A few weeks ago General Mills was nice enough to send me a few boxes of cereal. I was ecstatic because I love General Mills cereals, especially Cheerios. See, I’ve never been much of a sugar cereal girl and since Cheerios are low in sugar and have a great crunch, they’ve always been my first choice when it comes to breakfast. I like the cereal so much in fact, I now give it to my boys.

Also included in the package was a box of General Mills newest cereal, Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch. I was so excited. I love getting and trying new things, especially when it’s food. Guess what? The Medley Crunch was delightful. It was sweet, but unlike other sugar cereals out there not over powering. And the oat clusters gave the classic Cheerio a nice crunchy blast of flavor that I’d be more than happy to eat every single morning.

You’re probably wondering what any of this has to do with granola bars. Well, while I was happily savoring the nutty flavor of this new breakfast cereal, another thought sprung into my head – “this would be a phenomenal granola bar.” I don’t know why I thought that, I just did. So it became my mission to create some granola bars using it. And I’m so happy I did. The bars were awesome – not too sweet and so much healthier than those other bars you get at the supermarket.

Unlike some of my other recipes though, these took a couple tries. See, I needed something sticky to hold the granola together, so of course I used honey. But I used too much in my first batch. Not only could I barely get the granola out of the pan, letting them cool for several hours did nothing to help. After five hours I still had a gloppy, sticky mess that clung to the plate. Needless to say, this batch went straight into the trash. Luckily all I had to do was cut the amount of honey I used in half and the next batch was perfect.

It was also during this second try that the idea of using cocoa nibs came to me. See, I love chocolate, but since I already had the sweet cereal and honey and sugar going into this recipe, the last thing I needed was another sweet ingredient. The nibs were perfect. I got the chocolate flavor I love so much without the added sugar. The end result was one of the best granola bars I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to make another batch.

Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch Granola Bars

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch, crushed
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Scharffen Berger Roasted Cocoa Nibs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8×8 inch baking dish and line with parchment paper.
2. Toss the cereal, oatmeal, and coconut together on a baking sheet and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and lightly toasted. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
4. While the oatmeal mixture toasts, place the butter, honey, brown sugar and vanilla in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for a minute or two until the sugar is dissolved and everything is combined. Pour this over the cereal mixture. Fold in the cocoa nibs and stir a few times until everything is coated with the honey mixture.
5. Pour the granola into the prepared pan and press into the pan until it’s an even layer. Bake for 25-30 or until golden brown. Let cool for at least 3 hours.
6. Run a knife around the edge of the granola. Invert the pan and dump the large bar onto a cutting board. Remove the parchment paper and cut into squares. This should make about 10 good sized bars. Serve immediately or store in an air tight container for up to one week… if they’ll last that long.

Today’s post isn’t a cocktail. I know what you’re thinking. “Wait, it’s Friday! Where’s my cocktail? I need my cocktail!” Well, the good news is there are plenty on this blog to choose from including this one which uses the subject of today’s post. Yes, it’s Gomme Syrup.

What’s gomme (or gum) syrup you ask? It’s a sweetener that was used in cocktails throughout the nineteenth century instead of simple syrup. But since simple syrup has taken over as the sweetener of choice today, you’re probably wondering why you should switch. You don’t have to. As a matter of fact, most bartenders still use simple syrup today. But here’s why you should seriously consider switching to the classic – flavor. The difference in flavor and texture between a cocktail made with simple syrup and one made with gomme are like night and day. While simple syrup sweetens up the drink quite nicely, the gomme acts as an emulsifier and adds a silky texture that makes the drink so smooth and velvety, it’s like drinking a dream. If you’ve never had a cocktail with gomme in it, you need to… at least once. It’s now the only way I make my sazeracs.

If you don’t know where to get gomme, no problem. You can make your own.  While it’s true, you can buy a bottle for anywhere between $20 and $30, making it is super easy and not nearly as expensive.  All you need is some sugar, a little gum Arabic and water and you’re good to go. The one thing about making gomme syrup though, is that it does take time. You have to wait about two hours for the gomme to thicken in order to get that velvety texture I mentioned. But once gelled and combined with the sugar syrup, you have a thick, subtle syrup that will easily be with you for the next few months and a perfect addition to several classic cocktails… or any cocktail that uses simple syrup as part of its recipe.

Gomme Syrup

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup water, divided
• 4 tablespoons gum Arabic powder
• 1 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Boil 1/4 cup of water over high heat.
2. Place the powder in a large glass cup and slowly add the hot water, stirring constantly until the powder is dissolved. Set aside. Let this mixture stand for 2-3 hours until it looks like gel.
3. Dissolve the sugar in the remaining water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove the sugar mixture from the heat and slowly add the gum mixture, stirring constantly.
4. Simmer the syrup over low heat, stirring constantly, for about five minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. A thin layer of foam will appear on the top of the syrup.
5. Once the syrup is completely cooled, remove the layer of foam and transfer to a glass jar. This syrup will last in the refrigerator for up to five months.

As you may have noticed from previous posts of mine, I love strawberries. I can eat them by themselves for a snack, blended up in a cocktail, or as part of an entreé. But my favorite way to eat them is as a dessert. I love them in cakes and pies but I especially love them with chocolate. I don’t care if they’re dipped in chocolate or part of a chocolate cake. Give me chocolate and strawberries and I’m a happy pinup.

But while I’m a huge fan of chocolate and strawberries, making chocolate covered strawberries intimidates the hell out of me. I don’t know why, I mean it’s just melting chocolate and dipping strawberries into it. I guess it’s the fact that they take forever to make and the strawberries you get from chocolate stores around Valentine’s Day and anniversaries are so perfect and pretty and mine… well mine aren’t. Mine taste good, but they’re a gloppy chocolaty mess. So, I don’t make chocolate covered strawberries. I find other ways to combine chocolate and strawberries.

That’s how I came up with these. See, I love my Black Forest Brownies, so I thought why couldn’t I just substitute strawberries for the cherries? Why couldn’t I just add some strawberry goodness to a gooey batch of brownies? I could! And I did! And the result? Awesome! They’re still rich and super chocolaty, but now you have the sweet tang of strawberries as well. Best of all, they’re much easier to make than chocolate covered strawberries because you don’t have to dip each and every strawberry into a hot pot of melted chocolate. Since all the strawberries get folded into the batter at the same time, you save a ton of time and you don’t need to worry about how pretty they are. You still get the delicious flavor of chocolate covered strawberries without the precision needed when making chocolate covered strawberries.

Strawberry Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of butter (2 sticks)
• 4 squares of unsweetened chocolate
• 2 cups of sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup of flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups strawberries, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 pan.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate in a small pan over a low flame.
3. Pour the melted butter and chocolate into a mixing bowl and beat in the sugar one cup at a time. Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Add the vanilla.  Gradually mix in the flour. Then fold in the strawberries.
4. Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 pan and bake for 45 minutes. (I like my brownies really fudgy so I only cook them for 40 minutes.) Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes before cutting.

If you’re a mom like me, then you know that this Sunday is Mother’s Day. And if you’re anything like me, you can’t wait!  Why? Well because for one day out of the year, you won’t have your family wondering “What’s for breakfast?” or “What’s for dinner?”. They won’t be wondering what they’re eating because ideally they’ll be doing the cooking and serving it to you.

While it’s true that the last few years have been either going out for food or cooking it myself, my son is finally old enough (he’s four) that he and Daddy could actually get together and make me breakfast in bed. Will it be pancakes and bacon or eggs benedict? I doubt it. But even if it’s just a bowl full of Cheerios, that’s good enough for me; mainly because it means I won’t be anywhere near the kitchen.

Don’t get me wrong. I love my kitchen. Hell, I wouldn’t have a food blog if I didn’t.  I love cooking and baking and coming up with cool cocktails. But every so often I not only like to be served, I like to have someone else do the cooking; and Mother’s Day seems like the perfect day for that happen. If however, you’re a mom who cooks and doesn’t agree with me… well… you’re lying.

So, since you’re trying to decide what to make mom for breakfast this year, I can tell you there’s nothing better than french toast… unless it’s Bananas Foster French Toast. I know, I know… Bananas Foster is a dessert, usually served over vanilla ice cream. But who says it can’t be turned into breakfast? I mean we have donuts and coffee cake for breakfast all the time. Why not Bananas Foster? Just substitute the ice cream for some thick challah (or egg bread) and you have a sweet, lip smacking entreé that will make every mother from here to New Orleans thrilled she’s a parent. You can make this dish with bourbon or without. Honestly though, unless you’re under the age of 21 why would you make it without? I know I wouldn’t. But whether or not you decide to add the extra kick, I promise you it’s delicious both ways. It’s also the perfect way to show Mom how much you love her.

Bananas Foster French Toast

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf of challah, sliced into nice thick slices
• 2 cups of heavy cream
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup butter, divided
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1-2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
• 3 ripe bananas, sliced

Directions:

1. Whisk together the cream, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla in a large bowl.
2. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Dip the bread in the cream mixture, making sure it’s soaked through. Place the slice of bread in the skillet and cook, flipping once, for about five minutes, or until it’s golden brown. Transfer to a plate, set aside and keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the bread.
3. Once the french toast is prepared, melt two tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the maple syrup and bourbon (if you’re using it) and cook for one minute. Add the bananas and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the bananas are heated through and covered in the maple/bourbon sauce.
4. Divide the french toast among the plates, ladle the bananas foster over it and serve immediately.

While most people are making margaritas this weekend for Cinco de Mayo, I thought I’d post that other cocktail you find so often in Mexican restaurants. No not the Strawberry Daiquiri, the plain old Daiquiri. But believe me when I tell you that the original Daiquiri is anything but plain. It’s got punch. It’s got zing. And that kick of sweetness should put this cocktail at the top of your Cinco de Mayo menu.

I know people think of tequila when they think of the Mexican holiday because tequila and Mexico go together like chips and guacamole. But rum shouldn’t be dismissed during this holiday. And neither should the daiquiri. The rum isn’t as sharp as tequila (especially Cuervo) and has a smoothness that when coupled with the lime juice and syrup makes for a wonderfully refreshing drink. Actually, if you think about it, the only difference between the margarita and the daiquiri is the alcohol you use. Oh, and the salt. But otherwise, they’re the same drink. Okay, so they’re not the same, but they’re definitely related.

Just like its icy counterpart, the original daiquiri was created in Cuba. Although most believe it’s from 1896, there’s some skepticism behind this date because rum, limes and sugar (the ingredients in the cocktail) were all (and still are) readily available in the country. But even if Cubans were drinking this refreshing concoction before 1896, it wasn’t until Jennings Cox, an American believe it or not, ran out of gin for his VIP guests and decided to record his new creation. The only liquor around was rum and since he didn’t like his rum straight, he added fresh lime juice and sugar. He named the drink after the town he worked in as a mining engineer. That’s right, Daiquiri. It remained a Cuban specialty until 1909 when Admiral Lucius Johnson of the US Navy brought the drink back to the States; and of course once it was here, it really took off.

For some reason, the original daiquiri fell off people’s radar sometime after WWII, though no one really knows why. Maybe it was because the frozen daiquiri was sweeter. Maybe because there were so many other delicious cocktails to choose from. But whatever the reason, seeing as how Cinco de Mayo’s tomorrow, it seems like the perfect reason to renew its popularity.

Daiquiri

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. white rum
• 1 oz. lime juice
• 2-3 dashes gomme syrup

Directions:

1. Pour all the ingredients into a  cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for about a minute. Strain into a cocktail glass and serve.

It’s that time of year again: when every Mexican restaurant and bar you can think of will be full of people drinking margaritas and eating tacos to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. But since I’m not a big fan of crowds, I prefer to celebrate these types of holidays at home. And since Cinco de Mayo falls on Sunday this year, it’s the perfect opportunity to get some friends together and have a party in the backyard with some delicious chicken off the grill.

Cinco de Mayo is about three things: celebrating the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, eating good food with friends and drinking tequila cocktails. But who says the tequila has to be limited to shots and margaritas? Mix it up with some lime juice and you’ve got a delicious marinade that adds a nice little kick to your Mexican feast (and fiesta).

While tequila goes with pretty much every protein, my favorite is chicken. And the best way to share chicken with a group? Grill it up on the barbecue of course. Trust me, the smokiness from the grill combined with the tequila/citrus marinade only enhances the flavor of the chicken. Serve it up with some Spanish rice or black beans and you have a kick-ass entree to share with your guests.

Tequila-Marinated Chicken

Ingredients:

• 12 bone-in chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup tequila
• juice of 2 limes
• 2 chipotle peppers finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place the chicken in a resealable bag.
2. Whisk together the orange juice, tequila, lime juice, chipotle pepper, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Pour the marinade over the chicken, seal the bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken and reserve the marinade.
3. Preheat the grill to 375°F and adjust the flames for indirect heat. Spray the grill with cooking spray and place the chicken on the grill plates. Cover and cook for 50-60 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink. While the chicken cooks, brush the marinade over the thighs a few times and flip them. Once done, serve with rice or beans and a nice, cool margarita.

When most people talk about stingers they always seem to mention Cary Grant playing a navy pilot in Kiss Them for Me and shouting “Stingers, and keep them coming”. I however, have never seen this movie which is a surprise since I’m a huge Cary Grant fan and have seen some of his more obscure films. But that’s besides the point. See, when I think of the cocktail a different movie comes to mind: Beaches. I know, I know, please don’t judge as I admit this embarrassing piece of information. What can I say, I like Bette Midler.  And since I’m such a big fan of her’s I’ve seen the movie several times. Her cocktail of choice? A stinger. So, ever since this 80′s chick flick I’ve wondered what a stinger was. Well, it’s only taken twenty-odd years, but I can finally tell you.

The stinger is a sweet after-dinner drink that can be served on the rocks or straight up. I prefer the rocks version since it is such a sweet cocktail as the ice cuts that sweetness quite a bit. What makes it so sweet you ask? The combination of the two liqueurs that make up the drink: crême de menthe and brandy. But while the drink is on the sweeter side, it’s also these two alcohols that turn it into a wonderful digestive; which is also why the cocktail is even better when paired with a rich chocolate dessert.

Unfortunately, unlike some of the other cocktails on this blog, the stinger doesn’t have a definitive creation date. I can’t tell you who or where the cocktail was created because no one bartender, bar or hotel has staked their claim. Although the stinger does appear in Esquire’s 1949 Handbook for Hosts, the drink was around long before then. Some believe it was created during the prohibition because the crême de menthe was an ideal choice to hide the home-brewed hooch flavor. But the cocktail can be found in Tom Bullock’s 1917 Ideal Bartender so that kills that theory. Then there are those that believe William Schmidt created the drink in 1891, but he referred to the concoction as a Judge so there’s no way to be sure if it was really the same drink or not.

No matter how the drink was created or who created it, it’s still a delicious digestif and should be considered the next time you’re having a decadent dessert. It’s a nice change of pace from the more traditional coffee drinks, which are pretty standard and in my opinion, kind of boring.

Stinger

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 oz. brandy
• 3/4 oz white crême de menthe

Directions:

1. Pour the brandy in an old fashioned glass over ice. Add the crême de menthe, stir with a stirrer and serve.

I love couscous and rice. Both are great side dishes and rice makes a wonderful risotto. I eat them both pretty often as they’re wonderful with chicken, fish and even steak. Quinoa also makes a delightful side dish, however I have never, ever been a fan. See, I’ve tried to make it a few times and it’s just never turned out. There was always a bitter aftertaste that didn’t sit well. So, I’d pretty much given up on quinoa until it came as a side salad with a sandwich I ordered at a restaurant. It was out of this world which of course piqued my curiosity.

Then a very good friend of mine kept telling me what a huge fan she was of quinoa. I told her how I’d tried to cook it and it never seemed to turn out. She asked if I was rinsing it before cooking it and I admitted I didn’t know I was supposed to rinse it first. She smiled and said rinsing was the key. If I rinsed it thoroughly I’d probably love it. So I decided to give it another shot. And since I love risotto, I thought I’d make a risotto using quinoa instead of rice. My friend was right: rinsing made all the difference.

Know what else made a difference? The Parmesan cheese and mushrooms.  Not only did the cheese and mushrooms add a great earthiness to the dish, the mushrooms made it significantly healthier. I’ve always been a big mushroom fan but I never knew the health benefits or that you should never, ever eat mushrooms raw as they’re essentially indigestible and contain small amounts of toxins. That’s sort of a scary thought considering I’ve spent many years eating raw mushrooms in salads. Hopefully I’ll live long enough to finish this post. Anyway, it turns out it’s best to cook the mushrooms before eating them as the heat releases their nutrients and certain proteins. Maybe that’s why they’ve been used as both food and medicines in Asia for centuries. According to Dr. Andrew Weil, a regular contributor to Prevention Magazine, the best types of mushrooms to use are shiitake, maitake and oyster.

I used shiitake and maitake in my risotto which means I not only reduced the risk of several types of cancer, the maitakes have an immune-enhancing effect which means I’ll be able to ward off the common cold a little more effectively. And with two sons who are constantly catching colds, it’s nice to know one of my favorite fungi will help keep it at bay. But just because these are the mushrooms I used doesn’t mean you have to. Feel free to use any mushrooms you like, except button as they offer no health benefits whatsoever.  Too bad too because button and cremini are my favorite mushrooms. Oh well, good thing shiitakes are readily available at my local grocery store.

Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 6 oz. mixed Asian mushrooms
• 1 leek, white and pale green parts chopped
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat the chicken stock in a sauce pan and keep warm.
2. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until the juices start to release and they’re golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
3. Add the leeks to the pan and cook until tender, about 6 minutes.
4. Stir in the quinoa and white wine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the the liquid is absorbed.  Add the chicken broth a half cup at a time and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process until all the chicken broth has been used and the quinoa is translucent in color. This process should take about 20 minutes.
5. Stir in the mushrooms and Parmesan cheese until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Since strawberry season is upon us I wanted to do a strawberry cocktail. But finding a vintage cocktail made with strawberries proved somewhat difficult. The only thing I could come up with was a margarita or daiquiri. But I knew those wouldn’t work. I mean do you really think either one of those drinks was created before 1960? Well, guess what? They were! Waaaaay before it turns out. The margarita was created in the late 40′s and the frozen daiquiri in 1912, which means it totally fits into the classic cocktail category. And I can’t think of a better drink to show off the supple red fruit than the daiquiri, can you?

I’ve been a fan of the strawberry daiquiri since I was a kid. Okay, before you call the police on my parents for serving alcohol to a minor, know that before I turned 21 I was drinking virgin daiquiris. While they’re not nearly as much fun as the liquored up version, to a kid, a virgin strawberry daiquiri is the best summer drink available, especially when eating out at a Mexican restaurant. It was sweet, ice cold and came in the coolest glass. It was like a slushy from 7-11 without all the extra processed crap and food coloring. I always looked forward to going to our local Mexican restaurant because I knew before I even got out of the car that I’d be ordering up a strawberry daiquiri to go with my tacos.

While this drink was great without the alcohol, it’s even better with. The rum not only adds a nice kick, it makes the drink even sweeter since rum is actually made from fermented sugar cane. The combination of strawberries and rum make the daiquiri the perfect spring or summer cocktail. Not only do you have fresh, sweet strawberries, but the rum makes this drink the ideal choice  for beach or pool parties. And come on, you know Bacardi is waaaaaay better than Cuervo.

But you’re probably wondering how a drink that’s served at every Mexican restaurant in the world could possibly be from 1912. Well, the story goes that Constantino Ribailagua of La Floridita Bar in Havana, Cuba was the first to create the frozen daiquiri. It was his idea to serve the rum over crushed ice. Since blenders didn’t exist in those days, serving drinks over crushed ice was a novelty. Unlike ice cubes, the crushed ice had an instant freezing effect, so adding it to a cocktail turned a plain old daiquiri into the sorbet-like concoction kids and adults alike have all come to know and love.

Strawberry Daiquiri

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 oz. white rum
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
• 5 strawberries, hulled

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend for 10-15 seconds. Add the crushed ice and blend for a few more seconds. Pour into a large goblet and garnish with a strawberry. Serve with a straw.

It’s officially strawberry season. While most of us have been able to get strawberries all year, the fact that it’s not officially strawberry season means not only will the prices go down at the grocery stores and farmer’s markets but they’re going to be super sweet and seriously delicious.

It’s during this time of year that my mind goes wild with possibilities. Of course the first thing I think of are baked goods like strawberry rhubarb muffins or strawberry short cake.  Then I go to cold options like popsicles and ice cream. But since I’m trying to lose the last of my baby weight and I’m not eating as many sweet things, I think about how I can use those luscious red berries in non-fattening recipes. Well, last week Better Homes and Gardens came to my rescue. They suggested making a sauce for a stuffed chicken breast – the perfect answer to my quest.

I’ve always loved mixing salty and sweet flavors together. Because of my serious sweet tooth, I’m always trying to find ways to add a sweet kick to savory entrees. And the best way to do that is to add fruit or fruit juices. This strawberry sauce is the best of both worlds because it’s made with fresh whole strawberries, strawberry jam and vinegar. Then everything is mixed together and cooked in the oven until it’s thick and bubbling. It’s soooooo delicious, I could’ve eaten the sauce all by itself. While it goes well with chicken, I’m sure it’d be just as wonderful over lamb or a savory waffle. But the best news about this awesome sauce is that my son was a fan too. And since we all enjoyed it, I bet you will as well.

Parmesan-stuffed Chicken with Strawberries

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
• 1/4 cup strawberry jam
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 6 basil leaves, chopped
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Place the strawberries in an ungreased baking dish with the jam, vinegar, salt and pepper and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl mix together the cheese and basil and set aside.
4. Using a small, sharp knife slice a pocket into each chicken breast. Stuff the cheese mixture into the chicken and secure the pocket with toothpicks. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
5. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and stir for one minute. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, turning once, until they’re golden brown. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Place the baking dish with the strawberry mixture in the oven and cook both the chicken and strawberries for 12 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink and the strawberry mixture is thick. Place each breast on a plate, cover with the strawberry sauce and serve.