Paired beautifully with juicy stone fruits like apricots or plums and topped with crunchy pistachios for a flavorful appetizer. 

While my pan-fried halloumi in this pesto-tomato salad is delicious during the Summer season; this grilled halloumi is my favorite way to enjoy it towards the end of summer.

Why you’ll love this whole grilled halloumi

• Unique: This grilled halloumi cheese is a unique and different way to serve halloumi.
• Tasty: The saltiness of the halloumi pairs perfectly with the sweet stone fruit in late summer.
• Easy: Everything in this recipe happens on the grill!

What is halloumi cheese?

Halloumi is a semi-hard, brined cheese that comes from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It’s traditionally made of a mix of goat’s and sheep’s milk, however, you’ll find some versions with cow’s milk. It’s a firm cheese and it’s famously known for being a bit ‘squeeky’ when you bite into it. It has a very high melting point so it’s great for grilling! No extra salt is needed when cooking with this cheese.

Ingredients needed

Block of halloumi cheese: The star of the show! You’ll need a block of halloumi, about 250-300 grams.

Extra-virgin olive oil: A must for the grill and in the cast-iron skillet

Honey: A touch of honey goes well with the saltiness of the halloumi.

Stone fruit: I like apricots or plums with this grilled halloumi.

Pistachios: Crunchy pistachios are lovely with stone fruits.

Garnishes: Lemon zest, fresh mint and chili flakes elevate this simple dish.

How to Make this Grilled Halloumi Recipe

Soak: While the grill preheats, add the block of halloumi cheese to a bowl with boiling water. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Sear: Dry the halloumi with a paper towel. Sear the block of halloumi on both sides on the hot grill, about 2 minutes each side. 

Grill: Add the halloumi into the middle of the cast-iron skillet with the stone fruit, already on the grill. Drizzle honey over everything in the cast iron pan.

Serve: After about 10-12 minutes, remove from the grill.  Move the halloumi to a serving platter and scoop the cooked stone fruit around and on top of the cheese. Garnish, slice and enjoy.

What to serve with grilled halloumi

As an appetizer: This grilled halloumi is a delicious appetizer or snack on it’s own when paired with toasted bread like baguette or a crusty fresh bread for mopping up all the delicious juices in the pan.

As a side dish: This is a delicious dish to serve alongside some grilled chicken like my chili-lime chicken thighs or even a steak. 

As a main dish: For two people, this would be an incredible light dinner. Serve alongside a light salad like this one.

Tips & tricks for grilling halloumi 

Pat the halloumi dry: To get the best grill marks on the cheese, make sure to pat the halloumi dry with a paper towel after soaking in hot water.

Oil for the halloumi and the grill: Halloumi cheese can stick to the grill fairly easily so I recommend oiling the block of cheese AND the grill grates (lightly) as well.

Don’t have a grill? No problem! My recommendation is to use a grill pan if making this indoors as it will give you those lovely char marks. Alternatively, use a cast-iron skillet or frying pan on your stovetop. Sear the halloumi on both sides first and then add in the apricots or plums around the halloumi along with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once everything is in the grill pan, drizzle the honey all over and continue with the recipe.

Why should I soak the halloumi in hot water?

You can skip this step if you want, however, soaking the halloumi makes the texture of the cheese a little more tender and soft once grilled.

How to make crostini to serve with this appetizer

To a baking sheet add slices of baguette bread. Brush the bread slices with olive oil on one side and place in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes and then flip and bake for another 5-7 minutes until toasted. Set aside to cool.

Substitutions and variations

Stone fruit: In my photos you can see I used apricots in this original recipe. However, I’ve also made this using plums and I bet peaches would be delicious too! You will need about 2 heaping cups of sliced fruit.

Nuts: If pistachios aren’t for you, make sure to add a crunch factor. Chopped walnuts or almonds would be a great option.

Make this a mezze platter: Make this grilled halloumi the center of a mezze (appetizer) platter! Go Mediterranean-inspired and add other elements like pita, hummus, vegetables, olives and other summer fruits.

How to store and reheat

Fridge: Once the halloumi and fruits are cool, store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. You can slice the halloumi cold and enjoy it along with the stone fruits in a salad – it would go great with arugula! 

Reheat: Alternatively, cut the block of halloumi into slices and reheat by pan-frying with the fruits for a few minutes.

FAQs

 More Summer appetizers to make from the blog

• Easy Baked Feta Appetizer with Tomatoes and Peppers
• Whipped Ricotta with Honey Roasted Plums Appetizer
• Lemon and Fresh Basil Burrata Cheese Appetizer

Print

Whole Grilled Halloumi with Stone Fruit and Pistachios

Savor the perfect summer bite with whole grilled halloumi, paired beautifully with juicy stone fruits and crunchy pistachios for a flavorful appetizer.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mediterranean-inspired

Keyword apricot, grilling, halloumi

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 as an appetizer (2 as a main)

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 250-300 grams (8-10 oz) block of halloumi cheese
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
• 6-8 large apricots (or 4 large plums), pitted and sliced
• 3 tbsp liquid honey
• zest from half a lemon
• 3-4 tbsp chopped pistachios
• pinch of chili flakes
• fresh mint and/or basil leaves
• baguette or other crusty bread for serving

Instructions

• To a medium bowl add boiling water and the block of halloumi cheese. Let soak for 10 minutes.
• While the halloumi soaks, preheat the grill to medium-high heat (400-425F) and grease the grates with a bit of oil.
• After the halloumi soaks for 10 minutes, remove it from the bowl of boiling water and use paper towel to pat it as dry as you can. Plate on a plate and score both sides of the block of halloumi with a sharp knife. Drizzle both sides with olive oil and rub the olive oil into the halloumi. Set aside.
  
• In a cast iron pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the sliced apricots (or plums). Toss a bit with the olive oil and bring it out to the grill along with the plate of halloumi.
• Once the grill is hot, add the cast iron pan to the grill and add halloumi straight onto the grill grates beside it. Sear the halloumi for 2 minutes per side to get some nice grill marks. Then, move the halloumi into the cast iron pan and nestle the halloumi in the middle of the apricots (or plums). Drizzle the honey over everything in the pan and give the fruit a little stir.
• Cook for about 8-12 minutes, until the fruit has softened and is bubbling a bit, check it once or twice and stir the fruit if desired. Once ready, remove from the grill.
• Move the halloumi to a serving platter and scoop the cooked fruit around and on top of the cheese. Garnish with lemon zest, pistachios, chili flakes and fresh basil and/or fresh mint leaves.

  Use a knife to cut slices of the halloumi. Serve with the toasted baguette or other crusty bread of choice.
  

Notes

• How to make crostini to serve with this appetizer: To a baking sheet add slices of baguette bread. Brush the bread slices with olive oil on one side and place in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes, then flip and bake for another 5-7 minutes until toasted. Set aside to cool.
• If you don’t have pistachios, try toasted almonds or walnuts.

The post Whole Grilled Halloumi with Stone Fruit and Pistachios appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

You can find all my favourite flavours of the season on this Brunch Board plus one simple and delicious bite for dessert, Plum Tarts!

And, other than having your best girlfriends around it isn’t brunch without something to cheers with SO grab a glass of XOXO Wines Rosé and let’s cheers to an easy, delicious brunch celebrating friendship and the summer season!

I partnered with XOXO Wines on this Brunch Board because I absolutely adore their Rosé and they are all about making every day an occasion! With flavours of strawberry and tea plus a hint of spice, XOXO Rosé is a very smooth sip that pairs beautifully with the seasonal ingredients in this Brunch Board.

You’ll find sweet and savoury ingredients on the Brunch Board including strawberries and cherries to tomatoes and goat cheese. I drew inspiration from the summer season and wanted to make this board as simple and straightforward as possible so that you can enjoy sipping on your XOXO Rosé and having fun with your friends!

One of my favourite memories with my best gals is gathering together over delicious food and fabulous wine. I’ve been doing this with friends since our early twenties and the inspiration for this Brunch Board comes from those fond memories.

So grab your girlfriends and let’s make an occasion out of brunch with XOXO Wines Rosé!

Print

Brunch Board

Inspired by the summer season, this Brunch Board has sweet and savoury ingredients to suit every taste. Plus, the Plum Tarts are the perfect dessert bite to top off a spectacular brunch!

Course Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine American

Keyword brunch

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Author Jess

Ingredients

Plum Tarts

• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 2-3 large plums, sliced thin mix of red and dark purple plums
• 3 tbsp sugar I like to use cane sugar
• 1-2 tbsp butter, melted

Brunch Board

• 1 recipe for Plum Tarts
• 200 g gruyere cheese, cut into slices
• 8-10 slices prosciutto
• 1-2 cups multigrain crackers
• 1-2 cups granola
• 2 cups strawberries
• 4-5 apricots, sliced
• 1 small pint mixed cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 1 small baguette, sliced
• 1-2 cups coconut yogurt
• 1/2 cup goat cheese, softened
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey or honeycomb
• 2-3 basil leaves for garnishing the goat cheese
• thyme sprigs, for garnish
• toasted and shredded coconut for garnishing the coconut yogurt

Instructions

Plum Tarts

• **Important: thaw puff pastry according to package directions**
• Pre-heat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut puff pastry sheet into 16 squares and place onto baking sheet, spaced a part.
• Using a fork, make dots throughout the middle of each puff pastry square, leaving about a half-inch border around the square.
• Place 3 plum slices on the middle of each square, approximately covering the space that’s been dotted with the fork.
• Brush the borders of each puff pastry square with melted butter and then sprinkle each square generously with sugar.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden around the edges.
• Remove from the oven and let cool about 5 minutes on the pan. Then they are ready to be served!  Note: You can absolutely make these ahead of time and then sprinkle with a bit more sugar just before serving on your brunch board – they do not need to be served warm.

Assembling the Brunch Board

• Prepare the plum tarts and let cool.
• Find a serving board and 3-4 small serving bowls plus a couple of knives and spoons for serving.
• Slice and measure out all the remaining ingredients.
• Scoop the goat cheese into a small bowl, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with basil.
  
• Scoop the coconut yogurt into a small bowl and mixed cherry tomatoes in their own small bowl.
  
• To create the brunch board, start by placing the three main bowls (goat cheese, tomatoes and yogurt) on the board. Then start to fill in with crackers, baguette and plum tarts. Continue to fill in spaces with fresh fruit, prosciutto and garnish with thyme sprigs.
  
• Use the Brunch Board photos to help guide your design or go with your own creative presentation! Don’t worry about fitting everything on the board to start with; you can always refill when needed.
  

There are so many amazing combinations of flavours you and your girlfriends can enjoy from this Brunch Board. Some of my favourites are:
–       Slice of baguette with goat cheese and tomatoes
–       Crackers with goat cheese, apricot slice and honey
–       Dip fruits into coconut yogurt then granola
–       Fruit, yogurt and granola
–       Plum tarts!

The best thing about this Brunch Board is that you can mix and match ingredients to suit your tastes. Many of the seasonal ingredients you can find right now at the market will go beautifully with XOXO Rosé too!

Hosting your own brunch soon?  XOXO Wines is available in local liquor stores and here in Alberta you can find XOXO Rosé, Pinot Grigio-Chardonnay and their Sparkling Pinot Grigio-Chardonnay – literally something for everyone’s tastes!

Want to hear the BEST part!? I’m hosting a contest giving away FOUR BOTTLES of XOXO WINES ROSÉ! Come on over to enter to win! *CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED*

I’d love to see your Brunch Board creations so comment below or tag @cookinginmygenes on Instagram.

Need more brunch inspo? Check out my other summer brunch ideas!

Happy brunching friends!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

Disclaimer: Thank you to XOXO Wines for sponsoring this post.  Thank you for supporting the brands that I support. All opinions are my own.

The post Summer Brunch Board appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

I spent most of July on vacation, enjoying visits with family and friends and feasting on all of the amazing fruits and vegetables in season.

And, we’ve also been thoroughly enjoying sipping coffee on our back deck and reading on weekend mornings. So come on over for some travel adventures AND recipe ideas for what to cook in August!

We headed east to Toronto and area for visits with family and friends in mid-July and the weather was spectacular!

Scott and I went for a couple of lovely bike-rides along the Waterfront Trail along Lake Ontario.

We also spent a bunch of time around my parent’s backyard pool because you just can’t beat sunny, bluebird Ontario summer days. And, we always joke that it’s like being at an all-inclusive resort – there’s always snacks and drinks! (Thanks Mom & Dad for being the best hosts!)

Much of our vacation centred around enjoying the outdoors and food with family and friends. We even took a day-trip out to Prince Edward County for lunch at the Drake Devonshire which has the most lovely lake-view from their patio.

Then, we then toured around to a couple of wineries.  We stopped in at Rosehall Run which has one of my FAV sparkling wines, the Pixie, and checked out The Grange’s variety of wines plus their new cider and stunning views.

We stopped in at Hinterland which I had not been too before and absolutely LOVED their Les Etoiles Sparkling Wine.  The tasting room was beautiful and open-air concept which continued to a patio that looked out at the vineyard.

I find Prince Edward County so magical and serene; I love visiting when I’m back in Ontario when I can for the scenery, wine and the food. If you are ever in Ontario I highly recommend going!

Before we headed back to Calgary we spent a couple of days in Toronto. One morning we had croissants and these Italian ‘donuts’ called bomboloni which are one of the best bites of food I’ve ever had at Sud Forno. I will DEFINITELY be going back there again! And, we also made a lovely family dinner on the weekend featuring an epic rib-eye steak that was made for sharing.

It was truly a wonderful trip and when we got back to Calgary it was hard to get back into the swing of things! But one lovely surprise when we returned was our garden in full bloom, specifically the radishes! These French Breakfast Radishes are AMAZING.

I’ve been enjoying them on sourdough, making many lunches of my Toasts with Radishes, Pea Shoots & Feta recipe. They’re also delicious with just butter and a sprinkle of salt on toast too.

We’re definitely cooking seasonally lately, especially with all of the fresh produce we get weekly from our YYC Growers food share and from our garden. So, here are some of my favourite recipes that you can make in August:

Apricots: Easy Apricot Jam

Berries: Aloha Breakfast Bowl

Corn: Roasted Summer Vegetable Salad

Peaches: Peach & Prosciutto Summer Foccacia

Strawberries: Strawberry Lemonade Rosé Punch

Tomatoes: Heirloom Tomatoes, Mozzarella & Sourdough Bread Board

I can’t wait to make some of these recipes on repeat the next couple of weeks while all of the produce is in season! AND if you’re looking for a cool treat, I made three easy Fresh Fruit Popsicle recipes for the Italian Centre Shop here in Calgary including Strawberry-Basil and Peach & Mint flavours!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s in Season – Monthly Favourites appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

I’ve been really into homemade oatmeal this past year because of the warm oats recipes I have been making from the Eyecandypopper blog.  I make oatmeal for breakfast about twice a week now and I love the warmth of flavour it delivers in the morning; plus these oat bowls keep me nourished all morning long!

I was inspired to create my own version with some of my favourite flavours of the season and seriously the honey pears are SO insanely delicious.


The hazelnuts add a wonderful crunchy topping to this Spiced Oatmeal with Honey Pears and the apricots round out the combination of flavours.

Total Time: 25 minutes
Equipment: small pot, small frying pan
Servings: 2

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups almond milk
1 large Anjou pear, sliced
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp honey
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup almond milk
1/3 cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
6 dried apricots, chopped
almond milk for serving

Instructions:

Mix your spices together in a small bowl (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and salt) and set aside.

Pour 2 cups of almond milk into your pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

While you’re waiting for the almond milk to boil, prepare your pears.

Slice your pears and then add the butter to your small frying pan. Turn the frying pan to medium heat and once the butter is melted, add in the sliced pears and honey. Turn the pan to medium-low heat and cook the pears for about 6-8 minutes until they are soft (but not falling apart), stirring a couple times.

When your almond milk starts to boil, stir in your spice mix first and then add the oats, stirring until everything is combined. Turn the heat to medium-low, stirring the oats often for about 8-10 minutes or until done.

Once the oats are done, take the pot off of the heat and stir in 1/4 cup of almond milk.  Then you are ready to serve!  Divide the oatmeal into your bowls, top with hazelnuts, apricots and pears.

You can even drizzle some of the honey-butter from the pan the pears were cooked in on top – trust me, its absolutely delicious!

You can also add a bit extra almond milk to your bowl as well, whatever suits your fancy.

So tuck in and enjoy these delicious Spiced Oatmeal with Honey Pears bowls for a weekend breakfast or even during the week! You’ll be happy you did and seriously fulfilled with all of the warm and comforting flavours happening.

Looking for more breakfast recipes using oats? Check out my Coconut & Almond Granola which you can meal-prep for the week ahead too!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Spiced Oatmeal with Honey Pears appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.