Sauteed Kale Salad

When I was growing up in Southern Illinois, it was an annual tradition to serve wilted lettuce salads from the first spring greens out of the garden.  Mom would pile the bibb lettuce in a bowl, fry some bacon, splash some vinegar into the hot bacon grease and drizzle that over the lettuce.  It was warm and delicious.  This recipe for Sautéed Kale is an updated rendition of wilted lettuce.  It is a bit healthier, full of more flavors but still has that tangy, warm dressing drizzled over the top.

Sautéed Kale Salad

1 bag of prepared kale salad

3 strips of bacon, fried

1/4 c dried cranberries

2 T fruit vinegar (I used pear vinegar but any flavor will do)

3 T bacon grease

After you have fried the bacon, pour off all but about 1 T bacon grease and reserve.  Saute the kale in the remaining 1 T grease until it has wilted down some (but not cooked all the way).

Remove to a serving bowl.  Pour about 1 – 2 T of the reserved bacon grease back into the skillet and  get the grease hot but not smoking.  Add the dried cranberries and allow to cook for about 30 seconds.

Turn off the heat and immediately add the vinegar.  BE CAREFUL, it will splatter!  Deglaze the pan and drizzle the mixture over the kale.  Take the bacon and chopped it up then sprinkle it over the salad and serve immediately.