Serves 4
Halloumi is a semisoft, brined, Cyprian cheese (that means it’s from Cyprus, an island floating between Lebanon, Turkey, and Syria) traditionally made from a mixture of goat’s and sheep’s milk. It has a high melting point which means it has to get hotter than your average cheese before it melts, so when you panfry or grill it, it gets golden and crispy on the outside, and gooey on the inside, but it still holds its shape rather than turning into a melted blob. Goat’s- and sheep’s-milk halloumi is also easy for the lactose-challenged to digest. Easily digestible cheese as a main course. What more could you want?
If you can’t find halloumi, substitute panela cheese, available where Latin products are sold. And if you don’t have time to slow roast the tomatoes for this, serve it with marinated sun-dried tomatoes or fresh tomatoes instead. This bowl is vegetarian and gluten-free.
1 (8- or 9-ounce) package halloumi, drained (if packed in water, or panela), patted dry, and sliced into 8 slabs
Olive oil
2 cups loosely packed baby kale, or 1 bunch kale, stemmed, leaves torn into 1-inch pieces
Lemon Yogurt Dressing (here)
Spiced Rice and Lentils (recipe follows; or 1 cup long-grain brown rice, cooked, see here; about 3 cups cooked rice)
8 Slow-Roasted Tomato halves (here; or oil-packed sundried tomatoes)
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted (see here)
Put the halloumi in a small, flat bowl or baking dish, cover with olive oil, and marinate while you prepare the rest of the components for the bowl or up to overnight.
Toss the kale with ¼ cup of the yogurt dressing.
Remove the cheese slabs from the oil. Pour enough of the marinating oil into a large skillet to coat the pan generously and heat the oil over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until it slides like water in the pan and is sizzling hot but not smoking. Lay the cheese slabs in the pan and sear until the cheese is a deep, rich brown, turning to cook both sides, about 45 seconds per side.
Serve the cheese, salad, rice and lentils, tomatoes, and pine nuts in separate dishes, or arrange them in individual pretty bowls with the remaining yogurt dressing on the side.
Makes about 4½ cups
This blend of lentils and rice, called Mejadra, is typical in Middle Eastern cuisine. The best part is the rings of sautéed sweet onions tangled throughout. Use it as a base for any bowl with a Middle Eastern vibe, or just eat it as it is, topped with a dollop of yogurt, finely chopped fresh parsley, and a fried egg, if you’re so inclined.
½ cup brown lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced into rounds
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
1 cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed
1 teaspoon ground allspice
Put the lentils in a small saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches and 1 tablespoon of the salt. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook the lentils for 12 minutes. (They’ll still be fairly hard; you’ll continue to cook them with the rice.) Remove the lentils from the heat and drain.
Meanwhile, pour enough oil into a large straight-sided skillet to coat it. Add the onions and 1 teaspoon of the remaining salt and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the onions are golden brown and very soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the onions to a plate. Add the coriander seeds, reduce the heat to low, and toast for 1 minute, shaking the pan so they toast evenly. Add the rice, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and the allspice and toast the grains for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the lentils and 2 cups water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, until the water has evaporated and the grains are cooked. Turn off the heat, and let the rice and lentils rest for 10 minutes. Uncover, add the onions, and use a fork to gently fold them in.