This recipe requires the larger pale, green, mild chillis common in Middle Eastern supermarkets, but I have known my local supermarket to stock them too. When you choose the chillis, bear in mind you will be stuffing them so get the fattest ones. They go well with tomato salad, pittas and lamb kebabs. You won’t need salt as the halloumi is a very salty cheese. Be careful with the chillis, they can easily split as you prepare them.

Ingredients
4 banana chillis
100-150g (or ½ packet) of halloumi, cut into thin lengths
Olive oil for brushing

Equipment
2 metal or bamboo skewers, not thick ones as they tend to split the peppers
Sharp knife
Chopping board

Method
Roll the chillis between your fingers, this will loosen the seeds inside. Chop the top off each and shake out the seeds, poke out the white bits with a skewer or knife, don’t break the skin though. Put a couple of pieces of cheese into each chilli, you want to be generous, but be aware the cheese will melt and fall out of the top if it is overstuffed. Brush or rub them with a light coating of oil. Now comes the skewering. The skewers will be passing horizontally through a line of vertical chillis. Pass one skewer through the top of each chilli. Pass a second skewer through the bottom of each chilli. Barbeque over a medium heat, turning once or twice using the skewers as handles. They are ready when the cheese is melting and the skin of the peppers blistering.

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If you can get fresh peas in their pod and a decent crumbly feta cheese, then this is great for lunch served with hearty chunks of brown bread.

Ingredients
1 x 200g packet of feta cheese
100-150g (about one bag) tasty leaves like watercress, lamb’s lettuce, rocket or a mixture
100g fresh peas, shelled (if they are quite big peas, then boil for a couple of minutes and drain)
1 courgette, cut into batons or sliced thinly using a vegetable peeler
4 tbs olive oil
1 tbs lemon juice
1/2 clove of garlic, crushed with salt using a knife
A couple of sprigs worth of fresh mint leaves, sliced finely
Salt and pepper

Equipment
Chopping board
Large bowl
Sharp knife
Fork
Vegetable peeler (optional)
Pan and stove (optional)

Method
Make the dressing in the bowl with the garlic, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk it in the bowl until it emulsifies, then season and taste. Add the leaves courgettes and mint, then toss the salad. Crumble the feta on top and the peas last as otherwise they will sink to the bottom of the bowl.

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Ingredients
500g spinach, washed
1 x 200g packet halloumi , wiped dry with kitchen towel and cubed into small pieces
1 tbs flour
1 tomato, deseeded and chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ to 1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
Juice of half a lemon
3 tbs fresh coriander, chopped
2 tbs garam masala
2 tbs single cream or plain yogurt (optional)
1 tbs garlic and ginger paste
Vegetable oil for frying

Equipment
Lidded saucepan
Sieve
Bowl
Sharp knife
Chopping board
Spoon for stirring
1 ring stove

Method
First cook the spinach with a little water in the lidded saucepan. As soon as the spinach wilts, which only takes a few minutes, take it off the heat and leave to drain completely in the sieve, squashing it to remove all the water. Wipe out the pan and heat up a tablespoon of oil. Coat the cheese in flour and fry until browned on all sides. Set aside. Wipe out the pan with kitchen towel and heat up another tablespoon of oil and gently fry the onion, garlic and ginger paste. Once the onion is soft, but before it is browned, add the chilli, garam masala and tomato. While they cook, chop the drained spinach, add this to the pan along with the cheese, a squeeze of lemon, coriander and cream or yogurt. Taste, you probably won’t need salt as halloumi is salty enough.

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