It was a hot and sticky summer’s day, and we were having some friends over for a mini Book Club lunch.
Barb was bringing her family’s famous Chili Crack, and I had prepped the fixin’s for Strawberry and Basil Spritzers (with gin!).
Seeing as how it was a hot and sticky summer’s day, I opted for a main course salad; specifically, a Louis salad.
So, I needed shrimp or lobster or…
Shrimp and pork meatballs! And, bonus! they are gluten-free, too!
INGREDIENTS
•1-1/2 lb ground beef/pork blend
•1 lb shrimp, deveined and peeled
•3 scallions, chopped
•5 cloves garlic, minced
•1/2 tsp curry powder
•1/2 tsp Seasoned Salt
•1/2 tsp black pepper
•1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper
Heat your oven to 350º.
Note: my main oven is currently out of commission, so, until my new oven arrives next week, I have been using the convection oven setting on my micro-hood whenever I need to bake something; so, your actual cooking time for these might vary.
Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of your food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse, scraping down the sides as needed, until well mixed.
Using a one tablespoon scoop, shape into approximately 60 meatballs and arrange on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and turn the meatballs over.
Return to the oven for another 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Go ahead and taste one, for quality control purposes, of course.
Nice! But…
Even though these meatballs were going to be the “meat” part of a “Salad, with MEAT!” (thanks, Barb, for that description, which will be the only way I think of these kinds 
salads from now on), and I had that fine Louis Dressing already chilling in the fridge, I thoughtthat mebbe a bit of a glaze would be nice on them.
So, I tossed ’em into a large pan with a honey Aleppo pepper sauce from Trader Joe’s and warmed them over medium low heat until they were glazed and ready for the salad, which was chopped romaine, Blanched Asparagus, grilled Halloumi cheese, sliced red onion, and Peruvian pearl peppers from my market’s olive bar.
Note: no honey Allepo sauce? No problem! Plum sauce, pepper jelly, or even barbecue sauce will work for a glaze.
To serve, arrange the meatballs – I started out with six per person – on a large salad plate and add your freshly tossed salad.
Add Louis dressing to taste, and some freshly cracked black pepper.
A nice, and, surprisingly filling, salad!