Chicken Meatballs with Green Pasta Salad and Herb Dressing

Ingredients

• 800g ground chicken
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or pressed
• 2 eggs
• 100ml / 3.4 fl oz milk or cream
• 50g oats
• 2 tsp coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Butter for frying
• 300g pasta
• 1 bunch green asparagus, chopped
• 175g peas, thawed
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 4 handfuls salad greens
• 3 spring onions, chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Herb dressing - click here for recipe
• Crusty bread
• Optional: crumbled feta

Instructions

1. 1Combine the ground chicken, finely chopped onion, grated garlic, eggs, milk or cream, oats, and season with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper in a bowl, and mix well. Let the mixture rest for 15-20 minutes.
2. 2Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package instructions. Rinse in plenty of cold water and drain in a colander.
3. 3Mix the ingredients for the vinaigrette - olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and Dijon mustard, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Set aside.
4. 4Melt a generous amount of butter in a pan and let it foam.
5. 5Form the mixture into meatballs. Dip a spoon in hot water, scoop up a portion of the mixture, and shape it into meatballs using the spoon and your palm. Fry the meatballs until golden brown on both sides and cooked through - about 5 minutes on each side over medium heat.
6. 6In the meantime, combine the chopped green asparagus, thawed peas, diced cucumber, salad greens, and chopped spring onions in a bowl and toss them with the vinaigrette. Optionally top the salad with feta.
7. 7Serve the warm meatballs with the pasta salad, some crusty bread, and a creamy herb dressing.