Recipe - Apricot-Glazed Cornish Hens

Three fourths cup Apricot preserves
Orange zest; grated
Juice of one orange
4 Cornish game hens
One half teaspoon Paprika
One half cup Cashew nuts
2 tablespoon Butter; melted
One half cup Scallions; cut or sliced up
6 ounce Wild rice mix
2 1/3 cup Chicken broth
Spinach leaves
Apricot roses *

Combine apricot preserves, orange rind, and orange juice; set aside. Remove
giblets from hens; reserve for other uses. Rinse hens with cold water, and
pat dry. Close cavities, and secure with wooden picks; truss. Sprinkle with
paprika and place on a rack in a lightly greased roasting pan. Bake at 350
degrees for 1One fourth to 1One half hours, basting frequently with about One half cup
apricot mixture during the last 30 minutes.

Saute cashews in butter in a large skillet until cashews are golden. Drain
and set aside, reserving butter in skillet. Saute onions in same skillet
until tender. Add wild rice, and prepare according to package directions,
substituting chicken broth for water and omitting salt. When done, stir the
cashews back into the rice. Arrange Cornish hens on serving platter; brush
with remaining apricot mixture. Garnish with apricot roses and spinach
leaves, if desired, and serve with rice.

* To make apricot roses, use a rolling pin to flatten 4 or 5 dried apricots
for each rose. Wrap apricots around each other, shaping them to resemble a
rose; pinch stem end to make them adhere.

Source: Southern Living Magazine.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini