Recipe: Haloumi Zucchini and Tomato skewers

I am a total cheese fiend. All varieties; paired with vino, crisp breads, maybe a slab of quince paste, pâté – nothing is off limits! In fact these days I tend to gravitate toward cheese at the end of a meal, in lieu of a sweet treat…

Blasphemous, I know!

Whilst backpacking across Turkey a few years ago I became hooked on fried haloumi. Now I know what you’re thinking…

#TalkToMeAboutYum

Funny that – couldn’t agree more. Food is (quite literally) always on my mind.

One of our favourites things to do was pair it (straight from the grill) with warm Turkish break and za’atar (a middle eastern blend of herbs, sesame and salt)…

And let’s not even discuss the obligatory tipple that followed – Turkey’s national drink – Raki, which is made from the distillation of grape pomade (the solid remains of fruit after they have been pressed).

Here’s a quick (understatement) and easy meal idea for those casual Sunday arvo’s (when you’ve got post weekend blues and can’t be bothered cooking) – Haloumi Zucchini and Tomato skewers.

The perfect complement to just about any BBQ; these skewers are easy to prepare, can be eaten on the move (or seated at a table) and taste divine (of course my opinion isn’t biased).

In theory you can pull these fellas straight off the barbie and enjoy (just don’t burn yourself, please) almost immediately…

Summertime romance…

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Haloumi, Zucchini and Tomato skewers

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  6 mins

Total time:  16 mins

Serves: 4 (as a side)

Ingredients

Skewers

• 16 baby roma tomatoes, leave whole
• 1 zucchini, cut into 1cm rounds
• 1 block of haloumi, cubed
• Wooden skewers
• Olive oil (for cooking)

For service

• 1 tbsp grated lemon rind
• 1 tbsp premium olive oil
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Instructions

Skewers

1. Soak 8 wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes prior to use, this will prevent them from catching alight
2. Thread ingredients (the combination and size is completely up to you). Ensure each ingredient is approximately the same size to ensure they cook at similar a rate.
3. Pre heat barbecue, drizzle hot plate with oil
4. Once hot, cook skewers for approximately 2-3 minutes each side or until golden and slightly charred. (Tip: If haloumi is overcooked it can become rubbery)
5. Present skewers on service platter, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle parsley and lemon rind

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