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Pumpkin and Haloumi Salad with a Honey-Jalapeno Dressing

January 12, 2012 by Stacey 41 Comments

 For some reason I can’t get out of the groove of making pumpkin salads and adding haloumi to them. It’s getting ridiculous, you’d think there was no other vegetable and cheese combination on earth. Way to be creative, Stacey.
Anyway, it’s good stuff, and I’ll keep making it until sweet potato gets an inferiority complex and shouts from the pantry “you don’t love me any more! I always knew pumpkin was your favourite” and slams the door. Attitude.
This one was invented when Mrs Woog came to town and was having a barbecue with about nine million of her nearest and dearest. It was loud, chaotic, full of excited kids and a whole lot of fun. I was tasked with salads, and I wasn’t about to pass up an excuse to use haloumi. Stuff is like crack.
It was the day of the hangover from hell, and once I imagined that oozy, salty gift from god frying and generally being delicious in the extreme, I had to have it. There was a good chance I was going to turn up, graciously offer the salad to the hungry masses, then surreptitiously and constantly pick the haloumi out of it when no-one was looking.
Sometimes it’s hard to share.
In a fit of extreme laziness, and a deep aversion to putting the oven on in stupidly hot weather, I fried the pumpkin. I’m reasonably certain nobody could tell the difference. Or they were too polite to tell me so.

Look at this adorable human.

This is Mrs Woog’s mum. She liked me even though I have the longest fingers seen on any humanoid, and her daughter told me I swore too much. I also giggled inappropriately, drank too many martinis and lost several games of handball to her grandchildren. She liked me so much she adopted me, and I am now one about 17 girls she calls her own, including the impossibly fabulous Uberkate, shown above making me wet my pants.

My new mum said she liked my salad, and that’s all that counts.

Pumpkin and Haloumi Salad with Honey-Jalapeno Dressing

Ingredients:

3 cups roasted or gently fried cubed pumpkin
1 block cubed haloumi, fried
A mixture of spinach and rocket
handful of mint, torn
handful of pumpkin seeds (I’m not actually putting my grubby mitts all over these ingredients, it’s just a good vague description of amounts…)

Dressing ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 jalapenos, diced very, very small
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
a little more than 1 cup honey
1/4 cup Corona or other light Mexican beer

Directions:

1. Layer the spinach and rocket in a bowl or on a serving platter.

2. Add the pumpkin and haloumi and sprinkle the mint and pumpkin seeds over.

3. Drizzle with dressing and a little olive oil.

Dressing Directions:

1. Saute the garlic and jalapenos very gently in some olive oil until soft – 10 minutes.

2. Turn the heat down and add the red wine vinegar. Let steep for 10 minutes or so, until some of the vinegar cooks down.

3. Add the honey and stir. At this point I was worried the end result would be too thick, so I tried to figure out what might thin it a little. Just as I thought “I bet I randomly think of something that isn’t immediately obvious and it works perfectly”, I sipped my Corona. Bingo. I poured in about 1/4 cup or so (maybe a little more) and it was just the thing.

Would YOU like me even though my fingers are longer than a monkey’s?
 
It’s ok if you wouldn’t.
really.
 
 
I probably wouldn’t like me either.

Filed Under: Meal Plan, Side dish

Previous Post: « Lemon Coconut Slice
Next Post: Five things I swore I’d never do when I became a mum. »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jessamy says

    January 12, 2012 at 12:34 am

    Oooh yummo! Gonna make this salad happen in my house……also may eat all the haloumi (shhh)

    Reply
  2. Glowless says

    January 12, 2012 at 12:34 am

    Well it all depends. Will those impossibly long fingers stroke my hair as we snuggle? And OMG beer in a salad dressing? Amazeballs.
    P.S. Never tried Haloumi… can we still be friends?

    Reply
  3. Nikki Parkinson says

    January 12, 2012 at 12:45 am

    Go out today and buy it Glowy. Your life will change!

    Reply
  4. Nikki Parkinson says

    January 12, 2012 at 12:46 am

    I can SO vouch for this salad's AMAZEBALL-NESS. 

    Reply
  5. Mrs Woog says

    January 12, 2012 at 12:52 am

    I can see where I get my leopard print fetish from now. Welcome to the brood baby! xx

    Reply
  6. Bettina_rae22 says

    January 12, 2012 at 12:59 am

    Yum! Am going to steal this one. What amazing abilities do those monkey fingers give you?

    Reply
  7. Veggie Mama says

    January 12, 2012 at 1:38 am

    I'm thinking of cutting them in half. Would you still like my stumps to caress your head?

    Reply
  8. Veggie Mama says

    January 12, 2012 at 1:38 am

    Excellent recorder skills and the ability to wave really well.

    Reply
  9. Veggie Mama says

    January 12, 2012 at 1:41 am

    I'd answer this comment, but am currently out buying a leopard-print purse. Will you take a raincheck? Xx

    Reply
  10. Veggie Mama says

    January 12, 2012 at 1:41 am

    I'm thinking of making it again!

    Reply
  11. Veggie Mama says

    January 12, 2012 at 1:41 am

    Soooo…. where do you live again?

    Reply
  12. Michelle says

    January 12, 2012 at 1:42 am

    It's okay, my butt is bigger than an elephants. So long as you can do tricks, it's all good!

    Reply
  13. Nikki Parkinson says

    January 12, 2012 at 1:46 am

    Just let me know!

    Reply
  14. Steph @ Lisptick & Cake says

    January 12, 2012 at 1:53 am

    Oh yum, I am def going to make this. I'm a little obsessed with haloumi at the moment. Have had salted and fried halmoumi with zucchini fritters for lunch the last 2 days.
    I love it so much I even added it to my final meal wishlist along with pork crackling (hold the pork) cookie dough, a baguette and cold butter. 

    Reply
  15. HomeWorkMum says

    January 12, 2012 at 2:16 am

    This looks so delicious, I don't even care how long your fingers are!!

    Reply
  16. Robert Dulaney says

    January 12, 2012 at 2:48 am

    that looks incredible! and it's detox friendly (minus the beer and honey!)

    Reply
  17. Bess Georgette says

    January 12, 2012 at 7:10 am

    There is no other vegetable and cheese combination. Not that I'm aware of anyway! 😉
    This recipe had me at 'haloumi'. Yum!

    Reply
  18. Jo says

    January 12, 2012 at 7:16 am

    I bought a block of Haloumi and had no idea what to do with it…I will be making this salad on the weekend!  Thanks for the inspiration…and long elegant fingers are better than my short, fat ones any day!

    Reply
  19. Veggie Mama says

    January 12, 2012 at 9:42 am

    The best part is that any kind of fingers can make haloumi 🙂

    Reply
  20. Veggie Mama says

    January 12, 2012 at 9:42 am

    No need for any other combination 🙂

    Reply
  21. Veggie Mama says

    January 12, 2012 at 9:42 am

    Better than beet soup, yes? Xx

    Sent from my iPad

    Reply
  22. Veggie Mama says

    January 12, 2012 at 9:43 am

    Haha I didn't even realize they were that long until the photo was taken, so apparently I haven't cared for 32 years… Not about to start now!

    Reply
  23. Veggie Mama says

    January 12, 2012 at 9:44 am

    Ohhhh zucchini fritters! I think this salad would be part of my final meal wish list 🙂

    Reply
  24. greenteantoast says

    January 12, 2012 at 9:50 am

    Yum! Haloumi is a staple in our house, love it. Great recipe. 

    Reply
  25. AN B says

    January 12, 2012 at 11:11 am

    Beer salad, hoorah!

    Reply
  26. Suzie says

    January 12, 2012 at 11:23 am

    I love this recipe, if I leave off the dressing I can even eat it. I wouldn't get much of a look in though, the youngest would snaffle it all. She loves pumpkin and cheese and pumpkin seeds…

    I have short hands, I was once told I should be good at shorthand because I have short hands. If you cut your fingers off can I have them to make mine longer? 

    Reply
  27. Stephanie (honey) says

    January 12, 2012 at 2:06 pm

    Ok. I've never even heard of haloumi, much less eaten it! I guess me and Nick will be on a haloumi hunt now!! I hope I like the taste as much as I like saying haloumi! Oh heck…. I'm not even sure if I'm even pronouncing right in mind! Lol

    Reply
  28. Veggie Mama says

    January 12, 2012 at 10:49 pm

    haha between us we can be normal!

    Reply
  29. Veggie Mama says

    January 12, 2012 at 10:49 pm

    aw it's so good! It's pronounced ha-loo-mee so you're probably doing it right 🙂

    Reply
  30. Veggie Mama says

    January 12, 2012 at 10:49 pm

    Excellent for hangovers, I'm told!

    Reply
  31. Veggie Mama says

    January 12, 2012 at 10:50 pm

    Thank you! It should be a staple everywhere 🙂

    Reply
  32. Veggie Mama says

    January 12, 2012 at 10:50 pm

    That's why I'm invited to parties 🙂

    Reply
  33. Rachel says

    January 13, 2012 at 6:43 am

    This salad sounds awesome.  I am always given the task of bringing the salad.  I am making this one next time.  Thanks for sharing.  Rachel xx

    http://www.redcliffestyle.com

    Reply
  34. Rachel says

    January 13, 2012 at 6:44 am

    Haloumi with the chilli in it is awesome in salads too. 

    Reply
  35. Veggie Mama says

    January 16, 2012 at 10:18 am

    You are so welcome! I hope it's a hit 🙂

    Reply
  36. Gaga says

    December 23, 2013 at 12:30 am

    I made this beautiful salad today. It’s an amazing taste. Tnx for excellent recipe!

    Reply
    • Veggie Mama says

      December 24, 2013 at 2:37 pm

      Oh wow, this looks amazing! Well done. Now you can come and cook it for me x

      Reply
  37. sammie@theannoyedthyroid.com says

    February 18, 2015 at 12:34 pm

    So much nom! Pumpkin and haloumi are the perfect pair!

    Reply
  38. Samantha Marshall says

    February 18, 2015 at 3:42 pm

    I honestly believe the length of your fingers would have nothing to do with your likeability. ^_^

    Reply
    • Veggie Mama says

      February 24, 2015 at 4:58 pm

      You can stay 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Five Blogs That Love Food As Much As Me! | says:
    June 12, 2015 at 5:14 pm

    […] for them to arrive while I contemplate making a start on dinner. We are having chicken wings & this salad but I’m switching the pumpkin to sweet potato. Looks bloody good doesn’t […]

    Reply

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