There is something so comforting in a Winter Grilled Halloumi Salad – a test a freshness, melting pleasure and salty sweetness.

Halloumi is a firm cheese that originated in Cyprus. It’s made with some combination of goat, sheep, and cow’s milk and is popular throughout the Mediterranean.

Halloumi has a high melting point that allows it to be cooked directly on the hot grill plates without melting into total oblivion.
Cooking it feels a little bit like magic!

Halloumi’s flavor is mild and buttery. It is a little bit like a cross between a tamer, less salty feta and mozzarella. Halloumi tastes creamy and absolutely delicious!

While you can eat Halloumi raw, it’s best enjoyed cooked—grilling and pan frying are popular, easy ways to prepare it.

Cooking Halloumi improves both its taste and texture. It becomes creamier and some of the saltiness from brining mellows to a pleasant amount of saltiness.

I love serving it in a salad. Next to mixed green leaves, pleasantly seasoned in mango dressing vinaigrette, grilled cherry tomatoes and a sprinkling of sunflower and pumpkin seeds, the halloumi comes to live!

Very fluffy, soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, but most of all full of flavour! Who doesn’t enjoy a perfect falafel served with silky hummus and fresh salad? Perhaps you are already familiar with the classic recipe, but this one promises something different – a depth of flavour and richness in taste, that I am sure you haven’t tried before.

Parsley, mint, dill, cumin, oregano and garlic powder mixed together with cinnamon, anise, cardamom, ginger and nutmeg – can a falafel get more aromatic than that! Don’t be shy with the ingredients as they really take the flavour to another level.

The secret ingredient to make the inside extra soft and fluffy is baking soda. It helps create a more airy texture inside, the only downside is that the exterior of your falafels will be a bit darker but it doesn’t impact the taste at all!

Nothing clears the mind like a fresh walk in the forest. Sun, rain, rain and sun again. We are bathed in warmth and chilly showers. But spring is here – cascading sweet flower scents over the hills, hiding flowers in the shadows and waking the birds to a new season of life. We welcome the sight and hurry over the hills, discovering new treasures – mushrooms, wild garlic, scented flowers.

Today’s forest walk brings us home happy and chilled to the bones. The fireplace is roaring and the stone cottage rustic charm slowly seeps into our souls. A candle light here, a bouquet of flowers there, a cozy pillow scattered sofa invites us to rest. We take a breath devouring the moment and not after long start thinking about lunch.

Summer life sometimes can be so simple. Plenty of sunshine, afternoon rest in the shade, walks among nature marveling all creation. To rest, to live, to breathe. Even food does not need to be complicated. A fresh ripe tomato from the garden can inspire multitude of meals. Today however my easygoing lunch is something different. After days of lean and light garden salads the body is longing for something more protein rich and full of taste.

I am making a white kidney beans, bacon and red pepper salad with plenty of fresh greens. You may always put the white beans in plenty of water the night before and let them soak through the night. This will easy and quicken the cooking process and allow you to have soft and plum cooked kidney beans. Boiling the beans takes approximately up to two hours, depending on the white bean sort. To quicken the process, instead of boiling my own beans, I am choosing to buy ready made once from the store. It only takes a few moments to drain the water and fry them in the pan, and I could use all my time to really enjoy the summer day rather than cooking for hours in the kitchen. The same goes for the red bell peppers. You may always use fresh once and lightly fry them in the pan or like me opt for canned version.

To prepare the salad, first fry the bacon until crispy brown. Once ready set aside. Add the beans in the same frying pan and season generously with salt and ground black pepper. Once the beans have taken a shine and have absorbed the lovely flavours from the bacon you may take them out and serve directly on a plate. Mix together with the crispy bacon, bred bell peppers, micro greens and plenty of fresh mint leaves. Mix well, eat well and enjoy the summer.

For a week already we are so excited to welcome spring within our garden, watching every day tiny blossom come to life. The birds are singing brighter. The green grass is freshly greener. White, purple and yellow flowers make us smile. Something touches the soul with a new sense of hope and before we know it we bravely step into a new season.

In between the cold and the warm our favourite home-cooked dishes start to change as well. Gone and are the warm meat and veggies casseroles, making way to spring salads. This cold pasta penne salad is simple taste transition into the new. Combining pickled cucumbers, marinated bell peppers, canned green peas and boiled carrots with pasta, mayo and spring onions makes a filling but still freshly exiting mix. Easy to pack as a quick lunch or easy Sunday dinner, nothing makes the soul happier than opening itself for a new life, whether by watching the coming spring or by tasting fresh new dishes.

Late autumn raspberries and blueberries have a special taste. Softer and sweeter, they make an amazing addition to autumn salads and I really do like to use them in abundance. In this occasion, the raspberries are transformed in a delicious raspberry vinaigrette that does wonders to a brie and ham walnut salad. There is something utterly irresistible about the salty caramelization of the dry Italian prosciutto ham and melting soft brie perfection that really cries out for the sweetness of the berries and the richness of the walnuts. A perfect autumn salad still tasting of sunshine in every bite.