HelloFresh Canada Review: Seared Halloumi

HelloFresh Canada delivers fresh ingredients and healthy, chef-curated recipes based on seasonal farm fresh ingredients straight to your doorstep each week. Every week HelloFresh members choose three meals from a selection of award-winning, constantly-changing recipes (say goodbye to recipe boredom!).

We recently reviewed our January HelloFresh Canada delivery and now we are showing you the second of three recipes from our monthly delivery. Oh, and if you aren’t familiar with HelloFresh Canada you can get all the details in THIS POST.

Coupon Code: Use Coupon Code YEAR3FP to receive 3 FREE plates on your first order at HelloFresh Canada – CLICK HERE

Let’s have a look at today’s recipe:

Seared Halloumi with Roasted Veggies and Cilantro Chimichurri

The salty squeak of halloumi is one of our favourite things. Herby chimichurri is another. Roasted veggies make the list too! This dish is officially a triple treat!

Ingredients:

• 200 g Halloumi Cheese
• 340 g Sweet Potato, cubes
• 113 g Red Onion, sliced
• 85 g Grape Tomatoes
• 10 g Cilantro
• 10 g Garlic
• 1 unit Lemon
• 1 unit Avocado
• 1 unit Red Chili
• 2 tsp Roasted Cumin, ground
• 10 g Parsley
• 1.5 tsp Honey

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (to roast the sweet potatoes, onions and garlic). Start prepping when the oven comes up to temperature!
2. Wash and dry all produce.* On a baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes, onions and half the cumin with a drizzle of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the centre of the oven, stirring halfway through cooking, until golden-brown and tender, 20-22 min
3. ROAST GARLIC – Meanwhile, on your cutting board, mash the garlic cloves with the flat side of your knife. On small sheet of foil, toss the garlic cloves with a drizzle of oil. Wrap tightly and place on the same baking sheet with the veggies. Roast in the centre of the oven, until the garlic cloves soften, 18-20 min.
4. PREP – Meanwhile, halve the tomatoes. Finley chop the cilantro and parsley. Zest, then juice the lemon(s). Peel, pit and cut the avocado(s) into 1/2- inch cubes. Finely chop the chili, removing the seeds for less heat. Cut the halloumi into 1/4-inch thick slices. Rinse and pat the slices dry with paper towels.
5. COOK HALLOUMI – In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining cumin with 1 tbsp oil (double for 4 ppl). Add the halloumi slices and coat all over. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the halloumi to the dry pan. (Keep any remaining cumin oil in the bowl — we’ll use it later!) Cook until golden-brown, 2-3 min per side.
6. MAKE CHIMICHURRI – In a large bowl, mash the roasted garlic with a fork. Stir in the parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, lemon zest, 1 1/2 tsp honey (double for 4 ppl) and 2 tbsp oil (double for 4 ppl). Season with salt and pepper.
7. FINISH AND SERVE – Toss the sweet potatoes, onions, tomatoes and as much chili as you like to the chimichurri. Divide between plates and top with the halloumi and avocado. Drizzle over any remaining cumin oil.

Notes: Full disclosure – I skipped step #3. Lately I have been trying to avoid garlic. I’m one of the few people in the world who really dislikes it. But, I’m happy to report that the recipe was still really good without it. Halloumi isn’t vegan-friendly, but I tested out the recipe anyways. I’ve had halloumi in the past and really enjoy the flavor, especially when it is pan-fried. I’ve noticed that HelloFresh Canada uses halloumi in their veggie recipes quite often. I would love to see them switch it up and feature tofu, beans or tempeh in it’s place. But for those of you who include dairy in their diet – this recipe is a must.