Grilled Halloumi & Pepper Open Ciabatta Sandwich

My appetite finally returned with an avenge today after nearly a week of having the flu.  I was craving something carb based so I opted for this open ciabatta sandwich which was exactly what I needed!

Serves 1 very hungry person

Ingredients:-

-  2 or 3 thick slices of halloumi

-  4 slices of pepper, ideally red or yellow (I chose both for some variety in colour)

-  2 slices of ciabatta

- a touch of flour

- oil for grilling

How to:-

1.  Heat some oil in a grill pan over a medium temperature.

2.  Gently blot the halloumi slices with some kitchen paper to soak up any excess water, and then lightly flour each slice on both slices.  This will give the halloumi that lovely, slightly crunchy outside texture and some colour.

3.  Place the halloumi slices into the grill pan and cook each one evenly on both sides for a few minutes until lightly browned.  Do the same with the pepper slices.

4.  Pop the ciabatta slices into a toaster or put them straight into the grill pan to warm it up.

5.  Arrange everything into an open sandwich, and tuck in!

Vegan Singapore Vermicelli

Today I'm helping with the cooking for a friend's birthday bash which has an asian buffet theme.  I decided to do a big batch of Vegan Singapore Vermicelli as one of the sides that people can help themselves to.  It's easy to do and absolutely delicious, plus there's none of that extra fat and greasiness that comes in the takeaway versions!

Serves around 4 as sides

Ingredients:-
- 300g pack of fresh rice noodles
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 & 1/2 tbsp mild yellow curry powder
- 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce 
- 1 tsp granulated white sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 large red pepper, deseeded and sliced
- 2 carrots, finely sliced
- 100g broccoli florets
- 200g pack of mixed mushrooms
- 4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
- large handful of peas
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped

How to:-
1.  Cook the rice noodles to packet instructions, drain and set aside.
2.  In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp of the toasted sesame oil and all the mild curry powder into a smooth paste.  Then mix in the sweet chilli sauce, sugar & soy sauce until everything is combined.  Mix all of this sauce with the cooked rice noodles, coating it evenly, and leave for 5-10 minutes.
3.  In a large wok, heat the remaining toasted sesame oil and add the pepper, carrots, broccoli, garlic and ginger.  Fry over a high heat for around 5 minutes and then add the mushrooms, spring onions, peas and rice noodles, making sure to add any excess/leftover sauce to the wok.
4.  Fry everything together, stirring quickly for another few minutes (a good indicator is to stop when you can see the mushrooms are cooked), and serve immediately.  Season with extra soy sauce if desired.

Stuffed Red Peppers with Soft Goat's Cheese

If you follow me on We Were Raised By Wolves, you may have seen that one of my New Year resolutions is to update A Wolf And Her Dinner at least once a week.  I love cooking and trying out new recipes, so it should be an easy resolution for me to keep!  Anyway, I thought I'd start the New Year off with one of my favourite simple, yet absolutely delicious, lunches that I enjoy making for myself at the weekend or whenever I have a day off.  I probably eat more stuffed peppers than I do stuffed mushrooms (though I do love both), and find that peppers are one of the few fresh foods in my fridge that keep for more than a couple of days, so they're always good to have in there as a back up.

This recipe involves soft goat's cheese as the main filling, but if you don't fancy that, you could use any other soft cheese; something like Camembert works just as well.

Serves 1 as a main, 2 as a starter

Ingredients:-
- 1 red pepper
- 50g soft goat's cheese
- 1tbsp pesto
- 1 small vine tomato, diced
- 4 pitted black olives
- 1 slice of wholemeal bread, crumbled
- extra virgin olive oil

How to:-
1.  Preheat the oven to 200C / Fan 180C / Gas Mark 6.
2.  Cut the pepper in half, discard the core and seeds, then place on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
3.  Divide the pesto, olives and diced tomato between the pepper halves.  Add the soft goats cheese on top, finishing with the wholemeal breadcrumbs and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
4.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until the breadcrumbs are crisp and the peppers are tender.
5.  Serve with a green salad and balsamic dressing if desired or try it with some warm ciabatta slices.

Halloumi & Veg Kebabs

The weather has been gloriously sunny here in the UK and I've managed to get the old BBQ out this week and make some delicious food for my friends.  These Halloumi & Veg Kebabs have been going down a treat!  I made mine with peppers and mushrooms, but these are just as good with any combination of your favourite vegetables.

Serves 4

Ingredients:-
- 2 peppers, any colour you like
- 250g pack halloumi
- Handful of small mushrooms or 2 large flat mushrooms
- 1tbsp olive oil in a small bowl
- Skewers (if using bamboo ones, make sure to soak in water before use)

How to:-
1. Preheat the grill or barbecue.  Cut the vegetables and halloumi into bite size pieces/cubes.
2. Toss the pieces in the bowl of olive oil so everything is coated lightly.
3. Thread the pieces onto the skewers and grill/barbecue for 5-10 minutes until everything is cooked and the halloumi is soft.
4. Serve with salad if desired and your favourite dips.