GRILLED HALLOUMI & CRUNCHY SALAD WITH LEMON & THYME DRESSING

Thursday, July 17, 2014

My hubby has been away for a few days and I have been indulging in meals that are heavier on the salad side in his absence.  He can cope with salad if it's an accompaniment but there is trouble if there is a total plate takeover of "rabbit food", as he so kindly calls it.  This is a perfect summer salad.

Sweet, lemony and studded with fragrant thyme, the dressing acts as a marinade for the grilled cheese and a dressing for the salad.  I would also like to take a second to talk honey.  Perks of working at a farmers market include getting to know other vendors and buying great stuff from them.  White Earth sells raw honey that is unprocessed, pure and naturally delicious! Raw honey is not pasteurized and retains all of its natural enzymes and nutrition and is by far the best honey I have ever tasted!  I find myself eating the stuff with a spoon straight from the tub- that flipping good!
 Best Friends: Lemon, thyme and honey.

Halloumi is a Cypriot semi-hard, unripened brined cheese made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk, and sometimes also cow's milk.  It has a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled. Halloumi is set with rennet and is unusual in that no acid or acid-producing bacterium is used in its preparation.  

GRILLED HALLOUMI & CRUNCHY SALAD WITH LEMON & THYME DRESSING

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 2 stalks of thyme- leaves removed
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 x 250g pack halloumi cheese, sliced
  • 150g pack radishes, coarsely grated
  • 150g pack sugar snap peas, sliced lengthwise
  • ½ cucumber, cut into thin batons
  • Handful of salad leaves- I love rocket with it's peppery bite but any good salad leaf will work.  

METHOD

  1. Make a dressing by mixing together the vinegar, honey, thyme, lemon juice and mustard and a little freshly ground pepper – you don’t need to add any salt as the cheese is quite salty. 
  2. Toss the halloumi slices in half the dressing, then griddle or barbecue for 5 mins, turning until browned and crisp on the edges.
  3. Toss a little of the dressing  through the radishes, peas and cucumber but don't drown them.
  4. Serve the salad on a bed of salad leaves, topped with the crunchy pea, radish and cucumber salad and finally lay the grilled halloumi on top.  If you have any leftover dressing simply drizzle a little over the cheese.
I don't think I will ever get tired of taking photos of radish pulled from my garden.  They are just so pretty and so, so tasty.




I will certainly be using this dressing combo on many more summer salads.  What is your go to salad dressing?

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