This one-pot recipe turned out pretty nice, and the Kidlet liked it as well! The beans add a bit of welcome heft to the recipe; we used gigantes plaki, but I think cannelini beans or butter beans would also work nice.

As written the recipe does not call for greens, but symbol thinks mixing in some kale or spinach towards the end would be nice, and I agree.

Smoky Tomato & Haloumi Bake

Happy Veggie Kitchen

Ingredients

• Olive oil
  
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• ¼-½ tsp chili flakes
• 1 tsp smoked paprika, or 1 tsp sweet paprika + 1-2 drops liquid smoke
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp red wine vinegar
• ½ tsp brown sugar
• ¼ C vegetable stock
• 28oz (800g) tinned diced tomatoes
• 1 bunch kale or spinach, chopped
  
• 14oz (400g) white beans, drained and rinsed
  
• 1lb (450g) haloumi, sliced into thin strips
• fresh parsley or  cilantro to garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 390°F.
   
2. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.
3. Add the garlic and chili flakes and sautee until fragrant and starting to brown, ~1 minute.
4. Add the paprika and oregano and cook until fragrant, <30 seconds.
5. Add the vinegar, sugar, vegetable stock, and tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes.
   
6. Add the white beans and greens and stir together. Remove from heat.
7. Arrange the haloumi in a uniform layer atop the sauce, then bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
8. If you want the haloumi browned, stick is under the broiler for a bit.
9. Garnish and serve.

Once you have the pitas, these come together in just a few minutes, and while they're not substantial enough to be a meal in themselves they make an excellent side or appetizer.

While the recipe calls for (and is delicious with) mint, I think pesto would also work excellently with these.

Grilled Halloumi Pitas

Slightly modified from Our Syria, p.88

Ingredients

• 4 sourdough pitas
• ½ lb haloumi, sliced and lightly grilled 
• fresh mint, chopped, to taste (about 1-2 tbsp per pita)
  
• olive oil

Directions

1. Heat a cast iron pan or griddle, and a griddle press (or, if you don't have one, a smaller cast iron pan) over medium heat.
   
2. Arrange a layer of halloumi to cover half of each pita.
3. Sprinkle the mint over the halloumi, then fold the pita over to cover.
4. Brush the exterior of the pitas (both sides) very generously with olive oil.
5. Cook in the pan until browned, 3-4 minutes, with the hot press on top squishing it down; we found that 2 pitas fit comfortably in this arrangement.
6. If the press isn't hot enough, you may need to flip the pitas over and keep cooking, using the press for weight alone rather than heat.