What on earth is a mother of 7 doing posting about cooking for two? I started out this two-fer crusade simply wanting to come up with alternatives to the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. I got to thinking about the people we know who have a family of only two; Marty's in-home occupational therapist lives only with her husband, likewise for my best friend. So, when it comes to a holiday like Thanksgiving where a full turkey would surely be overkill for two people, what would you do? Even a turkey breast would be too large for one meal. I thought the answer would be Cornish hens.

This meal was actually so much fun for me to make. I haven't done a plating for just one or two since working in a restaurant, but I fell right back into the groove. Seasoning for just one or two is so much easier and exacting than trying to precisely season a dish for 6 or more. I took liberties here that I'm not able to when cooking for so many. I tried to make each dish stand on it's own with distinctive seasonings for each.

So, what does this menu look like?

Cornish Hens in Apricot and Cranberry Glaze
Sourdough Stuffing with Caramelized Onion, Shallot and Roasted Garlic
Basil, Butter and Mint Baby Carrots
Green Beans with Walnuts
Walnut Tartlets and Pumpkin Ice Cream

I think I got everything but the corn in there--and that would be easy enough to take care of with a quick pan of cornbread, but I really didn't think this meal needed anything else.

Cornish Hens in Apricot and Cranberry Glaze
2 Cornish hens 1 1/4 lbs (20 oz) each
2 orange wedges
2 whole cloves
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon each cranberry jelly and apricot preserves
1 tablespoon chicken stock

Rinse hens and pat dry. Place in a shallow roasting pan--a rack works best--and brush with olive oil. Salt and pepper lightly. Stud each orange wedge (1/8 of an orange each works best) with a single clove. Stuff the hens with the studded orange wedges. Tent loosely with foil and bake in a 350 degree F oven for one hour total. Remove foil after a half hour so hens will brown.

Combine the cranberry jelly and apricot preserves with the stock. Mix well and brush the hens with this during the last 10 minutes of cooking time.

Sourdough Stuffing with Caramelized Onion, Shallot and Roasted Garlic
This turned out even more delicious than I had imagined.

1 1/2 cups sourdough bread cubes
1 small onion--thinly sliced
2 cloves roasted garlic (20 minutes at 350 degrees F)
1 small shallot--thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 tsp ground sage
1/4 tsp dry thyme

Toast bread cubes in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat until lightly brown and dry-about 5 minutes. Caramelize onion and shallot with a small amount of olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. This takes about 10 minutes. Push the garlic from the peels and mash well. Add to the onions and shallot. Toss onions, shallot and garlic with bread cubes and moisten with stock. Put into a small baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Basil, Butter and Mint Baby Carrots
Of all the dishes in this meal, these were my favorite. The combination of basil and mint is delicious!

1 cup fresh baby carrots
2 tablespoons butter
pinch each of dry basil and dry mint (fresh would be awesome--one leaf of each, minced would suffice)
salt and pepper

Cook carrots in boiling salted water until tender--about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well and keep warm. Toss with butter, mint and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Green Beans with Walnuts
1 cup fine green beans frozen or fresh
2 tablespoons walnuts
olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
salt and pepper

Thaw beans if frozen, or cook until desired doneness if fresh. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil, walnuts and lime juice. Heat through. Season with salt and pepper.

Walnut Tartlets and Pumpkin Ice Cream
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt
1/3 cup crushed walnuts

Stir together until well blended.

crust:
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup flour
pinch salt
cold water--about 2-3 tablespoons

Cut butter and flour together until crumbly. Add water a little at a time until a dough forms. Roll out and cut with a large biscuit cutter. Place rounds into large muffin tins--not the regular cupcake size--top with 2-3 tablespoons of walnut mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Serve with store-bought pumpkin ice cream.


Find more stories and tips for the holidays at Family.com's Yule Blog