Traditional and modern all wrapped up into a delicious little poultry package. That’s what you’ll have when you serve up these family-pleasing Cornish game hens.

This recipe, submitted by HealthierTalk.com contributor Tony Issacs, provides a great alternative idea to the big holiday ham or turkey. And as a bonus you’ll find that kids love these “little chickens.”

Ingredients for the cranberry sauce:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup organic unrefined sugar
• 1 cup cranberries
• lemon juice to taste

Ingredients for the herb roasted Cornish hens:

• 2 Cornish hens
• Sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 teaspoons minced, fresh thyme
• 2 shallots, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 carrots, roughly chopped into 1" pieces
• 1 1/2 stalks celery, roughly chopped into 1" pieces

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. Prepare the cranberry sauce: Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat to make a syrup. Remove from heat. Let cool.

3. Puree the cranberries in a blender with half of the sugar syrup. Adjust the taste by adding a few drops of lemon juice and more sugar syrup until a pleasant balance of sweetness and tartness is reached. Divide the sauce in half and set aside.

4. Rinse the Cornish hens with cold water and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper inside and out.

5. Stuff the insides of the hens with garlic and thyme. Place a few pieces of shallots, carrots and celery in the cavity.

6. Scatter the rest of the shallots, carrots and celery on the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the hens on top of the vegetables.

7. Brush the hens with half of the sauce and roast in the oven until the the hens are golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a sharp knife, about 45 minutes.

8. When the hens are finished, transfer them to a serving platter and let rest for about 5 minutes. Remove the skin from the hens and cut each one in half. Serve with the remaining cranberry sauce.

Serving Size: 1/2 cornish hen with 2 tablespoons of sauce

This recipe serves: 4

You can visit Tony’s Healthy Holiday Recipes page for more delicious recipes like this one.

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