So Many Dishes

When it comes to what I’m cooking for dinner, I’m a planner. Ken and I sit down one evening each week and plan out the menu for the week ahead; I build my grocery list from that. Sometimes we’ll make adjustments, if there’s a change in our schedule or we end up with a lot of leftovers. But meal planning is not a seat-of-the-pants operation around here.

This week started out as usual. I had a favorite chicken and rice dish planned for Thursday. Then, at breakfast Wednesday morning, Ken looked up from reading the Washington Post on his tablet and said, “have you seen this recipe for chicken with preserved lemon and orzo?” I quickly started scrolling, because he added, “it’s got artichokes.” This sounded like it had all the ingredients for a real winner. Suddenly, we’d chucked Thursday’s original plan in favor of the new recipe.

I know that I’ve talked about salted lemons before, because they’re essential to Moroccan cooking. I always have one brining in the fridge, but you can buy jarred salted lemons, as well. Because Ken’s idea of heaven is unlimited artichoke hearts, there is usually a can of them in the cupboard. And there are always boneless chicken breasts in the freezer. We also tend to have orzo on hand, so this was pretty much a pantry meal.

The original recipe calls for chicken thighs; since breast meat is drier, I wanted to compensate. So I marinated the chicken breast in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, and seasoning. Next time, I’ll add half of the seasoning mix that the original recipe calls for to the marinade, so I’ve written it that way.

The result was absolutely delicious. We declared it “a keeper.” The artichokes and orzo were just so good that Ken said it would have been fine without the chicken. And it was quick and easy to cook. Prep was minimal, at least by my standards. We’ll be making this again.

Skillet Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Orzo

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs OR boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces dried orzo pasta
• 1 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 preserved lemon, rinsed, thinly sliced, and seeds removed
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Crumbled feta cheese, for serving

If using boneless chicken breast halves:

• 2 tablespoons additional olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon (not preserved lemon)

Make the spice mixture: in a small bowl, combine the cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

If using chicken breasts: combine the 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, and half of the spice mixture in a ziplock bag. Cut the chicken breast halves in half crosswise, add to bag, zip, and shake thoroughly to coat chicken. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes. Remove from marinade, pat dry, and sprinkle evenly with remaining spice mixture.

For chicken thighs: Pat chicken dry and sprinkle both sides with the spice mixture.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat one tablespoon olive oil until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Flip, and cook until browned on the other side, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Add the orzo and artichoke hearts to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the orzo is fragrant and slightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, preserved lemon, and honey, and stir to combine. Return the chicken, along with any accumulated juices, to the skillet, nesting it in the mixture. Bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 13 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle feta on top and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Happy eating!