Mediterranean Salad

So…After the holidays we’re getting back into the routine and a whole new year.

Archie is back at work and saving for some travel plans.  Remember his friend, Cockney-Dave?  For some reason he had to move out of the youth hostel where he had been staying and next thing he was on our back doorstep with a pack on his back, saying to me, ‘I’ll just take my things upstairs’.  Right then.  Apparently Archie had told him it would be okay for him to stay with us for his last four weeks in Oz.  A few nights ago we bid him adieu as he left for the UK via New Zealand, Nepal and South-East Asia.

Mediterranean Salad

Mediterranean Salad


Miss Arabella is super-excited about starting uni in a few weeks time and has chosen her major for the Arts part of her combined Law degree.  She’s decided to major in theatre studies which being dramatic by nature, is a very good choice for her.

The little guy started back at school this week and typically had no complaints about the holidays coming to an end.  On his first day back at school he came home with an assignment.  He has to write his autobiography and as he has only been on the planet nine years I’m sure the teacher will understand if what he delivers is a little brief.

Lovely with roast chicken

Lovely with roast chicken

After wearing those bloody stockings for four weeks I am now enjoying nude legs.  With stockinged legs and our family holiday I wasn’t able to go to the gym or swim so this week I started back with the fitness program.  I thought I’d best make up for lost time so threw myself into two workouts at the gym in one day.  The first was on the TRX and I managed to get through that but the next was some sort of a boot camp where I had to throw bags of sand over my shoulders and then pick up really big bags of sand and lift them over my head.  The next day I went back to the pool and did a squad and that night I was so stiff and sore I needed assistance rising from the couch.  How is it possible for so much fitness to unravel in just six weeks?

Summery

Summery

Drew is back at the office and went to see a new GP who is being overly thorough.  He has told Drew he needs to quickly drop 10kgs, cut out all alcohol, reduce his carb intake, not have any more dairy, and only eat red meat once a week.  Drew wonders if there are any food groups left.

Oh, but there are.  There’s this Mediterranean Salad and yes, it does have halloumi and that’s dairy but I put that in there for me.  A few nights ago we enjoyed a Saskia Beer free-range, organic chicken (white meat’s allowed) without any duck-fat potatoes (no carbs allowed) and this colourful salad.  And Drew didn’t think he was missing out on anything.

Quick and easy to make

Quick and easy to make

Here you have a salad that would meet the approval of one of Sydney’s most thorough GPs.

5.0 from 5 reviews
Mediterranean Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: Serves 4
 
A colourful salad with Mediterranean inspiration
Ingredients
  • 250g halloumi
  • 1 tbspn olive oil
  • 1 bunch purple asparagus
  • 50g pinenuts
  • 200g baby rocket leaves
  • 4 sampari tomatoes, halved
  • small handful yellow grape tomatoes
  • small handful pitted kalamata olives
  • fresh mint leaves
  • Lemon and Pomegranate Salad Dressing:
  • juice of half a lemon
  • ¼ cup pomegranate molasses
  • 2 tbspns honey
  • 2 tbspns red wine vinegar
  • ¾ cup olive oil
  • You will not need to use all the dressing - keep some in an airtight container in the fridge for your next salad.
Instructions
  1. Slice the halloumi into .5cm thick pieces. Heat a pan over high heat. Add olive oil and when hot, add halloumi and cook quickly until browned on both sides. Remove and place on absorbent paper and when cool, break into bite-sized pieces.
  2. Snap woody ends off asparagus and cut spears in half. Place in a pan of simmering, salted water. Steam for one minute then drain and place in an ice bath to arrest cooking.
  3. Put pine nuts in a small container and toast in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Pour rocket into a large salad bowl. Toss in tomatoes, asparagus, halloumi and olives then finish with mint leaves and pine nuts.
  5. For the dressing:
  6. Combine all ingredients except olive oil. Slowly whisk in oil then season to taste. Dress over salad.

Dressed with pomegranate dressing

Dressed with pomegranate dressing

Comments

  1. LOL nice… I’m just about to start a 20 week programme with a personal trainer to shed my last 20kg…. I hope I can stick to it too! I’m not sure I can stop eating yummy food! I guess, I will just have to make it yummy! Liz xx

  2. Jeepers… that GP would have a field day with Peter and myself! Love your salad, very healthy! Welcome home too!

  3. Nice salad, perfect for summer days. Looks good and I’m sure it tastes good.

  4. sounds good to me – you could make some nice seasoned grilled tofu for Drew instead of haloumi. Though it does look delicious and colourful without it. And your back to normal sounds quite busy. Glad to hear the stockings are off though the workouts sound tough. Good luck with achieving good health

  5. This salad looks so pretty and I know would be delicious, can’t wait to try it when asparagus is back in season here. GPs do annoy me sometimes with telling you what to do (as though you don’t know already) but I guess most of them mean well. I’m sure you’ll be back in the swing of squads and gym classes soon, after all it wasn’t exactly a lazing around kind of holiday!

  6. The GP sounds like a nut. Never a dull moment at your place.
    Carolyn

  7. That’s a lot of weight to drop, particularly with an amazing cook around. The salad looks delicious, I love pomegranate molasses, it’s such a beautiful colour too; you’ve reminded me to use it more often.

  8. Sounds like Drew’s got a good doctor and this salad is tasty and healthy for both of you.

  9. Drew is lucky to have you 🙂 It does sound like you’ve hit the post-holiday, back to routines, harsh reality of January, but at least Arabella and Alfie are happy to be back at their respective studies – and I am so glad you are out of the stockings and hopefully experiencing the benefits you wanted.

  10. This looks amazing! Love all the bright colors 🙂

  11. What a beautiful looking salad. If you made that for me, I wouldn’t feel like I was missing a thing either! Like you, I need to get back on my exercise program as well. XO.

  12. Ugh, throwing sandbags would have done me in. I deteriorated with just 2 weeks off—I can’t imagine 6. But your muscles will rebound quickly, I’m sure. LOVE the salad—but poor Drew. Bill would be beside himself if he was given orders like that. Not sure he’d even try to follow them. Good luck with the new cooking regimen 🙂

  13. Hmm I am pretty sure I need to lose the weight I am still carrying from Christmas! Thanks for reminding haha
    Looks like it will be pretty tasty losing weight at your place though, this salad looks filling and delicious!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  14. I’m sure Archie’s thrilled at his Dads diet come next summer when he’s stuck in the same canoe 🙂
    It’ll be good for Drew, I’ve been trying to get Trace to do the same. For some reason , he just cannot get rid off the belly, it could be he does NO exercise.
    Good to know there’s a hostel at your house if I ever visit Oz, I know the food will be great 🙂

  15. Oh, fab – Charlie – and good luck Drew:)

  16. I think everyone is putting his or her nose to the grindstone now that school holidays are over. We’ve changed our diet quite a bit and it’s not easy at our age but doable. I LOVE this salad and it will be on my table today.

  17. Oh poor Drew. That is a lot to change immediately! But a salad like this will certainly help I’m sure 🙂

  18. 10K? Poor Drew. But if you keep feeding him salads like this, the weight will probably go in a flash.

  19. I love halloumi cheese! Great little salad and perfect for a hearty salad for lunch. Thanks for the inspiration. Just pinned!

  20. Perfect salad for summers days. Bookmarking. Sounds quite flavourful.

  21. Gorgeous salad charlie. Saskia Beer chickens are amazing and could definitely make you forget the carbs. Poor Drew how is he going to cope

  22. Heavenly salad Charlie. Pete and I go for our annual check ups every January for our medical aid which gives us points and discounts and the like. Anyhoo, this year, they told Pete he is bordering on obese – good lord, what absolute tripe, they are clearly working on some antiquated obsolete system as they are most unreasonable with all of their tests. Thankfully we learnt from last year and now tell them what they want to hear about food intake which we do not agree with but if that’s what they want to hear…
    Glad you all back into the swing of things after your beautiful holiday.
    🙂 Mandy xo

  23. Gorgeous salad! 🙂

  24. Hi Charlie, life sounds very busy with everyone going in their own directions. Love, love this salad, we are eating much lighter right now ourselves.

  25. I hope Drew can get his iron levels down soon Charlie, what a bummer. I don’t blame him for feeling blue 🙁 This salad does look scrummy though, and if you give him plenty of these wonderful meals I’m sure he’ll cheer up considerably!
    It sure sounds like things have been busy at your place, good luck with your exercise and I’m so glad you’re back to nude, lovely legs again xo

  26. Gorgeous salad! The best healthy food looks and tastes decadent — as you’ve proved, there’s no need to be boring!

  27. I think i picked up at just the right place to see what you’ve been up to while we were away! It sounds like the whole family has jumped right back into the stream of life following your wonderful vacation. I’m so glad you could finally dump those stockings. You have been very patient, and how lucky is Drew to have you to figure out healthy, doctor-pleasing meals! This Mediterranean salad sounds both tasty and nourishing! 🙂

  28. Ooh – this salad is making me hungry! I love love love salads but when it’s cold I tend to eat more roasted veggies and this is making me crave a salad so bad!
    Welcome back from your holiday Charlie!

  29. I am not familiar with halloumi but it does look very good.

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  1. […] my kitchen I’m trying to adjust our diet to fit-in with Drew’s restrictions and so I’m coming up with new ways to present chicken.  A few nights ago we had wing-tip […]

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