Haloumi is so good, even to me.

And I have never really been a massive cheese fan (which is probably a good thing considering too much dairy gives me eczema)

But I do feel that a good burger or even a tasty salad needs something to make it complete

Step in haloumi.

I only tried it for the first time about a year ago but oh my god………..

What have I been missing all my life!!!!!

Its got a delicious squeak to it that is hard to explain unless you have eaten it yourself.

I use it pretty much in every salad or wrap that I make now.

I always use it in place of normal cheese such as edam or even feta.

First thing’s first though how do you cook perfect haloumi?

The cooking process

Well here is how I do it and it always tastes amazing:

• Always lightly oil your pan first (a frying pan or griddle pan will work best) using plain olive oil or once again that amazing thing called coconut oil
• Add haloumi (which should be sliced thickly) to an already hot pan so that it sizzles the minute it goes in
• Don’t be tempted to move your haloumi around the pan too much
• Only flip each haloumi slice once
• You’re looking for a golden colour, and the haloumi should still be soft when you eat it

The Best Way to Eat it (in my opinion)

My absolute favourite way of eating it (if I can stop myself from just eating it the minute it has been cooked)…..

Is with sweetcorn fritter in a delicious stack of gorgeousness with a chunky relish on the side.

This is one of my favourite sweetcorn fritter recipes.

I do swap buckwheat or spelt flour instead of normal and mix with almond milk instead of cows milk however.

Just to make it slightly healthier and it gives it a nice nutty flavour http://www.foodlovers.co.nz/recipes/sweet-corn-fritters.html

You can also marinade it a bit like tofu and if you then dust it in buckwheat or spelt flour (or even normal flour if that’s all you have in your cupboard)

If you do this method it suddenly changes from that squeaky cheese to one with a wonderfully crispy coating that is soft in the middle but not melted and still keeps it shape.

I like to marinate mine in a mixture of olive oil and crushed garlic with a little bit of chilli for some added heat for a minimum of 30 minutes or even better overnight.

If you have never tried it go and buy a pack and see what you have been missing.

Alternatively if you have some successful recipes of your own please do share them with me so that I can discover more about this wondrous cheese.