Grilled Halloumi with Herbed Strawberries
Warm, grilled Halloumi cheese with Herbed Strawberries
Cheese. I think it's safe to say that for some, cheese is its own food group! Cheddar, Gruyere, Jack, Parmesan, Cotija, Brie, Fontina, Feta, Mozzarella...the options are deliciously endless. One of my favorites is Halloumi, which is a semi-soft, brined cheese made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk. Because of its high melting point, it can easily be fried or grilled. Grilled cheese.
Halloumi is salty, and really wonderful when paired with mint. It's nice to eat during the warm months. The flavor of the cheese is perfect with fruit like grapes, watermelon, figs, and strawberries. Today's recipe is a surprising mixture of flavors that really play off each other and create a fun dish where spicy meets sweet and salty. This would be beautiful when served at brunch or as an appetizer . The macerated strawberries get a little kick from Serrano pepper, and fresh mint and cilantro top it all off. Let's get cookin :)
What You Need:
- 1 package Halloumi cheese, usually about 8 oz
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice (1 lime)
- 2 tsp agave nectar
- 1 serrano pepper, seeds removed
- freshly ground black pepper
- 6 oz strawberries
- fresh mint
- fresh cilantro
- Start by making the dressing. Seed and dice the Serrano pepper. Be super careful with this pepper! Make sure not to touch your face or eyes when dealing with this baby...I actually used gloves :)
- Whisk together 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lime juice, 2 tsp agave nectar, the diced Serrano pepper, and black pepper to taste.
- Wash, dry, and hull the strawberries. The easiest way to hull a strawberry is to stick a disposable straw upwards thru the bottom center of the berry. This easily removes the stem without wasting a lot of fruit! Slice the hulled strawberries and toss in the dressing.
- Set this gorgeous dressing aside while you grill up some cheese!!
- For this dish, the Halloumi can be grilled or pan fried. Either way, slice the Halloumi in to 1/2" thick slices and grill or gently fry in a skillet. Cook each side for 2-3 minutes without disturbing the cheese. Make sure to only flip the cheese once. The cheese will form a beautiful golden crust.
- Once the cheese is warmed thru, serve immediately. Serve the cheese with the strawberry mixture spooned generously over the slices of cheese. Top with chopped cilantro and mint.
The spiciness of the Serrano pepper is balanced with the agave nectar and lime juice. The bright mint and cilantro tie it all together. This appetizer is pretty, tasty, and seriously easy to put together.
Here's to another great week... if you've tried any recipes from the blog, I'd love to hear from you! Snap a pic and tag #brokeandcooking! :)