I’m not sure I would be a big fan of beet ice cream, but beets with halloumi…oh yeah.

This recipe caught my eye because it sounded so different. Lentils, beets, cheese, spiced seeds, herbs. Very intriguing.

What you get is a plethora (sorry, but I need to expand my description vocabulary) of flavors and textures. Cold beets against hot halloumi. Crunchy seeds and soft lentils. Tart gherkins and the crisp contrast of mixed herbs.

Really interesting and quite impressive to look at, you should give this funky ‘couscous’ dish a go.

Herbed Lentil And Beetroot ‘Couscous’ With Halloumi And Spiced Seeds

Ingredients for the lentil and beetroot ‘couscous’:

150g (about 5 oz) raw beetroot, peeled
100g cooked puy lentils
1 large shallot, finely chopped
10g (about 2 Tbs) finely grated fresh ginger
100g pickled dill cucumbers or gherkins, finely diced
20g (about 1/2 cup) each roughly chopped fresh dill, flatleaf parsley and mint
1½ tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbs olive oil
Squeeze of lemon juice
Flatbreads or pita bread to serve

Ingredients for the roast beetroot:

400g evenly sized beetroots
Olive oil for drizzling

Ingredients for the spiced seeds:

30g (about 1/2 cup) each sunflower and pumpkin seeds
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Ingredients for the halloumi:

300g halloumi, cut into slices
2 Tbs olive oil

Directions:

1. For the lentil and beetroot ‘couscous’, trim the beetroot, then chop into small pieces. Pulse in a food processor until finely chopped. Put in a bowl and mix with the rest of the ingredients except for the lemon juice and flatbreads. Taste and season, adding lemon juice if required, then chill until needed.

2. For the roast beetroot, preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/350℉. Wrap each beetroot in foil and roast for 30-40 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and foil, leave until cool enough to handle, then peel off the skins and cut into bite-size pieces. Drizzle with olive oil, season and set aside.

3. For the spiced seeds, toss the ingredients together with a large pinch of salt, spread on a baking tray and bake at 180°C/fan160°C/350℉ for around 5 minutes until golden. Set aside.

4. For the halloumi, heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, add half the cheese slices, then fry for 2-3 minutes until golden, turning once. Repeat with the remaining slices, then serve immediately with the roasted beetroot, beetroot ‘couscous’ and flatbreads on the side.

Recipe from Delicious Magazine

Brian Bradley, of The July 4th, recently sent me a video of a short film that he made with Nicholas Barr. It is a new recording of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Prelude in C Major (Ave Maria).

The film is stunning and the music achingly beautiful.

Brian and Nick: It is a coincidence that I made halloumi for you again (remember this post?). As I was typing today’s recipe I thought of you because of all of the healthy, locally obtained ingredients that are in it. :)

Check out The July 4th here. Brian Bradley has a Website, as does Nicholas Barr. You can buy the music over at Union Square Records.

Cheers!