Guacamole and Guacziki

As a family, we've only recently discovered the delights of guacamole and until now have been buying the ready made tubs. As Morrisons had packs of 4 avocados for £1 this week (that's the same price as 1 tub!), so Miss K and I thought we'd buy some and make our own.

Most authentic recipes seem to include chopped onion, but as neither of the girls like raw onion, we replaced it with garlic.

For the guacamole

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 ripe tomato, deseeded and diced
• 1 small clove of garlic, crushed (or some finely chopped onion)
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• A little chopped jalapeño chilli, to taste
• A little chopped coriander, to taste 

Cut the avocado in half by scoring around lengthwise with a sharp knife.
Twist to separate the two halves.

Scoop the avocado flesh out into a bowl with a spoon, removing the stone as you do so.
Retain the skins and drizzle with half of the lime juice. Wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Add the remaining lime juice to the avocado flesh and mash roughly with a fork.

Add the other ingredients and stir in.

Cover and refrigerate until needed (for a couple of hours at the most, as it will discolor). Serve in the avocado skins.

For the guacziki

I decided to experiment with one of the remaining avocados and came up with guacziki - a kind of vegan tzatziki!

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 chunk of cucumber, deseeded and diced
• 1 small clove of garlic, crushed
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
• A dash of hot chilli sauce, to taste
• A little chopped dill, to taste 

Prepare the avocado as before.

Place in a food processor with the lemon juice, garlic, the scooped out cucumber seeds and seasonings.

Blend until smooth.

Finally, stir in the chopped cucumber.

Cover and refrigerate until needed. 

Top Tip: Pop the avocado stone back into the dip until you are ready to serve. I'm not sure if this really works, but it's supposed to help stop the dip discolouring!

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Self catering abroad? Travel essentials

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I've got to admit that I'm a bit of an obsessive planner when it comes to holidays. I love holidays and want them to go well, so I do plenty of research beforehand (accommodation, beaches, public transport, local restaurants serving vegetarian options etc.), to make sure we chose the right resort and have a great time when we're there. We generally stay in self-catering, budget accommodation in Greece and to keep costs down once we're there, I pack various 'essential' items, which some family members seem to find a little over-the-top!

It's worth knowing that kitchens in Greek self-catering accommodation are often very small and basic (see photo). You will generally have a 2 ring electric hob, a fridge and a sink, plus one set of basic crockery and cutlery. Microwaves, toasters and even kettles can be scarce, so check reviews or contact the owner before travelling to make sure you have everything you need.

Foods to take :
These foods tend to be expensive in Greece as they are imported.

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• Breakfast cereals
• Teabags/coffee
• Marmite (squeezy in plastic jar)
• Peanut butter (in plastic jar)
• Packets of dried veggie burger/sausage mix (not available in Greece).
• Small sachets of herbs/spices

Kitchen equipment:

• Washing up liquid - decanted into a small bottle
• Tea towel
• Ice cube bags/tray
• Sponge scourer/dish cloth
• Corkscrew/bottle opener
• Small sharp kitchen knife in original packaging
• Small plastic sandwich bags to wrap sandwiches etc.
• Adaptor plugs

Equipment to take for picnics on the beach:

• Picnic mat/s with waterproof backing
• Small insulated cool bag (use small frozen water bottles as ice packs)
• Small beach parasol 

Depending on accommodation reviews, you might want to buy these in the UK and leave them in resort or pass them on to fellow holiday makers:

• Small 2 slice toaster
• Travel kettle/small kettle

Although we generally eat out most evenings, I prepare a basic breakfast and lunch each day, which really helps to keep down the cost.

Laundry

• Travel wash
• Camping washing line and a few pegs

Basics to buy in resort:

• Fresh bread each day (enough for breakfast and lunch)
• Jam/marmalade
• Fruit juice
• Water
• Soft drinks, beer etc for an evening drink on the balcony!
• Fresh fruit/salad ingredients
• Small bottle of vegetable oil
• Eggs (omelettes, fried eggs etc)
• Cheese
• Butter
• Ice-creams - much cheaper at the supermarket, than from your hotel/apartment!

If you're travelling on a very strict budget and want to cater for all your own meals, try some of my camping recipes, for simple, budget-friendly meals which can be cooked on a 2 ring hob. 

Rachel has some more great family holiday tips and ideas over at Midlife Single Mum.

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Marinated Olives with Garlic, Chilli & Parsley

I generally buy a pot of marinated olives each week. This works out to be quite expensive, as my favourite marinated Queen green olives are generally £2-£3 a tub. So, I thought I'd have a go at marinating plain olives (at about £1 per jar) to see if they would taste as good and save money...they do!

• 1 jar of your preferred plain or stuffed olives in brine (about 200g/8oz drained weight)
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1 tsp fresh, chopped parsley
• 1 pinch of dried crushed chilli

Drain the olives, blot dry on some kitchen roll.

Mix the marinade ingredients together and pour over the olives.

Allow to marinate over night in an airtight tub.
Will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Top tip: After you've eaten the olives, don't through the marinade away...pour over chopped Mediterranean or root vegetables and roast them.

Other marinade suggestions: Just add the chopped ingredients to olive oil as above - lemon zest and chopped coriander leaves, sun-dried tomatoes and feta (use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes), chopped basil and garlic, garlic and chopped fresh chilli etc.

Any other marinade ideas? Do let me know in a comment below.

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Good Natured Salads - a review and a recipe for Greek Salad

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When I was asked to review Good Natured salad products, my first thought was to test them out in a Greek salad, having recently come back from a holiday in Crete, where we enjoyed many Greek (or village) salads. Luckily we're big fans of salads in the Onykahonie household - I say luckily because some people think that's all us vegetarians eat! 

The Good Natured range consists of a variety of mainly UK produced salad crops, herbs, fruits and vegetables. What makes them different from other brands, is that they are free from pesticide residues, as they are grown using natural predators (ladybirds, not lions!) to see off the nasty crop-munching pests. This makes them slightly more expensive to buy than regular fruit and veg, but a similar price to organically-produced products.
The vine tomatoes and cucumber we tested looked pretty enough and tasted as good as any organic salad products we've eaten. I can't say that I would be prepared to pay the extra for them (having stopped receiving an organic box for cost reasons), but I would certainly prefer to see wide-spread use of this method of horticulture to help decrease both the price of pesticide-free fruit and vegetables and the use of pesticides in the UK. There is more information about the way Good Natured products are grown here. 
Find Good Natured products in larger ASDA stores. Look out for the labelled products in green boxes.

Greek salad

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• 1 small lettuce, washed and shredded
• ½ cucumber, cut in half and sliced
• 2 large vine tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 green pepper, sliced thinly
• ½ small onion, sliced thinly
• a handful of Greek olives
• 125g Greek feta cheese, sliced thickly
• dried oregano and olive oil to serve.

Place the lettuce at the bottom of a bowl. 
Scatter the remaining salad ingredients over. Top with the feta cheese and sprinkle of dried oregano. Drizzle a little olive oil over to serve.

Integrity Statement
I received a voucher towards the purchase price of Good Natured products. I was not required to write a positive review and the views expressed are genuinely those of myself and my family. 

Logo used with kind permission from Good Natured ©

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Bulghar Wheat Salad with Halloumi and Vegetables

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This is a nice, summery dish, which goes well along-side barbecued foods or as part of a buffet or meze.

Serves 4-6 as a side-salad

• 1 aubergine/eggplant
• 1 red pointed pepper
• 1 small red onion
• A handful of Greek olives, sliced
• 100g halloumi cheese, cubed
• 1 cup bulghar wheat
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp lemon or lime juice
• black pepper, to taste

Place the bulghar wheat in a heat-proof bowl and pour 1½ cups of boiling water over. 
Stir and then cover the bowl with cling film.

Pierce the film and then microwave for 1 minute on high. 

Allow to stand for 20-30 minutes until all the water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, shallow fry the aubergine in 2 tbsp of the oil until golden brown and soft.

Remove from the pan, then gently fry the onion and peppers to soften, adding a further tbsp of oil.

Dry fry the cubes of halloumi until golden.

Remove the pan from the heat and return all of the cooked vegetables to the pan, along with the halloumi.

Add the oregano, olives, black pepper and lemon/lime juice and stir to coat the vegetables. 
Finally mix in the mint.

Serve the cheese and vegetable mix, either on top of the bulghar wheat or mixed in.

Serve warm or cold.

Not suitable for freezing.

Vegan alternative: Either omit the cheese or swap it for a dairy-free hard cheese, or some toasted pine nuts .

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Aubergine/Eggplant and Cheese Bake

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Unlike traditional melanzane parmigiana, my aubergine bake doesn't contain Parmesan, although you could use some vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese if you wanted to. I don't salt my aubergines (life's too short to salt an aubergine!), and I only fry them in a little oil  -  well, a little compared to some traditional recipes! The secret to this dish is to cook the aubergines until they are soft, before baking them.

This dish can be prepared in advance and chilled over night, so it's great for dinner parties and special occasion meals.

• 2 large aubergines, sliced into 1cm circles
• 1 quantity of tomato sauce, made with 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley and an added pinch of cinnamon - or a jar of good quality ready-made sauce.
• 100-200g feta/hard goats cheese/mozzarella/vegan melting cheese, sliced or grated
• ½ tsp dried oregano

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/170C Fan/Gas 4.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan and add 1 tbsp olive oil.
Fry the aubergine slices in batches until golden brown and soft, adding a little more oil to each batch. You can tell when they're done, by pressing down on the aubergine with a spoon or spatula; When they release their juices, they're cooked.

Spoon 1 tbsp of the tomato sauce into the base of each of 4 ramekins and top with a couple of slices of aubergine. Continue layering the sauce and aubergine, until you have either used up all the aubergine or almost run out of space! 
Top with the cheese and a sprinkling of dried oregano.

Put a lid or piece of foil over each ramekin and place on a baking tray.
Bake for 30 minutes, then uncover. Bake for a further 10-15 minutes to allow the cheese to brown a little, and for the sauce to thicken.

Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Serve with pasta or salad and garlic bread.

Suitable for freezing.

Alternatives: You could make this in one big dish instead of individual ramekins, but I find it's quite difficult to serve if you want to keep it looking nice!
Add a combination of vegetables if you want to. Courgette/zucchini, potato and sweet potato work well with the aubergine. Fry these off in batches as before.

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Aubergine and Feta Dip

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This isn't the prettiest looking dip, but what it lacks in beauty, it makes up for in taste! In Greece it's know as aubergine salad.
Serve as part of a buffet/meze.

• 1 large aubergine/eggplant
• 100g/4oz feta cheese
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 25g/1oz olives, chopped (optional)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp smoked paprika (or to taste)

Prick the aubergine all over with a sharp knife (to stop it exploding!).
Grill the aubergine under a hot grill, turning every few minutes, until the skin is black and the aubergine is soft.
Allow to cool and then peel the blacked skin off and discard. Blot the aubergine flesh on kitchen paper to remove excess liquid.
Blend all ingredients together. Blend briefly for a pate-type texture or blend thoroughly if you prefer a smooth dip. 
Sprinkle with a little dried mint, or some fresh, chopped herbs and chill until needed.

Not suitable for freezing.

Alternatives: Try making this dip with roasted butternut squash, sweet potato or cooked and mashed pulses instead of the aubergine.
Vegan option: Omit the cheese for a vegan dip. Pin It

Mini Spinach and Feta Pies (Easy Spanakopita)

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My family loves Greek food (and Greek holidays) so I'm always on the look out for new Greek vegetarian recipes to try out. When I saw a recipe for halloumi cheese pie on Eftychia's Dream of Cakes blog, I was intrigued, as this was a recipe I hadn't heard of before.

I decided to try it out as part of a meze, which also included spinach and feta pies (see below), falafels, hummus, tzatziki and salad. I halved the recipe, and made it without the pastry case to make small individual  pies. I also swapped the mint for a combination of parsley and dill, as my children aren't keen on the taste of mint. Unfortunately the mini pies stuck to the greased muffin tin, so next time I'll make them with pastry, like the original recipe states. They tasted great though and went down really well with my halloumi-loving family.

This spinach and cheese pie recipe isn't wholly authentic, but it's my own quick-to-make adaptation of spanakopita.

• 1 pack puff pastry/shortcrust pastry (or make your own)
• 200g feta cheese
• 150g fresh spinach, washed
• 2 eggs
• 100ml Greek yogurt
• black pepper to taste
• ½ tsp dried oregano (or use fresh chopped parsley/dill)
• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg

Roll out the pastry.
Cut circles out of the pastry (using a cookie/pastry cutter) and pop them into a greased muffin tin - press pastry down into the bottom of the tin.
Put the spinach in a bowl, cover with cling film and microwave for 2 minutes on high.
Allow to cool for a few minutes, drain off the excess water and squeeze out the remaining water (wrap in a few layers of kitchen towel and squeeze with your hands), so it's as dry as possible.

Chop the spinach.
Mash the feta in another bowl, stir in the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Spoon the mixture into each of the pastry cases, filling almost to the top.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C/190C Fan/Gas 6 for around 15-20 minutes, or until the pies are golden brown.

Serve warm or cold.

Suitable for freezing.

Alternatives
Cut out 4-5 layers of filo pastry, brushed with butter for more traditional pies.
Make one large pie if preferred and cook for an extra 10 minutes.

Recommended cookbooks
The Greek Vegetarian
Greek Vegetarian Cooking

This week's recipe shed linky is on a vegetarian theme, so be sure to check out all the other lovely recipes on Reluctant Housedad's blog.
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Tzatziki Dip

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Tzatziki is one of my family's favourite things to eat and always bring back memories of our many holidays in Greece. It's really simple to make and tastes so much better than the shop-bought variety.
I forgot to take a photo of my last batch of tzatziki, so I've included a photo from our holiday in Skiathos, instead!

• 250ml Greek/Greek-style plain yogurt
• ¼ cucumber, grated
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed 
• a little chopped fresh dill (optional)
• a dash of chilli sauce/pinch of cayenne/black pepper to taste (optional)

Grate the cucumber onto several sheets of kitchen roll.
Squeeze as much moisture as possible out of the cucumber.
Mix all of the ingredients together and chill until needed.
Serve with fresh, warm pitta bread.

Alternative: I'm not sure how this would taste using a dairy-free yogurt, but it's worth a try...you might want to add a glug of olive oil to get a more 'creamy' taste. Let me know if it works!

More Greek meze recipes: Greek salad, Hummus, Aubergine dip

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Hummus (Vegan)

I know some people think that life's too short to make their own hummus, but it it's really easy to make.

If you like super-smooth hummus, you need a decent food processor, but it's way cheaper than shop bought and tastes just as good, if not better! Look out for cheap chickpeas in the world food aisle of you local supermarket, or save even more money by soaking and cooking dried chickpeas.

• 1 tin of chickpeas, drained
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Grated zest and juice of ½ a lemon
• 3 tbsp light tahini paste
• A good pinch each of ground black pepper, cumin and paprika (or more to taste)
• 2-4 tbsp extra lemon juice or boiled water to thin, if needed 

Empty the chickpeas into a blender/food processor. Add all the rest of the ingredients and start to blend.
Stop every few seconds and stir the mixture. Add some extra liquid, if needed.
Repeat until you have the consistency you like.
Chill until needed and serve with warm pitta bread.

Suitable for freezing.

Alternatives: You can make hummus with just about any pulses, such as cannellini beans, butter beans or haricot beans. You will generally need to add less liquid, as these beans are softer than chickpeas.
Swap the lemon zest for other flavourings such as sun-dried tomatoes, chilli, roasted peppers etc.

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Fried Aubergine/Eggplant with Herbs and Garlic (Vegan)

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This is a recipe which I've adapted from the Greek Vegetarian by Diane Kochilas. Serves 4 as a starter or side dish.

• 2 aubergines cut into 2-3cm chunks
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped (or 1 tsp dried mint)
• 25g/1oz vegan Parmesan-style topping such as Parmazano (or grated vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese for non-vegans).

Fry the aubergine in batches in the olive oil, until soft and golden brown.
When all the aubergine is cooked, return to the pan and add the oregano, mint, garlic and vinegar.
Simmer on a low heat for around 3-5 minutes, until soft and tender. 
When cooked, sprinkle with the cheese/cheese substitute (optional).

Alternatively, marinate the aubergine in oil, vinegar, garlic and herbs. Thread onto skewers and cook on the barbecue.

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Fill in the blanks

I've been tagged by Paula (Qwerty Mum) and now have to fill in the blanks on this meme, which started in Canada on a blog called Searching for Serendipity, and arrived in the UK, thanks to Wendy from Inside the Wendy House. I know I don't have to, as I'm sure Paula wouldn't take offense if I didn't, but I like a challenge!

I am...A mum, a wife and good friend (I hope); I'm also a bit mad (in a good way!), a dreamer, a philosopher, a listener, a vegetarian, a creative person and a good cook (or so I've been told).

The bravest thing I've ever done...I'm not really a very brave person, not physically anyway. I have a very strong sense of self preservation, so I'm struggling on this one a bit; People tell me that I was brave to give birth to my 2 children at home, but I think they're braver to give birth in hospital (especially in my local hospital)!

I suppose I was brave when I decided take the plunge and change career a couple of years ago. I left a job that fitted around my family, I liked and was good at, to follow my heart and do a job where I felt I could 'make a difference'.

I feel prettiest...This is another tricky one as I don't think I'm a pretty kind of person. Pretty to me is someone little and girly and dainty, which I am not. I guess I feel best about myself when I'm on holiday and have a tan, and don't care what others think about me.

Something that keeps me awake at night...Thinking about spiders (I am an arachnophobe so they are the only creatures that I think should be exterminated!), planning things for work, or worrying about the kids.

My favourite meal is...This depends on what mood I'm in and where I am. I guess if I could be anywhere, then it would be on holiday in Greece with the family, sitting in a beach-front taverna as the sun goes down, eating tzatziki with fresh pitta bread, followed by a veggie moussaka. If I was in the UK, I would be at a house party (with friends and close family), picking at lovingly-prepared buffet food.

The way to my heart is...Through kindness, compassion, empathy, laughter, words, friendship and music (flowers and chocolate are good too!).

I would like to be...Tidier! I'm such a rubbish house wife, (apart from the cooking) but aspire to be a good one... I'm afraid life just gets in the way. On the other hand, maybe I would like to be someone who can afford to employ a cleaner!

I'm tagging my fellow mummy bloggers at Thinly Spread, Hello It's Gemma, Kate Takes 5, Parenting Expert. Not and Utterly Scrummy (please tag someone else if you've already been tagged!) What will your answers reveal about you?

I am...
The bravest thing I've ever done...
I feel prettiest...
Something that keeps me awake at night...
My favourite meal is...
The way to my heart is...
I would like to be...

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Pasta Salad with Halloumi

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As my previous halloumi recipe has been pretty popular, I thought I'd post my recipe for a quick and easy pasta salad with halloumi, which is a loose variation on a Greek salad. I've found that most kids like this dish, as the dressing is mild and sweet.

Of course, if you're vegan you could omit the cheese or replace it with some small pieces of fried firm tofu, or vegan cheese.

• 150g/6oz dried pasta - I generally use fusilli or conchiglie.
• ½ a green pepper, diced
• 8-12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 5cm chunk of cucumber, diced 
• A handful of olives, sliced
• ½ a pack of halloumi, diced

Dressing

• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp tomato ketchup or puree 
• Some finely chopped fresh parsley or dried oregano
• A little black pepper

Cook the pasta.
Meanwhile, bake or fry the halloumi until golden brown.Rinse the pasta under cold water to cool, and drain well.
Make the dressing up and mix well. When the halloumi is cooked, remove from the heat and pour the dressing over the warm cheese to marinate.
Toss the chopped vegetables in with the pasta.
Add the halloumi and dressing, and mix well, to coat the pasta.
Chill until needed.

Alternative: For a more traditional Greek salad flavour, use feta cheese instead of the halloumi, but omit the tomato sauce/puree and the cooking stage.
Use cooked and cooled rice instead of the pasta if preferred.

You can make a nice salad with roasted vegetables instead of raw ones. Use chopped pepper, onion, courgette and tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for around 20 minutes. Cool and stir into warm or cold pasta.

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Baked Feta Cheese

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This is a recipe that I made up after eating several different variations on holiday in Greece. If you don't like the taste of feta, you could try it with a soft goat's cheese instead.
Serve as a starter with a salad and fresh crusty (or pitta) bread, as part of mezze, or as a sauce over pasta.

Serves 2-4 

• ¼ portion of tomato pasta sauce (whole recipe made with 1 tsp dried oregano rather than the fresh herbs).
• 1 pack (200g) of feta cheese
• Hot chilli powder or hot chilli sauce 

Make the sauce up and add a pinch of dried chilli or a dash of chilli sauce to the portion you're using in this recipe. Freeze the rest.
Pour the sauce into a small oven proof dish.
Top with the whole piece of feta and sprinkle with a little more oregano.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C/Gas 6 for around 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is starting to brown.

Alternative: If you don't like tomatoey sauces, try this version instead - Slice an onion and a green pepper thinly and lay on a piece of baking foil. Place the feta on top. Sprinkle with oregano and dried chilli and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap tightly in the foil and bake as above.
You can also bake this on a barbecue.

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Tomato & Vegetable Pasta Sauce (Vegan)

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This economical and versatile pasta sauce freezes well, so you can make up a big batch (double this recipe), freeze it in portions and pull a tub out of the freezer when needed. Leave the sauce chunky if your kids will eat it, if not, blend after cooking for a 'hidden vegetable' sauce...sneaky!

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 red or orange pepper, chopped
• 4 mushrooms, chopped or sliced 
• ½ courgette (or a carrot), chopped
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 500 ml carton of passata/creamed tomatoes (or a tin of chopped tomatoes) 
• Fresh basil or parsley, chopped (or use ½-1 tsp dried herbs)
• Black pepper to taste
• ½ tsp sugar

Gently fry the onion, garlic and chopped veg. in 1 tbsp olive oil.

Add the tomato puree and cook for 1 minute.

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.

Put the lid on the pan and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.

Blend if desired.

Alternatives: Add a drained tin of chick peas or other pulses for a more filling sauce.

Use a base for spaghetti bolognese, lasagne or chilli.

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Roasted Vegetables with Halloumi

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All my family like this light meal, which is simple to prepare and contains plenty of '5-a-days'. Fussy kids can easily pick out the bits they don't like, as the vegetables are all in nice big chunks. You could swap the veg. for anything else in season, such as celery, fennel, aubergine etc.

• 2-3 peppers (red, orange and yellow are sweeter)
• 1 onion
• 8-12 mushrooms
• ¼ butternut squash (peeled) or 1 courgette
• 2 carrots
• ½ pack of halloumi cheese

For the dressing

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon/lime juice or balsamic vinegar
• 1 crushed clove of garlic
• 1tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Chop/slice all the veg. and place them (except the mushrooms) in a roasting dish.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper and some fennel seeds if you have them.
Roast for approximately 30 mins at 180 C/Gas 4, or until the vegetables are almost cooked.
Turn the vegetables and add the chopped mushrooms and halloumi cheese.
Return to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese starts to brown.
Meanwhile make up the dressing.
Pour the dressing over the veg. and return to the oven for 5 minutes to heat through and cook the garlic.

Serve with hummus and pitta bread/wrap/flatbread, or mix the roasted vegetable mixture into some cooked rice or pasta.

Alternative: For an Indian version, sprinkle the vegetables with 2 tsp garam masala before cooking. Swap the halloumi for paneer cheese, and omit the dressing. Serve with plain/natural yogurt and chapatti/roti.

Vegan alternative: Add marinated or basil tofu instead of the cheese, or use a vegan cheese.

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