I made this dish for a bunch of my best girl friends the other night at our JSHealth Dinner Party! It’s so easy to throw together, with just a few simple ingredients – and tastes absolutely divine! Using herbs and spices, like za’atar and mint, is one of the best ways to add flavour to a dish without extra oils or nasties! And asparagus is a great source of fibre, folate and vitamins as well as chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from bloodstream into cells – the more you know! Serve as an accompaniment to your main or vegetarian option.
Ingredients
Serves: 2 as a main, 4 as a side
- 250g good quality haloumi cheese
- 1 tbsp cold pressed olive oil
- 1 tbsp za’atar spice
- 2 bunches of asparagus
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 5-6 mint leaves, chopped
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°.
- Arrange asparagus on a lined baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over chilli flakes. Season with sea salt and pepper and add to oven. Roast for 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice haloumi pieces lengthways (1-2cm wide). Sprinkle each piece with za’atar spice and sea salt.
- Heat olive oil on a large, non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Add haloumi to pan and fry until each side is golden (3-4 minutes). Set aside.
- On a serving platter, arrange haloumi and asparagus. Drizzle asparagus with lemon juice and garnish with mint leaves.