Halloumi Skewers with Filled Peppers and Gremolata

A bit of a two-for-one recipe here, with two dishes served together, which you could serve separately or as a side with other things, if you wish. This makes a delicious, spicy treat which could make a super summery tea. The skewers can also be cooked on a barbeque, as long as no further oil or fat has been added to the grill and it isn't cooked alongside other fatty foods.

I made my own 're-fried beans' to fill the peppers before baking here, but as far as I can see, the tins of 'shop-bought' refried beans available in the supermarket features exactly the same ingredients as I have used here. Personally, I would be comfortable using it, but as usual it has to be your choice as to whether you could this as SP or not (as it isn't listed formally on the app or in the book as SP suitable). Despite their name, 're-fried beans' are very low in fat and full of protein!

I served this on baby spinach with snipped spring onions and freshly podded peas. I would recommend something green and leafy to make sure this remains fresh tasting. The herb and lemon gremolata I dressed the peppers with is lovely and zingy and the fresh herbs livens up the drier textures of the beans. I found the East End butter beans are usually really lovely - all fat and rich, which helps this feel like a lush meal.

As with all recipes and meal plans on the blog I have highlighted the protein sources (P foods) in red, the speed (S) foods in green, healthy extra allowances in blue and syns, with syn values in brackets in orange.  

Halloumi Skewers and Filled Peppers with Gremolata

Serves 2 - 0.5 syns per portion, if using 3/4 of your HEA (add 4.5 syns if not) 

2 Cauldron Cumberland Vegetarian Sausages (0.5 syns each)

70g Light Halloumi

Half a yellow pepper

A small courgette (or half a massive one, in my case!) 

10 cherry tomatoes

Spray oil

1 Sweet Pointed Pepper (or a normal red pepper would do)

Half a tin of borlotti beans

Tin of butter beans or chick peas

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chilli powder

3 tsp of Schwartz cajun seasoning 

1/2 carton of passata

1 tsp garlic granules

1 tsp dried chipotle chilli flakes

Grated rind of half an unwaxed lemon

Handful of fresh parsley 

2 garlic cloves 

Ground of seasalt

To make the 're-fried beans', put the borlotti beans, cumin, chilli powder and a grind of seasalt into a food processor. Blend thoroughly until a smooth paste is formed. Don't worry about a few lumps of beans remaining in the mix, this can provide some good texture. 

Cut the pointed pepper into two halves - ensuring the flattest of sides can face down to allow you to balance them on the baking tray. 

Lay these onto a non-stick ovenproof baking tray and then spoon in and spread evenly the re-fried beans mixture. Use enough to level off the pepper and then put this to one side. 

Turn the oven on and pre-heat to 180 degrees fan / 200 electric / Gas mark 6.

Chop the courgette and pepper into chunks of similar sizes to each other. 

Cut the sausages into 3 pieces each and slice the halloumi into small chunks. 

Thread the chunks of vegetables, sausages, halloumi and cherry tomatoes on to the skewers - ensuring each person has 3 chunks of sausage and half the halloumi along with plenty of veg! 

Lay the skewers on to a baking sheet sprayed with spray oil and sprinkle over 1 tsp of the cajun seasoning.

Place the peppers on their tray, alongside the skewers on their tray into the oven and leave to cook for 20 minutes. 

In the meantime, heat the passata in a pan and stir in the garlic granules, chilli flakes and 2 tsp of the cajun seasoning. Bring to a gentle boil and then add the drained can of butter beans (or chick peas) then return to a very low heat and simmer for 15 mins. 

Using a sharp knife or mezzaluna, chop the parsley and garlic very finely before adding the lemon zest to the board and mixing thoroughly. Add a grind of seasalt and leave for 5 minutes. 

Lay some leafy green salad in a bowl and dress as you wish.

When the halloumi has browned and crisped up, remove all from the oven. 

Lay one of the pepper halves on to the plate, and spoon on top some of the beans in the spicy sauce. 

Sprinkle the gremolata along the length of the pepper evenly.

Lay the skewers alongside the peppers on the dish and squeeze fresh lemon juice over them.