Healthy Old Broad

Healthy Baked Goods Recipes Made Without Gluten and Sugar

Cranberry Apple Cornish Game Hens

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This can be Thanksgiving made easy. Not expecting a big crowd, don’t want to sweat cooking a huge bird, well this can be the answer to have an elegant Thanksgiving dinner without all the fuss and mess. This recipe is not only for Thanksgiving, it is really good for a throw back to an elegant meal at home.

Cranberry Apple Cornish Game Hens

Marinade Ingredients

  • 1 12oz bag fresh cranberries
  • 1 medium honeycrisp apple (or really any sweet apple) – chopped in small pieces
  • 4 inches fresh ginger grated
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup XYLA
  • 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
  1. Place all the ingredients into a pot on the stove top, bring to a boil, reduce to med/high and cook as you hear the cranberries popping, this takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
  2. After the marinade has cooled, set aside 1 cup to use as gravy for the hens. Place the remaining marinade in a large Ziploc bag with the hens and let sit on the counter at room temperature for 1 hours.

Cornish Game Hens:

please note that the hens come frozen so you need to plan a day ahead to defrost them in the refrigerator.

  • 2 Cornish Game hens – defrosted
  • fresh thyme
  • fresh oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • chives for garnish – chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Remove the hens from the marinade, place in a roasting dish, add the fresh thyme and oregano to the inside of the birds, sprinkle the top of the birds with the salt, pepper, garlic and paprika. Bake in oven for about 85 to 90 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 7 to 10 minutes. I topped the dish with chopped fresh chives.
  3. Remove the herbs from the inside to the birds. I served this over Shitake Mushroom RisottoShitake Mushroom Risotto. You can serve the hens whole or cut them in half.

Shitake Mushroom Risotto

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This is a beautiful side to my Cranberry Apple Cornish Game Hens, would be great on the side of really any dish or a great vegetarian meal.

hens

 

This picture is of the risotto with the Cranberry Apple Cornish Game Hens

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 leeks  cleaned and thinly sliced
  • 1 large shallot – diced
  • 4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 8 to 10 oz. shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup Arborio Rice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme – chopped
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh oregano – chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves – finely chopped or minced
  • 32 oz vegetable broth
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan & Romano cheese
  • salt and pepper

In a dutch oven heat the olive oil, add the leeks and shallots, lightly salt and saute for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the mushroom and saute another 5 minutes, add the garlic & fresh herbs and pepper to taste.

In a separate pot while the leeks and mushrooms are cooking, heat the vegetable broth.

Add the rice to the dutch oven and saute with the veggies for 3 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup of the heated veggie broth and deglaze the pot. Reduce the heat to medium. Slowly add the remaining hot broth to the rice pot 1/2 cup at a time, continually stirring so the rice absorbs all the liquid.  It is important to continually stir this – think of it as a mini arm workout.

After the liquid is absorbed and the rice is done, add the butter and Parmesan cheese.  Stir to combine and you are ready to serve.

 

 

Ginger Miso Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas and Bok Choy

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This is a easy and very flavorful dish.

Ginger Miso Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas and Bok Choy

Marinade Ingredients

  • 2 cups hot water
  • 1/2 cup miso paste
  • 4 inches fresh ginger grated
  • 1/4 cup Tamari
  • 4 cloves of garlic – grated
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  1. Let all the ingredients steep together for at least a 1/2 hour to cool to room temperature.

Chicken and Vegetable Ingredients

  • 6 chicken thighs (or you can use breast meat if you prefer) – cut into small strips
  • 1 bag of sugar snap peas
  • 3 bok choy
  • 10 scallions – green and whites finely chopped
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

  1. Salt and pepper the chicken pieces, place into a Ziploc bag with 1/2 of the cooled marinade. (Set the remaining marinade aside to cook with later) Let sit at room temperature for about 1/2 hour.
  2. Cut the sugar snap peas in 1/2 and cut the bok choy into ribbon slices.
  3. Serve over Flavorful Brown Rice

To Cook

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the chicken to the pan in batches to brown – that takes about 2 to 3 minutes each side. Do this in batches so the chicken does not steam. (Note: discard the marinade that the chicken has been sitting in!). Add the cooked chicken back in the pan and continue to cook for about 5 to 7 minutes.
  2. Add the snap peas to the skillet and cook with the chicken on med/high for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the bok choy and remaining marinade and cook on high for 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Serve over Flavorful Brown Rice

Steak Broccoli Snow Peas Stir Fry

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Easy one pan stir fry meal that can be done in 15 minutes.

Steak Broccoli Snow Peas Stir Fry

Ingredients

  • 1 lb skirt steak (or really any steak you prefer) – cut into 1/2 strips
  • 3 large radishes
  • 1 9oz bag snow peas – cleaned and cut into 1/2 pieces
  • 1 8oz baby broccoli (or use can use regular if you prefer) cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 6 scallions – white and green cut finely
  • 1 cup defrosted edamame
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

for the sauce:

  • 1/2 cup tamari
  • 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons mirin
  • 1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
  • 6 drops fish sauce

Instructions

  1. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and set aside so the flavors can have time to marry.
  2. In a large skillet or wok heat the olive oil. Salt and pepper the steak pieces and cook in the heated oil so that the steak is browned on all sides – this should take about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the radishes, broccoli and scallions to the pan and cook on medium high for 3 minutes. Add snow peas to the pan can continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Add the edamame and sauce to the pan and cook all together for 5 minutes.
  3. Serve over Flavorful Brown Rice

Lemon White Wine Chicken Casserole

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This healthy tasteful casserole might seem like a lot of work but it is actually easy to make and even better to eat. Reheats for lunches easily and gets better as the ingredients have day to get to know each other.

Lemon White Wine Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

  • 2 lemons: zested and juiced
  • 2 tablespoons capers – chopped
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 teaspoon dry wine
  • 3 medium garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 packages boneless, skinless chicken thighs (of course you can use breast if you prefer)
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 large onion thinly sliced rounds
  • 2 lemons thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Combine ingredients 1 thru 6 in a bowl.
  3. Season the chicken on both sides with ingredients 7 thru 10.
  4. Place thinly sliced onions on large baking sheet, top with a slice of lemon and top with seasoned chicken, pour marinade on top of chicken. Bake for 40 minutes. Cut cooked chicken into bite size pieces, discard the lemon slices and chopped up the cooked onion slices.
  5. Place skillet in oven to finish cooking – about 15 to 20 minutes.
  6. Remove from oven and let chops rest 5 minutes before serving.

Vegetable ingredients:

  • 1 lb asparagus – chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 bag of snap green peas – remove the tough string and cut into 1/2 inch piece
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. While the chicken is baking heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the snap green peas and asparagus, salt and pepper to taste and stir fry for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
  2. Rice: 4 cups of cooked Flavorful Brown Rice
  3. Casserole: Combine the cooked chicken, onions, snap green peas, asparagus and rice in a 9 x 13 baking dish or large bowl/serving platter