Halloumi, Aubergine and Potato Salad

Last week I whipped up this very yummy and salty salad for mine and Bailey's tea. It was rather tasty but really quick and easy to make!

We love halloumi in our house, and thanks to our friend Becky Sterritt refer to it as "squeaky cheese". This salad is perfect for showcasing the texture and flavour of halloumi and the combination of all the salad bits at different temperatures works really well with sharp pomegranate seeds and plain yogurt.

Will definitely be making this one again for a quick tea or as a big sharing dish as part of a buffet.

Recipe (serves 4):
112g Halloumi
1 aubergine
4 potatoes
1 pot of pomegranate seeds
1 handful corriander
1 tub Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper

Slice up the aubergine into 1cm rounds and lightly salt each slice on both sides before putting to one side in a mixing bowl. This will encourage some of the liquid from the aubergine to come out and remove the bitterness. Slice the potatoes into 1cm rounds and boil until just tender but still with a bit of bite to them. Leave to cool.

Meanwhile, slice up the halloumi into thin strips. Heat the oven 50 degrees C. Heat up a griddle pan, spray with non-stick cooking spray and griddle the halloumi.

 Leave the halloumi alone until it comes away from the griddle pan without sticking - anything before this stage and the halloumi isn't ready to turn and may also break up. When you turn it you will have lovely black lines all across it. From my experience of cooking and eating halloumi, the toastier the better!

Place the halloumi in the oven to keep warm. Griddle the aubergines until equally nice and toasty and tender all the way through.

Meanwhile, make up the dressing by finely chopping the corriander, adding it to the yogurt and seasoning it. Place in a bowl with a spoon in so that it can be drizzled onto the salad before eating.

Assemble the salad by placing some potatoes, some halloumi and some aubergine on the plate to make the foundations of a little stack. Repeat the process until all three are nicely stacked up.

Finally sprinkle the plates with plenty of yummy pomegranate seeds and serve with a nice dollop of the yogurt dressing on top. Lovely!