Sausage Meatballs and Kale with Pancetta

One of my favorite "quick and easy but wholesome" meals is sausage meatballs and kale with pancetta.

Kale is hands down my favorite leafy green.  It's actually a type of cabbage, and it's full of vitamins A and C, lutein, beta carotene, and even calcium.  It's super nutritious with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory (and maybe even anti-cancer!) properties.  And it's in season up through December, so eat up!  It's a very mild green, so it's great to throw into soups and stews, too.


I almost feel silly calling these "recipes" because they're really not!  I don't measure anything, so beware :)

My sausage is pre-seasoned and made from local hogs.  All I add to it is one egg, some freshly grated parmesan cheese, and some homemade sourdough breadcrumbs.  If you're using unseasoned pork, you want to add some spices (just look up "sausage spices" to guide you).  Roll 'em up into balls and put them on an aluminum foil covered cookie sheet.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, or until done. 

While they're baking, I start on the kale.  First, start browning the pancetta in a pan.  Pancetta is similar to bacon, so you could use bacon instead, but I love pancetta, especially since it comes cubed for me!  Tear the kale leaves off of the steam and wash well, the chop.  I don't drain the pancetta (kale loves fat!), I just add a tbsp or so of extra virgin olive oil to the pan before I throw in the chopped kale, tossing to coat.  The other thing that kale loves is acid, so I drizzle on some balsamic vinegar.  Cover and let it cook down, then give it some fresh ground black pepper before serving. 

There you go!  Simple, delicious, and nutritious :)