I first tried quinoa couple of years ago,when suddenly the world got absolutely crazy about this grain.They were praising it on television,enumerating it’s healthy benefits in magazines,everyone talked about quinoa.Curious of what it was,I flicked through the recipes that were overflowing the internet and urgently decided to give it a go.30 minutes later I was coming back from the shop with a packet of those tiny pearls and a big smile on my face.I decided to make porridge from this so called “amazing recipe”,which sadly turned out not so amazing at all.It was runny with not much flavour and I ate it without the expected WOW factor.And so I buried the open packet of quinoa deep down in my pantry and never went back to it again.I don’t give up on new ingredients but this one time I did and I would probably never fancy trying it again if I didn’t come across a similar salad recipe in Top with cinnamon cookbook.Halloumi and pomegranate are the two ingredients I just cannot live without in the winter and when you throw in some cashew nuts and top it with quinoa you’ll receive the best winter salad ever.

So happy cooking xxx

Enjoy x

RECIPE:

serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (170g) quinoa
pinch or two of sea salt
9 oz (250g) sheep halloumi
50g cashew nuts
pomegranate seeds from 1/2 a fruit
splash of fresh lemon juice(optional)

METHOD:

1.Cover quinoa with 2 cups (500ml) boiling water,add salt ans simmer for around 12-15 minutes until all the water has been absorbed.Put aside.

2.In the meantime,heat the oven to 374F/190C.Cut halloumi into thich slices 1/2 inch( 5mm) and put on the rack placed over a baking tray and bake for 3-5 minutes on the top shelf(closer to the heater). When the cheese golden on the top,flip it over and bake on the other side for another 3-5 minutes.Remove from the oven and let it cool down.Cut into smaller pieces.

3.To make the salad combine quinoa with halloumi cheese,cashew nuts and pomegranate seeds.You might drizzle it with a splash of fresh lemon juice if you like.

Enjoy!