Get Cookin' With Today's Menu: Mustard Grilled Game Hens

Once again, the orbiting earth spins on its axis and tilts us toward spring, and it’s time to celebrate. Whether your idea of a spring fling is a bowl of simmering soup after schussing down a mountain belt-buckle deep in fresh powder, or hunting for the first baby carrots and radishes at the farmers market before rollerblading in the park, this week’s menu has a culinary thread to bind everyone together: hearty food.

Game hens sizzling under a tangy glaze (oven roasted or backyard grilled). Sugar and spice and everything nice in a hot berry compote (use fresh or whole frozen fruit). A black rice dish that rocks with color and flavor (any season is a good season to enjoy exotic rice varieties). So here’s a meal to rejuvenate the appetite and have you, um, springing for the dinner table, no matter what latitude you call home.

Menu Nutrition Information:

Total Calories 1806

Menu Per Serving Information:

Calories Per Serving 452

Protein (gm) 33.2

Carbohydrates (gm) 57.0

Fat (gm) 8.8

Protein (%) 29

Fat (%) 18

Carbohydrate (%) 50

Saturated Fat (gm) 2.7

Monounsaturated Fat (gm) 3.1

Polyunsaturated Fat (gm) 1.9

Sodium (mg) 1445

Mustard Grilled Game Hens

Avoid Salmonella

Do not let raw poultry of any kind touch your work surface or other foods, and do not brush sauces in which raw poultry has marinated on cooked poultry or other foods. This exposure to raw poultry can result in salmonella poisoning. Rinse your meat thoroughly and prepare on wax or parchment paper or paper towels, then throw those supplies out after use. Wash your hands and any work surface that has touched raw poultry with soap and water before touching other foods.

An easy mustard-citrus glaze sparks the rich flavor of these little gems.

2 Rock Cornish Game Hens
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons Dijon or other favorite mustard
2–3 tablespoons orange juice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Thaw birds completely if frozen and discard innards. Rinse the birds as described above. Split them down the back with a knife or scissors. Spread the hens out, butterfly style, and lightly season with salt and pepper on both sides. For easy cleanup, line a roasting or baking pan with foil and place a cake rack or other rack on the foil. Coat the rack with a light film of vegetable spray and set aside. Place the birds in a shallow dish.
Heat a measuring cup by swirling it in very hot water to help soften the honey. Add the honey, mustard and orange juice. Whisk thoroughly until all ingredients are well blended. This sauce may be made 24 hours ahead, covered and refrigerated.
Pour 1/2 of the orange mixture over the birds, turning them to coat them well. Set the remaining sauce aside. Place the birds on the prepared rack and baking pan. Roast the birds in the upper third of the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Spoon half the remaining sauce over the birds. Turn them and coat them with the last of the sauce. Continue cooking for approximately 20–25 minutes or until the birds are tender and the juices run clear when pierced with the tip of a knife or long tined fork. If you prefer to grill them, brush the birds with the sauce 3 to 4 times during cooking, allowing at least 10 minutes on the grill after the final application to fully cook the raw marinade.
Remove the birds to a serving platter. Split them down the breastbone and separate the legs from the breast. Separate the drumstick from the thighs. Serve the sauce separately.

(Serves 4)

Health Notes

A cross of White Cornish and Plymouth Rock breeds, Rock Cornish Game Hens contain more total fat than chicken or turkey, though not as much as duck. However, the saturated fat level (the truly bad fat) is comparable to the two other birds and as a result makes this a nice poultry alternative. The game hen’s skin is much thinner than other birds, hence, not as fat-laden, but for your health’s sake, remove and discard the skin of all poultry, either before or after cooking. A three-ounce cooked portion of game hen consists of approximately a breast half, plus a thigh or drumstick.

Nutrition Information:

Total Calories

732

Per Serving Information:

Calories Per Serving	183
Protein (gm)	26.5
Carbohydrates (gm)	6.8
Fat (gm)	5.1
Protein (%)	59
Carbohydrate (%)	15
Fat (%)	26
Saturated Fat (gm)	1.1
Monounsaturated Fat (gm)	1.9
Polyunsaturated Fat (gm)	1.2
Sodium (mg)	133.5

Black Rice and Spiced Spring Vegetables

In Southeast Asia you will find luscious black rice puddings simmered in coconut milk and sugar and served for dessert. But I find that the natural sweetness of black rice (actually a deep purple similar to the color of blackberries) complements milder vegetables such as carrots and peas. The rice practically cooks itself and the quick treatment given the vegetables guarantees an easy dish. But do take time to savor the heady fragrance of the rice as it cooks. Because the black rice colors other ingredients, mound the vegetables on the rice rather than tossing them together. If you prefer, substitute an aromatic rice such as basmati or jasmine, or brown rice or Bhutanese red rice, and adjust cooking times and water accordingly. Make your work easier by dicing the vegetables together in a food processor, adding the shallots at the end.

If you like a little, not a lot of heat, cut a half inch slice of jalapeno without seeds and swirl it into the vegetables with the chicken broth, then remove before serving.

1 3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup raw, washed black rice (or a brown, red, or white variety)
2 teaspoons butter
3 tablespoons shallots, finely diced
1/3 cups carrots, finely diced
1/3 cup red pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, finely diced, optional
1/3 cup peas
Salt and pepper to taste

Healthy Pantry

Though white rice is a good source of dietary fiber, varieties such as black, brown, Bhutanese red and strains harvested by producers such as Lundberg Farms undergo less processing and retain more nutrients and fiber. Make them your first choice for flavor and fragrance, as well.

Bring the water and sea salt to a vigorous boil and stir in the black rice. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover with a tightly fitting lid. Cook 35–40 minutes.
Without uncovering the pot, remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork.
While the rice is cooking, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat and add the shallots, carrots and red pepper. Stir until the shallots have softened and add the chicken stock, cayenne pepper and jalapeno, if desired. Bring to a vigorous boil, reduce the heat to a medium boil and cook until the vegetables have absorbed all the liquid, about 8–10 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure the vegetables don’t scorch. Stir in the peas and cook for another few minutes until they are just barely tender. Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. This can be prepared ahead and reheated before serving.
Arrange the cooked rice on a plate and mound the cooked vegetables on top. Serve hot.

(Serves 4)

Turn Up the Heat

If you’ve tasted one hot pepper, you haven’t necessarily tasted them all. Some singe the lips or tongue as soon as they make contact, while others release a pleasant warmth after several bites. I like to use a blend of peppers when I want to spice up a dish and I always include a twist of the pepper mill along with jalapeno, ancho or any other peppery choice. While the veins contain the fire element, capsicum, the seeds—in constant contact through ripening and harvest—absorb the most heat. Never touch the inside of a hot pepper and then rub your eyes or touch a child’s mouth or face without first washing your hands with soap and water. Otherwise, serious burns can result.

Nutrition Information:

Total Calories

813

Per Serving Information:

Calories Per Serving	203
Protein (gm)	4.7
Carbohydrate (gm)	40.68
Fat (gm)	2.5
Protein (%)	9
Carbohydrate (%)	80
Fat (%)	11
Saturated Fat (gm)	1.6
Monounsaturated Fat (gm)	0.8
Polyunsaturated Fat (gm)	0.6
Sodium (mg)	363.3

Hot Berry Compote

Use raspberries or a blend of available fresh or frozen whole berries. Make sure that you don’t use sweetened frozen berries, or berries packed in juice. You can also substitute a sweet mustard such as Mendocino Mustard or a honey mustard. The finished sauce will be slightly sweeter with a thicker, jam-like consistency, but quite good.

Flavor Tip

Any time you want to intensify a citrus flavor in a sauce, add a spoonful of frozen juice concentrate.

1/2 cup fresh orange juice (reserve the skin)
1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate
1/4 teaspoon allspice berries (about 6–8 berries)
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns (about 12–15)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon raspberry vinegar
1/4 cup fresh or whole, thawed, frozen raspberries

Place the orange juice, orange juice concentrate, allspice berries and peppercorns in a small saucepan. Bring to a rapid boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Stir in the mustard, honey and vinegar and simmer for 5 minutes. Cut a strip from a juiced orange about 1 inch by 2 inches, including any attached pulp. Add the orange peel to the sauce and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until the mixture has reduced and thickened, about another 7–10 minutes. If it cooks down and thickens too quickly, remove from the heat and stir in some fresh orange juice or water to thin to the consistency of whipping cream.
Remove from the heat and press through a strainer. Discard the allspice berries, peppercorns and orange peel. At this point you can store the sauce in a covered container and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Reheat gently before continuing, adding a few tablespoons of fresh orange juice, if necessary, to thin to the desired consistency.
Before serving, stir the raspberries into the hot sauce and spoon over the game hens. Serve immediately.

(Serves 4)

Nutrition Information:
Total Calories	153

Per Serving Information:
Calories Per Serving	38
Protein (gm)	0.7
Carbohydrate (gm)	8.5
Fat (gm)	0.4
Protein (%)	7
Carbohydrate (%)	89
Fat (%)	10
Saturated Fat (gm)	.01
Monounsaturated Fat (gm)	0.2
Polyunsaturated Fat (gm)	0.1
Sodium (mg)	39.2