Written by Gillian Arthur
The joy of cooking is definitely a spectrum. There are those who love to cook, those who dabble in cooking, and those who absolutely despise cooking. I will acknowledge that cooking takes a lot of time and a lot of effort: two things most people, especially college students, don’t have these days. Between work and school, it’s hard to find the time to cook or dedicate the time to learn how and even when you want to, your energy is at an all time low. While quarantine presents its own set of challenges, I’m incredibly lucky to have the time to actually have fun in the kitchen.
If you’re looking to try something new this summer, I highly encourage you to take up cooking. You might find it stressful at first, but try not to have that outlook. When you open yourself to cooking it can truly be a relaxing, if not rewarding experience, especially when you do it with the people you love. With that being said, I wanted to share a recipe that will hopefully inspire you all to start cooking and make it a part of your daily routine. I made this recipe with my mom back in May for Mother’s Day and it has become a staple in my kitchen ever since.
Ingredients:
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Juice from 1 lemon (if you want it more zesty I use another lemon :) )
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
Italian seasoning to taste (about 2 tablespoons should suffice)
Orzo pasta (however much you’d like to eat - I just eyeball it)
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Place your olive oil in a skillet on medium heat
While your pan is warming, season your chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides. Lightly rub the seasoning into the chicken.
Gently put your chicken into the skillet, as evenly spaced as possible.
Juice your lemon and put the juice into your skillet with chicken.
Let the chicken cook for about 5 minutes on each side and add in garlic.
Add the chicken broth, coating your thighs and turn down to low-medium heat.
Add in butter and italian seasoning and cover with a lid.
In a separate pot, bring water to a boil while your chicken cooks. Add pasta and cook accordingly. --If you wish to make asparagus with your dish like I did, now would be the time to pop them in a skillet with some olive oil and let saute.
Just before your pasta is ready, add your flour to the chicken thigh skillet and whisk vigorously. Let your mixture thicken - turn heat up or add more flour if needed.
Once your orzo is ready, drain it and prepare to serve -- I like using a flat soup bowl to hold all the broth. You can cut into chicken thighs to make sure it’s fully cooked, I recommend doing so in case it needs more time to cook in the broth.