Spiced Spinach with Halloumi


This super-speedy, iron-rich dish of Spiced Spinach with Halloumi is easy-peasy to make and is delicious as either a side dish or the main event! 

After a brief break from updating the blog I made an feast of spicy indian-inspired dishes this
weekend that I want to share with you all over this week. Pictured here you can see the Spiced Spinach with a portion of the Chana Masala I posted a while ago the Double Dahl (to be posted later this week) and Tikka Tofu (again, coming soon!)

This dish came about as I was hankering after my favourite order from any Indian restaurant - Palak Paneer. Aware that this dish traditionally uses a good deal of paneer cheese and an oil-base for the spices, I wanted to make a healthier version that would be equally tasty and satisfying.

This dish does carry some syn value for the curry paste used, but having experimented with several alternatives, nothing beats the rich depth of spice that you find in a curry paste and it makes this a very quick fix for when you need something tasty in a flash. 

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.

 Spiced Spinach with Halloumi 

 Serves 2 - 1 syn and full HEA for Halloumi (additional 5.5 if not using HEA) per portion

250g Baby Leaf Spinach (fresh or frozen, defrosted)
Handful fresh rocket leaves
1 tbsp Patak's Rogan Josh Curry Paste
Lemon juice
90g Light / Reduced Fat Halloumi 
Heat an oven to 180 degrees fan / 200 electric / Gas mark 6.

 Chop the Halloumi into small chunks - about 2cm squared or thereabouts. 

 Spray an oven tray with spray oil and lay the Halloumi out - leaving spaces between the chunks so if they spread they don't join together. 

 Put into the oven to bake for 15 - 20 mins. 

 Meanwhile, prep the spinach and rocket by gently tearing into pieces. Rinse but then thoroughly spin in a salad spinner, or pat dry using kitchen paper. 

 Put a large dry non-stick saucepan, onto a mid-heat hob and allow the pan to warm through. 

 Then drop the spoonful of paste into the pan, and allow it to heat through gently, swirling it around in the pan to allow it to get good and hot, but avoid it smoking (allow a very small splash of water into the mix if this does happen).

 Empty the prepped spinach and rocket into the pan and leave for a moment to wilt down. 

 Then stir thoroughly to allow the wilting leaves to be coated in the spice paste, which will start to turn to a sauce with the moisture that comes from the veg.

Once fully wilted, and coated in the sauce, leave on a low heat, stirring regularly, to allow some of the moisture to evaporate off. 

Once the halloumi is browned and crisp, take from the oven and stir into the spinach, mixing thoroughly.

 Serve immediately and devour! 

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