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You are here: Home / Recipes / Starters & light meals / Grilled Halloumi cheese with Zaa’tar and roasted red pepper coulis

Grilled Halloumi cheese with Zaa’tar and roasted red pepper coulis

by Jeanne Horak on March 24, 2010 24 Comments in Starters & light meals, Vegetarian

GrilledHalloumiWithZaatar

I’ve asked this question before – let me ask it again:  who the heck is Valentine’s Day meant to please?  Single people feel depressed at being left out of all the saccharine togetherness; and people in relationships feel depressed because their relationships don’t measure up to the fantasy portrayed by the media – or resentful because they are expected to eat underwhelming food in overpriced restaurants masquerading as special Valentine’s menus.  The only people getting any joy are the Hallmark Cards shareholders!

 

So a couple of years ago I decided to start a new Valentine’s tradition – instead of waiting for flowers or chocolates, I decided to stay home and invite a bunch of friends round for lunch or dinner.  That way nobody gets to sit home alone on Valentine’s Day, and nobody has to waste a ton of money on overpriced meals while packed into restaurants with the world and its uncle.  Needless to say, the quality of my Valentine’s meals has improved vastly since I made this decision!

 

This year, we kept the theme vaguely middle-Eastern/north-African and started with this delightful dish from my friend Beth of Dirty Kitchen Secrets (one of the organisers of Food Blogger Connect 2010 – remember to register now to hear me speak at FBC10 in June!).  There is nothing I don’t love about this dish – it’s quick to make, it’s packed with fabulous flavours, it’s pretty to look at and not too rich.

Zaa’tar is a Middle-Eastern spice blend prepared using ground dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, or some combination thereof, mixed with toasted sesame seeds and salt, though other spices might also be added.

HalloumiII

GRILLED HALLOUMI CHEESE WITH ZAA’TAR & ROASTED PEPPER COULIS (serves 6)

 

Ingredients:

 

750g halloumi cheese, sliced lengthwise into 12 slices
6 red bell peppers
1.5 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons zaa’tar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
pita bread, cut into small triangles

 

Method:

 

Halve and seed the bell peppers and place them skin side up under a hot grill until they start to char and blacken.  Once they are fairly evenly charred, remove from the oven and place them in a ziplock bag and seal tightly. Set aside for about 5 minutes to cool.  When they are cool enough to handle, peel them and slice into strips.

 

Pre-heat the oven to 350F/180C.  Place the bell pepper strips, garlic, lemon juice and cayenne pepper in a food processor and blitz until you have a smooth puree.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

 

Place the pita triangles on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or till crispy.  In the mean time, mix the zaa’tar well with olive oil till it is well incorporated.

 

Heat a heavy bottomed pan and lightly wipe the base with some olive oil. Place the halloumi cheese slices in the pan and cook for about 2 minutes, then over and repeat on the other side.

 

To assemble, plate the  hot halloumi cheese on the bell pepper coulis, drizzle liberally with the zaa’tar mixture and then top with the crispy pita crisps.  Use any leftover coulis to decorate the plate or store it in the fridge to use as on pizzas or pasta.

 

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  1. Kalynskitchen says

    March 24, 2010 at 8:42 pm

    If only I lived close enough that I could be one of those friends invited over!

    Reply
  2. bellini valli says

    March 24, 2010 at 9:39 pm

    I have everything I would need to make this Jeanne including the halloumi which always makes it to the BBQ this time of year.

    Reply
  3. Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

    March 24, 2010 at 9:46 pm

    That does sound wonderful, I love halloumi, especially the squeakiness – something I don’t normally rate in food!

    Reply
  4. Peter says

    March 24, 2010 at 10:23 pm

    Ahh Halloumi my love. I have to try the pairing with za’atar.

    Reply
  5. nina says

    March 25, 2010 at 5:54 am

    Squeaky cheese my children call this. I have not cooked with za’atar before……my hunt for it will start at Atlas today, maybe I’m lucky!!

    Reply
  6. Manggy says

    March 25, 2010 at 7:37 am

    Lovely cheese + sweet-tart spiciness! Ah, well, Valentine’s day usually has me cooking dinner for my parents, sooo.. It’s not so bad 🙂

    Reply
  7. Bethany says

    March 25, 2010 at 7:08 pm

    Oh Jeanne I’m so honored that this made it onto your blog! So glad you enjoyed it! Hope you are having a wonderful time in SA! I saw all the pics from the conference looks like a terrific success and cocktail of fun! well done!

    Reply
  8. Mowie @ Mowielicious says

    March 25, 2010 at 9:24 pm

    I said it on Beth’s blog and I’ll say it here – love it! =)

    Reply
  9. Kitchen Butterfly says

    March 26, 2010 at 10:22 am

    I love Halloumi.and this red pepper coulis sounds fantastic too. Hope you’re enjoying SA. LOL

    Reply
  10. norma says

    March 26, 2010 at 2:02 pm

    Love it!

    Reply
  11. neil says

    March 26, 2010 at 11:25 pm

    That’s one big ol’ plate of love!

    Reply
  12. Kevin (Closet Cooking) says

    March 27, 2010 at 1:05 am

    I really enjoy grilled halloumi and this version sounds great!

    Reply
  13. katie says

    March 27, 2010 at 8:41 am

    I’m going to have to check the ‘international’ section of my cheese counter for this. We always order it at Greek restautarnts (which is never in our corner of Frence). As to the red pepper coulis – love it. I cheat and used pimientos from a jar LOL

    Reply
  14. Stephanie Manley says

    March 27, 2010 at 11:52 pm

    What a lovely dish! I love this cheese, and normally just heat it up and eat it with bread. I love the way you add so much more to this dish. I look forward to trying this dish very soon.

    Reply
  15. Gourmet Chick says

    March 28, 2010 at 9:15 am

    Great idea for Valentines day I usually go out for brunch and then stay home for dinner – ps I LOVE haloumi

    Reply
  16. Elaine From Cookware Help says

    March 29, 2010 at 11:00 am

    Jeanne I so agree Valentine’s Day is a total rip-off. In my local town they seem to almost double the price. I love your idea of staying at home maybe try this next year.
    Regards
    Elaine
    http://www.cookwarehelp.com/blog

    Reply
  17. Sarka says

    March 30, 2010 at 1:29 am

    Ok, I was really tempted to try this recipe when I first saw it on Beth’s blog. But now when I see it on your blog too, I just have to give it a go. Luckily, I have halloumi in the fridge! 🙂

    Reply
  18. Jamie says

    April 1, 2010 at 9:37 am

    I have never had halloumi but I am dying to try it although I have no idea where I would find it! This is a yummy yummy dish! We don’t do Valentine’s Day though for some strange reason husband does buy me flowers and cooks for me.

    Reply
  19. courtney says

    April 1, 2010 at 8:09 pm

    I can never get enoough of this cheese and you just made it even better!

    Reply
  20. Niamh says

    April 11, 2010 at 11:13 pm

    How lovely! I could imagine the piquant red pepper coulis would be lovely here.

    Reply
  21. Michelle @ Greedy Gourmet says

    May 14, 2010 at 9:03 pm

    What a nice Valentine’s tradition. (Btw, the link to Beth’s site has a fault.) Have you read the book, Waiter Rant, yet? It was quite informative, especially the chapter on the big con of Valentine’s. Have never come across Zaa’tar before but now I know better.

    Reply
  22. Nazarblue.wordpress.com says

    February 10, 2012 at 11:17 am

    Yum yum and more yum. The perfect dish in my eyes!!

    Reply
  23. stan says

    December 23, 2016 at 1:02 am

    Yum. Just one comment: please don’t put your hot grilled peppers in a plastic bag. Yuk–BPA, etc. Will work fine in a paper bag or even a couple of layers of dish towels.

    Reply
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

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