SIMPLE PLEASURES
Jamie Oliver’s new cookbook is all about Mediterranean flavours.
5 Ingredient Mediterranean: Simple Incredible Food is a follow-up to Jamie Oliver’s first book. This time, the recipes take inspiration from Jamie’s lifelong travels around the Med. The book is packed with over 125 delicious recipes, each easy to follow. Most recipes are either meat-free or meat-reduced, and dishes include salads, soups, pasta and sweet treats. With minimal fuss and ingredients required, it’s possible to try something new and delicious every day of the week.
Whenever I’ve visited the Greek islands, I’ve been inspired by wonderful fresh and fruity halloumi salads, so I’ve had some fun here creating little webs of golden crispy halloumi that just eat so well.
RECIPE: Island salad with sticky peaches, halloumi web & pickled cucumber
Serves: 2
Total time: 15 minutes
1 cucumber
2 pittas
1 x 415g tin of sliced peaches in juice
120g mixed salad leaves
60g halloumi cheese
Speed-peel the cucumber lengthways into long ribbons, discarding the seedy core, and place in a bowl with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, and 1 tablespoon each of red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Toast the pittas, then slice into strips and arrange around the edges of two plates.
Place a large non-stick frying pan on a high heat. Drain and roughly chop the peaches (reserving the juice), then place in the pan with a good splash of the reserved juice, and season with pepper. Warm through for a few minutes while you toss the salad leaves with the dressed cucumber, and plate up. Remove the peaches to a bowl, give the pan a quick wipe with a ball of kitchen paper, then use the fine side of a box grater to grate half the halloumi over the surface of the pan (like a lacy doily). Leave on the heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden on one side, then tip directly over one of the plates, using a spatula to ease it away from the pan, if needed. Repeat with the remaining halloumi for the second plate. Spoon over the peaches, and tuck straight in.
ENERGY 361kcal | FAT 15.2g | SAT FAT 6g | PROTEIN 15.9g | CARBS 39.8g | SUGARS 12.3g | SALT 1.3g | FIBRE 4.1g
5 Ingredients Mediterranean by Jamie Oliver is published by Penguin Michael Joseph © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (20235 Ingredients Mediterranean). Recipe photography: © David Loftus, 2023.