5 Healthyish Recipes That Look Way More Complicated Than They Are
Don’t you just love recipes that involve minimal effort but produce great results? When your guests are fawning over how beautiful these dishes look, we promise not to tell them how easy the prep was. Make any one of the recipes below and prepare to rake in the compliments.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser1/5No-Fail Roast Chicken With Lemon and Garlic
It’s general consensus around the Bon Appétit / Healthyish office that Claire Saffitz is a genius. And we don’t use that word lightly when it comes to food. My adoration is more personal: Claire’s recipes make me look really good anytime I have people over, particularly this melt-in-your-mouth roast chicken. It’s actually not dry and totally eliminates one of the most common complaints people have about whole roast chickens: It’s hard to know when they’re cooked all the way through. I like to sub olive oil for butter and save the bones after to make fresh chicken stock. The pan juices are, from what I’ve heard, alarmingly -ish drizzled over roast potatoes. But, full transparency: I never got that far—I literally just poured it into my mouth.
Gentl & Hyers2/5Chorizo, Tomato, and Chickpeas With Yogurt
Honestly, this is one of those meals that really just feels like a hug in your mouth. It’s warm, filling, and all the things your grandma’s mac and cheese is, without being, like, your grandma's mac and cheese. Better yet, no one will be the wiser to your canned chickpeas once they’re slathered in a rich tomato sauce and drizzled with yogurt. And, whatever you do, don’t skimp on the yogurt. The chickpeas are full of protein, but if you want to feel more like you’re eating a full meal, layer it over some fresh pasta, top it with a poached egg, and let that yolk run free.
Alex Lau3/5Smashed Cucumbers and Radishes in Yogurt Sauce
In the words of Amiel Stanek, my colleague and conspirator behind this recipe: “Wheels of cucumbers and radishes are nice and all, but smashing them into ragged pieces is way more fun.” He’s absolutely right. Not only is this recipe super easy and fancy-looking (in that intentionally disheveled way), it’s also downright therapeutic. Pair it with Claire's roast chicken, and you have yourself a power couple. Take my word for it: Add lots and lots of pepper, and don’t shy away from full-fat dairy.
Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott4/5Blueberry-Pecan Galette
Like Amiel’s cucumbers, this galette is totally rustic but impressive-looking, and it's one of my summer dinner party go-tos. I generally like to halve the sugar (like a surly teen, in-season fruit does not need your help), and mix up the fruits with peaches or raspberries. The galette is also a perfect canvas for your inner artist: I love experimenting with different flours, like buckwheat, and using pistachios or almonds instead of pecans. That scoop of ice-cream in the middle is divine, but Greek yogurt is a tasty alternative.
Marcus Nilsson5/5Salmon Niçoise
If you were to eat an actual rainbow, I imagine it would taste like this salad. It’s truly so, so beautiful. Granted, there are a decent number of ingredients, so it’s not quite as simple as the other recipes on this list, but the cooking methods are really straightforward. If you can’t find mâche, traditional frisée is just as delightful.
