Culture Street

SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 25 minutes, including cooking

2–3 tablespoons good-quality houmous
juice of ½ lemon
Celtic sea salt (optional)

CRISPY HALLOUMI:
2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme or rosemary
250 g halloumi, cut lengthways into 1 cm thick slices
Celtic sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed

GARLIC ASPARAGUS:
1 tablespoon olive oil or virgin organic coconut oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 bunches asparagus, trimmed and cut into short lengths
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon mixed spice
Celtic sea salt

To make the crispy halloumi, sprinkle the herbs evenly over the halloumi and season with salt. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the garlic and cook until lightly golden. Take care not to let it burn otherwise it will be bitter. Add the halloumi and fry on both sides until golden and warmed through.
Meanwhile, to make the garlic asparagus, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the garlic and cook until lightly golden. Add the asparagus, cumin, mixed spice and a pinch of salt and sauté until just cooked.

To serve, spread the houmous over a platter. Top with the asparagus and then the halloumi, then finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and a final sprinkling of salt, if you like. Serve immediately.

Recipe extracted from Living the Healthy Life by Jessica Sepel. Available 31st January, Macmillan Australia, RRP $39.99. You can buy the book here.