Recipe From What's For Lunch, Honey?
Ingredients
100g quinoa
400g cherry tomatoes
3 small cucumbers, unpeeled and diced in approx. 2cm pieces
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
150ml olive oil
250g halloumi cheese, sliced thickly
3 tablespoons coriander leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon mint leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons flat leaved parsley, chopped
Juice and zest of half a lemon
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt and black pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 160 degrees C. In a mixing bowl, toss whole cherry tomatoes with 30ml olive oil and half of the crushed garlic. Sprinkle with some salt and spread out on a roasting tray. roast for approx. 30 minutes or until they are tender but still hold their shape.
In the meantime marinate the halloumi cheese in a mixture of 50ml olive oil and the remaining crushed garlic for 30 minutes.
Cook the quinoa in a saucepan of boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until tender (see instructions on the packet). Drain in a fine sieve and leave to dry.
In a bowl, add the cucumbers, onions, herbs, quinoa, salt and pepper to taste. Make a dressing using the remaining 70ml olive oil, lemon juice and zest. Pour over the cucumber and herbs. Toss well, then add the roasted tomatoes and gently fold into the mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside for flavors to incorporate.
In the meantime pan-fry the halloumi cheese in a non-stick pan until golden on both sides. Better still, grill the cheese slices on a charcoal barbecue. Drain on some paper kitchen towels. Serve immediately.
Serve the quinoa salad with slices of the garlic halloumi and sides of minty hummus or tahini yogurt sauce.
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