Mediterranean Grilled Halloumi Sandwich

By Tablespoon Kitchens

July 20, 2017

Ingredients

tablespoons olive oil

1/2

zucchini, sliced

bread slices

1/4

cup hummus

oz Halloumi cheese, sliced

1/2

cup roasted pepper slices

Salt and pepper, to taste (the halloumi is very salty, so don't use too much salt)

1/2

teaspoon dried oregano

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1

Heat the oil over medium heat, and sauté the zucchini for 3 minutes on each side, or until soft and tender, and slightly golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
2

Spread the bread slices with hummus.
3

Make a layer of sautéed zucchini on half of them, and cover with a layer of halloumi slices.
4

Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese starts to turn golden brown.
5

Take out of the oven, and add a layer of roasted pepper slices.
6

Season with salt and pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon oregano (1/4 on each sandwich).
7

Cover with the extra bread slices.
8

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sandwiches and cook on one side, covered, for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown (watch them closely).
9

Transfer to a plate, melt another ½ tablespoon of butter, and cook the sandwich on the other side.
10

Transfer to a plate, cut in half, and serve with a salad on the side.

You may need to cook one sandwich at a time if your pan is not big enough or if the sandwiches are big.

To roast a pepper yourself, put it under the broiler until it turns completely black. Put it in a bowl, and cover with a plate, for 10 minutes. Peel the whole black layer, wash to make sure there's no burned skin left, and slice.

No nutrition information available for this recipe

My first real contact with Greek people and Greek food came when I went to college in England. I met a bunch of Cypriots who knew where to find the best Greek food in town, and being obsessed with food, I happily accepted their invitation to join them as often as I could. One of those times I was introduced to a new kind of cheese that I fell head over heels for as soon as I tried it: Halloumi cheese. It's hard to decide what it is about Halloumi that I like the most. The flavor is perfectly salty, and the texture…well, what could be better than a grilled cheese that becomes soft yet keeps its shape? It reminds me of the queso frito (fried cheese) my mom used to make with tostones (fried plantains). The ideal way of eating cheese, if you ask me. I usually eat grilled halloumi on its own. Why let a second ingredient steal its thunder? But just for fun, I've created a Mediterranean-inspired grilled cheese sandwich, using this famous “grilling” cheese.