Colorado food blogger Tieghan Gerard grew up in a big family, with six siblings. At 13, she began helping her dad prepare dinner, and within a few months she had taken over the cooking duties full time. She soon started creating her own recipes, and at 19 she learned photography and started her food blog, Half Baked Harvest. A few years later, the blog became her career, and now her parents and one of her brothers work for her company.
Gerard says that over time her cooking philosophy gravitated toward simple dishes with limited ingredients. Her first cookbook, "Half Baked Harvest Super Simple," is a collection of those recipes, most of which can be on the table in 30 minutes.
She created this Greek-inspired one-skillet chicken dish on a rainy day when all she had in her pantry were jars of marinated artichokes and green olives.
"It was one of those dishes where I threw a bunch of stuff together, hoped it would turn out edible, and ended up with something delicious. It's now a family favorite," she writes in the introduction to the recipe.
White Wine-Braised Chicken With Artichokes And Orzo
Serves 6
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons salted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 cup dry orzo
1 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (8-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1/2 cup pitted green olives
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup cubed or crumbled feta cheese, for serving
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, for serving
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and sear until golden, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a large plate.
In the same pan, combine the butter, garlic and orzo and cook until the garlic is fragrant and the orzo is toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine to the skillet and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the chicken broth, artichokes, green olives, lemon zest and lemon juice. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
Return the chicken and any collected juices to the pan. Transfer to the oven and roast until the chicken is completely cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Divide the chicken and sauce among six plates, top with feta and fresh dill, and serve.
Reprinted from "Half Baked Harvest Super Simple" by Tieghan Gerard. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.