp knife, cut along the backbones of the hens on both sides.  Remove the bones and discard.  This opens up the hens for faster cooking. Sprinkle both sides of the hens with the five spice powder.  Put them in a resealable plastic bag and pour in the teriyaki sauce.  Seal the bag, massage it and refrigerate for 2 hours, turning once.  

Preheat the grill.  Remove hens from the bag and discard the marinade.  Place the hens breast side down, close the lid.  Let them cook for 30 minutes, then flip them over and cook for another 30 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn.  Pop the marmalade in the microwave for 30 seconds to loosen it up.

Baste the hens with the marmalade, then flip them over.  Cook on each side for 10 minutes, keeping an eye on them so they don't burn. If they do start to burn, just flip them over.  All hen weights are not the same. As always, they are done when the juices run clear. Serves 4.

NOTE:  Chinese Five Spice Powder is a ground mix of - cinnamon, anise, fennel, ginger, clove and licorice root.  It's very aromatic and adds dramatic sweet/spicy flavor.

It's Slaw Crazy!

This is an absolute favorite salad of mine, a switch from your run of the mill salad for lunch or dinner.  It has spicy, it has sweet, it has salty, it's a party in your mouth, satisfies all your cravings and it's delicious.  Now what other dish has that all in one bowl?!  You can try it with different dressings, maybe a sweet and sour dressing, a hummus dressing, or a sweet balsamic dressing.  In the summer I usually make my own homemade dressings with fresh berries and balsamic, I mash the berries into the balsamic then pour on the salad.  Recipe below.

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I always pull everything out when I am making something, so I don't have to keep running around the kitchen, makes life easier.

Start building - slaw, oranges and cucumber....

 Cranberries, pecans and right before serving, top with garlic ginger crispy won ton strips....

 Toss with a light Asian Sesame salad dressing.  Delicious, flavorful, crazy good Broccoli Slaw Salad.

Broccoli Slaw Salad

Ingredients

1/2  bag of broccoli slaw (see note)

2 snack size containers of Dole mandarin oranges

1/2 English cucumber

1/4 cup Craisin dried cranberries

1/4 cup Emerald glazed pecans

1/2 cup Fresh Gourmet crispy garlic ginger won ton strips

1/4 - 1/3 cup Ken's Asian Sesame Salad Dressing, Paul Newman also has a good Asian dressing

Directions

To a salad bowl, add the broccoli and fluff it up.  Drain the mandarin oranges in a strainer, add to the bowl. Peel the cucumber, or if you like leave the skin on, cut it in half and then slice so you have moon shapes. Sprinkle on the cranberries, separate them if they are stuck together.  Add the pecans, and top with won ton strips. Toss with dressing and serve.

NOTE:  I used 1/2 bag of broccoli slaw and it served three people.  A whole bag with all the other ingredients will probably serve at least six.  You can add all kinds of fruit to this, I've used blueberries, strawberries, fresh pineapple, almonds instead of the pecans, golden raisins instead of the cranberries.  Mix it up and be creative, just start with the slaw and go from there.

Chicken on a Stick

I like to try new tastes in food, spice things up, keep the flavors interesting.  I get tired of eating the same old things over and over again.   I marinated chicken tenders, in this Thai Peanut Sauce, for dinner the other night then skewered them up.  I used bamboo skewers, you have to soak them before you use them so they don't burn on the grill.

 Skewered chicken tenders and onto the grill.

Grilled French Greens Beans are soooo good....... Olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper is all it takes. Sometimes I use the Finishing Butters from Wegmans.  When you take them off the grill, just toss with the green beans and serve.

 Skewers all done, serve with extra peanut sauce for dipping.  Grilled French green beans, yum!

All together now!  And served up with an Asian inspired salad with ginger sesame dressing.

Chicken Satay

8 - 10 bamboo skewers

4 skinless, boneless, raw chicken breasts, thawed

1 bottle of Thai Peanut Ginger Sauce

Place bamboo skewers in a shallow pan and cover with water.  Trim chicken breasts of fat and any leftover skin.  Cut into tenders.  Marinate the chicken tenders in 1/2 cup of the peanut sauce in a large ziploc bag.  Put the bag in the refrigerator and let marinate for up to 4 hours.  Remove from refrigerator and using the skewers, pierce the chicken on the ends and thread on the skewers.  Place skewers onto a heated grill and brush with marinade from the bottle.  DO NOT USE THE LEFTOVER MARINADE FROM THE BAG.  Cook on one side for about 8 minutes, using tongs turn them over, brush again with the marinade, and cook on the other side for 8 minutes. Serve with warm leftover peanut sauce for dipping.

Grilled French Green Beans

1 bag French Green Beans, washed and patted dry

3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper

Toss green beans with the olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper.  Put into a grill pan that you use on an outside grill.  Toss and cook until lightly browned and blistered.

Salad

Toss together:

2 heads of romaine lettuce, washed and  chopped

1 cup of Craisins

1/2 cup of sliced toffee almonds

1/2 English cucumber, sliced

1/2 cup of match stick carrots

Pour on:

Ginger Sesame Salad Dressing, Marketside is a good one

Top with:

1 cup of won ton noodles