HALLOUMI PASTA SALAD

Halloumi salad

We have been having fab weather in Ireland which means several things: holiday atmosphere prevails and eating salad is less of a chore. We're going on a picnic today with our County Offaly friends so I made a halloumi pasta salad to bring. I sampled it (natch) and it's delicious. And a really fast and simple make. I love the chargrilled halloumi in The Cedar Tree in Dublin (I dream about it) but I had a salad like this at a friend's house a couple of years ago and have been planning to make it since. At last I get around to it.

Salad ready to go to the picnic :)

If you haven't yet tried Aldi's Margaret's Loaf, please do
- award-winning, seeded, real brown bread

INGREDIENTS

300g fusilli (or whatever pasta you like)
120g halloumi
10 basil leaves, chopped
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 garlic clove, chopped very small
olive oil (a glug for the pasta)
salt (to season pasta & finished salad)
pepper
veg oil (for frying the halloumi)

METHOD

- Cook the pasta for about 10 minutes (until it's al dente), adding the glug of olive oil and a pinch of salt at the start
- While the pasta is on, cut the halloumi into 1cm thick slices and fry on a medium heat for about 2 mins each side (it may go golden)
- Let the halloumi cool on two sheets of of kitchen roll, pat excess oil off
- Drain the pasta and leave to cool
- When the pasta is cold, mix through the quartered tomatoes, chopped basil and garlic
- Cut the halloumi pieces into quarters and mix though the pasta
- Season with salt and pepper and mix through
- Serve with green leaves, bean salad, buttered Margaret's Loaf, red wine or anything you fancy.

Summer on a plate :)

CARROT AND CUMIN SALAD

Carrot and Cumin Salad, at our July picnic in Glasson - Bean Salad recipe soon!

Where has the summer gone? I promised salad recipes!

After a week in the States, followed by my 97 year old Granny-in-law's funeral (and so days and days away from home) my good eating habits have gone out the window. But I am back on track this week and doing my best to return to eating salads every day.

I had a rocket, pepper and avocado salad for lunch today, accompanied by this lovely lemony carrot and cumin salad. It's best made a few hours ahead so that the flavours can marinade nicely. This recipe serves two people.

INGREDIENTS
2 large carrots, finely grated
juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon sultanas or raisins
half teaspoon of ground cumin
quarter teaspoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon rape or olive oil
half teaspoon of honey
pinch salt and pepper

METHOD
Mix the carrots, seeds and raisins in a bowl
In a jug, mix the lemon juice, oil, spices, honey salt and pepper
Pour the marinade into the carrot mix, stir well, cover and leave for a few hours or overnight.

SALAD IN A JAR

I love this. Jars! Salad! It's from Back to her Roots. The 'how-to', for optimum salad layering, is worth reading.