Je suis encore tombée amoureuse – Brochettes de haloumi et courgettes sur salade de mâche aux fèves – vinaigrette de poivrons grillés, citron et câpres

Have you ever felt this strong chemistry with someone you just meet for the first few seconds, without even talking just by the energy that this person emits? It can be a man or a woman, just anyone. There is something out there, as if your energy “captures” the energy of the other person and something magical happens…Now between a man and a woman, it can be more of a sexual chemistry (well among same sex people too, if you are gay). It happened to me with a lady I met (I am not gay) and the first three seconds I saw her, I just liked her. I felt so comfortable and at ease, that I thought I knew her. Not sure how it’s called, maybe the pheromones (between two people from opposite sex), the chemistry, I don’t know. It is a strange feeling when this happens. Things feel just right.

Well this happened to me today with…this salad. I am just in love. In this particular case it has to do with the flavors, my palate met those “magical flavors and we are in love (well at least me). I have been eating this three days in a row and cannot get enough of it. I am hooked, the only problem is that that beautiful haloumi has too many calories for a every day consumption, so I just added a few pieces here and there, among the other vegetables. This whole composition matches what I love best and what I enjoy eating most, light, fragrant, nutritious, dishes that make you feel good after you eat them. I am very health conscious (sometimes I tend to be a freak in that area, I am aware of it), since I work out two hours a day and I do pay a lot of attention to what I eat. The good thing is that I am against all kinds of diets, which I think most of them deprive your body from many nutrients, and I cannot eat blend food, it needs to be exciting, fragrant, and most of all stimulate my sense. So yes I am deeply in love, and here is the “heureux élu“, the lucky one, that makes my palate race. Et ça, c’est l’amour!!!!!

This type of dressing can be used in many ways, I just like it on grilled vegetables, the sweetness of the grill pepper combined with capers and lemon results in a wonderful and magical blend.

Now my other little weakness is the mâche salad, I have always been going crazy for it, we grew it in the garden and it’s a very common salad in France. I have some strong memories of huge quantities of mâche prepared just for me when I came home from High school (I was lucky enough to come and have lunch with my parents when going to school)…and those memories will not fade away.

Ingredients for 4 (2 skewers each)

  • 3 small zucchini, cut crosswise (about 3/4 inch thick)
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 16 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 piece haloumi
  • mâche salad
  • 1 cup fava beans
  • 1/3 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp lemon
  • salt and pepper

For the vinaigrette

  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 tbs basil, chopped finely
  • 1 tsp capers, chopped finely
  • zest of 1 lemon (keep some for decoration)
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • cayenne pepper
  • salt and pepper

Preparation

In a mixing container, combine zucchini, tomatoes, onions, then add cumin, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Cover, marinate and refrigerate for a few hours.

After they marinate, using a bamboo skewer, take a zucchini slice, an onion piece, a piece of haloumi, onion and proceed with all the ingredients. Grill on a grill pan until all the sides are golden brown. Serve hot on a bed of fava bean/mâche salad, and spoon vinaigrette on top.

For the vinaigrette

Roast pepper in the oven under broiler. When the skin is all charred, take pepper out from oven, let it cool, then remove skin and seeds. Cut in small dices.

In a bowl, combine peppers, capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, basil, garlic, cayenne, salt and pepper. Mix well.

For the salad

Remove fava beans from their pod. Bring a pot of boiling water to a boil, then add fava beans. Cook for about 3 minutes (less if the beans are small and tender), drain and peel. Set aside.

Let the fava bean cool. Mix with mache salad, and drizzle with a little oil, lemon juice and a little bit of salt.