I don’t have a photo for tonight’s dinner, unfortunately. While a picture might be worth 1,000 words, it doesn’t do much about taste. These recipes, on the other hand, will more than make up for the lack of photos in this post.

Halloumi salad became part of my mother’s culinary repertoire in the summer of 2007, when we travelled to Israel for the first time. We encountered halloumi cheese served with grilled vegetables while there and couldn’t get enough of it. Upon learning that our local grocery store, the one and only Wegmans, carried halloumi, this salad because a regular part of our summertime meals. It’s best when you can get fresh mint and eat outside.

Grilled Vegetables Salad with Halloumi

What you’ll need:
Olive oil
Halloumi cheese
Your favorite vegetables (I used eggplant, green zucchini, and red pepper because I like all the colors together)
Fresh mint, chopped

What to do:
1. Slice all vegetables into moderately thin slices
2. Slice halloumi into strips about 1/4-inch thick, set aside
3. Heat grill pan on medium-high heat
4. Toss all vegetables in olive oil (I add the eggplant last and sometimes on its own because it will absorb all the oil)
5. Lay vegetables flat on grill pan in batches, flipping once when char marks appear (level of char is up to you)
6. Once all vegetables are ready, grill the halloumi, flipping once when char marks appear (this will happen much more quickly than it did for the vegetables)
7. Toss halloumi and vegetables together in a bowl
8. Add mint
9. Enjoy while warm or at room temperature

I made the halloumi salad as a side for my favorite salmon, the recipe for which follows. I could honestly just eat the halloumi salad and be a very happy person, but eating a block of cheese for dinner is far from healthy. This is probably the easiest way I’ve ever prepared salmon, and it’s also the most delicious.

Lemon-Sugar Salmon

What you’ll need:
4 salmon filets
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon zest
Salt
Pepper

What to do:
1. Preheat over to 450°
2. Combine sugar, lemon zest, salt, and pepper into a dry rub
3. Rub on both sides of salmon
4. Place salmon into lightly greased baking dish
5. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes until salmon flakes easily with a fork

Bon appétit!