I have to admit to a new little obsession of mine…Halloumi cheese! I have no idea why it has taken me so long to get hooked on it, but I am sooo glad I am! 😉 I’ve tried it in restaurants as a tapas dish and liked it but never thought of trying it at home…until now that is! I looooove how salty it is! Pre-dinner munchies hit me last night as I was preparing dinner and so admittedly, I fried up a couple of pieces of halloumi and ate them on top of some fresh italian bread with a drizzle of olive oil! ahhhhhh…so delicious! It really hit the spot. Needless to say, I didn’t finish my dinner. Oops!:)
For anyone who hasn’t tried halloumi before, it can be compared to the texture and saltiness of feta cheese. It is an unripend, brined cheese, made from a combination of sheep’s, goat’s and at times cow’s milk. Mostly popular in middle eastern cooking where its high melting point makes it perfect for grilling! The salty flavour and squeaky texture goes so well with the sweet pears and crunchy walnuts in this salad, while the beautiful beetroot stains it a purpley colour.
A lighter version of this salad can easily be made without the quinoa if you prefer. As with my quinoa, pancetta and radish salad, you can really use your imagination and combine a multitude of different veggies and nuts. Quinoa has quite a neutral, nutty flavour which allows the veggies you chose to really shine. It is nutritionally loaded with goodness, a wheat free alternative and contains a full amino acid profile which makes it a complete protein. Quinoa is wonderful for those on a vegan or vegetarian diet who need to boost their protein consumption. Packed with anti-inflammatory properties, fibre and low GI, it’s really no wonder why its popularity has soared in the past few years.
I must admit, it took a while for me to like it. I think a large part of why I didn’t like it at first was because I wasnt washing it correctly before cooking it. Thus giving it a bitter, soapy, dishwater taste. It is ESSENTIAL to give it a good soak and rinse over a 30 minute period to wash away the naturally occurring saponins on the grain coating. Not only does it taste better but it is much easier for the gut to digest.
Well now that I’ve finished blabbering, I will get the recipe written up for you. I hope you like this variation as much as we did! Your biggest challenge will be to not eat all the halloumi while grilling it for the salad!;) Enjoy! xxx
- 170g halloumi – sliced thinly
- 1 ripe pear – sliced thinly
- 70g rocket leaves
- 3/4-1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 3 small cooked beetroots – cut roughly into bite size pieces
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup flat parsley – roughly chopped
- 3-4 tbsp thick balsamic glaze
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Firstly, soak the quinoa in a large bowl of water for 30 minutes. Rinse the water out and top it up every 5-10 minutes until it is clear of the murky colour from the saponins. {see notes above}
- Cook the quinoa as per the packet instructions. Once cooked, remove from the pot and spread it out in a large tray to cool down. Break it up ever so often to separate the clumps.
- In a pan, add one tbsp of olive oil and on a medium heat, fry or grill the slices of halloumi till they start to golden in colour. Place them to the side to cool.
- Once the quinoa and halloumi are well cooled, add them to a large bowl and combine with the rocket leaves, sliced pears, pieces of beetroot, walnuts and parsley.
- Pour over the olive oil and give it a good mix. Followed by the balsamic glaze and the salt and pepper to taste.
- Give it a good toss and serve.
