I appreciate virtually all genre of foods, but one of my absolute favorites is Mediterranean. The textures, bright flavors and use of healthful ingredients (greens! citrus! herbs! olive oil!) make it easy to love. Last week, I woke up one morning with a big  craving for Mediterranean, and set out to make something to sate my appetite that evening. The catch? I’m going to Cabo this week. I needed it to be bikini friendly!

Now, lest you read the rest of this recipe and think “bikini friendly?!”, I should note that for me, that meant limited carbs and only healthy fats. I don’t mind being stuffed to the gills if it’s with mostly vegetables! But, my splurges in this recipe included the use of dark chicken meat (which, to be honest, I normally use anyway because I think it has so much more flavor and is easier to cook), as well as a little bit of feta cheese. But otherwise, I think I did pretty well!

Starting with a quick marinade of lemon juice, honey and herbs, I cooked the chicken legs to golden brown deliciousness. While they finished in the oven, I whipped together a side “Greek” salad with tomatoes, cucumber, shallot and feta cheese. I loved that this dinner packed so much flavor and nutrition, but since everything was cooked in one skillet, it was also a cinch to clean up!

Mediterranean Chicken with Honey, Lemon and Oregano, Quick-braised Chard and Greek Salad

Easily serves 2 hungry people; Difficulty Level: Intermediate-Beginner

For the Chicken:

• 3 Meyer lemons (see note at bottom)
• 5 sprigs oregano, leaves stripped, minced
• 1 tbsp honey (more to taste, see note at bottom)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 for cooking
• –kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
• Two whole skin on, bone in chicken legs, split between leg and thigh (you can also buy separately if whole legs are not available), cleaned and pat dry with paper towels

For the Salad:

• 4 extra small vine cluster tomatoes (look for ones a slightly bigger than golf balls — I used the Campari variety), cut into eighths
• 5″ piece of organic cucumber, washed well, sliced however you prefer (I did quarter rounds. Note: you can peel the cucumber if you like, but I personally like the rind, as long as it’s from an organic cuc)
• 1 medium shallot, outer paper peeled and roughly chopped 
• 2 sprigs oregano, leaves stripped and minced
• 0.2 oz feta
• Juice of half a lemon (use the leftover lemon half from the marinade, above)
• extra virgin olive oil to taste (I used about 3 tbsp)
• –kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

For the Chard:

• 1 whole bunch white Swiss Chard, cleaned, tough white stems removed and leafy greens chopped into large pieces

For the chicken:

Preheat your oven to 375°. Zest two of the lemons and place the zest in a small bowl. Cut all three lemons in half and juice 5 of the halves (2.5 lemons total) into the bowl, taking care to not let any seeds fall in. Reserve the last half of lemon for the Greek salad. Add in the minced oregano, the honey, 3 tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Stir until the honey and lemon juice are well emulsified into the oil.

Place the chicken pieces in a shallow baking dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken. If you have time, you can let this sit for 20-30 minutes, otherwise, let it sit for five (I was in a hurry and did the quick marinade, and it turned out great). In a medium oven-safe skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Add in the chicken pieces skin side down with tongs (do not pour in the marinade yet) and allow to brown on the first side, about 2 minutes. Try not to move the meat around, so it will turn brown without tearing. The honey will cause things to brown more quickly, so keep an eye on it.

When the meat has browned on the first side, quickly turn all the pieces over with tongs and pour in the marinade from the baking dish. Quickly stir with the tongs to release any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. If you are using a pan that has a wider diameter and the amount of liquid looks low, add in a few tablespoons of water. You want the total amount of liquid to be about 1/4″ deep, maybe a tiny bit more. Immediately move the entire pan to the oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes, uncovered, or until the chicken is just cooked through, depending on the size of your pieces and your oven. The juices/sauce will have reduced down.

Remove the chicken from the oven, and transfer the pieces onto a heat proof plate. Using oven mitts (careful!), pick up the skillet and pour about 2/3 of the leftover juices over the chicken on the plate. Tent with foil until ready to serve.

For the salad:

While the chicken is cooking (or marinating, you can do this step during either break), combine all the ingredients for the Greek salad, toss, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Having this extra time will allow the ingredients to meld a bit.

For the chard:

Okay, so your cooked chicken should be resting on the plate and now you have the skillet with a bit of the marinade leftover. Using an oven mitt (’cause remember, the pan is hot since you just took it from the oven!), place the skillet with the chicken juices and reduced marinade onto the stove over medium heat. It should begin simmering quickly, since the pan is already so hot from being in the oven. Add the chopped chard into the skillet, turning with the tongs until it is wilted and cooked through, about 5 minutes. You shouldn’t need to season this very much since the juices in the pan already had seasoning.

To plate, mound a bit of the greens up, place one or two of the chicken pieces on top, and garnish with the salad on the side. Pour as much of the reserved chicken juices over the meat as you’d like.

NOTES: If you can’t find Meyer lemons, use regular lemons instead. You might want to taste the marinade and see if you want to add in more honey, as Meyer lemons tend to be sweeter than regular lemons. You can also try this recipe with chicken breasts if you don’t want to use dark meat, just be SURE not to overcook them, because the moist heat in the oven will quickly make the meat tough if you don’t watch it. Finally, if you have any leftovers and store this in the fridge, don’t forget to pour any reserved sauce over the chicken. It’ll continue to marinate overnight and be extra delicious when you heat it up tomorrow (I did this and trust me, it’s good stuff).

It might be hard to believe, but there was a time in my life when I did not readily consume meat. I didn’t call myself a vegetarian or anything like that. In fact, looking back, my abstention from meat had less to do with me not finding it scrumptious, and everything to do with cutting up too many dead animal carcasses in culinary school, so much so that it completely grossed me out. Well, that and I hadn’t quite gotten over the slaughter videos we watched.

But if there was one thing that could bring me back to the dark, dirty, deliciously wonderful omnivorous side of the culinary world, it was pork. And more specifically, pork products.

It’s funny, when I was little, I hated all manner of pork-related product that wasn’t a chop. My mother had the audacity to try and force feed me Vienna sausages on picnics (which, I still believe, are a cruel, sick joke the food gods are playing on humanity — surely, those beige nuggets that smell suspiciously like cat food aren’t really meant to be eaten?). There was no such thing as mortadella in my world, only Oscar Meyer bologna. And the first time I read the label on the package, I nearly threw up.

Where was I going with all this? Oh right. Pancetta. And prosciutto. Delicious things. Things that I could shove in my maw daily, with reckless abandon.

In college, when I became more interested in food (or at least, more so than I already was), it took me a while to figure out the difference between pancetta and prosciutto. Both were pork, I knew, but that was about it. Maybe you’ve been curious too.

The differences are this: Pancetta is made from pork belly, like bacon. Unlike bacon, it is usually not smoked. Similar to (most) bacon, it is cured. Unlike bacon, it’s most often seen rolled up, then sliced, versus sliced into long strips. You generally purchase it raw, then cook it.

Prosciutto is made from a pig’s leg. When you think prosciutto, think ham. Prosciutto is dry cured, then eaten. It’s not really raw, per se, but you don’t have to cook the meat before eating it. Aside from craftsmanship, species, and terroir, prosciutto and jambon and jamón all kind of mean the same thing etymologically.

Pancetta often has a whole spice box worth of things rubbed into it while it’s being cured: juniper berries, black pepper, chili, fennel, even spices like clove or nutmeg. Prosciutto generally does not have these things.

Prosciutto you’ll often see served in gossamer thin slices, cold or at room temperature. It can also be fried or baked so that it crisps up, and is then used as a garnish. These days, you’ll see prosciutto added to any number of dishes, hot or cold, from salads to pizzas to burgers to pasta.

Pancetta is usually always an element of a dish, meant to deepen flavors, add richness, and — in many instances — provide a touch of luxury.

You’ll notice I’ve added lots of qualifying words to each of these statements: “almost always,” “usually,” etc. That’s because chefs are a crazy lot, and with their creativity, who knows how ingredients could be utilized!

Last weekend, I made baked trout for dinner and served it alongside some quick-braised kale with pancetta. This recipe is a great way to get some dark green vegetation into your meal — especially if you went out to eat five nights in a row, like SOME people around here.

Quick-braised kale with pancetta

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves of garlic, cut in half
• 1/4-1/2 cup diced pancetta (I asked my deli to give me one slice of pancetta that was 1/2″ thick, and this was the perfect amount)
• 1 bunch of kale, chopped into large pieces (you can use curly leaf or cavalo nero — whatever is available)
• 1/2-1 cup of water
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 tsp to 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• –kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot, combine the olive oil, red pepper flakes, garlic and the pancetta. Heat over medium, allowing the seasonings to infuse the oil. The pancetta should begin to sizzle, render its fat, and turn golden.

Add in all of the kale. The pot may look very full at first, but trust me, this will cook down a lot. Season the leaves well with salt and pepper.

Pour in 1/2 cup of water, the lemon juice and 1 tsp of sugar. Stir to combine, being sure to fold the pancetta bits over the leaves, so they all get coated in the flavored oil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook gently until the leaves have all wilted. If you need a little more water, pour it on in.

Taste one of the leaves, and decide whether you like the balance of flavors. Kale can be bitter (and especially so since I don’t remove the inner stalks of the leaves), so the key is to balance it out with acidity (sour) and sugar (sweet). Add more lemon or sugar as needed — or even salt, if you think that’s what your taste buds will like.

Serve hot and enjoy.

In another month, Joe will be taking his third (and hopefully final) CFA exam. For those of you who aren’t familiar with how the CFA works, candidates must take the three part exam over three successive years. So, in year one, you take the Level I exam; if you pass that, then the next year you take Level II, and so on. If (and when!) Joe passes Level III this June, he’ll finally be a Charter holder.

I couldn’t be happier.

Both because of what it will mean for him, but also because the last three springs have required him to study for several hours a day on the weekend. We haven’t been able to go anywhere or do anything for Memorial Day since 2006 (sacrilege, as Memorial Day is one of my favorite holidays–it’s the start of summer!). In years past, CFA study season has also meant an increase in Joe’s weekend beer and wine consumption. And this year has been no exception. Who could blame him? Would YOU want to work 55 hours a week, and then study for another 12 over the weekend? I didn’t think so. And with such dedication comes the dire need for a brewsky. Nothing a little Leffe can’t fix!

Of course, with our recent shift to a “good, clean living” diet in conjunction with all his CrossFit workouts, Joe’s conscience inevitably speaks up somewhere around beer 3, and to reconcile it, he’ll request that we have something  healthful for dinner.

So last Sunday, in an effort to cleanse both the conscience and the liver, I made my version of Caldo Verde, the famed Portugeuse kale soup. Like all bitter greens, kale is thought to have liver cleansing properties, and it’s also chock full of vitamins A, C and K. Normally, Caldo Verde is made with chorizo, but I decided to forgo the meat, delicious and greasy as it is. Just before serving, I also gave the soup a quick whirl with my immersion blender, rendering it a color of green that asked “How can I NOT be healthful?”; it also transformed the texture into something smoother, more velvety.

It was super easy to make, and it certainly gave us both a sprightly kick in our step on Monday morning. Here’s the recipe:

Quick & Easy Caldo Verde

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, medium diced
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 3 small yukon gold potatoes, washed, then diced
• 8 cups homemade chicken stock
• 1 bunch spinach, cleaned, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch curly leafed kale, cleaned, roughly chopped
• 1 lemon, zested, then cut in half
• –kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste (may need as much as 1 1/2 tbsp of salt, 1 tsp of pepper)
• –shredded roasted chicken (optional)

In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add in the potatoes, and cook for 1 minute more. Pour in the chicken stock, cover the pot, and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Lower the heat to low. Add in the greens in batches, until they wilt and completely fit in the pot. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until the greens are finely chopped, and the potatoes completely pureed. The soup should be a vibrant green. Add in the lemon zest, then the juice of one of the lemon halves (more to taste). Season to taste with salt and pepper, garnish with chicken if using, then serve.