Quinoa & Brown Rice Halloumi Bowl & #Giveaway [ended]

This simple 5-ingredient bowl is amazingly quick, but it is so much more than the sum of its parts. Fresh peppery arugula leaves, tender grains of quinoa and brown rice with Mediterranean herbs and spices, rich morsels of halloumi and intensely zingy, pan-fried balsamic tomatoes make each bite a fresh revelation of taste and texture.

The base of this bowl is Hodgson Mill Mediterranean Quinoa & Brown Rice, which is lightly seasoned with garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper. All the Quinoa & Brown Rice varieties are extremely low in sodium with no added salt, so keep that in mind when seasoning to taste.  These pouches are becoming one of my favorite staples to keep in stock for quick meals, since they are done in 20 minutes!

The co-star of this bowl is halloumi. Halloumi is a vegetarian staple; it’s a ‘melting cheese’ made of goat’s  and/or sheep’s milk, which is brined – it is firm (you can grill it!) and springy and intensely flavorful. It’s worth tracking down if you’ve never tried it; if it’s just not available, you can substitute feta for the goat cheese tang (and you don’t need to cook it). 

Start with the Hodgson Mill Mediterranean Quinoa & Brown Rice. Just follow the package’s directions - heat water up to boiling, add the contents of the pouch, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Let it rest, fluff it up, and it’s ready to go. It’s becoming one of my favorite staples to keep in my pantry for quick meals.

While the Hodgson Mill Mediterranean Quinoa & Brown Rice is simmering, it’s time to pan-fry the halloumi. Cook on a hot pan for about two minutes per side, or until it’s a beautiful sizzling golden brown. Take it out of the pan and let it cool, then cut it into small squares. It’s so rich and flavorful, you don’t need more than a few morsels in each bowl.

In the same hot pan, add a splash of balsamic vinegar and let it sizzle for a minute. Most balsamic vinegar you can buy in the grocery store isn’t aged; aged balsamic syrup is rich and thick and syrupy. By letting regular balsamic vinegar reduce for a minute on the hot pan, you can get the intense flavor of aged varieties without the premium price tag.

 Add the tomatoes to the pan, smack dab in the sizzling vinegar, and cook for about two minutes per side. The warmed tomatoes and reduced vinegar together become an explosion of super-tomato taste!

As soon as everything is finished, assemble it straight in your serving bowls. Each bowl needs a handful of arugula, a scoop of Quinoa and Brown Rice, balsamic tomatoes, and squares of fried halloumi. Finish with a glug (or a drizzle) of olive oil, to your taste.

You can admire the colors and delicious smells for a moment or two . . .

. . . But you’d better hurry, because it’s going, going, gone!  

 We're excited for everyone to try these easy whole-grain Quinoa & Brown Rice Varieties, so we're having another Giveaway! See the widget below for ways you can enter. Good luck everybody!

 

 

Quinoa & Brown Rice Halloumi Bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg Hodgson Mill Mediterranean Quinoa & Brown Rice
  • 4 oz. halloumi cheese cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices
  • 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 1/2 - 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
  • 3 cups arugula
  • olive oil to taste
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook quinoa according to package instructions (Bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil, add contents of pouch, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Let stand 5 minutes and fluff with fork.) Meanwhile, in large pan over medium heat, pan-fry halloumi slices until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes on each side. Let cool and slice into small 1/2 - 1-inch cubes. In the same pan, add balsamic vinegar, and let reduce for 1-2 minutes. Pan fry cherry tomatoes in the vinegar about 2 minutes on each side. To serve, toss together arugula, quinoa & brown rice, cooked tomatoes and cooked halloumi. Drizzle with olive oil, season to taste, and serve warm.

Notes

If you can't find halloumi cheese in your area, you can substitute crumbled (uncooked) feta cheese for a delicious alternative. Try spinach or your favorite lettuce instead of arugula.

Servings

Makes 4 servings.


Original Recipe by Erin

You can find Quinoa & Brown Rice Halloumi Bowl and other recipes from Hodgson Mill by visiting the Recipes page.