Grilled Halloumi and Bell Pepper Salad

Adapted from this recipe at Tesco, this is a sweet and salty one. The salad adaptation is layered with the herby parsley at the bottom, succulent roasted bell peppers, salt and savoury halloumi, cruncy pine nuts and nibbles of sweetness from the raisins.

Ingredients (Serves 1):

• Fresh Halloumi- 50 gm
• Bell peppers- 2 medium
• Parsley- 1/2 cup; chopped
• Cayenne- 1 tsp
• Balsamic vinegar- 2 tsp
• Olive oil- 2 tsp
• Pine nuts- 1 tbsp
• Raisins- 2 tsp
• Lime- 1 quarter; juiced

Preparation:


Halve bell peppers and place in oven with skin side up. Grill on high for about fifteen minutes.

Once the skin turns to blister and char, remove from oven and skin. Chop peppers into small pieces. Refrigerate to cool it down. Dress with balsamic vinegar an olive oil mixture.

In a clean pan roast pine nuts till golden brown. Brush chopped halloumi into pieces and fry on high. Once cheese starts to melt and char set aside. Once cooled sufficiently rub in lime juice.

Chop parsley, and layer at bottom of bowl. Layer with grilled bell peppers and halloumi slices. Top off with roasted pine seeds and raisins.

 

Serve cold. Bon appetite.

Eggplant Halloumi Salad

Keeping with the tradition of light meals during Ramadan, here's this week's salad innovated from elements of traditional cuisine in the Levant- grilled eggplant, halloumi cheese, parsley, walnuts and olives.

Halloumi is a semi-hard white cheese from goat and sheep milk typical to the cuisine of the Levant.

The smoky sweetness of grilled eggplant, contrasts with the chewiness of the salty halloumi . The chopped parsley and crushed walnut are added accents to a fresh light lunch.

Ingredients (Serves 1):

• Eggplant- 200 gm; sliced; grilled with a dash of olive oil
• Halloumi- 100 gm; chopped
• Fresh Parsley- 1/2 cup; chopped
• Walnuts- 1large; crushed coarsely
• Black olives- 1 tbsp; pitted and sliced (optional).

 Preparation (In the blink of an eye):

 

Toss all ingredients together, add a dash of salt if you want (didn't feel the need to add extra salt as the halloumi itself is salty). Refrigerate.

Serve chilled.