Whiskey & Coke Halloumi | The Perfect Recipe To Celebrate Dad

On Father's Day, a lot of us tend to default to the category of grilling. Instead of raging against that stereotype, why not embrace it differently?

 Halloumi is the perfect way to do that. If you're not familiar with Halloumi⁠, it's a semi-hard cheese that originates from Cyprus, and you can find in the cheese aisle of your local grocery store. The best feature of Halloumi cheese is that it has a high melting point, meaning that you can grill it (or fry it if you don't have access to a grill)! It's versatile as a vegetarian protein option or pair with your favourite meat for added flavour on your plate.

 This recipe is perfect for breakfast or dinner, so pick Dad's favourite meal and add on his favourite foods for a dish that's bursting with flavour.

 I've pictured it here as breakfast, with some fried Roma tomatoes and sautéed kale. I used Roma tomatoes due to their lower water content, but you can use Beefstake or Cherry tomatoes too. Feel free to experiment with the ratios & ingredients below depending on your taste—but keep in mind that Halloumi is a particularly salty cheese (due to it being in brine). You may need to adjust the amount of salt you use in the marinade.

The below recipe is for one 700g block of Halloumi, sliced.

 Whiskey & Coke Halloumi Recipe

 The Marinade

2 tbsp Coke

1 tbsp Whisk(e)y or Bourbon

1 tsp Tamari (I used tamari because it tends to be less salty than soy sauce, but feel free to use what you have at home)

1/2 tsp of Dijon mustard (optional)

Hot sauce, to taste (Tabasco is good here, as it has less salt than other Louisiana style sauces, like Crystal or Louisiana)

Pepper, to taste

Spritz of lime

• Marinate for at least an hour (and ideally in a Ziploc bag) - I prefer to marinate for a few hours, as I'm sure many of you do as well. I also like to reduce the leftover marinade to make a nice sauce to accompany everything.
• Grill on the BBQ or fry on the stovetop in a medium-sized non-stick frying pan on medium-high heat. You can add a small amount of olive to the pan if it is not non-stick. 
• Fry Roma tomatoes and sautee spinach or add your favourite vegetables.