Recipes of Cyprus

Rate: 5 Stars (9 ratings)
Prep.: 20mins
Cook: 10mins
Servers: 4

Ingredients:

• 200g bulgur wheat
• 50g pumpkin seeds
• 3 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
• 250g “Chrysos” halloumi cheese, cut into 10-12 slices
• 1 cucumber, halved lengthways, seeds scooped out and cut into chunks
• Large bunch either parsley, mint, coriander or basil, or a mixture, chopped, reserving a few leaves to serve
• Zest and juice 2 lemons
• ¼ Watermelon, cut into chunks

Method

Boil the kettle. Put the bulghar wheat in a bowl with some seasoning, pour over enough hot water to just cover, then cover with cling film and set aside to absorb the liquid while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Heat a large frying pan and add the pumpkin seeds, toast for a few mins until the seeds start to crackle and pop, then tip into a dish and set aside. Heat a drizzle of oil in the pan. Add the halloumi slices and fry for 2-3 mins on each side or until golden.

Unwrap the bulghar wheat and check that it is tender (if not, re-cover and leave for another 5 mins). All the water should have been absorbed, but if not, drain the excess. Add the remaining oil, the cucumber, herbs, lemon zest and juice, and pumpkin seeds to the bulghar wheat and toss well. Transfer to a platter, top with the watermelon and halloumi, and scatter with the reserved herbs.

Rate: 5 Stars (9 ratings)
Prep.: 10mins
Cook: 30mins
Servers: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Olive or Rapeseed oil
• 175g “Chrysos” Halloumi Cheese, Sliced
• 500g Pumpkin or Butternut Squash, Diced
• 2 Red Chillies, Seeded and Finely Chopped
• 1 Garlic Clove, Finely Chopped
• 2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
• Small Bunch Mint, Roughly Chopped
• 6 Eggs, Beaten

Method

Heat half the oil in a large frying pan. Cook the halloumi for 1-2 mins on each side until golden, remove from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the pan, then cook the squash for about 10 mins, until soft and starting to colour. Add the chilli and garlic and cook for a further 2 mins. Pour over the vinegar, then put the halloumi back into the pan, scatter over the mint and pour on the eggs. Cook for 5 mins until the base is set.

Heat the grill to high. Flash the omelette under the grill for 5 mins until puffed up and golden. Serve immediately or allow to cool and serve cold with a salad if you like.

Rate: 5 Stars (9 ratings)
Prep.: 15mins
Cook: 5mins
Servers: 4

Ingredients:

• 3 Medium Oranges, Segments and Juice
• 1 Small Bunch Mint, Leaves Chopped
• 4 tsp White Wine Vinegar
• 3 tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 x 225g Packs “Chrysos” Halloumi Cheese, Drained
• 50g Walnut Pieces, Toasted
• 145g Rocket, Watercress and Spinach

Method

Heat a large griddle or frying pan over a high heat. In a large bowl, combine the orange segments and juice, mint leaves, vinegar and olive oil. Season, then gently toss together.

Slice each block of halloumi into 8-10 pieces, then griddle or fry for 1-2 mins on each side until charred and beginning to melt.

Add the walnuts and salad leaves to the orange and mint, then toss together. Top with the griddled halloumi slices and season with some black pepper.

Rate: 5 Stars (19 ratings)
Prep.: 15mins
Cook: 15mins
Servers: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 Handful Sunflower or Pumpkin Seeds
• 2 Carrots, Peeled
• 1 Bulb Fennel, Trimmed and Halved
• 2 Large Handfuls Baby Spinach Leaves, Washed and Spun Dry
• 100g Fresh Peas, Podded
• 250g “Chrysos” Halloumi Cheese, cut into 1cm Slices
• 1 Lemon
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method

Toast the seeds in a dry frying pan over a high heat, moving them around the pan from time to time so they don’t burn. This will only take a couple of minutes. Put to one side. Using a speed peeler, cut the carrots and the fennel bulb into thin ribbons. Place in a bowl with the spinach and peas.

Place your halloumi in a really hot frying or griddle pan, and give the slices a minute or so on each side. The cheese will soften slightly as it cooks. Dress your salad with a good squeeze of lemon juice, about twice as much olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat everything in the dressing. Have a taste and add some more seasoning or lemon juice if you like.

To serve, tear the pieces of halloumi over the salad and sprinkle with the toasted seeds.

Rate: 5 Stars (27 ratings)
Prep.: 15mins
Cook: 30mins
Servers: 6

Ingredients:

• 120 g “Chrysos” Halloumi Cheese
• 1 Yellow Pepper
• 1 Courgette
• 140g Cherry Tomatoes
• ½ a Bunch of Fresh Mint
• ½ a Fresh Red Chilli, Optional
• 1 Lemon
• Olive Oil
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method

Put 6 wooden skewers into a tray of cold water to soak – this will stop them from burning.
On a chopping board, cut the halloumi into 2cm cubes, then add to a large mixing bowl.
Carefully cut the pepper in half from top to bottom, then trim away the stalk, seeds and any white pith (you can use teaspoon to do this), then slice into 2cm pieces and add to the bowl.
Cut the courgette in half lengthways, then cut into half-moon slices, roughly ½cm thick, then add to the bowl along with the tomatoes.
Pick the mint leaves onto a board and finely chop them, discarding the stalks.
Carefully deseed and finely chop the chilli, if using.
Use a microplane to finely grate the lemon zest onto a board, then add to the bowl along with the mint leaves, chilli (if using), and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Season with a pinch of pepper, then mix well to coat.

Preheat the grill to high.

Lightly grease a baking tray with oil, then put aside.

Thread and divide the halloumi cubes, cherry tomatoes, pepper and courgette pieces
between the skewers.

Place onto the greased tray and cook under the grill for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and the veg are soft, turning halfway through.

Serve with a fresh green salad and some flatbreads or pittas.

Rate: 5 Stars (11 ratings)
Prep.: 15mins
Cook: 30mins

Ingredients:

• 1 kg “Chrysos” Unsalted Anari Cheese
• Cinnamon
• ¾ Cup Sugar
• Rosewater
• 0.5kg Filo Dough Sheets
• 100gr Butter
• 250gr Fresh Cream
• 0.5 Cup Honey
• Roasted Almonds or Walnuts

Method

Beat the anari cheese with the fresh cream.
Add cinnamon, sugar, and rosewater and mix thoroughly.
Place the filo dough sheets in a buttered roasting pan, buttering every two sheets.
Make three layers of eight sheets each and bake in the oven.
Put anari cheese in between each layer.
Put honey and roasted almonds and walnuts on top of the last layer.

Note: You can cut the baked filo dough sheets into smaller pieces and put them in a baking pan. Add anari cheese in-between and pour some honey over the top.

Rate: 5 Stars (19 ratings)
Prep.: 10mins
Cook: 20mins

Ingredients for the dough:

• 3 Cups of Flour
• 1 Cup of Water (room temperature)
• 1/3 Cup of Corn Oil
• 1/2 a tsp of Salt
• 1 Egg Yolk

Ingredients for filling:

• 2 Cups of Strained “Chrysos” Anari Cheese (Ricotta Cheese)
• 1/2 a Cup of White Sugar
• 2 tbsp of Cold Milk
• 1 tsp of Powder Cinnamon
• 1 Egg White

For garnishment:

• 2 tbsp of Icing Sugar

Method

In a bowl mix the flour with the salt, add the corn oil and make sure it mixes well with the flour.
Add the egg yolk and a little at a time add the water and knead into thick dough.
Place dough into a clean bowl and cover with a kitchen towel for about an hour.
While waiting for the dough, mix all the ingredients for the filling and beat into a smooth thick cream.
After having the dough sitting and covered for an hour, uncover and knead for a few minutes and cut in small manageable pieces for rolling into a thin fillo.
With something round like a cup, cut the rolled out fillo into round pieces.
In each piece place in the center 1 tsp of filling, brush the edges with water and fold.
With a fork press the edges to seal.
After doing all your Bourekia by using all your dough and filling, heat some oil in a frying pan and fry them all on both sides until golden brown.
From the frying pan to a kitchen paper towel to drain the excess oil.
Place the fried Bourekia in a platter, sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.
Bourekia are served hot. They can also be eaten cold.