Grilled Split Cornish Game Hens: The Easy Impressive Dinner

Have you ever seen rock Cornish hens in the grocery store but thought to yourself, these are way too complicated to cook? Fear not, these little delicious birds are super easy but make for one impressive dinner. Who does not love having their own little personal mini chicken on their dinner plate? Right? It makes you feel special. Whether you are making Cornish hens for just your family or hosting a small intimate gathering, our Moroccan spiced grilled hens are going to be a hit.

Grilling Season is Here!

Why does it always feel like we have 9 months of winter and only 3 months of summer?  You have to enjoy the short summer while it lasts. Before you know it, it will be Memorial Day and then snow again. Get out there and fire up your grill. If you need some ideas, be sure to check out our Summer Grilling and Chilling Recipes for some inspiration.

Chicken vs Cornish Hens

We know it has been a little difficult gathering grocery and supplies during this time. That is probably one on the main reasons why we have Cornish Game Hens on the menu today. Who the heck buys Cornish hens during an epidemic? Those crazy people at Healthy World Cuisine! That's who!

There were tons of Cornish hens at the grocery store but NO chicken!  These little frozen Cornish hens are really small so fit easily in the side drawer of the freezer too. If you are looking for a few easy meals when you are low on food supplies, be sure to check out our round up for 17 Pantry Recipes for Emergency Preparedness.  On the other hand, if you can get your hands on a whole chicken during the grilling season, be sure to try our Peking Style Beer Butt Chicken. This Asian fusion recipe is a tried and true family favorite.

What is a Cornish Game Hen?

The Cornish Game Hen came about because of cross breeding between a regular short-legged, plump-breasted Cornish chicken with various other chickens, including the White Plymouth Rock variety. So essentially, a Cornish Game Hen is just a mixed breed juvenile chicken. A little Cornish hens usually only weigh about 1.5 pounds or 680 grams a piece. They can fit in the palm of my hand.

What do Cornish Hens taste like?

They taste like chicken but only milder in flavor. The best part about these little guys is they take a lot less time to cook compared to regular full-sized chicken. This quicker cook time allows you to get the skin extra crispy while keeping the hen meat tender and juicy. They do not taste gamey. Cornish Hens are gentle in flavor but are harmonious with the delicious Moroccan Spiced rub. If you would prefer to cook a whole chicken, be sure to try our tried and true recipe for Savory Herb Roasted Whole Chicken for a delicious Sunday supper.

How to Prepare Your Cornish Game Hens for Grilling

We chose to "split" our little hens, but you can also spatchcock or even leave whole and cook them like our Peking Glazed Beer Butt Chicken. Spatchcock is the process for cutting one side of the Cornish hen though so that you can lay the bird flat on the grill to promote even cooking.

Splitting the Cornish game hens helps them grill evenly too. It is very easy to do. In order to split a Cornish hen, you can either use culinary scissors or a sharp knife. Make your first cut on either side of the backbone vertically along the backbone. Removing the backbone is a good idea as those have lots of little bones and your guests will not like that. Then, on the front breast side of the hen just cut straight down the center of the breast. Then you will have 2 even Cornish game hen halves. Discard the backbone.

Best Moroccan Spice Rub Marinade

Moroccan spice rub really takes these little grilled split Cornish game hens from ho hum to AMAZING! We know that many of you will want to be all proper and eat your little Cornish hens with a fork and knife. However, the best way is just to pick them up with your hands and get right in there. This is a casual dining at its best. Finger licking good!

How to Make Moroccan Spice (ras el hanout)

If you have prepared Moroccan Spice (ras el hanout), use that. If not, we make our own spice blend recipe with the dried ground spices and store them in clean dry baby food jars. This Moroccan Spice recipe makes 2 tablespoons just enough for your marinade. We know that some people may add coriander, all spice and many other ingredients to this spice mix but we wanted to keep it simple with the more basic spices you may have at home in the pantry. If you do not like it spicy, then do not add the cayenne pepper and reduce the chili powder to ¼ teaspoon.

• 1 teaspoon dried ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon dried ground garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon dried ground ginger powder
• ½ teaspoon dried ground chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon dried ground cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Delicious Moroccan Marinade

In addition to the Moroccan spice blend, we added parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil for a fresh and delicious marinade. We like to marinate our little split Cornish game hens for about 30 minutes but also can be left up to overnight, if desired. Be sure to cover and refrigerate if marinating overnight.

How to Grill a Rock Cornish Hen

There are many ways to prepare a Cornish Hen but if you want yours extra crispy skinned and tender meat, embrace the grilling season.

• Preheat your grill to between 300 - 350 degrees F or 148 degrees C - 176 degrees C.
• Make sure that you clean your grill grates and oil well to prevent sticking.
• Always best to put the skin side down first so that it gets a crispy skin.
• Place you Cornish Hens slightly off to the side and not under direct heat. Grill with the lid on
• Flip after 15 minutes and cook until the skin is crispy about another 10 -15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F or 73 Degrees C. The juices should run clear.

What side dishes go best with grilled Moroccan Cornish Hens?

Grilled Split Cornish Game Hens are super delicious served on a bed of our Vegan Chickpea Lemon Rice.

If you have the grill already hot, you might as well add a few Feta Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms for a hot appetizer and our Best Grilled Asparagus for a side dish.

Don't forget about dessert! We highly suggest our make ahead easy Lemon Rose Cardamom Cheesecake Mousse or our refreshing Honey Cardamom Cantaloupe Sorbet .

Wine Pairing for Cornish Hen Recipe

There are many different options for delicious wines to serve with grilled split Cornish game hens. However, we like the light and bright ones, if we are dining alfresco. Maybe a delicious light Bandol or a fruity Cotes du Rhone rose will delight your senses. You might want to try a California Chardonnay, if you like your wines a little drier. If you like reds, you may want to try a sparkling Shiraz from Australia.  Drink what you enjoy is our motto!

Paleo Cornish Game Hen Recipe

Our grilled split Cornish Game Hens are paleo, low carb, diabetic friendly, gluten-free, egg free, dairy-free and super delicious. So, if you are hosting guests, you pretty much are covered from a dietary perspective.

More Delicious Grilled Poultry Recipes

Thai Grilled Chicken Tenderloins and Zesty Dipping Sauce

Grilled Mango Chicken

Grilled Moroccan Chicken and Pine Nut Quinoa

Grilled Chicken Kabab Recipe

Peking Glazed Beer Butt Chicken

Did You Like Our Recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. Your feedback is always appreciated! Follow us for more delicious recipes on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for our email list for more free recipes.

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Grilled Split Cornish Game Hens

Grilled Split Cornish Game Hens are marinated in a Moroccan Spice Rub and grilled to perfection in just under 30 minutes.

Course Mains

Cuisine Moroccan

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Marinating Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 81kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Cost $12

Equipment

• Grill or Grill pan

Ingredients

• 2 whole Cornish Game Hens about 1.5 pounds each or 680 grams

Moroccan Spice Blend (or can use store bought blend - 2 tablespoons)

• 1 teaspoon cumin dried ground
• 1 teaspoon turmeric dried ground
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder dried ground
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon dried ground
• ½ teaspoon ginger dried ground
• ½ teaspoon chili powder dried ground
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper dried ground (hold if like it mild)
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Marinade

• 2 tablespoon Moroccan Spice Blend see above for recipe
• 2 tablespoon parsley dried or ⅓ cup fresh chopped
• 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Garnishes

• parsley fresh (optional)
• lemon slices (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Moroccan Spice Blend Marinade

• If you already have prepared Moroccan spice, skip to nextstep. To make homemade Moroccan Spice (ras el hanout), mix together the following ground dried spices… 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground chili pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (hold if you do not like spicy), ½ teaspoon black pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix together in a bowl.
  
• Add either fresh or dried parsley, fresh garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice to the 2 tablespoons of prepared Moroccan Spice mixture (ras el hanout) and stir well. Set aside.

Prepare your Cornish Hens for Grilling

• Wash and dry your Cornish Hens well. Splitting the Cornish game hens helps them grill evenly too. It is very easy to do. In order to split a Cornish hen, you can either use culinary scissors or a sharp knife. Lay your bird back side up and with the breast side down. Make your first cut on either side of the backbone vertically along the bone. Removing the backbone is a good idea as they have lots of little bones. Then, on the front breast side of the hen just cut straight down the center of the breast. Then, you will have 4 even Cornish game hen halves. Discard the backbone.
  
• Place your split Cornish hens in a sealed plastic bag or large bowl. Pour the Moroccan marinade over the split Cornish hens and rub them all over. Seal the bag or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave them marinate at least 30 minutes. You can also put them in the refrigerator to allow them to marinate up to overnight.
  
• Prep the Grill. Clean the grill grates well. Preheat your grill to 300 to 300 - 350 degrees F or 148 degrees C - 176 degrees C.

   
• Once the grill is preheated, put the Cornish hen skin side down first so that it gets a crispy skin. Place you Cornish Hens slightly off to the side and not under direct heat. Grill with the lid on.
  
• Flip after 15 minutes and cook until the skin is crispy about another 10 -15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees For 73 Degrees C. The juices should run clear. The cooking time will be around25 to 30 minutes depending on how your grill is. Our birds were cooked at 25minutes. Checking the temperature with the meat thermometer is your best measure.

   
  
• Serve your Grilled Split Cornish Game Hens over our Vegan Chickpea Lemon Rice. Garnish with parsley if desired and enjoy!
  

Notes

If you have a super hungry crew, teenagers or the football team dining with you, double the recipe so that each person gets 2 split Cornish Game hens halves. We served one half a Cornish Game Person per person with lots of delicious side dishes and everyone was happy.

Remember to clean your grill really well and oil the grates so that your Cornish Hens do not stick to the grill.

It is best to place your Cornish Hens a little off to the side so that are not in direct heat. This keeps the skin crispy and the meat tender.

Place the Cornish hen’s skin side down first so they get good and crispy. Do not be moving them all over the grill but just leave them cook in one spot for about 15 minutes. If you try to move them around sooner on the grill, they may stick, and the skin will tear. You will know they are ready to be turned, when they are no longer sticking to the grill. Your best tool in the kitchen is your meat thermometer. Once you get a reading of 165 degrees F or 73 degrees C in the thickest portion of all of the Cornish hens, you are done cooking. Do not use time as a measure as each grill has a different heating ranges.

We used culinary scissors to split our Cornish game hens, but you can also use a sharp knife. The bones are easier to cut than a full-grown chicken.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 158mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 166IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Grilled Split Cornish Game Hens appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

All Day slow cooked taste in under 30 minutes

This quick and easy recipe has all the depth of flavors that you get from an all-day slow cooked tagine meal in just under 30 minutes.  Do you have all day to slave over a hot stove?  Currently, we are so busy that our less than 30-minute meals are a required survival tool. How about you? Do you like less than 30 minute meals?

One bite and you will be hooked

The aroma of this Easy Moroccan Ground Lamb Stew will capture your senses. One bite of the spiced easy Moroccan ground lamb stew and you will know that this is a must go for seconds type of meals. You have the warming spices of turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and all spice to make your taste buds sing. The ground lamb is super tender with the little pop of earthy chickpeas give you that extra burst of protein. With the slight sweetness from the dried apricots and the fresh lemon zest, this is one balanced cozy meal perfect for the cooler weather.

Dinner is ready in under 30 minutes!

Your house is going to smell amazing! From the delicious aromatics, spices, lamb, herbs and citrus you are going to have your family asking every minute, “When is dinner ready?” Really, in less than 30 minutes you can have this delicious Easy Moroccan Ground Lamb Stew, over a bed of couscous and a side salad on your dinner table. If you want to keep this recipe gluten-free, serve it with a side of cauliflower rice or basmati rice, instead of couscous.

Spice it Up

Don’t be stingy with the spices! You are not going to sprinkle spices, but you are going to explore the world of spices with bold flavors. Go big or Go home! We know this seems like a long list of spices.  However, once you have them in your stocked pantry, we have loads of delicious recipes for you to try. Warming spices are good for individuals that have a cold predisposition. Do you always have cold hands and feet? In Traditional Chinese Medicine, when a person has a cold disposition they may benefit from warming and nourishing foods. Introducing the Five Energies of Foods is a great introduction to this concept.

Cinnamon

Cumin

Turmeric

All spice

Paprika

Cayenne

Coriander

Substitutions for Easy Moroccan Ground Lamb Stew

While lamb seems to be the best option for this hearty stew, you may substitute with ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken or even tofu to name a few. However, it will change the flavor profile.

We added dried chopped apricots as this is a very traditional ingredient in Moroccan cuisine. Dried apricots impart this delicious natural sweetness to the entire dish. If you do not have dried apricots, you can exchange with a small handful of dried, pitted dates or even raisins.

Tomato sauce is a great option instead of fresh tomatoes when they are not in season. However, you can also use canned tomatoes or even fresh tomatoes if you wish. The only thing you will need to do is adjust the amount of chicken broth to get it to your desired stew consistency. Tomato sauce is thick vs canned or fresh tomatoes.

Check out the photo above for step by step directions on how to make Easy Moroccan Ground Lamb Stew.

Lemon zest vs preserved lemons

We chose to use fresh lemon zest only because there was a sale on lemons 10 for $1.00 at our local market. However, preserved lemons are also very delicious and if you have this ingredient, then this would be a lovely addition to your Easy Moroccan Ground Lamb Stew. Do you prefer to use fresh lemon zest or preserved lemons in this recipe?

More cozy easy Moroccan Cuisine recipes...

Moroccan Olive Chicken

Healthy Moroccan Mint Tea

Slow Roasted Moroccan Spiced Leg of Lamb

Moroccan Sausage Paella

Warmed Spiced Quinoa with Roasted Autumn Vegetables

Grilled Moroccan Chicken with Pine Nut Quinoa

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Easy Moroccan Ground Lamb Stew

Easy Moroccan Ground Lamb Stew is a delicious less than 30-minute meal with irresistible warming spices, chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and apricots for a quick one pot weekday meal.

Course Mains

Cuisine Moroccan

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 489kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon cumin ground
• 1 teaspoon paprika ground
• 2 teaspoon turmeric ground
• 1 teaspoon allspice ground
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper dried ground - optional
• ½ teaspoon coriander
• 1 pound lamb ground- minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup apricots dried chopped
• 15 oz garbanzo beans (chickpeas) canned rinsed and drained
• 3 sticks whole cinnamon sticks or 2 teaspoon dried ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• Handful of chopped cilantro optional garnish
• 3 cups cooked couscous optional or rice to keep it gluten-free

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In a large deep-frying pan or Dutch oven, add olive oil chopped onion, minced garlic, cumin, paprika, turmeric, allspice, cayenne pepper, coriander and sauté until translucent and aromatic about 1-2 minutes.
• Add ground lamb and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat until the lamb browns. Drain any extra oil as desired.
• Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, dried apricots, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), cinnamon sticks and cook for about 20 minutes or until the flavors have had a change to mingle. Remove the cinnamon sticks.
• Remove from heat. Add lemon zest and chopped cilantro and serve over a bed of cooked couscous or basmati rice. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

You can exchange the lamb for ground beef, turkey or chicken or even tofu, but the flavor profile will change. If you don’t have dried apricots, you can exchange with a few dried pitted dates. However, you need only a few dates as they are much sweeter than dried apricots. You can also try raisins if desired.

We enjoy just a little heat, so we added a little cayenne pepper. However, you can skip this if you do not like the heat or add more if you like it spicier. We like extra cinnamon in our Moroccan stew. We add at least 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and sometimes a little more. Adjust to your liking. 

As your Easy Moroccan Ground Lamb Stew cooks, it thickens. You may need to add a little more chicken broth or water to thin it out a little during the cooking process.

Best if enjoyed within 3 days and if longer place in a freezer safe container and can be stored for up to 2 months. Easy Moroccan Ground Lamb Stew is even better the next days as the flavors have a chance to mingle.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 489kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 283mg | Potassium: 744mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 913IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 5mg

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Why you are going to love our Moroccan Olive Chicken

You are just going to love this Moroccan Olive chicken recipe as it is made with buttery and briny Castelvetrano olives, loads of delicious Moroccan Spices and fresh bright lemons. In addition, this recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and super easy to throw together.

Unlike, traditional Moroccan chicken that calls for preserved lemons and hard to find spices, this Moroccan Olive chicken is made with you in mind and kept simple and easy.

If you are anything like our family, we do not go out and buy special ingredients just to make a dish. We are always reinventing and trying new things and these are how happy culinary accidents happen. Today was an epic culinary happy accident. If you don't have Castelvetrano olives on hand, try kalamata or whatever you have on hand.

Tender juicy chicken sautéed on top of the stove with spices, lemons, olives and served on top of Vegan Chickpea Lemon Rice Drizzling a little of the juices on top and this is one lip smacking easy meal.

Aromatics and Spices

Exploring your pantry at the end of the week can bring about some fantastic ideas in the kitchen. You are forced to work with what you have on hand.

Staples in our Kitchen always include garlic, onions, citrus fruits and some basic spices and of course olive oil. You can do some amazing things with just a few ingredients.

Traditionally Moroccan chicken has about a billion spices and expensive saffron but we have narrowed it down to just the ones that we really enjoy; turmeric, cumin and paprika. If you enjoy those warming spices, be sure to try our Easy Moroccan Ground Lamb Stew. 

You need some fast and easy less than 30 meals like Moroccan Olive Chicken in your recipe rotation as life is just plain busy and I know you want to feed your family healthy meals.

Try these Easy Less than 30 Minute Meals

Shrimp Burritos with Creamy Poblano Sauce

Rosemary Herbed Pork Chops with Shallot Wine Sauce

Baked Chorizo Crusted Fish and Potatoes

Lemon Herb Baked Rainbow Trout

Orecchiette and Chicken Sausage in a Garlic Wine Sauce

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Moroccan Olive Chicken

Moroccan Olive Chicken is juicy, tender, pantry friendly and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.

Course Mains

Cuisine Moroccan

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 251kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 onion
  chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
  minced
• 12 oz chicken breasts
  ( We sliced them lengthwise as they were thick and wanted them to cook fast)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
  ground
• 1 teaspoon cumin
  ground
• 1 teaspoon paprika
  ground
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• ¾ cup Chicken Broth
  gluten-free
• 1 cup Castelvetrano olives
  (or whatever kind you prefer)
• 1 lemon chopped into wedges
  
• 2 teaspoon butter/margarine
  optional - dairy free (only real butter if you do not have dairy intolerance)
• 2 tablespoon flat parsley chopped
• vegan chickpea lemon rice optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In a large frying pan or dutch oven on medium heat, add olive oil, chopped onion and saute until translucent, then add the chopped garlic and stir.
• In the meantime, season both sides of the (cut in half lengthwise to help chicken breasts cook quicker) chicken with turmeric, cumin, paprika and salt and pepper. Place the seasoned chicken in the pan and lightly brown the chicken for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Add the chicken broth to the pan, olives and lemons and put on a lid and simmer for about 15 minutes with a lid until the juices run clear or internal temperature reads 165 degrees F. Add a dab of butter or dairy-free margarine to finish off the dish. Remove pan from heat and allow to set for 5 minutes.
• Serve your Moroccan Olive Chicken over your Vegan Chickpea Rice. Spoon over the delicious juices, olives and lemons, garnish with parsley and enjoy.

Notes

Moroccan Olive Chicken is delicious over a side of Vegan Chickpea Lemon Rice

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 806mg | Potassium: 486mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 667IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Moroccan Olive Chicken appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

These quick and easy air fryer baby carrots are sweet, flavorful, and packed with Moroccan spices, making them the star of your dinner! They're a perfect healthy side dish for holiday ham, roasted turkey breast, or rosemary pork chops. No peeling or chopping is needed-just toss the carrots with seasoning and pop them in the air fryer for a delicious dish ready in minutes.

Vegetable Side Dish Ingredients

Baby Cut Carrots (mini carrots)- are convenient and easy. They usually come in small 1-pound (453 grams)- or 2-pound (907 gram) packages peeled, prewashed and ready to eat. You can also use regular carrots that you peel chop and slice to 2-inch French fry style matchstick size like we did with our roasted fennel and carrot recipe.

Top Tip

These ready to eat carrots are not true baby carrots that are harvested before they get a standard size. Instead, they are regular carrots that have been peeled and cut to a baby carrot size.

Olive Oil - makes the carrots extra toasty and golden.

Spices - Dried ground Moroccan spices like cumin, ginger, paprika, garlic powder, cinnamon and even a dash of red chili pepper flakes makes these air fryer baby carrots tasty and aromatic without adding any sugar or sweeteners.

Walnuts - heart healthy and adds a little holiday flare to this simple side dish. You could also substitute with pepitas, chopped almonds, pine nuts, roasted chestnuts, pecans or your favorite nuts or seeds.

Lemon Juice or Zest - adds a pop of freshness and accentuates the flavor of the spices.

Feta Cheese - Optional, but a tangy addition. To make this easy side dish vegan, just hold the feta or use a crumbly vegan feta cheese.

How to Roast Carrots in the Air Fryer

• Add carrots to a large  bowl. Dry them well with a paper towel to remove any moisture.
• Preheat air fryer to 380°F (193°C).
• Toss carrots with olive oil, ginger, cinnamon, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper to taste. If you enjoy a little heat, add dried red chili flakes.
• Place baby carrots in air fryer basket in a single layer.

• Air fry for 10 minutes.
• In the meantime, toss the chopped walnuts in the same bowl you used to coat the carrots and give them a good stir.
• Give your carrots a good shake in the air fryer basket and add the coated walnuts.
• Air fry for another 2 to 5 minutes or until the carrots are fork tender and toasty.

• Transfer roasted carrots to a plate and drizzle with fresh lemon juice.
• Garnish with optional feta cheese and parsley. Enjoy!

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)

 More Vegetable Side Dishes

Did You Like Our Recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. Your feedback is always appreciated! Follow us for more delicious recipes on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for our email list for more free recipes.

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Moroccan Air Fryer Baby Carrots

These quick and healthy air fryer baby carrots are sweet, flavorful, and packed with Moroccan spices, making them the star of your dinner!

Course Sides

Cuisine Moroccan

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 182kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Equipment

• air fryer

Ingredients

• 2 pounds baby carrots (washed and peeled mini carrots)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
  dried ground
• ¾ teaspoon ginger
  dried ground
• 1 teaspoon paprika dried ground
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon dried ground
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder dried ground
• salt and pepper
  to taste
• ⅓ walnuts chopped
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice fresh is best or grated lemon zest
• crushed red pepper flakes Optional to add a little heat
• 1 tablespoon parsley Optional to garnish
• ⅓ cup feta cheese crumbled (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat air fryer to 380°F(193°C).
• Add baby carrots to a large bowl. Dry them well with a paper towel to remove any moisture.
• Toss carrots with olive oil, cumin, ginger, paprika, cinnamon, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. (Do not wash the bowl as you will be needing this again!)
• Transfer Moroccan spiced baby carrots to the air fryer basket making sure they are in a single layer. If you have a small air fryer, you will have to split the carrots into 2 batches so they cook evenly.
• Set the timer on air fryer to 10 minutes. Start air frying the carrots. In the meantime, add ⅓ cup chopped walnuts to the same bowl you seasoned the carrots in and toss well in the Moroccan oil spices.
• At the 10 minute mark, give your carrots a good shake in the air fryer basket. Then, add the seasoned chopped walnuts to the air fryer basket along with the carrots. Continue to air fry the seasoned carrots and walnuts for 2 to 5 minutes longer or until fork tender. (Total cook time is approximately 12-15 minutes.) *See Recipe Notes below.
• Transfer roasted carrots to a plate and drizzle with fresh lemon juice. Garnish with optional feta cheese, crushed red chili peppers if you like a little heat and parsley. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

• Size Differences: Baby carrots can be different diameters around depending on the brand. Ours were a medium diameter size but some can be skinny, and some can be extra-large around. If some of your carrots are large and some are small, cut the large ones in half so they all cook evenly.
• Adjust Cooking Time: If your baby carrots are large in diameter, they will take longer to air fry. On the other hand, if your mini carrots are extra small, they will take less time to cook.
• Types of Air Fryers: Every brand cooks differently and has a different volume capacity. We used an Air Fryer Toaster Oven Combo, Fabuletta 10-in-1 Toaster Ovens Countertop model. The large surface area allowed us to cook the entire recipe in one go.
• Don't Crowd the Air Fryer: If you have small capacity air fryer, you may need to roast the baby carrots in 2 batches.
• Ensure Even Cooking: Shake or turn the carrots part way through the cooking process.
• Don't Wash the Mixing Bowl: You will need the little bit of oil and spices leftover from seasoning the mini carrots to season the walnuts.
• Toasting Nuts: Add the walnuts during the last few minutes of roasting to prevent burning.
• Carrots are cooked with they are fork tender and golden.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup carrots | Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 322mg | Potassium: 583mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 31666IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Moroccan Air Fryer Baby Carrots appeared first on Healthy World Cuisine

Delicious Moroccan Sausage Paella

One bite is all you will need to know that your body was craving this delicious Moroccan Sausage Paella. From the aroma of the earthy cumin, warming ginger, turmeric and cinnamon to the savory onions and garlic these spices were meant to cure what ails you and a perfect immune booster during the cold and flu season. If you like the warming spices, you are going to love our Easy Moroccan Ground Lamb Stew.

Use the veggies you have in your crisper

I like to use seasonal veggies and currently pumpkin, Asian eggplant, peppers, and garlic chives are readily available here in Hong Kong. Feel free to use what veggies you have in your crisper in your Moroccan Sausage Paella. If you can't get out and about, even a mixed bag of frozen mixed veggies works just fine.

What type of Proteins to add to your Paella?

I used an organic gluten-free chicken sausage with apples for myself so my Moroccan Sausage Paella was mild and slightly sweet and lower in fat and calories. However you could use regular mild or hot Italian sausage like I did for my boys (photos displayed here are all with mild Italian Sausage) or even a vegan sausage if you would like.

The sausage is cooked in the pan and then when you add the rice and chicken or vegan broth it gets all of the delicious flavors and tasty bits off the bottom of the pan and this is what makes this dish so flavorful.

Twist on the usual paella

I am quite partial to traditional Seafood Spanish Paella but this is a fun kick on an old classic for the cooler months. I used brown rice for this dish but if you want to shave off 10 minutes of cooking time, use white rice. I love the fact that you only dirty one pan and you even serve your Moroccan Sausage Paella in the same pan. My pans are all small and my boys appetites are quite bit so I ended up making 2 medium-sized pans of Moroccan Sausage Paella. No worries, leftovers are even better the next day.

Grabbing that quick bite shot before the boys inhale this dish.

More delicious Moroccan Recipes

Slow Roasted Moroccan Spiced Leg of Lamb

Moroccan Olive Chicken

Grilled Moroccan Chicken and Pine Nut Quinoa

Warmed Spiced Quinoa with Roasted Autumn Vegetables

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Moroccan Sausage Paella

One-Pan Moroccan Sausage Paella is filled with warming spices, colorful seasonal vegetables of the autumn harvest, savory sausages and brown rice. 

Course Mains

Cuisine Moroccan

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 641kcal

Author HWC Magazine

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 4 to 6 Italian sausage
  links (I used gluten free chicken and apple sausage for myself and mild Italian sausage for the boys)
• 1 onion
  small chopped finely
• 2 cloves garlic
  minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
  dried ground
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  dried ground
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
  dried ground
• 1 teaspoon paprika
  dried ground
• 2 cups brown rice
  
• 2.5 cups chicken broth
  gluten free organic (if you want to use long grain rice, reduce broth to 2 cups)
• salt and pepper
  to taste
• ¾ cup squash/pumpkin
  chopped
• ½ red bell pepper
  (capsicum) chopped
• ½ yellow bell pepper
  (capsicum) chopped
• 1 Asian Eggplant
  (can exchange with Western eggplant or whatever veggies you have on hand)
• 12 oz garbanzo beans
  (chickpeas) rinsed well and drained
• ¼ cup garlic chives
  
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In an iron skillet or large 28/30 cm skillet (Required: Must have a lid that fits your skillet/pan), add your olive oil and add your Italian sausages (gluten-free chicken and apple sausages, etc) and brown gently on all sides but not cooked through. (Remove sausage from pan and keep warm)
  
• Add onion and garlic to the pan you just cooked the sausage in and saute gently then add the cumin, cinnamon, turmeric and paprika in the pan and saute for just a minute or 2 until your kitchen smells amazing.
• Then add the brown rice and stir well to coat all the rice with the spices. Add 2 and ½ cups of chicken/vegetable broth to the pan and use your wooden spoon to get all of those delicious browned bits off the bottom of the pan as that is what makes this moroccan sausage paella delicious.
• Now add the browned sausages back into the pan and put the lid on your pan and allow to slowly come up to a boil. Reduce the heat and gently simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add the squash/pumpkin or any firm vegetables you wish to add to the Moroccan Sausage Paella and just nestle them within the rice. Put the lid back on the paella and continue to gently simmer for 20 minutes more.
• Add the red and yellow bell pepper (capsicum), Asian egg plant and garbanzo beans and simmer in the Moroccan Sausage Paella for 5-10 minute or until the rice is cooked.  (total cooking time about 45-50 minutes with brown rice/ total cooking time about 20-30 minutes with long grain white rice)
• Garnish your one pan Moroccan Sausage Paella with a drizzle of lemon juice and lemon zest and enjoy!

Notes

This is a large portion of rice. The boys were really hungry. If you want to cut down on the carbs, you can use cauliflower rice and hold the garbanzo beans.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 641kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 915mg | Potassium: 822mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 707IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 5mg

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