Sunday night I started out to make a Caprese Salad because I had some ripe tomatoes only to realize my mozzarella had expired. I quickly looked through my fridge and saw I had a new package of halloumi from Trader Joes. I love grilled halloumi I think it is so delicious. It is one of those cheeses that cooks so well and it really brings out the flavor when you cook it. So I quickly set out to create a salad with it. For this salad I baked the halloumi instead of grilling it and it worked perfectly. I love the saltiness of halloumi and it was so tasty with the fresh tomatoes and herbs and pesto.

S U M M E R H A L L O U M I S A L A D

1 block Halloumi Cheese

2 ripe tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons capers

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon parsley

fresh basil

pesto for drizzling

Slice the Halloumi cheese into about 1/2 inch thick slices and lay out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast at 400 degrees about 10 minutes then switch to broil until cheese is slightly brown. Flip over the cheese and top with tomatoes slices and broil until cheese is slightly brown.

Place the baked Halloumi and tomatoes on a platter.

In a bowl combine olive oil, capers, parsley, red pepper flakes and a touch of salt and pepper. Whisk together and pour this mixture over the baked Halloumi. Sprinkle the fresh basil over top. Then drizzle the entire plate with pesto.