Lemon Cornish Hen with Sweet and Spicy Chili Sauce

Okay, I admit we love chicken in my house. There's so many ways to cook a chicken. But what about Cornish Hen? They are chicken too and I must say that I always consider it a nice treat whenever I get a chance to have one. While shopping at Walmart this past weekend, I found them in their frozen section and you betcha - I grabbed 4 for a family meal one day this week for dinner. I love that they are personal sized, everyone gets dark and white meat. No fighting over the thighs, no one complaining that all they got was breast. You all get your own, one bird each LOL.

INGREDIENTS: (Serves 4)

4 Cornish Hen

8 bay leaves

4 whole lemon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 1 gallon ziplock bags

2 cups Sweet and Spicy Chili Sauce (1 cup for basting and 1 cup for sauce)

Thaw out the Cornish hens in the fridge for 2 days if frozen. When the hens are completely thawed, remove from plastic wrapping, rinse and pat dry. Season each hen with salt and pepper inside and out according to your salt intake. I usually just sprinkle the salt and pepper all over the meat. Dice 2 lemon with skin and divide it into 4. Stuff each hen with 1/4 part of the diced lemon and 2 bay leaves. Put 2 hen in each of the ziplock bag. Cut the other 2 lemon and squeeze 1 whole lemon juice inside the ziplock bag, close tightly and shake. Do the same with the other 2 hens and marinate for 2 hours or overnight if you want just to prepare them for the next day meal.

Turn the oven to broil for 425 degrees. Take the Cornish hens from ziplock bags and arrange in a deep baking pan. Broil for 15 minutes or until they are dark brown and crispy on the top. Baste the hens with the chili sauce and broil for 2-3 minutes. Turn them over and broil for another 15 minutes or until they are dark brown and crispy and baste with the remaining chili sauce and broil for 2-3 minutes.

Take out the hens, serve with your favorite vegetables and your favorite carb. Dip each bite in the chili sauce. Another option is to pair it with romaine lettuce with shave parmesan cheese, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a much healthier meal!