Sauté the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, until they begin to soften.

Add the seasonings. Add the garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, bouillon, salt, paprika, adobo, and black pepper. Cook for about 1 minute.

Make the roux. Sprinkle the ¼ cup flour over the vegetables. Stir continuously for about 1 minute. You want the flour thoroughly mixed with the olive oil and coating the vegetables.

Add the orzo and broth. Stir in the 1 ½ cups dry orzo. Gradually pour in 3 cups chicken broth while stirring. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered according to the orzo package directions, usually about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir frequently because the starch makes this mixture prone to sticking. If it becomes too thick before the pasta is cooked, add broth about ¼ cup at a time.

Make it creamy. Once the orzo is tender, turn the heat down to low and stir in the lactose-free milk and chicken. Cook gently for another 2 to 3 minutes. Don't aggressively boil the milk.

Add the vegetables. Stir in the frozen peas and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add parsley and a light sprinkle of Parmesan if you want it.

Pearled Barley Version: Use 1 cup dry pearled barley in place of the 1 ½ cups orzo. Cook the barley first. Put the barley in a separate saucepan with 1 cup pearled barley and about 3 cups water or chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, usually around 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the barley. Reserve about 1 cup of the barley cooking liquid before draining the barley. Prepare the vegetables, seasonings, and ¼-cup flour roux exactly as above. Instead of adding 3 cups broth and raw orzo, start with 1 ½ cups chicken broth. Gradually stir that into the roux and bring it to a simmer. Then add the cooked barley, 1 cup lactose-free milk, and 2 cups cooked chicken. Let everything simmer gently for several minutes. If it's too thick, add some of your reserved barley cooking liquid, about ¼ cup at a time. If it's thinner than the orzo version, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold lactose-free milk until completely smooth. Stir that into the simmering dish and give it 1 to 2 minutes. Then add the peas and finish it just like the orzo version.