Grilled haloumi and eggplant salad
This is my first of hopefully MANY guest posts. This recipe was done by Winnie. Winnie and I grew up together. Our mother’s have been friends since their college days and they had a chama (womens group) that would meet monthly i think. They were great fun with lots of food and mischief. So here goes:
When I was asked to be a guest writer on Foodieinthedesert, I was ecstatic and quite honestly beside myself. Not only did someone like my ideas on food but they actually rated them highly. I have a passion for food but not just any food GOOD food. Appealing food. Food that has been prepared with attention to detail. Now I am not asking for gourmet nor I am looking for molecular gastronomy but simply food prepared from the heart. Apparently there’s a French joke that goes something like this ‘A good cook is like a doctor, you trust them’. It’s a lot funnier spoken than written but what it simply means is that when you are in the kitchen, you are in a position of authority and the people are reliant on the work of your hands.
I am fascinated at how 10 people can start off with the same ingredients that result in totally different final products or how the same ingredient can be transformed into several different things dependent on cuisine. I am amazed at how a tomato looks like in the market and what it looks like in a bowl of fresh Greek salad. Food is about texture (paw paw is tender apples are crunchy depending on what side of the divide you are on this can be a turnoff), colour (kachumbari made with only brown onion and tomatoes is less enticing than kachumbari made with Spanish onions, ripe tomatoes, coriander and capsicum), contrast (beetroot, rhubarb and tomato on the same plate lack appeal), smell (always use fresh ingredients and remember to complement ingredients, a good diane sauce can lift a steak, but a good steak cannot lift a poor diane sauce), visual appeal (people eat with their eyes), height (a Caesar salad in a bowl is more appealing than a Caesar on a dinner plate).
The Gordon Ramsay recipe that I have attached came in quite handy as I was devoid of ideas of what to cook my vegetarian friends. Foodie in the desert asked for a simple recipe that can be prepared with readily available ingredients. I went ahead with this recipe to show case what one can do with ingredients that may/ may not be on your supermarket shelves. As you walk the aisles and are wondering what would I do with those olives? Why would I buy cheese that doesn’t fit into the ham and cheese sandwich? Well here are some ideas of how haloumi and olives can be used to entice friends and family. Here’s a reason to buy these ingredients. I love the texture of haloumi which gives me the illusion that I am eating meat (sad but true I love my meat and this cheese meets me in my comfort zone).
Parting words, remember one thing oil isn’t a one size fits all. Elianto for cooking shouldn’t be used for salad dressing (in a day when we are all health conscious choose your fat intake appropriately- use the right oil for the right job). Don’t cook with wine that you would otherwise not drink (you can taste poor quality wine through the food).
Whatever you do remember to cook from the heart.
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 6 ripe plum tomatoes
- 40 g kalamata olives
- Small bunch of mint leaves shredded (mint has a strong flavor adjust to taste)
- Olive oil for brushing
- 500 g haloumi (find this in the cheese section, some companies call it Kaloumi)
- 2-3 tbsp plain flour
- 75 g pitted kalamata olives
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar (balsamic may be used)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano 75 ml olive oil
- 75 ml peanut oil
Instructions
Cut eggplant into thin slices. Place in a colander sprinkle with salt and allow standing for 20 minutes. (The salt draws out moisture from eggplant). Pat dry with kitchen towel.
Cut tomatoes into wedges and put in a large bowl with olives and mint. Set aside while you make dressing.
For dressing- tip pitted olives, wine vinegar and dried oregano in a blender and blitz into a smooth paste. With motor running gradually pour in the olive and groundnut oil and season well with salt and pepper. Transfer to a jar and set aside.
About 15 minutes before serving put a griddle pan over high heat. Brush eggplant with oil (must brush as eggplant soaks in oil very easily) and cook on pan for about 2 minutes until softened and slightly charred.
Add to the bowl of tomatoes pour over some dressing and toss to coat.
Thinly slice the haloumi (type of cheese that can be cooked) and lightly coat with flour. Griddle the slices until they turn golden brown around the edges and just starting to melt.
To serve arrange the griddled eggplant on a large platter and top with haloumi. Spoon the tomato and olive salad and drizzle over a little more olive dressing.
Serve at once while the haloumi is still hot.
The grills used for roasting meat can be used in place of the griddle pan
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