Halloumi and zucchini skewer
What can be more summery than green and yellow, more vibrant than lemons and more crunchy than toasted seeds? Right, Halloumi and zucchini skewers give you the perfect summer feeling… And since Halloumi, a traditional cheese from Cyprus, has a high melting point, it is perfect for grilling, frying or baking. The original cheese was made from goat and sheep milk but these days cow milk is widely used, due to the availability and cost point.
Equipment
- 15 cm wooden skewers, mandoline
Ingredients
- 500 g Halloumi cheese, cut into cubes of 3 cm
- 3 large zucchinis, sliced lengthway as thin as possible, I use my mandoline on the setting of 0,75 cm.
- salt and pepper
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 lemons, 1 half lemon juiced, the other 1 1/2 lemons cut into wedges
- 4 Tbsp lemon infused olive oil (or alternatively normal good quality extra virgin olive oil)
- 90 g mixture of roasted sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds
- 1 teasp dried mint (optional)
Instructions
- Put the zucchini slices with some salt into a colander and let them stand for 15 min, that will release some water and make them more flexible. Rinse them with cold water.
- Thread 2 slices of zucchini onto the skewer andalternate with Halloumi, you can repeat this as much as you like. I prefer to use 15 cm long wooden skewers.
- Drizzle 2 Tbsp olive oil over the skewers.
- Heat a griddle pan with a bit of olive oil and grill the skewers on each side for 1 to 2 minutes. You want a bit of grill marks on the cheese. Alternatively, you could preheat your oven to 220 C and bake the skewers on a lined baking sheet for 10 min. You won't get any grill marks but the skewers are still delicious.
- Arrange the grilled or baked skewers on a serving plate, drizzle with lemon juice, lemon oil, season with salt and pepper and scatter the roasted seeds over. Snuggle the lemon wedges inbetween the skewers so everyone can help themselve.
- You can enjoy the skewers with ciabatta bread as a main meal or as a side dish with your barbecque. They make a delicious appetizer with a drink or will stand out at any lunch with the girls.