Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sticks with Mint
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sticks with Mint is a delightful recipe that serves four. You start by halving 16 cherry tomatoes and placing half in a dish to roast with olive oil and sea salt at 180°C for 20 minutes, until they soften and blister. Meanwhile, you fry slices of halloumi cheese in a pan until they're nicely browned, adding lemon halves to caramelize and create a dressing. Each piece of halloumi is then cut into small pieces. To assemble, you skewer a piece of grilled halloumi, a roasted tomato half, a fresh mint leaf, and a fresh tomato half onto cocktail sticks. This appetizer is served hot, with the caramelized lemon on the side for squeezing over the skewers. It’s a perfect blend of creamy cheese, tangy tomatoes, and fresh mint, creating a burst of flavors that's both refreshing and satisfying.
- 16 Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- Sea Salt
- 1 Lemon, Halved
- 180 grams Halloumi Cheese
- 16 Fresh Mint Leaves
- Oven Preparation
Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Tomato Roasting
Set out half of the tomato halves, cut side up, in a baking dish. Drizzle them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to blister and soften.
- Halloumi and Lemon Cooking
With about 5 minutes left for the tomatoes to roast, warm the remaining olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Test the heat by placing the lemon halves, cut side down, in the pan; they should sizzle upon contact. Put the lemons in the pan and add the halloumi slices next to them. Fry the halloumi for 2-3 minutes on each side until it turns a mottled brown color, while the lemons caramelize alongside, creating a cover.
- Assembly and Serving
After frying, place the halloumi on kitchen paper to drain. Then, cut each halloumi slice into 8 small pieces, resembling postage stamps. Construct each skewer by threading a piece of halloumi, a roasted tomato half, a mint leaf, and a fresh tomato half onto a cocktail stick.
