250gramshalloumi cheese goat or feta cheese are also good choices
Citrus Tahini Dressing* (see note)
1medium garlic clove
½teaspoonsalt
¾cuptahini
1lemon freshly squeezed juice
orange zestof half an orange
½orange, freshly squeezed juice
1tablespoonhoneyadjust sweetness according to taste.
½teaspoonground sumac**optional (see recipe note)
½cupwatermore or less, to thin out tahini to desired consistency.
Instructions
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into bite-size cubes (about 1 inch). Add the sweet potatoes to a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well to coat the sweet potatoes with oil and seasonings.
Roast sweet potatoes in the oven for 10 minutes, flip and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender and start to caramelize. Let cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, de-seed the pomegranate and set aside one cup of the seeds for the salad.
Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet cooking over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until lightly golden. Be careful, they burn easily! Set aside.
Slice the red onion and set aside.
Wash and dry the salad greens.
Top salad greens with roasted sweet potatoes, red onions, pomegranate seeds and toasted pine nuts.
Just before serving the salad, use a paper towel to absorb some of the moisture from the Halloumi. Lightly dredge the slices of Halloumi in all-purpose flour. Melt 2 teaspoons of butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Pan fry the Halloumi cheese until golden, flip and cook until golden on the other side, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
Citrus Tahini Dressing
In a mortar and pestle, crush 1 garlic clove with 1/2 tsp. of salt. Mash until garlic and salt form a paste.
In a medium bowl, combine the tahini, garlic paste, lemon juice, orange zest and juice. Slowly add 1/2 cup of water, whisking until the sauce is well blended. Taste and adjust to your liking. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a teaspoon of water at a time until you have reached the desired consistency.
Notes
*Citrus tahini dressing can be prepared a day ahead of time and refrigerated. Before dressing the salad, adjust thickness of dressing by thinning out with a bit of water if needed. **Ground Sumac is a spice used in Middle-Eastern cuisine. Though it does complement the citrus tahini dressing, it's not absolutely necessary to this recipe and can be omitted.