Salmon with Haloumi and Green Bean Salad

It's Friday again, so that means seafood for dinner!!  I really can't get enough of salmon - so I set off in search of new recipes, only to come back to an old tried and true friend, that I haven't made for a while.  The only problem being that tonight is not a particularly hot night and well perhaps a salad is not really the thing - but ..... oh well!

Those of you that have not tried haloumi, you really must - it's kind of hard to describe - I was at a bloggers lunch recently and someone described it as like eating styrofoam (it is kind of squeaky - but believe me it doesn't taste anything like styrofoam - not that I am in the habit of eating styrofoam!!!)  It is a salty, firm textured cheese, that you can cook and yet it still retains its form!!  A really nice addition to a salad.

Salmon with Haloumi and Green Bean Salad


Serves 2

100g green beans
80g baby spinach leaves
250g cherry tomatoes, halved *
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs chopped dill
2 green shallots, ends trimmed, finely chopped
1 clove crushed garlic
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 salmon steaks
250g haloumi cheese, cut in slices

Cook beans in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes, or until just tender.  Drain, refresh in cold water.  Drain well.  Place in large bowl with the baby spinach and cherry tomatoes.

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, dill, shallots, and garlic.  Sesson well with salt and pepper.

Heat a frypan over high heat.  Add a small amount of olive oil.  Cook the salmon skin side down first for 3 minutes, or until skin is crisp.  Turn over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, or until cooked to your liking (I like mine still a little pink in the middle!).  Transfer to a plate to keep warm.

Wipe out the frypan of excess oil, then fry the haloumi slices, over medium heat, for 30 seconds each side, or until browned and heated through.  Add the haloumi to the bean mixture with the dill dressing and toss gently to combine.

Spoon the bean salad onto serving plates.  Top with the salmon and serve immediately.

* I used a combination of black cherry tomatoes and regular - you decide!


While not really salad weather - it was still a lovely meal to revisit!

Dear Readers do you have a favourite meal that you love to pull out of the recipe box every now and again?  If so what is it?

Do you know what I love about writing this blog for you all?  I now have my own computerised "Recipe Book" - something I have been meaning to do for years!!!  So thank you Dear Readers!!!

Pork Skewers

I just can't seem to take a trick when it comes to meals this week.  Can't bake anything, and hence use the grill function on the oven!  You pick a "light" meal because the weather is warm, only for it to turn cold.... what are you to do???  I decided last night I just was not going to run out to the shops to buy anything different - I was going to use food that I had already planned for the week - and that was these pork skewers.  There hadn't been any rain during the day - checked the weather chart - looked OK - should be right for a BBQ!  Famous last words - just as I light the BBQ the heavens opened up. Thank goodness I was able to cook these before it got too heavy!

I don't know about you but I am very unimpressed with this current Sydney weather.  Isn't is supposed to be spring???

Anyway, back to the reason we come here - food!!  I saw this recipe in the current edition of the MasterChef Magazine - Matt Preston was doing a section on 6 of the best restaurant dishes.  This one caught my eye - very simple ingredients - it is one of Chef Sujet Saekham's recipes from the new Sydney restaurant House.  It was lovely - unexpectedly delicious even - based on the simplicity of the ingredients.

Pork Skewers
Makes approx 16

4 coriander roots, washed, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup (135g) grated palm sugar
1tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1/3 cup peanut oil
1kg pork fillet, cut into cubes, or 10cm strips
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce

Steamed jasmine, coriander leaves, and lime wedges to serve

To make the marinade, process the coriander roots, garlic, palm sugar, salt and pepper with 2 tbs oil in a food processor, until it turns to paste.

Combine the pork and the marinade in a large bowl.  Toss well.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

To make the soy dipping sauce, combine the light soy, oyster and dark soy in a small bowl.  Set aside until needed.

Thread the pork onto skewers that have been soaked for several hours in water.  Place the threaded pork skewers onto a large tray.  Drizzle with the remaining 2 tbs oil.

Preheat a lightly oiled chargrill pan or barbeque to medium high.  Cook the skewers for 3 minutes each side, or until charred and cooked through.

Season with salt and pepper.

Place skewers on a platter and scatter with coriander leaves.

Serve with rice, lime wedges and soy dipping sauce.

So Dear Readers does the weather often play havoc with your meal selections?  Are you organised and hate deviation, or do you just "wing" meals at the last minute?

Joy, oh joy - I just figured out how to get my oven door back on!!!! I can bake again!!!