Herbed Chicken Meatballs and Seared Halloumi

Herbed Chicken Meatballs with Seared Halloumi 

prep time : 35 minutes 

yield : 3 servings 

1lb ground chicken 
1 egg
1/4 cup Panko 
2 Tbsp Mayo
1 ½ Tbsp Red or White Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Sambal 
1 ½ tsp Kosher Salt 
a few cracks of fresh black pepper
½ cup Mixed Fresh Herbs, minced – Scallion, Parsley ,Cilantro, Basil, Mint (pick 2 or 3)
½ cup Plain Whole Fat Yogurt
4 oz Halloumi Cheese 
1 pint cherry tomatoes 
Cooking oil 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

In a small bowl whisk together minced herbs, mayo, vinegar, sambal, salt and pepper. Remove 1 tablespoon of the mixture and set aside. In a larger bowl combine remaining herb mix, egg, bread crumbs and ground chicken. Mix to combine. Refrigerate the bowl for 15 - 20 minutes. Scoop into golf ball sized portions and place on a sheet tray. The meat is going to be very soft so using a cookie scoop or two spoons is very helpful for portioning. Combine yogurt with reserved tablespoon of herb mixture and set aside until plating. 

Drizzle tomatoes with a small bit of oil and season with a pinch of salt. 

Place tomatoes on their own tray and put both meatballs and tomatoes in the oven and cook through, about 15-20 minutes. Tomatoes should just start to explode when ready. Meatballs will be firm and no longer pink in the middle. 

While meatballs and tomatoes cook, heat a small sauté pan with a splash of oil

over high heat. Carefully place the halloumi in the pan and sear on both flat sides until golden brown. 

Slice seared halloumi into bite sized pieces. 

Schmear half the yogurt on the bottom of a plate, add meatballs, tomatoes and halloumi in a big pile and dollop remaining yogurt on top. If you have leftover herbs you can use them as a garnish.