Two Turkish Breakfasts: #1 Halloumi & Spinach

Last week I went to Istanbul and am now in adoration of Turkish cuisine. While my nutritionist and many others have always said that the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest in the world, I came to personally appreciate this firsthand :) At every meal (and at the conference they really spoiled us) there were trays of fresh fish in olive oil, artichoke and eggplant purées, chickpeas, okra dishes, meatballs (köfte) in yogurt sauce. In typical buffet mentality I gorged, and yet when I pushed back my chair I felt a very atypical alertness - and light!

I will post more on the Turkish delights (of a savory kind ;p) I happen upon - especially as I picked up a cookbook. I went to Globus, a gourmet grocery here in Zürich, to fetch some quality ingredients. That's when I saw halloumi cheese, technically from the Cypriot region of the Mediterranean family. It's quite a unique cheese - it doesn't melt when grilled or fried, it has a distinct salty taste and it..well..squeaks :) It's also made from goat and sheep's milk, which is great for those who don't do cow's milk. It is extremely high in fat and calories, so don't go too crazy, but you must try it for a filling and unusual breakfast.

Halloumi with Spinach



100 g/3.5 ounces halloumi cheese
1 T olive oil + a little extra for brushing
1/2 small onion, chopped
~ 3/4 cup cooked or frozen spinach
pinch of salt (optional)

• Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook onions until they begin to soften


• Add the spinach and heat through, stir in the salt, then remove from pan


• Slice the halloumi and brush olive oil on either side


• Add to the pan and fry until nicely browned (about 2 minutes), flip


• Serve hot, on top of the greens.