Halloumi with Pesto-Courgette Strips

Mediterranean food at its best is full of flavours and packed with vegetables. Here an unusual courgette pesto is deliciously partnered with fried halloumi cheese. Great for a quick and healthy mid-week meal. Thanks to Vitamix for this recipe which is taken from their Healthy Eating recipe book.

Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 large bunches basil
• 100g (3½oz) pine kernels
• 100g (3½oz) walnut kernels
• 320ml (11 fl oz) olive oil
• 160g (5½oz) grated
• Parmesan
• salt & pepper
• 200g (7oz) halloumi (grilling cheese)
• 1 tsp oil for frying
• 3–4 medium courgettes (about 1kg/2lb)

Serves 4 Preparation: 30 minutes. Per serving: approx. 503 kcal, 19g protein, 45g fat, 7g carbohydrates

Method

1 To make the pesto, peel the garlic. Wash and shake dry the basil, then pull off the leaves. In a non-stick frying pan, lightly toast the pine kernels and walnuts without fat, then remove from the pan. 2 Pour the olive oil into the Vitamix container and add the garlic, basil, pine kernels, walnuts and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Close the lid and select Variable 1. Start the machine and slowly increase the speed to Variable 3. Blend for 30 seconds or until the desired consistency has been achieved. 3 Cut the halloumi into strips about 1 cm (½ inch) wide. Thinly brush a large non-stick frying pan with oil, add the halloumi and fry on both sides for about 4 minutes. Remove and keep warm. 4 Meanwhile, trim and wash the courgettes, then use a vegetable peeler to slice them into long thin strips. Put the courgette strips into the frying pan and fry them in the oil used for the halloumi for about 4 minutes, turning from time to time. Then stir in a little pesto. Serve the halloumi with the courgette strips.

TIP

The pesto can easily be prepared ahead of time. Put it in a screw-top jar and cover it with oil to keep for several days in the fridge. Frozen, it will keep for up to 3 months.