I was watching a cooking show sometime back and a person described Boursin cheese as the French Velveeta – it could be found in every French refrigerator across the country. Since I haven’t had Velveeta since I was a child, I’m not quite sure of the comparison, but Boursin is usually found in ours.

I was looking for something relatively easy – and I wanted to use up the Boursin – so I headed into the ol’ recipe collection. I’ve been using the Paprika app for recipes since our friend, Bonnie told me about it years ago. There’s now 2085 recipes in the collection. Not counting the 3930 recipes on this site, or the 1039 recipes on my Mom’s Recipe site or the measly 367 recipes on the Flour Power site. Or the cookbooks. Or the magazines…

One could almost surmise I had an obsession with food. Almost.

Actually, it’s an obsession with the recipes, themselves. (And we won’t even go into my obsession with plates, platters, bowls, and glassware. Moving into a much smaller home has pretty much curtailed that, though. Recipes – for the most part – are digital.)

Recipes are a gateway to The World. There’s no way I will ever be able to put a dent in the recipes I’ve collected, but making them all isn’t necessarily the point – envisioning foods being cooked in clay ovens or wrapped in seaweed, or stewed with exotic spice blends that evoke different cultures in faraway lands, is. So I collect, I dream, and even bastardize them and make my own Americanized versions. I am not a food purist. I do not care if you put pineapple on pizza, gochujang ice cream, or a fried ham and gorgonzola won ton soup. Play with your food. Teach your kids to play with their food. Have fun.

Everyone needs a hobby…

Last night’s dinner was a riff on a recipe from The Washington Post. Once upon a time I would get recipes from The New York Times, but we cancelled our subscription back in March. We were tired of giving money to a company that condemned Biden for his age but continually gave Trump a free pass. Yes – politics and food do mix.

 

Skillet Orzo With Chicken, Spinach and Boursin

adapted from the Washington Post

 

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed of excess fat and cut into bite-size pieces
  • Fine salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) dried orzo pasta
  • 2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 cups no-salt-added or low-sodium chicken stock or broth
  • 5 ounces frozen spinach
  • 1/2 cup raisins, dried cherries or other dried fruit
  • 4 ounces Boursin

Step 1
Pat the chicken dry and lightly season with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the chicken pieces in one layer and cook, without moving, until browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken, add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots start to soften, about 2 minutes.

Step 2
Add the orzo and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until fragrant and lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 3
Add the stock or broth, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is almost al dente, about 10 minutes. Fold in the spinach and raisins and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the spinach wilts, the raisins soften, the orzo is al dente and most of the stock has been absorbed, 2 to 5 minutes. (Keep in mind the pasta will continue to absorb more stock as it sits.)

Step 4
Remove from the heat and stir in the Boursin until completely melted. Taste, and season with more salt and/or pepper as desired. Divide among the bowls and serve warm.

I switched out fresh spinach for frozen, and used the Boursin instead of goat cheese – it’s what we had in the house. Besides, as I stated above – I’m not a food purist. Recipes are for inspiration – they’re not chiseled in stone.

And, before you think two of us ate all that, it was dinner last night, lunch, today, and at least one more lunch coming up!

Go have some fun.