July 3, 2010

Lamb and haloumi winter salad


I had a few lamb chumps I needed to use up this week and I was trying to figure out the yummiest way I could feed the family. 
I was in the mood for anything really, so when I discovered I had some haloumi left over in the fridge I got really excited. How could the kids not get excited about pan fried cheese drizzled in lemon juice and then tossed through a warm salad of char grilled lamb, beans and peas?
 See, this is what I love about recipe books. If you flick through them long and often enough, you eventually start salivating over the pictures and then wondering why you don't have any duck breasts or truffles just waiting for you to work your magic.
I guess if I was still following a meal planner I would have all the ingredients at hand......but then if I did that I wouldn't be able to put one idea from one magazine together with another I found while flipping through a tatty old mag at the doctor's office the other day. 
I guess what I am trying to say in a long winded fashion is that sometimes you should let the recipe come to you because this was divine. The herb and garlic infused butter I served instead of a dressing was from a Sauveur mag about a year or two ago. It was jam packed with capers, mustard, garlic, and lemon rind so totally fitting for a lamb and haloumi salad.
The only part to this salad I forgot was a starch. Looking back now I should of whipped up a batch of potato rosti or even a side order of couscous, but if I was to be honest with you; by the time I fried off the haloumi, cooked the beans and peas, seared the lamb and made the butter the kids were screaming for dinner......I'm also thinking I should of made this when I had more time up my sleeve, then the rostis would of come out for sure.
Dear reader, I count this meal as a winner and loser. Flavour and appearance it scored 10 points hands down, but if measured in time and fulfilment it only rates a 5. I will have to go back to the drawing board on this one and work out a way to make it so the kids aren't chewing my leg off while waiting for the meat to rest- a work in progress!

2 comments:

Bryan said...

I completely understand the time/fulfillment ratio that you are talking about even the best meal is no good if it is an hour past bed time and you have been dealing with multiple meltdowns in the process.

This looks yummy by the way!

TKW said...

That really looks so delicious. I grilled halloumi last week and could NOT stop eating it. Delish!