Piri Piri Halloumi Traybake

Mac
Servings

5

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

35 minutes

Cuisine

Africa

Category

Dinner

A fuss-free meat-free traybake: charred piri piri vegetables and golden halloumi, thrown together and left to the oven. It’s a midweek rescue, about 20 minutes’ roasting with a couple of quick additions along the way, and it comes out full of flavour with a real kick. Halloumi is the star because it’s a meaty cheese that holds its shape in the oven, and roasting it hot keeps it creamy rather than going squeaky the way pan-frying does. A squeeze of lemon at the end brings the piri piri to life.

Ingredients

    Fresh & Mains

    • 2 blocks (about 500g) halloumi, sliced into thick fingers
    • 2 red peppers, thickly sliced
    • 1 yellow pepper, thickly sliced
    • 1 large courgette, cut into half-moons
    • 1 red onion, cut into wedges
    • 200g cherry tomatoes
    • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 1 lemon

    Pantry Staples

    • 2 tsp Spice Masters Piri Piri Spice
    • 4 tbsp olive oil
    • Salt and black pepper

    For garnish & serving

    • A handful of fresh parsley or coriander, roughly chopped
    • Extra lemon wedges
    • Warm flatbreads or rice, to serve

    Directions

    1. Get the oven hot: Heat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C conventional). It’s hotter than you might usually roast at, and that’s deliberate: you want to char and chargrill the vegetables, not just soften them.
    2. Spice the veg: Toss the peppers, courgette, red onion and garlic into your largest tray with the olive oil and Piri Piri Blend. Season and mix well so everything’s evenly coated. Spread it out flat in a single layer, because if it’s piled up it steams instead of charring, and you want it crisp. Keep the tomatoes and halloumi aside for now, as they cook in less time.
    3. Roast the veg: Roast the veg alone for 18 to 20 minutes, until they’ve taken on some good colour.
    4. Add the tomatoes: Scatter the cherry tomatoes into the tray and give everything a stir. Back in for about 6 minutes, until the tomatoes start to blister and the veg is still a nice colour.
    5. Add the halloumi and turn up the heat: Turn the oven up to 220°C fan. Lay the halloumi fingers in among the veg and roast for a final 7 to 8 minutes. The extra heat caramelises the halloumi on top: you’re after browned at the edges, still creamy in the middle, not cooked all the way through. Halloumi goes hard and squeaky if you overcook it, so keep an eye on it. It’s added last partly to protect it from drying out.
    6. Finish and serve: Squeeze the lemon over everything straight from the oven, which lifts the dish and brings the piri piri to life. Scatter with parsley or coriander and serve with extra lemon wedges, alongside warm flatbreads or rice.

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