This “quick halloumi and avocado salad” is the result of some creative thinking, and while I originally had no intention of posting it, it looked just so darn nice on the plate (and tasted amazing) that I decided to grab a few quick snaps and write it up.
I was in town and lost track of time somewhat. My wife was due to work in the afternoon and when I returned from town she was taking a well-deserved nap before leaving. I decided to make her a little something to eat before she went to work but the question was… “what?”.
Having a look through the fridge I found halloumi, avocado, and some fresh spinach and pea shoots (leftover from my fried brie – yes, this dish is indeed from a couple of weeks ago and I’m only getting around to posting it now!). Well, that was about everything I needed. Chuck in a slice of bread and you’ve got something fairly balanced – protein, carbs, fat… you could even add in a soft boiled or poached egg on top, although I didn’t feel like that was necessary. Of course, like I said – this salad was the result of some quick refrigerator-raiding. I wouldn’t substitute the halloumi (because oh my God I love halloumi) or the avocado, or the bread really, but the salad composition itself… you can totally wing it.
In other news, my vegetables are coming along fairly well. Pretty much all the peas I planted have come up and are looking healthy. The squash, peppers, chillies and tomatoes in the greenhouse are also looking good. The cucumbers… not so much. I sowed the seeds initially in these little cardboard pots, like egg-boxes. The claim was that when planted directly into the earth, they would break up and “become one with the earth”. “Bulls*#&”, is all I have to say. My cucumbers started yellowing and looking decidedly unhealthy. My only thought was that those stupid little pots had indeed not broken up and were basically stunting the growth, since the roots could not grow out, and the seedling must have by now used up what tiny amount of nutrients was in the soil in the small pot. I carefully dug up on of the seedlings (which incidentally hadn’t really grown a great deal, despite being out there for around two weeks already) and noticed that the cardboard pot was in “great” shape, and fully intact.
I carefully removed the pots from all seedlings and replanted them – a couple of them are looking healthier already, although I think it’s too late for three of them now. Well, I’ll know for next time, that’s for sure!
Anyway, before I move on to the recipe, here’s something I guess a lot of you have been waiting for! The results of my previous giveaway, kindly sponsored by TeaVivre.
Here we go, thanks to random.org:
That means the winners are:
Please get in touch with me here (or by email if you have that) and we’ll sort out the details for the delivery.
Serves 2
A simple but fresh, satisfying salad featuring halloumi cheese and avocado
5Prep Time
10Cook Time
15Total Time
Ingredients
- 200g Halloumi cheese
- 2 slices Wholegrain Bread
- 1 Avocado
- 1 large handful of fresh Spinach
- 1 small handful of Pea Sprouts
- 2tbsps Olive Oil
- 1tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Lemon Wedges
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cut the halloumi into two large thin blocks and grill the halloumi on a hot grill or grill pan for a few minutes on each side until slightly charred.
- Remove from the pan and rub 1tbsp of the Olive Oil into the bread on both sides. Grill the bread as well to achieve a similar result as for the halloumi.
- Arrange the spinach over two plates before placing the grilled bread and halloumi on top.
- Half the avocado and remove the seed and skin from each half. Slice and place next to the halloumi before garnishing with pea shoots and the lemon wedge.
- Mix together the remaining olive oil with the balsamic vinegar and drizzle over and sprinkle on a little salt and pepper to taste.