Sick of boring salads? Using some warmed ingredients mixed with lettuce and olives this simple salad can also be quite extravagant for a quick brunch with guests.

It uses one of my favourite ingredients, haloumi, a salty cheese that’s great for grilling with some lemon or in a burger with a bit of chilli sauce.  It’s definitely the vegetarian’s steak of choice for me, which requires very little effort on my part to cook.  Try some out next time your in the supermarket!

Just a note: I’ll be doing an extra recipe this week to coincide with Fatfree Vegan Kitchen’s  Vegetable Love 2008.  I’ve got a special vegan meal planned and the recipe will be up tonight or early tomorrow morning.  It will be a surprise until then, although it’s definitely worth a visit for!

Serves:

One to two.

Ingredients:

• 180 gram haloumi
• 6 olives sliced thin
• 1/2 red capsicum
• 1/2 bag gourmet lettuce
• 2 tbs white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Instructions:

1. Slice the pepper up and place on the stove (skin side down), using some tongs move around to blacken the skin.
2. Once the skin is all black, wrap in glad wrap and set aside.
3. Cut the haloumi into thin strips. Pan-fry the haloumi until golden brown on each side.
4. Under water, scrape all of the blackened skin of the capsicum and slice thinly.
5. Grab some lettuce and place on a plate, mix through the haloumi, olives and pepper.
6. Season the salad and drizzle with vinegar and olive oil before serving.