When I saw OnSugar blogger Faith, Hope & Chocolate's recipe for strawberry lemonade, the first thing that came to mind was: I wonder how that combination would work in a cocktail? Since there's a farmers market downstairs from Sugar headquarters every Thursday, I stopped by to pick up some fresh, plump berries. Then, I went home to experiment. The resulting libation is vibrantly colored and delicious. If you love strawberries you'll definitely be a fan of this easy sipper. I combined vodka with lemon juice, muddled strawberries, and simple syrup. The whole thing is shaken and then strained into a chilled glass. It's a seasonal, slightly girlie drink that's delightfully balanced and ends up somewhere between too sweet and too potent. This strawberry vodka cocktail is just the thing to kick-start your weekend, so cheers! Grab a glass and get the recipe.
Posts for May 7th 2010
Lighter Chicken Cacciatore
Adapted from Every Day With Rachael Ray
Lighter Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds bone-in chicken breasts, halved crosswise (legs and thighs would work, too)
Salt and pepper
1-1/2 cups orzo pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 small onion, finely chopped
One 8-ounce package mushrooms, thickly sliced
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons drained capers
Directions
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook, turning once, until golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and reserve the skillet.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the orzo until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, half the basil and salt and pepper to taste. Cover to keep warm.
- Set the skillet over medium-high heat; add the onion and mushrooms and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the pan, until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and their juice, the tomato sauce, capers and remaining basil; season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the sauce and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to 4 plates, top with the sauce and serve the orzo alongside.
Serves 4.
Do You Know What's Cooking This Week?
It was a busy week, all right, beginning with the James Beards, the biggest culinary awards show of the year. Midweek, we were ringing in Cinco de Mayo with roast chicken tacos, Rick Bayless's best salsas, and, of course, classic margaritas. There's no time to catch a break, as Mother's Day is right around the corner. Did you keep up with everything that happened here this week? Take our quiz and find out.
Tiny Bubbles: Shirley Temples Make It so Everyone Can Toast
Roasted Chicken with Green Beans
From Real Simple
Roasted Chicken with Green Beans

Ingredients
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound trimmed green beans
8 small red potatoes, quartered
4 chicken breasts (bones left in, with skin, about 3 1/4 pounds)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking dish or cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish or skillet.
- In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper; add the green beans and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices. Add the potatoes to the same olive-oil mixture and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, arrange the potatoes along the inside edge of the dish or skillet on top of the green beans. Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive-oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish or skillet. Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.
- Roast for 50 minutes. Remove the chicken from the dish or skillet. Place the beans and potatoes back in oven for 10 minutes more or until the potatoes are tender. Place a chicken breast on each of 4 serving plates; divide the green beans and potatoes equally. Serve warm.
Serves 4.
Killer Mother's Day App: Chive Tartines With Smoked Salmon
If you are a fan of the Barefoot Contessa, you are probably already familiar with tartines. If not, a tartine is an open-faced French sandwich with an elegant topping. In this recipe's case, the topping is a slather of rich goat cheese and layer of smoked salmon. I love this appetizer because it's versatile and is great any time of day. Although the chive oil may seem like an unnecessary step, don't skip it. The subtle flavor of the chives takes these simple crostini to a whole new level. Use the extra oil on fish or in a vinaigrette. These bites are perfect for Mother's Day, so get the recipe now and read more
Do You Pay Attention to Gluten in Products?
I've never had to be concerned about dishes containing gluten, although I've certainly noticed a rise in gluten-free products, cookbooks, and blogs over the past few years — like this new book, shown above. Tell me: is eating too much gluten a concern for you?
Lettuce Be Careful: E. Coli Outbreak Prompts Romaine Recall
Here's a pretty convincing argument in favor of washing bagged greens. An E. coli lettuce outbreak has sickened at least 19 people, hospitalized 12, and left three people gravely ill.
Freshway Foods and Imperial Sysco brands are recalling romaine lettuce in at least 23 states east of the Mississippi. The romaine has also been sold in salad bars and delis in stores like Kroger, Giant Eagle, Ingles Markets, and Marsh stores.
I'd been optimistic about the Obama administration's promise to establish more stringent food safety guidelines, but this demonstrates that, sadly, nothing has really changed. I'll be steering clear of raw greens for a while — what about you?
