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Glazed halloumi skewers

Halloumi, a cheese from Cyprus traditionally made from goat's and sheep's milk, is an excellent alternative to meat as it retains its texture when cooked and remains deliciously firm. As it is rather salty, it's a good idea to balance it out with mild, sweet flavours such as mint and honey. From Matt O'Leary

400g halloumi cheese, cut into cubes
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped finely
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried parsley
2 cloves garlic, crushed
A pinch each of salt and pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1 red onion, peeled and cut into chunks then broken up a little
1 large courgette, cut into disks
A handful of bay leaves
200g chestnut mushrooms, washed and trimmed

Mix the mint, thyme, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper in a bowl and add the honey and oil. Stir well to blend the honey and oil as best you can.

Using your hands, put the cubes of halloumi in the bowl and coat them with the glaze.

Thread bay leaves, courgette slices, mushrooms, onion and halloumi onto skewers (if you're using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water for an hour to prevent them burning).

Place on a hot barbecue grill and cook, turning regularly, for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the halloumi is starting to brown and bubble.

Remove from skewers, mix in a serving bowl, and serve.

Nigellas Halloumi with chilli

From: Nigella Bites
Makes about 30

2 tbsp red chillies, fresh, chopped and deseeded (about 2 medium chillies)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 packets halloumi cheese, 250g each, sliced medium thin (i.e., just under half a centimetre)
0.25 lemons, juice only

1. Mix the chopped chilli and olive oil in a small bowl or cup and leave the flavours to deepen while you cook the cheese.

2. I use a non-stick frying pan for this, or grill, or do on the BBQ - any way without any oil, and just give the cheese slices about two minutes a side until they're golden brown in parts.

3. When all the slices of halloumi are cooked transfer them to a couple of smallish plates.

4. Give the chilli oil a stir, spoon it over the cheese then give a spritz of lemon. That's all there is to it.

Red pepper and Halloumi parcels

A jar of pickled peppers
Halloumi cheese, sliced into 1cm strips
Sage leaves
Gound black pepper

Wrap the cheese strip inside a pepper, add a sage leaf, season & place onto the BBQ or under a grill to cook for approx 5 minutes each side, or until the cheese has softened

Halloumi with beetroot and lime

Any salad you have in the house will be good with this halloumi and beetroot combination, though I would be particularly grateful had I any of the darker, more peppery leaves to sit the halloumi on, such as rocket or spinach. Serve with some warm pitta, or any bread, on the side. By Nigella Lawson

225-250g/7-8oz halloumi
150g/5oz cold cooked beetroot (1 large or 2 small beets, or approximately ½ a vacuum-sealed packet)
2 tsp lime juice, or to taste
2 tsp olive oil
warm bread, to serve

Drain all of the briny juices from the packet of halloumi over the sink, then transfer the cheese to a board and slice. I get 8 slices out of one packet, but I know if I stopped rushing or had more dexterity (or any knife skills) I could easily get 10.

Put on some rubber or plastic gloves and roughly chop your beetroot, then blitz with a hand-held stick blender (or in a food processor), adding the lime juice and oil as you go.

Warm a large, dry, non-stick frying or griddle pan over a high heat and, when hot, add the slices of halloumi.

Keep the heat high and after a minute or so the halloumi should have scorch marks on the underside. Flip the slices over (I find a pair of cook’s tongs most suitable for the task) and cook likewise.

To serve, place handfuls of the salad leaves onto two serving plates and place the halloumi strips on top. Divide the beetroot and lime purée between the plates, dolloping it alongside the halloumi, and serve with some warm bread.

The beetroot purée can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate until needed and whisk before using. To stretch this to a side salad, make a dressing out of lime juice, ground cumin and olive oil and add some peppery tortilla chips as you toss the leaves and dressing together.