Halloumi and beetroot salad is a perfect delicious lunch or light dinner option. It’s less than 300 calories and it’s also quick and easy to make.
Mmmmmm, yummy, Lynne exclaimed as she handed me back her empty halloumi and beetroot salad lunch plate on Saturday.
That was Lynne’s seal of approval on this halloumi and beetroot salad recipe.
But first, in my previous recipe post, the macaroni tuna bake, I said I would give a final update regarding my Commonwealth Games volunteering!
Glasgow Commonwealth Games volunteering round-up
So I have to say I felt like I was on a bit of a downer yesterday, after the closing ceremony of the games on Sunday night.
In fact I’d been moaning to Lynne ever since I was unsuccessful in getting a further and last volunteering shift for the closing ceremony feeling I was missing out as I was at the opening ceremony!
It’s hard to put into words what an amazing place Glasgow has been over the 11 days of the Games. I mean I’m completely biased anyway as when I first experienced Glasgow, when I was in my late twenties, I made it my goal to end up working and moving here, so I love the place!
But really, it’s been an exciting, magical, friendly, happy place and an extremely worthwhile time for the city and for me to have the fantastic opportunity to be one of the “Clydesiders”.
I met many fantastic fellow volunteer Clydesiders and we all worked together, behind the scenes to make sure that the athletes and spectators experience of Glasgow and the games was second to none. I think we succeeded, and this was validated by being hailed as “the standout Games in the history of the movement” by the Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive.
So, I could go on, but as most of you are probably only interested in the last of the “grainy” pictures I was able to take with my mobile, I’ll stop there and let you see those with some “brief” descriptions (I promise) below…….
Tuesday’s allocated role for me was to bar-scan tickets from spectators arriving at one of the security check in’s in the morning for the 10am start of the athletics.
Working as a ticket scanner that day allowed me to spend a bit of time on my lunch break inside the stadium watching the Pole Vaulting, and also catching….
….site and this picture of Prince Edward heading up the stairs, sitting in the next block to mine. I was a bit disappointed that I only just caught that photo of him, when…….
…….on my way back from my lunch break I was stopped from going further by security with first Lord Coe leaving……..
…… and then a complete surprise as I caught Prince Edward & Kate Middleton leaving……..
….. and Prince Harry!
All three of them stopped to thank various people before leaving Hampden.
They were there roughly for about one hour, watching some of the sport. Sometimes you are just lucky enough to be in the right please to catch things and photo’s (albeit grainy ones on your mobile) like that!
My final day as a volunteer was Thursday 31st and I was allocated this megaphone to entertain spectators making their way to the stadium. Finally a platform for me!! Ha ha ha! Don’t even ask what I was talking about, it was just blethering!
And then we end in Hampden where I spent my lunch break on that Thursday sheltering in the stadium as the weather we are so well known for in Scotland, and Glasgow, RAIN, finally returned. 🙂
If you haven’t already checked out my other pictures over the time of my volunteering then check the recipe posts Cherry Bakewell Muffins and Indian Scrambled Eggs for those.
Now Finally The Halloumi And Beetroot Salad Recipe
Back to the halloumi and beetroot salad recipe. Like a lot of my recipes the inspiration for this one came from a lunch out I had with a friend. It was a similar combination but I decided to add my own take with the much reduced calorie / fat dressing in the recipe.
I just LOVE halloumi cheese! Don’t you? It’s got such a unique texture and taste after grilling. I mean it can, of course, be eaten without grilling it, but I recommend doing so, with this Halloumi and Beetroot Salad recipe and then placing it on top of the salad still slightly warm, pouring the dressing over and letting its flavours mingle in a mouth-watering taste explosion!
The 2 slices of halloumi per serving come in at only around 166 calories and halloumi cheese is a great source of the mineral calcium too.
Beetroot is a so-called “superfood” being associated with helping to lower blood pressure and can improve exercise performance.
Pile on more salad if you are making this a dinner option.
I’ve added it to both my lunch and dinner salad categories as options there. Enjoy!
Halloumi and Beetroot Salad a lunch or dinner option at less than 300 calories and being equally quick and simple to make.
- 100 g reduced fat Halloumi sliced
- 4 cooked beetroots sliced
- 10 cherry tomatoes cut in half
- Lettuce of choice (I used a small 70g bag of herbed lettuce)
- 2 tbsp lightly toasted pine nuts
- 1 small finely sliced red onion
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ¼ tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ tsp extra virgin olive oil
- Grind of salt
- Assemble the beetroot and cherry tomatoes on top of the salad leaves, sprinkling the pine nuts and finely chopped onion over.
- Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a small jar.
- Heat griddled pan until medium hot then brown each side of the halloumi cheese slices.
- Place the halloumi slices on top of the salad and drizzle the dressing over.
So what’s next you may ask? Well plenty to come! Holiday in Vegas at the end of August, Holiday in Wales in September, training for my 10k stint in the Great Scottish Run in October and lots more healthy recipes, and of course cakes too! Make sure you’ve subscribed or clicked the Facebook “Like” above to receive the updates there! 🙂
And as always, thank you for your comments, emails you send me and the time you take to read this. It makes it all worthwhile!
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Good photo`s son enjoyed them very much and the recipes as well of course, all filed under a folder in my E mail account. keep them coming, you never know I might just get a crack at one or two in the future!!!. Love dad x
Ha ha thanks Dad! 🙂
hey Neil!
Love this recipe! Haloumi is great, and I also have a special place in my heart for toasted pine nuts!
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Makos!
Thanks for your comment. Halloumi is such a versatile tasty cheese isn’t it? And then paired with those tasty toasted pine nuts. Yum Yum! 🙂