Chicken on rainy day delightful in the skillet

Colorado food blogger Tieghan Gerard 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 in her book “Half Baked Harvest Super Simple.”

White Wine-Braised Chicken With Artichokes and Orzo

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

2 tablespoons butter

4 cloves garlic, minced or grated

1 cup dry orzo

1 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc

1 ¼ cups chicken broth

1 (8-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped ½ cup pitted green olives

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

½ cup cubed or crumbled feta cheese, for serving

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, for serving

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat 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.

Makes 6 servings.