Chicken Breast

Look for marinated feta in the refrigerated section of the supermarket where other specialty cheeses are sold.

Peperonata—an Italian condiment usually made of sautéed tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic—is spiced up with a poblano chile. Here, we've added chicken breasts to turn it into a satisfying main course. Serve Italian-style, over polenta, or Mexican—style, wrapped in warm tortillas with slices of avocado and dollops of sour cream. Instead of chicken, you can also spoon the peperonata over grilled flank steak or crusty grilled bread.

The yogurt in this lightly spiced marinade results in extremely tender lamb, chicken, or shrimp.

This dish requires just four ingredients (aside from oil, salt, and pepper). Serve with an arugula salad.

Supermarket roast chicken can be easily dressed up, as in this lovely salad. Look for almond oil at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

If you can’t find haricots verts, look for slender green beans.

Quick-cooking bulgur can be found at some supermarkets and at natural foods stores.

Comfort food, Peruvian style. The chile sauce's brilliant yellow hue comes from a pinch of turmeric, as well as bottled ají amarillo paste, which also lends a fruity heat. It is thickened with bread and walnuts (a tasty trick for stretching foods to feed many mouths) and blended to a satiny smoothness. Although Peruvian cooks usually shred the chicken and add it directly to the sauce, we like the elegance of serving the roast chicken breasts on top of the sauce and passing extra around in a gravy boat.

Before a revolution breaks out, we want to assure you that we still think real fried chicken—soaked in buttermilk and fried in peanut oil until it’s crispy—is the gold standard. But there's no denying that in the past 20 years two factors have had a huge influence on how we cook: speed and healthfulness. Oven-baked chicken satisfies on both counts, offering a crispy, tasty coating and moist meat with less fat and fewer calories. Plus, it's quick enough to make on a Tuesday night. Add a light, bright arugula salad and you’ve got dinner.

Gremolata is usually made with parsley, garlic, and lemon peel. Here, shallot replaces garlic, and tarragon and orange peel are added.

The gooey glaze on these chicken breasts evokes the festive flavor of dark, fruity sangria (without any resulting headache). Be sure not to use delicious yet bitter British-style marmalade; the recipe works much better with the sweeter variety.

Replacing full-fat coconut milk with a light version reduces fat, not flavor.

This soup has many layers in its complexity, but the overall effect is of cleanness and freshness. An optional addition of jasmine rice makes a heartier meal.

Sweet-and-spicy hoisin sauce is available in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets and at Asian markets.

Polenta makes a supercrisp coating for panfried chicken breasts. Here, it's crowned with wilted escarole and dressed with a bright and briny sauce.

For this interactive dinner, use a camping or induction burner at the table, or just get cozy around a warm stove. As the broth cooks the chicken and vegetables, it becomes a flavorful homemade soup.

This recipe is perfect for a family reunion or any large summer gathering. If your party is being held at a park, be sure to bring charcoal, a chimney starter, oil for the grill grate, and a sturdy grill brush. These chicken breasts cook quickly, but let the coals burn down to medium-hot to cut down on pesky flare-ups.

In a clever switch, a zucchini blossom stands in for the traditional sage-leaf topping. A terrific dinner-party dish.