Poultry

Milanese, which means “in the style of Milan,” refers to meat (chicken, pork, or veal) that is pounded to an even thickness and then breaded. In this more healthful (and spatter-free) version of the classic Italian dish, the cutlets are baked, not pan-fried.

Chicken thighs stay moist when cut into pieces and grilled. You could substitute other vegetables, such as summer squash or bell peppers, for the zucchini. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for fifteen minutes to keep them from scorching on the grill.

Roasting a large chicken breast is a nice alternative to cooking a whole chicken, especially if you prefer white meat. A bone-in, skin-on turkey breast half (about three-and-a-half pounds) also works well in this recipe; cook for about an hour and a half.

Extra vegetables and a lighter crust make this comfort-food classic a smarter choice than traditional versions. Using store-bought phyllo dough cuts down on prep time.

Coating the chicken slices in cornstarch before cooking them encourages browning. Add the basil after the stir-fry is off the heat, so its flavor stays bright.

A bit of planning ahead makes preparing weeknight dinners a breeze. Use the extra chicken from Roast Chicken and Parsnips with Swiss Chard (page 149) in one of the recipes below.

A bit of planning ahead makes preparing weeknight dinners a breeze. Use the extra chicken from Roast Chicken and Parsnips with Swiss Chard (page 149) in one of the recipes below.

Roasted chicken breasts gain a big boost with surprising sides: caramelized parsnips and wilted Swiss chard. To save time, this recipe calls for roasting four additional chicken breast halves to use in one of the recipes on the following page.

Brimming with peas and carrots and topped with fresh-dill dumplings, this nourishing one-pot meal is just right for cold evenings. Keeping the heat at medium-low helps the chicken cook slowly, so it turns out ultra-tender.

Chicken thighs are a more flavorful (and economical) alternative to breasts, and just as versatile. A spice-and-ginger rub flavors the meat, while the heat of the broiler crisps the skin.

A pureed bell pepper and garlic sauce tops grilled chicken breasts; it can also be tossed with pasta. If you like, double the amounts called for below and refrigerate the extra sauce up to one week in an airtight container.

Here, peanuts lend a golden, crisp crust to chicken breasts—and because the dish is baked, there’s no need for a frying pan. Other nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, can be used instead. Blanched asparagus, tossed with butter and lemon zest, rounds out the dish.

Chicken breasts get bold bursts of flavor from a zesty topping of cherry tomatoes, lime juice, cilantro, and green olives. Serve this dish with rice or a simple green salad and crusty bread.

Thick, flat udon noodles have a sumptuous, chewy texture. Look for them in the Asian-food section of the supermarket. If you can’t find udon, use linguine—just break the noodles in half before boiling them.

In this homemade version of the popular store-bought soup, chicken thighs and a wild-rice blend combine for a rich and nourishing dish.

There’s no need to boil the noodles separately; here, they are cooked in the savory broth that serves as the base of this soup. Look for soba noodles in the Asian-food or pasta section of the grocery store. If you can’t find them, use whole-wheat spaghetti instead.

MAKING CHICKEN STOCK is one of the easiest things in the world; toss the ingredients in a pot and let it simmer while you do something else. After trying dozens of recipes, I settled on this one, which makes a pot of stock and a poached chicken for dinner or lunch the next day. Crunchy Chicken and Rice Salad (page 53), The Big Omelet (page 210), Chicken Salad with Corn and Cilantro (page 51), and Chicken-Avocado Salad (page 49) are delicious ways to enjoy the poached chicken. Browning the vegetables increases the flavor of the stock and lends a nice golden color. Adding wine enriches the flavor while deglazing the pan.

STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS ARE EASY TO PREPARE but have a wow factor that will impress your guests (or your family). Earthy kale and savory olive tapenade come together to dress up ordinary chicken.

THIS RECIPE IS AKIN TO A HOMEMADE ROTISSERIE CHICKEN without the hassle. Use the lime marinade below as a base recipe; feel free to add more fresh herbs, other citrus fruit, shallots, or ginger.

HARISSA IS A FIERY MOROCCAN SPICE BLEND made with chili peppers that appears often in Mediterranean cooking. It comes both dried and as a paste, and when we started selling the spice at Pasta & Co we created this dish to celebrate its vibrant flavor. The trick here is pounding the chicken breasts until they are uniformly thin to let the marinade penetrate, which both flavors and tenderizes the meat.