Country 42: Cyprus - Makaraoni tou Fourno + Halloumi Chickpea Deliciousness

Once again, I am fortunate to have Cypriot friends in my life. Thank you to Alexa and Anna who recommended dishes to me, and particularly to Anna's little sister who literally created the chickpea and halloumi dish. She's Cypriot, so it counts! She was also on Junior Masterchef so you know this one is a real winner!

 

The original makaronia tou fourno recipe can be found here.

Makaroni tou Fourno - Cypriot pasta bake

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 500g Quorn mince
• 1 1/4 tablespoons dried mint
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
•  1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons white wine
• small handful parsley, chopped
• 250g penne
• pinch of salt
• 25g halloumi, grated
• 750mL warm milk
• 65g unsalted butter
• 65g flour
• 75g  halloumi, grated
• pinch black pepper
• additional 25g haloumi, grated

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius.  
   
2. Heat large frying pan, add olive oil and sautee onions. Once softened, add Quorn mince and allow to brown. Add mint, salt, pepper, cinnamon and cumin, stir for 2 mins then add white wine and water. Allow to cook 15-20 minutes or until the liquids are reduced. Mix in parsley, then set aside.
3. While mince is cooking, cook pasta according to instructions on packet but reduce cooking time by a few minutes. Drain water. If you're not ready to assemble, drizzle some olive oil over it to stop it from clumping together. 
4. While mince and pasta is cooking, add butter to a medium pot over medium heat. Allow to completely melt before stirring in flour - use a whisk to break up lumps, then slowly add milk 1/4 cup at a time. Allow sauce to thicken before adding more milk. Continue until all milk is used, then add first amount of grated halloumi, stir to combine. Add half a cup of the cheese sauce to the mince and combine.
   
5. Begin assembly: Add half the pasta to a large baking tray and sprinkle 25g of the second helping of grated halloumi. Top with the mince/cheese sauce and spread across, then add other half of pasta, with more grated halloumi on top (25g), then carefully pour the rest of the cheese sauce over that. Top with the remaining grated halloumi.
6. Place in oven and cook 20-25 minutes until top layer is golden brown. Remove from oven and serve. 

 

 

Halloumi & Chickpeas with Tomatoes

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  
• 6 slices halloumi
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  
• 150g cherry tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons yogurt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
  
• Handful fresh parsley, chopped
• Handful fresh mint, chopped
  

Instructions

1. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a medium high heat. When hot, add chickpeas, paprika, cumin, chilli powder, and garlic salt. Cook until golden and reddish from the spices. 
2. Combine yogurt, honey, chopped garlic clove and lemon juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. 
3. In a separate pan, heat another tablespoon of olive oil over a medium-low heat. Add tomatoes and onions. Fry for about 10 minutes until tomatoes are almost bursting and onions are caramelised. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. 
4. Add halloumi slices to pan and fry 2 minutes each side until golden brown.  
5. Assemble with chickpeas at the bottom, topped with tomatoes and caramelised onions, then halloumi. Add yogurt dip and fresh herbs. Serve immediately.