Cornish Hens with Quinoa Stuffing

This blog post is a long time coming, but it's worth the wait. Last Christmas (see, I know... stop being lazy and blog already) I was looking for something different to do for dinner. I'd recently started working with quinoa after resisting for a very long time, and much to my delight it turns out we like it. Plus, I found a source for it where it doesn't cost its weight in gold (I'm looking at you, Trader Joe's!), so I kind of went overboard for a bit. You'll have that.

This was based on a recipe for stuffed chicken I had in my files, probably from either Cooking Light or Weight Watchers, that used rice.

The ingredients are actually pretty simple, which is a definite bonus when you're trying to make something impressive but don't have the time to give it a lot of effort. Cornish hens and quinoa, of course. And bacon, because everything is better with bacon. Onion, garlic, pine nuts, wine, thyme, and garlic-pepper seasoning salt round it out, and we're on our way.

I never take a picture of bacon frying, and I have no idea why. If you've got good knives, dice the bacon and then fry it; otherwise, fry it, then drain and crumble. Whichever way you do it, leave the grease in the pan and use it to saute the onion. Flavour is your friend, and it's really not that unhealthy in the larger scheme of things.

This time, I also failed to take a picture of quinoa boiling, and I have no idea why. I seem to remember being distracted by another part of the meal, but now I can't be sure. But you need to boil it first, or you'll have hard little pebbles and that doesn't work at all. I use the tri-colour quinoa because it makes for a more interesting taste and texture as well as being more visually appealing.

Add the boiled and drained quinoa to the skillet, then add the wine, pine nuts, and thyme.

Return the bacon to the skillet, and cook just long enough to make sure everything is heated through. Remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes. This is when I prep my hens for cooking, rinsing them thoroughly, patting dry, and whatnot.

Stuff your birds! I place mine in a shallow baking dish coated with cooking spray first, since there is more stuffing than will actually fit in them and I don't feel like picking it up off my counter after I move them. You can also work some of the stuffing under the skin instead of just putting it inside if you want; can't hurt.

Sprinkle the tops with garlic-pepper, and into the oven they go! Remove them once they reach 160F on a meat thermometer, then remove to a platter and tent with foil for a few minutes before carving and serving. Each serving is 1/2 Cornish hen and 1/4 of the stuffing.

Cornish Hens with Quinoa Stuffing

Serves 4

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed (I used tri-colour)
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon garlic pepper (I used Olde Thompson Inc.)
1/4 pound bacon, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup white wine (or chicken stock) (I used [yellow tail] Chardonnay)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 Cornish hens
1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper

Combine quinoa, water, and garlic-pepper seasoning in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 12-15 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-high heat, then add bacon and cook until crisp, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon to paper towels and reserve drippings in skillet.

Add onion to drippings and cook, stirring frequently, 3-4 minutes until starting to soften, then add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, 2-3 minutes more until translucent.

Add quinoa, pine nuts, wine, thyme, and bacon to skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F; coat a shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Rinse and pat hens dry with paper towel, then place in prepared dish breasts up. Stuff with quinoa mixture, pushing down with spoon to ensure entire cavity is filled.

Sprinkle tops of hens with garlic pepper, then roast, uncovered, at 350F for 45-60 minutes, until a thermometer reads 160F. Remove from oven and cover with tented foil; allow to stand 5-10 minutes before carving and serving.

Serving Size: 288g (1/2 hen with stuffing)

Calories: 451

Calories from Fat: 209

Total Fat: 23.2g

Saturated Fat: 5.6g

Trans Fat: 0.0g

Cholesterol: 148mg

Sodium: 743mg

Total Carbohydrates: 18.5g

Dietary Fiber: 2.5g

Sugars: 1.5g

Protein: 40.7g