Archive for September 2020
Grilled Haloumi with a Lime & Caper Dressing
September 15, 2020 | 
Author With Spring in the air and the temperatures warming up, it’s time to dust off your barbecue and get into some outdoor cooking – and this simple yet impressive dish is the perfect place to start. Haloumi is a slightly salty cheese that originates from Cyprus and is excellent grilled as it maintains is shape when heated (and in fact is best eaten cooked). It has a beautiful flavour and texture, and goes particularly well with this Lime and Caper Dressing which cuts through the saltiness. Always a winner at our Gourmet Aussie Barbecue Cooking Class, this dish can be served as an entree or as a meat-free main. My recommended wine pairing is a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
Ingredients (serves 6-8 as an entree or 4 as a main course):
2 x 250g blocks haloumi cheese
A little olive oil for brushing
150g baby rocket leaves
Lime caper dressing
1 lime, zested 2 tablespoons juice measured
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon baby capers, drained
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoons finely chopped chives
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Method:
1. Preheat a barbecue to medium-high heat direct grilling.
2. For the dressing: place all dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well.
3. Drain the haloumi and cut each piece into 8 slices width-ways. Brush each slice lightly with olive oil.
4. Carefully place the haloumi on the barbecue and cook for 2-3 minutes each side, until golden and grill marks appear.
5. Serve the haloumi on a bed of rocket leaves. Give the dressing a good shake and drizzle it over the haloumi.
Posted in 
Tags: 
Passionfruit and White Chocolate Muffins
You know the old saying “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”…. My passionfruit vines have delivered an abundance of fruit recently and never one to waste food I have found plenty of ways to use them. These include eating them au naturel, including them in my morning smoothie, giving plenty away, freezing the pulp for later use and using them in my cooking. I came up with this recipe, as I like to serve fresh-from-the-oven muffins to participants at my Cooking Classes when they arrive. Yes they have been well received!
The secret to making light and fluffy muffins is not to over-mix. When you add the wet ingredients to the dry, stir together using a large metal spoon with the minimum of strokes, only until just combined. It’s perfectly fine for there to be lumps and flecks of flour visible. Also, the use of yoghurt or sour cream improves the muffins’ texture. Muffins freeze well, so if they don’t all get gobbled up in one sitting, tuck some away for later.
