Haloumi fritters with mint pecan pesto

Training : Run 8km

Tonight's dinner was inspired by the huge tub of haloumi I picked up on sale a few weeks ago. While I was tempted to cook slices, and eat them straight off the BBQ (seriously, you have to try it….) I decided to make a version of haloumi fritters instead.

Haloumi and mint are a wonderful combination, but I needed very little mint for the actual fritters. Not wanting to waste the remainder of the bunch, I decided to make a mint pesto to accompany the fritters.

Thus, today, you get two recipes!

Starting with the pesto..

Using pecans as I had an abundance in my pantry.

Processed....

Drizzled with olive oil…

Left a little chunky, but rich and fragrant.

Next, it was time to make the fritters.

  

Similar to a pancake batter, I whisked the milk, eggs, flours, baking powder, cheese.

Then pureed 1/2 of the peas with spinach...

Folded it into the batter with the mint and remaining peas,

And fried in a little olive oil, until brown on both sides.

Served with steamed carrots and asparagus,

And a good dollop of the mint pecan pesto.

I love the 'green' of these fritters, and can't help but think they would be a good way of 'hiding' vegetables for a fussy child.

The haloumi was subtle, yet added a slight saltiness to the fritters.  While the fritters themselves, were light and fluffy, and paired nicely with the herb-filled pesto.

 

But, to be honest,  it was the squeeze of lemon juice over the top that really made these fritters stand out.

Let's just say, there were no leftovers!

Haloumi fitters with mint pecan pesto (serves 2)

These fritters are a tasty option for a light mid-week meal. Similar in texture to a savoury pancake, the fritters work well with a good dollop of pesto and a squeeze of lemon juice. I used spelt flour, however you could easily adapt them to be gluten free by using GF flour.

• 1 cup cooked peas, drained and refreshed
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 20g cornflour
• 2/3 cup spelt flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup grated haloumi cheese
• 1 tbs chopped mint
• Olive oil
• Lemon wedges to serve

Mint pecan pesto

• 1 bunch mint, leaves picked
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tbs white wine vinegar
• 2 tbs parmesan
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Method

1. Whisk the milk, eggs, flours, baking powder and cheese together in a large bowl.
2. In a food processor, process half the peas and spinach until smooth.
3. Fold the pea/spinach mixture into the batter, together with the remaining peas and chopped mint.
4. Heat a little olive oil in a frypan over a medium to high heat. Drop large spoonfuls of the batter into the pan, and cook for 3 - 5 minutes each side, or until golden brown. Keep the cooked fritters warm in the oven while you cook the remainder.
5. Serve with the mint pecan pesto and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

To make the pesto: Process all the ingredients (aside from the oil) in a food processor until relatively smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream until the pesto reaches the desired consistency.

What about you? Have you made your own fritters before?

Happy Baking :)