Ria's Roasted Cornish Hens..

The weather is cooling down in New York (well, it did last week..hot this week...and we might have a blizzard next week...) and I must end my love affair with all things decadent for awhile—just until I get back to my pre-summer weight! My mom’s best friends from Trinidad spent 6 weeks with her and all I can say is that I visited as often as I could and ate as much as legally and physically possible.

To achieve my goal, I always turn to baked or roasted chicken. I have many easy, delicious and healthy roasted chicken recipes in my arsenal against body fat and I will be sharing all with you—eventually. 

When patience is not running thin in my household and my kids are able to wait 60-90 minutes for dinner, I can usually get away with making the Cornish hens the same day. However, that doesn’t happen too often and, in an effort to save my poor ears…and sanity (Is dinner ready yet Mummy X 2000??), I would make it in advance for next day’s dinner. Take the hens out of the freezer before I leave for work....and quickly prepare it and stick it in the over after I eat dinner.... too easy...

[I visited my mom's backyard garden for fresh rosemary and thyme..and alot of mosquito bites...thank you mummy]

My husband and I have a tradition of standing over the roasted hens (or chicken) the minute they come out the oven…fighting for the first taste of a leg or wing and sinking our teeth into it’s juicy, crisp goodness…(always ignoring the “tent with foil” instructions!)....honestly, a half a hen would disappear just tasting…so much for next day’s dinner, eh? 

This recipe produces juicy and flavorful cornish game hens using only fresh and healthy ingredients and I know you will love it….!!

Serve with veggie fried rice or jasmin rice and stewed lentils (like I did today)or mashed potatoes with a side of sautéed green beans or on a salad....



[served here with veggie couscous and the extra roasted veggies]

2 Cornish hens, about 1-2 pounds each or a 3-4 pound chicken
Salt and pepper(ground fresh) to taste
¼ cup thyme leaves
2-3 sprigs rosemary (about ¼ cup leaves)
5 large cloves garlic(more if small or medium..I used a handful)
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of 1 [very juicy] lemon
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 onion, diced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Assemble ingredients. 

Wash hens with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper(inside and out)
[In Trinidad and in the Caribbean, we first soak and then wash meat with the juice of a lime or lemon to cut the freshness] 

Using a knife, mince thyme, rosemary and garlic.Cut onion, celery, carrots..

In a small bowl, add minced herbs and garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix well using fork or that thingy below....

Season carrot, celery and onion with salt, pepper and a little herb mixture and set aside. 

Rub herb mixture under skin, over and inside hens. 

Loosely stuff the cavities of each hen with the seasoned carrot, celery and onion. 



Place hens in the oven and roast about 1 hour or more until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F and the juices ruin clear.  Remove hens from the oven and loosely tent with foil and let rest 10 mins..Cut into small pieces, pour pan juices over the chicken and serve at once.

You really, really have to try this.....really....!!



Thank you for stopping by,

Cooking with love,

Ria

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Ria's Homemade Bread



It was a tradition in our house when I was a child to eat fresh home made bread, ham and hot sauce on Christmas mornings. Now, even though I am older and have a house and family of my own, I still go to my mom’s house on Christmas mornings to continue that tradition….and get my presents….

Making bread gives me great joy and a sense of accomplishment and I make it frequently for my family. It is a great substitute for the store bought bread which contains preservatives and additives.

I almost always know when bread is done baking and is ready to be removed from the oven. The aroma of fresh bread dances its way around my house and up the stairs to entice me in my bedroom…I hypnotically follow the aroma back down the stairs and straight to the kitchen….There I remove it from the oven, brush the top with butter, slice it ever so carefully, smother it some more with a little too much butter and lift it to my eager mouth(the rest is history)….oblivious to all the commotion being created by two hungry, impatient kids……uuummmmm…the simple pleasures in life…

I love home made bread so much, I was inspired to write a poem…….
Bread is love…
Love is bread…
I knead you….
whenever I am blue……
Tis heaven where hot bread meets butter…
After that, not a word can I utter…
Give me my daily bread……
up 'till the day I’m dead….
'Cause there is nothing better..
than [Ria's] hot homemade bread and butter!
The end…

After reading that, my husband thinks that I am weird, very weird….for better or worse, right?

I know the thought of making bread can be overwhelming to some, but don’t be intimidated; it is so simple you will wonder why you never tried it before. They say you should try everything at least once, that includes making bread!

Ingredients
4 cups unbleached all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 envelope active dry or instant yeast (about 1 tablespoon)
1 ½ cups water
4 tablespoons butter

Makes 2 loaves of white bread.

Preparation
In a small saucepan or microwave, heat water until lukewarm. Mix in 4 tbsp melted butter and set aside.  NOTE: If the water is too hot during the mixing/kneading process it will kill the yeast.

In a large mixing bowl combine 4 cups flour, sugar, salt, and yeast using a wooden spoon to evenly distribute all the ingredients. 

Gradually add the water and butter mixture and continue to mix until dough comes together. 

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.

Knead for about 8-10 minutes by pressing with your knuckles to smoothen and folding the dough over itself and pushing out with the heel of your hands, not down. Rotate the dough and repeat. [The dough is properly kneaded when it is smooth and you can stretch it without breaking.]
NOTE: Resist the temptation to add too much flour to the dough at this point because you risk dry loaves.

Knead to form a smooth, round ball. Coat lightly with oil and place the dough back into the bowl. 

Cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel and set in a warm place until dough doubles, about 1-2 hours, depending on room temperature and type of yeast. [The dough is adequately risen when an indentation remains after the dough is pressed with two fingers.]

To hasten the rising process, heat oven, turn off heat and place dough in warm (but not hot) oven. 

Turn out on a lightly floured work surface. Halve dough and press each dough gently into a 12 x9 rectangle about 1 inch thick. Starting with the narrow edge, roll, pinch seams closed and turn ends under to make loaves to fit pans.

Place the dough seam side down into the greased loaf pans, 9x5x3-inches. Cover with a barely damp paper towel or kitchen towel. Set pans in a warm place and let dough rise a second time until the top of the dough is nearly level with the top of the loaf pan, about 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on room temp and type of yeast. 

Bake loaves at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes, until crust is golden and loaves sound hollow when tapped with fingers.  Remove the bread from the pans to racks; brush with butter for a soft, more flavorful crust. Slice and serve.

NOTE: If you have leftovers for some strange reason and wish to store the bread, wrap in foil then in a zip lock bag and place in freezer. I hear it will keep for a few months. To reheat, place it in a 450 degree oven still wrapped in foil for 10-15 minutes, then remove from foil and leave in the oven for a few more minutes....Bread never lasts past a day or two in my house, so I have never had to freeze.

Please repeat after me.....BREAD MAKING IS EASY and FUN!!!

Thank you for stopping by!

Cooking with love,

Ria

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Sawine (Vermicelli Dessert)

Sawine is a rich, creamy, comforting dessert made with milk and vermicelli(noodles) and flavored with ginger, cinnamon and sometimes other aromatic spices.

Muslims in Trinidad make sawine to celebrate the end of Ramadan(month of fasting). As a child, on the day of Eid, our Muslim neighbors brought over mugs of sawine and other delicacies. A wonderful tradition that still exists today. I would run to the gates as soon as a car stopped infront of our house, take the mug (try not to grab it), and thanked my neighbors profusely with a wide grin on my face. Sawine in hand, I went in search of my mother to share the great news, "someone brought sawine, Mummy!", I would scream excitedly. I had the most difficult task of eating and tasting it all; a task I thoroughly enjoyed!! How I miss those days (when the word "calories" was non-existent in my vocabulary).

Many people make Sawine just about anytime they feel like it...I enjoy it as a hot dessert, without the optional ingredients listed below for the sake of simplicity and convenience, sometimes in the cold of winter or on a rainy day but always on Eid! Eid Mubarak!


Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 package of vermicelli (about 7 oz)
5 cups water
1 stick cinnamon
5-10 cardammon pods, optional(depending on your taste)
3 cloves, optional
1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 can evaporated milk, 12 oz
1 can condensed milk, 14 oz

Optional(use any combination of the following):
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1/2 cup raisins

Variation:-When evaporated or condensed milk are not available or for a less creamy, somewhat lighter dessert, use 6 cups whole organic milk and 1/2 cup sugar instead of the water, evaporated and condensed milk. The result is just as delicious. On the otherhand, for a more creamy dessert, replace the water in the recipe with whole milk.

**I use Lam's or Sheikh's brands which I purchase at the West Indian Market. I find that the Sheikh brand may require more liquid when cooking since I do not like my sawine very thick...

Assemble ingredients, grate ginger..

Ignore sugar below.....It's just here hanging out for the photo shoot, I didn't add any...

**If you don't like eating tiny pieces of ginger, just crush but keep whole, add and remove after cooking..or mince very fine in a food chopper...

Add 2 tablespoons butter(I always use organic) to a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.

When the butter is melted, break vermicelli into small pieces and add to pan.

Toast until golden brown, turning constantly to brown evenly and prevent burning.

Add 5 cups water, cinammon stick (or a teaspoon of ground cinnamon), cardammon and cloves-if using- and 1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger and bring to a boil.

When it comes to a boil, lower heat and cook for about 10-15 minutes until the vermicelli is soft.

Add evaporated milk and condensed milk.

If using raisins, chopped maraschino cherries or sliced almonds, add now. 

Then simmer for about 3-5 minutes to allow all the ingredients to incorporate(aka learn to love and get along with each other...very important!!).

 Mix well

Serve hot, cold or room temperature...and share with someone you love....

(If you're having a miserable day and don't love anyone--don't worry it happens to the best of us--eat all yourself..or send some for me..The end. :-))

Thank you for stopping by.
Cooking With Love,
Ria

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