Halloumi cheese is so versatile. It softens, rather than melts, making it the perfect cheese for grilling, griddling or barbecuing.
Halloumi is a Cypriot cheese typically made from goats’ and sheep milk. It’s a great source of calcium, zinc, selenium and vitamin A.
This salad is good hot or cold so make an extra one and keep it for lunch. Just pile the rocket on top of the other ingredients so it doesn’t go soggy before you eat it.
The firmness of the halloumi means it’s easy to grate. You can mix grated halloumi into scrambled eggs or frittatas. You can even use it as a topping for a home-made pizza, thread it onto skewers with peppers and courgettes to grill or barbecue or top your burger with a slice. The possibilities are endless so get creative.
Ingredients
250g halloumi
Fresh rosemary, 1 stalk
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 red pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
100g sunblushed tomatoes
70g rocket
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
Serves 2
Directions
Cut the halloumi into 8 even slices. Drizzle with one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and half of the fresh rosemary.
Put another tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into a frying pan. Chop the red pepper, add to the pan and stirfry for a couple of minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and the remaining fresh rosemary to the peppers and continue cooking for a further 2 minutes.
Put the rocket in a bowl, top with the tomatoes, peppers and pumpkin seeds.
Grill the halloumi until golden. A couple of minutes on each side should do it. You can use a griddle pan if you prefer.
Top the salad with the grilled halloumi and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.
Tip: keep your heat source quite high so you get colour on the halloumi but it doesn’t dry out.
Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is one of the best things you can do for your skin.