‘Cheese & Olives’: Haloumi with Spicy Olives & Walnuts

This works really well for brunch, alongside soft-boiled eggs, but can just as easily be eaten as a light lunch or dinner. Feel free to make this vegan, by swapping out the haloumi for fried and salted tofu.

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Instructions

1.	Make the salsa by adding the oil and garlic to a small frying pan and placing it over a medium heat.
2.	Cook until beginning to bubble and smell fragrant, about 1½ minutes, then add the coriander seeds and chilli and cook for about 30 seconds more.
3.	Stir in the peppers, harissa, vinegar and maple syrup and cook for 5 minutes.
4.	Set aside to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a large bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
5.	Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C.
6.	Halve each of the haloumi blocks lengthways (so they are the same shape, but thinner now) to give you four rectangular pieces. Pat them well dry.
7.	Use a small sharp knife to make a criss-cross pattern across one side of each piece, with incisions about 1½cm deep.
8.	Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over a medium-high heat.
9.	Add the haloumi pieces and fry until nicely golden on both sides, about 4-5 minutes in total.
10.	Transfer to a small tray, criss-cross side up, and pour over the excess oil left in the pan, followed by the maple syrup. Bake for 7 minutes, or until really nicely softened through the centre.
11.	Transfer to a plate, pouring over any juices left in the tray, then spoon over the salsa.
12.	Serve right away, while the haloumi is still warm.