Balsamic Dijon Vinaigrette, or your favorite salad dressing or vinaigrette
For the sweet potatoes:
1largesweet potato, diced into bite size pieces
A good drizzle of olive oil
½teaspoonsmoked paprika
salt and pepper, to taste
For the Halloumi:
A good drizzle of neutral oil
8ouncesHalloumi cheese, patted dry with a paper towel and cut into slices ¼-inch thick
For the salad:
5ouncesmesclun, or mixed field greens
1mediumavocado, sliced
⅓cuppecan halves
3tablespoonsdried cranberries
Equipment
sheet pan
Cutting Board
Large Non-Stick Skillet
Medium Mixing Bowl
Instructions
Make the vinaigrette:
If making the vinaigrette, prepare the vinaigrette using this recipe and refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
Prepare the sweet potatoes:
Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
Combine the sweet potato, olive oil, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Transfer the mixture to the lined sheet pan and bake until fork tender, 25 to 35 minutes (flipping with a fork or spatula half way through). Once done, set to the side.
Make the Halloumi:
Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-heat. Put the halloumi in the skillet and fry until both sides are golden in color, 3 to 5 minutes, flipping once. Transfer the halloumi to the pan with the potatoes. And don't forget to snack on a piece or two while you prepare the salad :) .
Assemble the salad:
Add the mesclun to a large serving platter or bowl and top with the sweet potatoes, Halloumi, avocado, pecans, and dried cranberries. Drizzle the Balsamic Dijon Vinaigrette lightly over the top to coat the leaves (there will be some left over) and serve immediately.
Notes
For this recipe I call for 8 ounces of Halloumi. However, you may not need that much cheese. I just prefer to fry it all up at one time and use any remaining cheese in other salads, because it doesn't keep as long after opening the packaging.