Beat Flu Season with a Shot of Citrus


There's a lot we look forward to each winter -- snow, the holidays, hot toddies... But the coldest months of the year are also the season for coughs, sniffles, and runny noses.


Here at FOOD52, we like to stave off the flu with a different kind of shot. We've already begun stocking our fridges with immune system-boosting fruits, and come December we'll be using citrus in everything from healthful salads to (probably not-so-healthful, but definitely delicious) desserts.


Below are 7 of our favorite citrus recipes.




Orange Green Tea Sparkler by Merrill


Orange Green Tea Sparkler
Orange Green Tea Sparkler



My neighbor and I had a conversation recently about a concoction she often throws together involving iced green tea and orange juice. I decided to try my own version, adding some sparkling water for a little fizz. - Merrill

Serves 1

1 green tea bag, or the equivalent in loose tea
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 orange wedge for serving
Sparkling water


1. Boil a kettle of water and put the tea bag in a mug. Pour 8 ounces of boiling water over the tea and stir in the honey. Taste and add more honey if you like, but remember you'll be adding orange juice later. Allow the tea to steep at room temperature until cool.

2. Fill an 8-ounce glass with ice and add 1/2 cup of the tea, the orange juice and an orange wedge. Top up with sparkling water, stir gently and sip slowly.

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Red Leaf Salad with Roasted Beets, Oranges, and Walnuts


Red Leaf Salad with Roasted Beets, Oranges, and Walnuts
Red Leaf Salad with Roasted Beets, Oranges, and Walnuts


Seems to me beets and oranges are a classic winter salad combination that you see everywhere. Beets and walnuts are too. This one has both, but no red onions and no cheese (often a players with the beets and walnuts). My friend Sophie's dad, Jim Broderick, gave me the idea that really makes this salad great: fennel and orange rind in the dressing. The oranges and beets are best tossed in at the last minute, when you dress the salad to serve it, lest the o-juice and beety color run amok. - Teresa Parker

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Chicken that Fancies Itself Spanish with Lemons, Onions, and Olives

Chicken that Fancies Itself Spanish
Chicken that Fancies Itself Spanish



It was the attention to detail in MeghanVK's cleverly adapted recipe that won us over: the blend of pecorino, flour and smoked paprika used to coat the chicken that renders it shaggy and crisp when browned, the inclusion of both lemon zest and quartered lemons, a dash of cinnamon to lend toasty warmth. And lots of other Spanish flavors are there to join the party: garlic, onion, paprika, fennel, green olives, tomato, white wine. We found that the tenor of the smoky, tangy sauce depended on the quality of the lemons; if your lemons have a thick pith, you'll want to just zest them and squeeze in their juice to avoid a bitter sauce. - Amanda & Merrill

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Mint Limeade

Mint Limeade
Mint Limeade



Tart and refreshing, this limeade is a perfect drink. The mint syrup is intensely flavored, so you don't need much, and vvvanessa applies a particularly light touch with this one sweet element -- which we found made for an invigorating (and highly quaffable) drink. If you've got a sweet tooth, just add a little more of the mint syrup. Simple and lovely in its pure form, this recipe would make a great jumping off point for all sorts of riffs. If you're so inclined, try adding a splash of vodka, or even light rum. - Amanda & Merrill

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Blood Orange Salad with Olives



Blood Orange Salad with Olives
Blood Orange Salad with Olives

I love a salad that I can assemble and dress on a plate. This is a classic salad -- a bit of brine, some slivers of onion, and a little kick of chile -- with a few modern touches like blood oranges and piment d'espelette. Serve as the first course for a dinner party. Follow with roasted fish or grilled lamb. And let the wine flow. - Amanda

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Kentucky Hot Toddy

Kentucky Hot Toddy
Kentucky Hot Toddy



This is a refreshing, balanced toddy that won't make you feel as if you've been hit over the head with the booze. It turns out that bourbon and citrus are a great match, and just a hint of honey smoothes out any rough edges. - Amanda & Merrill

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Lazy Mary's Lemon Tart

Lazy Mary's Lemon Tart
Lazy Mary's Lemon Tart



People who taste this smooth, fragrant tart won't believe that it contains a whole lemon, rind and all! Nor will they understand how you got it to be so fragrant and light and not at all gummy like lemon curd tarts can sometimes be. In our view "Mary" wasn't lazy at all, she was brilliant. She has you whiz the filling together in a blender, then simply pour it into a blind-baked tart shell. Dymnyno gave the tart her own touch -- a Meyer lemon -- which lends it fragrance and finesse and none of the intrusive acidity found in regular lemons. One catch: you'll need to use your own tart dough. If you don't have a favorite, we recommend the Joy of Cooking's sweet pastry dough. We lined a 9-inch fluted tart pan with it, pricked it with a fork, filled it with pie weights and blind-baked it at 375 F for 15 minutes then removed the weights and baked it for another 10 minutes. Once the tart shell cooled we added the lemon filling and sent it back for one last turn in the oven. Start checking it at 35 minutes. - Amanda & Merrill

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