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Spicy Halloumi Salad and Feasts Cookbook

16 June, 2018 by Tara 10 Comments

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Feasts: Middle Eastern Food to Savor & Share, written by Sabrina Ghayour, features a variety of fun and unique recipes perfect for family gatherings and entertaining. Highlights include Saffron Roast Potatoes; Eggplant Rolls with Goat Cheese, Herbs & Walnuts; Parsnip & Apple Soup; Raspberry & Pistachio Frozen Yogurt Pots; Tamarind & Honey Pork Ribs; and Caramelized Banana Crêpes with Pistachios & Honey. I will also be sharing her recipe for Spicy Halloumi Salad with Tomatoes and Fried Bread following the review.

Disclosure: I received this book from Weldon Owen in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Spicy Halloumi Salad in a large white bowl next to a wooden spoon and fork.

Sabrina Ghayour

Sabrina Ghayour was born in Iran and raised in England. She didn’t grow up in a family of cooks. Instead, she started to teach herself at the age of six, first focusing on Persian cuisine before branching out to food throughout the Middle East.

Sabrina went on to host supper clubs and create recipes that have been featured in many publications, plus hold cooking demonstrations, cooking classes, and other events. She is also the author of Persiana (I reviewed this one a few years ago) and Sirocco.

Feasts

Cookbook cover- Feasts: Middle Eastern Food to Savor and Share by Sabrina Ghayour.

After the introduction, Sabrina dives right into the incredible assortment of recipes. Feasts (Amazon Link) is a great pick for those wanting to incorporate Middle Eastern and South Asian ingredients into their cooking in new and exciting ways.

Each chapter includes menu ideas for easy planning with additional lists at the end of the book specifically for vegans, picnics, casual get-togethers with friends and family meals. Most of the recipes come together fairly easily for minimal prep, but maximum flavor.

Chapters are divided according to the following: Introduction, Breakfast & Brunch, Weekend Feasts, Quick-Fix Feasts, Vegetarian Feasts, Summer Feasts, Lighter Feasts, Special Occasions, Comfort Food, and Additional Menu Ideas.

The photography is provided by Kris Kirkham. Every recipe is accompanied by a beautifully styled photo of the finished dish. Measurements are listed in US Customary and the titles are written in English.

Having a market nearby with Middle Eastern and South Asian ingredients will be helpful for locating items such as filo, pul biber chile flakes, tamarind paste, za’atar, golden raisins, chickpeas, rose harissa, saffron, specialty cheese, pomegranate molasses, vine leaves, and more.

Spicy Halloumi Salad with Tomatoes and Fried Bread

Aerial view of Spicy Halloumi Salad in a white bowl next to wooden spoon and fork.

This Spicy Halloumi Salad with Tomatoes and Fried Bread is such a fun summer salad. It has all the healthy stuff like tomatoes, red onions, and cucumbers paired with the more indulgent pan-fried Halloumi cheese and cubes of sourdough bread.

The entire mixture is tossed with a combination of toasted cumin, coriander, black mustard, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest. Finish it off with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh mint.

Notable Ingredients

Halloumi is a white, semi-hard cheese originally from Cyprus. It is made from a mixture of goat and sheep’s milk (though occasionally cow’s milk is also used). Its high melting point makes the cheese popular for grilling or frying.

I have seen Halloumi in the refrigerated specialty cheese section of some larger grocery stores (like Whole Foods and Wegmans). It is often packaged with mint. If halloumi is not available, you can use another non-melting cheese like akkawi.

Black Mustard Seeds are little pungent dark brown to deep reddish seeds particularly popular in South Asian cooking. Toasting the seeds helps bring a more mild and nutty flavor. I have been able to find them at my local Asian market. They are also available on Amazon: Black Mustard Seeds.

Other Dishes

Ultimate Chicken Shawarmas; Burrata & Burnt Oranges; Pomegranate, Cucumber & Pistachio Yogurt; and Pomegranate & Rosewater Jelly Cups.

I also made Ultimate Chicken Shawarmas; Burrata & Burnt Oranges; Pomegranate, Cucumber & Pistachio Yogurt; and Pomegranate & Rosewater Jelly Cups.

The Ultimate Chicken Shawarmas were perfect for an easy and delicious meal. Pieces of chicken are coated in a variety of spices and marinated for 30 minutes to overnight. They are pan-fried until golden wrapped in flatbread with yogurt, tomatoes, onion, cucumbers, and herbs.

The Burrata & Burnt Oranges with Pistachios, Mint & Pomegranate was such a beautiful presentation for Burrata. The ball of Burrata is placed in the center of a serving plate and arranged with blackened orange segments, pomegranate seeds, pistachios, and mint. I used a kitchen torch to blacken the oranges, but a frying pan will also work.

The Pomegranate, Cucumber & Pistachio Yogurt was another favorite. Thick Greek yogurt is combined with shallots, cucumber, pomegranate seeds, pistachio, mint, and olive oil for a light and refreshing dip for pita bread.

The Pomegranate & Rosewater Jelly Cups come together with just 5 ingredients. Gelatin is dissolved into pomegranate juice and lightly flavored with sugar and rosewater. Each cup is topped with some fresh pomegranate seeds and chilled until set.

Aerial view of Spicy Halloumi Salad in a white bowl next to a cast iron skillet.

Spicy Halloumi Salad with Tomatoes and Fried Bread Recipe

Excerpt from Feasts

Spicy Halloumi Salad
Print Pin
5 from 5 votes

Spicy Halloumi Salad

A recipe for Spicy Halloumi Salad from the cookbook, Feasts. Tomatoes, red onions, and cucumbers are paired with pan-fried Halloumi cheese and cubes of sourdough bread.
Course Salad
Cuisine N/A
Keyword cheese, cucumber, halloumi, salad, tomato
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 -6 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 pounds (567 grams) tomatoes cut into rough chunks
  • 1 large red onion finely sliced
  • 1 large cucumber halved lengthwise, halved again and cut into 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) dice
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • Finely grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
  • Olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes plus more to season
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 heaping teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 2 heaping teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
  • 1 heaping teaspoon red pepper flakes plus more to taste
  • Garlic oil optional
  • 4-5 thick slices sourdough bread or similar preferably stale or left out to dry, cubed
  • 2 (1/2 pound, 227 grams each) blocks Halloumi cheese each cut into 5 slices
  • 1 small bunch (about 1 ounce, 28 grams) mint leaves picked, rolled up tightly and cut into thin ribbons, to garnish

Instructions

  • Put the tomatoes, onion, and cucumber chunks into a large mixing bowl. Add the oregano, lemon zest and juice, and a good drizzle of olive oil, season well with salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside.
  • Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat, add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and pepper flakes and toast until they release their aroma and begin to brown a little, about 1 minute, shaking the pan and taking care to not let them burn.
  • Transfer to a mortar and add the 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes. Using a pestle, crush the seeds lightly to break them down just a little-- you want to keep a lot of the texture. Add the crushed seed mix to the tomato salad and mix well.
  • Line a plate with a double layer of paper towels. Set the same frying pan in which you toasted the seeds over medium-high heat and drizzle in some olive or garlic oil.
  • Once the oil is hot, add the bread cubes and fry on both sides until deep golden, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
  • Drizzle a little olive oil into the same pan, add the halloumi slices, and fry until golden brown, 1-2 minutes on each side.
  • Add the fried bread to the salad and toss well to coat the bread chunks in the dressing. Adjust the seasoning as necessary, then arrange the salad and halloumi on a large platter and sprinkle with mint ribbons just before serving. 
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Filed Under: Middle Eastern/African, Soups/Salads

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. susie

    16 June, 2018 at 11:51 am

    What a beautiful cookbook! I will have to check this out because those are some of my FAVORITE flavors! I have not had Hallmoui yet. I need to try this recipe asap.

    Reply
  2. Lauren @ Delicious Little Bites

    16 June, 2018 at 1:22 pm

    Ahhh I LOVE grilling cheese! I didn’t know Halloumi was good for that, but now I’m going to have to try to find it to try it! The recipes in this cookbook sound SO good – all the recipes titles in the heading alone had me drooling! I’ll check out this book for sure!

    Reply
  3. Janette | Culinary Ginger

    16 June, 2018 at 2:21 pm

    There are some fabulous recipes in this book. I need to check it out.

    Reply
  4. Kristen

    16 June, 2018 at 2:48 pm

    I keep hearing about this fried cheese and wonder why I have never had it before. It sounds amazing! Beautiful dish!

    Reply
  5. Sunrita

    16 June, 2018 at 4:11 pm

    Could actually feel the spices against the soft salty cheese bites While reading thia recipe. It’s really nice and something different. Thanks for sharing

    Reply
  6. Kechi

    24 August, 2021 at 11:13 am

    5 stars
    I enjoy reading this review, Tara! Now, I want to eat this. It sure looks and sounds fantastic! Thanks for sharing 😊🙏🏾

    Reply
  7. Gina

    24 August, 2021 at 12:29 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely love halloumi and this salad approach to eating it is a favorite!

    Reply
  8. Teodora Grujic

    24 August, 2021 at 12:29 pm

    5 stars
    Yum! I have to try this while summer is still on! Thank you!

    Reply
  9. Beth

    24 August, 2021 at 1:44 pm

    5 stars
    I just love your blog and all the recipes we’ve tried so far! I will definitely be making this!

    Reply
  10. Angela

    24 August, 2021 at 2:46 pm

    5 stars
    Such a delicious salad. Love Halloumi and this may just be my new favorite way to eat it. YUM!

    Reply

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