Lemon and Pepper Cornish Hen Stew

Its definitely been a while since I have cooked anything new. I guess we have just been in a lul, food wise, and have been making alot of the same things or recipes that are already on here. Well tonight I thought it would be a fantastic idea to cook these adorable little cornish hens that we had gotten and with a little inspiration from our friends Katie and Jeff,  I came up with this tasty and hearty meal. Possibly a new favorite!.

Cook Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
Yields: 2 with some leftovers

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Cornish Hens
• 1 1/2 Onions
• 2 Stalks of Celery
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 Lemons
• 1 TBSP Parsley (Fresh or Dried)
• 1 TBSP Dried Rosemary
• 1 TSP Red Pepper Flakes
• 5 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Bell Pepper
• 2 Cups of Chicken Broth
• 3 TBSP Butter
• 2 TBSP EVOO
• 5 Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 2 Cups of Baby Carrots

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic into bite size chunks and put into a baking dish. Salt and Pepper the hens inside and out and stuff with some of the veggie mixture. Squeeze a lemon over the hens and stuff the lemon into the cavity. Put the hens on top of the veggies breast side up, drizzle with EVOO and rub with the herbs, salt and pepper.  Pour the Chicken broth over the hens to create a little bath for the cuties.

Cut the potatoes into chunks and place them, along with the carrots, around the hens. Put into the oven and let cook for 1 Hour all the while basting it every 15 minutes with butter and lemon juice mixture.  For the last 10 minutes, turn the heat up to 400 and allow the hens to brown and the skin to crisp.

TO SERVE:

Place a cornish hen on a plate and scoop vegetables around making sure to get the yummy juices. ENJOY!!

SOME HELPFUL TIPS:

• If you zest the lemon before you cut and squeeze it, add the zest to the herbs while you rub it on the outside of the hen.
• To make sure the potatoes and carrots cook thoroughly when you baste the hens pour some of the juices from the bottom over top of everything.