Fried Haloumi And Orange Salad

Total Time: 26 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 6 mins

Ingredients

• 500 g halloumi cheese, cut into 1cm slices
• 1 chili, red
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 bunches spinach, stems removed
• 1 lemon, juice only
• salt
• 20 water chestnuts, fresh if possible
• olive oil, for frying
• 2 oranges, segmented
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomato, sliced

Recipe

• 1 fill a roasting dish with 5cm warm water and place haloumi slices in it in a single layer. leave at room temperature for 2 - 6 hours, or over night in the fridge.
• 2 thinly slice the chilli and place in a small pan with the garlic and half the oil. bring to a gentle simmer for 2 minutes. (you don't want the garlic to change colour too much, you just want the flavours to infuse). take off the heat and pour contents into a small jug, then add the reamining oil and the vinegar and leave this dressing to one side.
• 3 bring a small pot of water to the boil and add half the spinach and submerge with a wooden spoon. keep the spinach in the water for 15 seconds then drain immediately into a strainer and refresh with cold water. squeeze out excess water. shred the remaining spinach with a shap knife.
• 4 take the haloumi from the soaking water and pat dry on kitchen paper. heat a frying pan and add a few tablespoons of olive oil, then fry the haloumi on both sdies. remove from the heat and place on 4 plates.
• 5 take the blanched spinach and pull apart to loosen it a little, then place in a bowl with the shredded raw spinach, orange sements, hazelnuts and sun dried tomatoes.
• 6 slice the water chestnuts into rounds about 5mm thick and add to the bowl.
• 7 stir the chilli dressing and add to the salad mix with a little salt and mix by hand.
• 8 divide the salad between the four ptaes and serve.