LEMONY ORZO PINE NUT HALLOUMI SALAD WITH KALAMATA OLIVES

There are few things I will never get sick of and halloumi is one of them. Add in some toasted pine nuts and salty kalamata olives and you have yourself a TREAT. This one can also be a bit of a choose your own adventure— you could do feta instead of halloumi or try a balsamic instead of lemon and olive oil etc. Thats also the great thing about orzo. Try this one as a lunch or a side for hummus / falafel/ something Mediterranean.

INGREDIENTS:
2 handfuls of Kalamta olives
1 box of orzo
Halloumi cut into thick strips
1 shallot slides
3 garlic cloves chopped
Pine nuts
Dill
Scallions
Mint
Basil
White wine vinegar
1 lemon

Cook your orzo in salted water. Meanwhile slice your halloumi and fry on high heat without touching for about 3-4 minutes. Flip and repeat on other side. The cheese melts a little but mostly stays together and gets really crispy and browned. In another pan, heat some olive oil and toast pine nuts on high heat. Stir continuously so as not to burn them. Combine all together and toss in olives, garlic, shallot, scallions, olive oil, lemon, white wine vinegar. You can add any number of herbs so I added what I had on hand which was dill, mint and basil. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!