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Healthy cooking does not have to be complicated. In fact, what’s the truth? In fact, the simpler the recipe is, the better the taste. In Good for You Test Kitchen editor Rebecca Firkser offers nourishing recipes that can be made with 10 ingredients or less. In 1980s America, fats were out. Labels on packaged food, from yogurts to snacks to microwaveable dinners, proudly announced that the items were “low-fat,” or “nonfat.” Congress backed an official recommendation to their constituents urging them to “avoid excessive” amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol. Americans listened and adjusted their grocery shopping accordingly. They found their shining knight: the boneless, non-skinless chicken breast. Perhaps a whole chicken was served, or the meat was folded into a gooey dish with carrots and peas. The Americans wanted to switch from the heavy red meat to lighter poultry. With fat’s popularity waning, they were eager to open a plant that produced deboned chicken breast meat. This was the first domino in a series of events that led to an explosion of its availability and popularity. McDonald’s boasted that their chicken nuggets were made (and are still made) with only white meat. The boneless skinless breast is the most popular chicken cut in the US. Sales by volume increased nearly three percent last season. It’s a popular choice among bodybuilders, as it is one of the highest-protein foods (and low-fat and carb-free) per calorie, with 3.5-ounce servings offering approximately 30 grams. To put this in context, one large egg has just over six grams. The low-fat content of the cut is usually doubled by the cooking method. Most often, the chicken breasts are grilled, baked, sauteed, or air-fried with as little butter or oil as possible. TikTok is not doing much to improve the end result, which is usually stringy, dry and tough. I’ve averted my eyes from creative monstrosities like “chicken bread,” a low-carb meatloaf-meets-actual-loaf of pureed chicken breast, eggs, and sometimes grated vegetables, that gets baked and sliced like sandwich bread. Even more terrifying was when a Love Is Blind contestant decided to drink a cooked breast of chicken as a smoothie. The chicken breast was blended with water and Crystal Light Powder. He was eager to share with his fiancee how low in calories it was and how high in protein. (They have since split up). I’m here to tell you that one shouldn’t blend chicken breasts. Moisture is key. In fact, that’s usually the reason so-called-healthy recipes often turn out so underwhelming–because the chicken isn’t cooked with enough fat, liquid, and/or seasoning. Poaching is, in my opinion, the best way to cook plain chicken breast. When simmered in just hot enough water to bring it up to a safe temperature the meat will become juicy and tender. This was my method when I made these Miso Chicken Soba Bowls. The miso-fortified boiled water is used to poach the meat, which then becomes the base of the chilled broth. It’s savory, and refreshing. To the delight of meal-prep lovers, the chicken can also be poached several days in advance. (It’s easy to make some extras for lunches with chicken salad). When you return from your happy hour or softball match, simply shingle the sliced meat on top of a tangle soba noodle and blanched snappeas. (Both keep well in the refrigerator for a few more days). Even the busiest of gym bros could fit it in.Miso chicken soba bowlsOn a hot summer day, nothing is more satisfying than cold noodles in an iced broth.View recipe

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Healthy cooking does not have to be difficult. The simpler the recipe, the better the taste. Rebecca Firkser, Test Kitchen’s editor, shares in Good for You nourishing recipes that can be made with 10 ingredients or less. When the weather warms up, nothing is more satisfying than cold noodles in an iced broth. This dish’s star is a skinless, boneless breast of chicken. It’s lean and high in protein, but it doesn’t have the best flavor or texture. When poached in miso, the result is tender, moist meat. Each bowl is built by shingling sliced meat with crunchy sugar snap peas, and nutty soba noodle. If you use 100% buckwheat noodles, such as Eden or King Soba and tamari in place of soy sauce, then this meal is gluten-free. Pour in some broth and make it extra-cold with a few ice cubes in each bowl. It’s basically a miso soup. If you’re really hungry, double the amount: Follow step 1, but use a larger pot so that they can be arranged in a single-layer.

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It also comes with the thermal carafe that will end all thermal carafes; it’s the heaviest one I’ve ever used and kept water above 120degF for four hours. This machine is beautiful, functional, and built for longevity. It’s a luxury item that’s not accessible to everyone. It allows you to adjust the water temperature, flow rate, bloom volume and bloom time. It also makes cold brew over night. It costs almost as much as the Fellow Aiden but doesn’t offer as much. For example, the flow rate and bloom volume can only be set at low, medium or high. While that may be enough for most people, it is important to have all these settings to get the exact flavor you desire from any batch of coffee beans. The Fellow’s more precise features are worth the extra $20. The interface of the Breville can also be a bit confusing. It’s not clear when you turn it on whether you are adjusting settings or starting the brew cycle. Many customization options have unlabeled buttons. The Zojirushi Dome Classic coffee maker has twice the capacity as the Zojirushi Zumto. It also offers a more traditional drip-style coffee experience. It produces coffee that is above average for its price, and it’s easy to use with a single switch. The removable showerhead is great for fully saturating coffee grounds. A “bold” setting concentrates water to extract more flavor. The silicone gasket seals the carafe top during brewing, helping to keep the coffee warm as it drips. The Dome is a great choice if you want a no-fuss, straightforward machine that will make great coffee without breaking your bank. The built-in burr grinder is not as nice or versatile as a stand-alone grinder, but it does the job.

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BiscuitsStep 2Whisk together 2 cups (250g) all-purpose wheat flour, 1/4 cup (50g) granulated granulated, and 1 Tbsp. Baking powder, 2 tsp. Finely grated lemon rind and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or half a teaspoon. Morton kosher sea salt in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup (1 stick), cut into pieces, chilled unsalted Butter, and toss in order to coat. Photo by Alex Lau. Food styling by Sue LiStep 2. Gradually pour 1 1/3 cups chilled cream into the bowl, while tossing the flour mixture constantly with a spatula. Fold dough several times over and onto itself, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a hard plastic spatula or flexible bench scraper. With floured fingers, pat dough into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle or a square. Use a bench scraper or plastic spatula to lift the dough and dust it with additional flour if necessary to prevent sticking. Dust the surface with more flour and then cut the dough into four equal pieces. Stack them on top of one another (this will ensure flakiest biscuits). Dust the stack with flour, then flatten it with a rolling-pin. Roll out to 1/2″ thickness, dusting more flour as necessary.Photo by Alex Lau. Food styling by Sue LiStep 4. Using a 1 1/2″ cutter, dip in flour frequently and punch out biscuits with as much precision as possible. Transfer biscuits onto a plate. You should get about 40 biscuits. If needed, gather up scraps of dough, reroll and punch out additional biscuits. Chill until ready to be used (cover if you are going to chill for more than 30 minutes).Photos by Alex Lau and Food Styling by Sue Li.Do ahead: You can make the dough and/or punch out biscuits a day in advance; wrap tightly and then chill.Fillings and assemblyStep 5.Place a rack at the middle of your oven and preheat it to 400deg. Mix 2 lb. Mix 2 lb. cornstarch, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp. Ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon. Almond extract and 1/4 tsp. In a large bowl, combine Morton or Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Scrape filling into a 2-qt. Press down firmly on the cake pan or baking dish with a 9″ diameter and 2″ sides. Place on a foil lined rimmed baking tray (this will prevent the juices from bubbling and smoking your oven). Step 6Arrange chilled cookies over filling. Fit snugly, so they are touching with only a couple of gaps (some overlaps are fine; reserve any leftover biscuits to bake at a future time). Brush generously with three tablespoons. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. Step 7Bake the cobbler for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350deg. Continue baking until the filling is bubbling in the center, and biscuits are golden brown. This will take 50-65 more minutes. Let it cool down a little. Let cobbler cool for at least 20-30 mins. The filling will become thicker as it cools. Do ahead: Cobblers can be baked up to a day in advance. Store tightly covered at a room temperature. Editor’s Note: This recipe first appeared in our June 2019 issue under the name ‘Cherry Biscuit Cobbler.’ It has been adapted to suit your taste. Click here for more of our favorite recipes featuring cherries.

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One reviewer says, “This recipe hits the right notes.” Grilled steaks, charred tomatoes, and charred corn are all included. But it’s the sugar-and-sumac-spiced pita chips that’ll have you making it again and again–they make a great snack with your afternoon spritz.