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Who said salads are boring, throw in some Middle Eastern treats such as falafel and grilled halloumi and you have a fabulously healthy and tasty meal to satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.

“I have amended the original falafel recipe to make this more bake-friendly,” says Farah Sawaf, making the dish even more health conscious.

BAKED FALAFEL WITH TAHINI DRESSING

Serves 4  | Preparation time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 cups chick peas, I used canned organic, drained and rinsed
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 2 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1½ tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 1½ tbsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp olive oil

TAHINI DRESSING

  • 3 tbsp Tahini paste
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp yoghurt
  • Garnish with sesame seeds

PREPARATION

  • Preheat oven to 170 degrees celsius.
  • In a food processor combine all ingredients until blended into a consistent paste. On a non-stick baking sheet, dollop one tablespoon of the paste almost like baking cookies.
  • Place in oven for approximately 45 minutes. Turn half way through. Keep checking to cook to your liking.
  • For the Tahini dressing, combine all ingredients together. Whisk in more water to be as thin or thick as you desire.

GRILLED HALLOUMI SALAD

Serves 4 to 6 | 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 good quality red tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
  • ½ red onion sliced
  • 2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
  • ¼ cup of fresh mint, chopped
  • ¼ cup of fresh parsley, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh Zaatar, chopped. If no fresh Zataar you can use dried
  • 1 average Halloumi piece found in the cheese area of the store sealed tight in plastic, approximately 250/300g

TAHINI DRESSING

  • 3 tbsp Tahini paste
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp yoghurt
  • Garnish with sesame seeds

PREPARATION

  • Combine all ingredients together except Halloumi.
  • For the Halloumi, cut in several pieces horizontally and soak in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes.
  • Take out of water, dry and lay in a medium heat pan with a touch of olive oil. Pan-fry all pieces until golden brown on each side.
  • Lay over salad. And sprinkle sesame seeds over the entire salad.

For the Tahini dressing, combine all ingredients together. Whisk in more water to be as thin or thick as you desire

For more recipes from Farah, visit cookingwithamanicure.com