Kristene Fortier, one of our expert food columnists, is the author of
"The
Whole Family Cookbook: Two-Tiered Meals to Please Both Parents and
Kids."
So often during the Holidays, we celebrate far away from home with
relatives. While I enjoy visiting extended family, I do miss developing special
holiday traditions of our own. This year, we'll celebrate our family Thanksgiving
on Friday the day after the holiday.
Instead of making the traditional turkey dinner, I'll prepare a more
simple meal. Roasted game hens seasoned with a mixture of savory and sweet
Moroccan spices will serve as the main course. Keeping with the Middle Eastern
theme, couscous is served on the side spruced up for Thanksgiving with dried
cranberries.
Steamed carrots, a green salad, and store bought pumpkin pie make this
a memorable meal without a lot fuss in the kitchen.
To set this meal apart, we'll get dressed up in our Sunday clothes,
we'll set the table with our good china, we'll use our best table manners,
we'll light the candles and we'll count our blessings.
Moroccan Game Hens
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Time to table: 35 minutes
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Serves 2 adults and 2-4 children
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Canola oil
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1 teaspoon dried orange peel or freshly grated orange zest
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1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
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1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
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1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
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1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom or cloves
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2 Cornish game hens
GROWN-UPS
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1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
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1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Set oven temperature to 450 degrees. Oil a large baking dish and place
in the oven to preheat. Mix the orange peel, garlic powder, coriander, cinnamon,
salt, allspice, and cardamom together.
Rinse the game hens and discard the giblets or save for another use.
Cut the hens in half with a sturdy knife. Trim away excess fat and discard.
Lightly season the children's portion with the spice mixture or just salt
according to their tastes. Add the white pepper and cayenne to the mixture
and season the adult portions.
Lift the skin from the breast area and push the seasonings underneath.
Carefully remove the hot baking dish from the oven. Place the hens in the
dish. The baking dish will be very hot and the hens will sizzle. Bake uncovered
for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through.
Calories without skin 240; Calories from fat 80; Total fat 9g; Saturated
fat 2.5g; Cholesterol 110mg; Sodium 540mg; Carbohydrate 0g; Dietary fiber
0g; Sugars 0g; Protein 36g
Orange Cranberry Couscous
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Time to table: 10 minutes
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Serves 2 adults and 2 children
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1 1/3 cup orange juice
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1/8 teaspoon ground Spanish saffron
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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1 cup couscous
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1/4 cup dried cranberries
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2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
GROWN-UPS
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2 tablespoons chopped green onions
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1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Mix the orange juice, saffron and salt together in a micro-safe dish.
Microwave for 2-3 minutes until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir in the
couscous, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Stir in the
cranberries and pine nuts. Transfer the children's portions to their plates.
Stir in the green onions and cilantro to the remaining portion.
Calories 250; Calories from fat 20; Total fat 2.5g; Saturated fat 0g;
Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 150mg; Carbohydrate 48g; Dietary fiber 3g; Sugars
14g; Protein 7g.
To order,
"The
Whole Family Cookbook: Two-Tiered Meals to Please Both Parents and Kids"
click on this link.
About the Author: Kristene Fortier lives in the San Francisco Bay Area
with her family which includes two picky kids. She is a syndicated columnist
for "Pleasing Picky Eaters" and the author of The Whole Family Cookbook,
Two-Tiered Meals to Please Both Parents and Kids.. Order your copy through
amazon.com or call 1-800-852-4890. Send
questions or tips to
pickykids@aol.com. |
