Spicy halloumi bake from COOKS by Dr. Rupy

This dish is spicy, wholesome, warm, and inviting.

The beautiful spices of ras el hanout work super well in this simple traybake, and you can easily substitute other vegetables for the squash and greens.

It's a moreish dish packed with flavor that everyone will enjoy.

Extracted from "COOKS" by Dr. Rupy Aujla. Photography by David Loftus.

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

1⁄2 butternut squash (300 g) scrubbed and unpeeled, deseeded, and cut into 2-cm cubes

1 courgette, or zucchini (250 g) cut into 2-cm cubes

1 red pepper (200 g) deseeded and roughly chopped

2 tsp cumin seeds

3 tsp ras el hanout or baharat spice mix

1 tsp chilli powder

3 tbsp olive oil, plus an extra 1 tbsp to drizzle

150 g spinach finely chopped

350 ml passata

Can of kidney beans (400 g) drained and rinsed

200 g halloumi sliced 1-cm thick

Substitutions

spinach: kale, Swiss chard, or spring greens

kidney beans: borlotti or cannellini beans

ras el hanout or baharat spice mix: simple mild curry powder

halloumi: nut-based cheese like cashew

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C or 392°F fan.

Put the squash, courgette, red pepper, and the spices into a large roasting tin. Pour over the 3 tablespoons of oil and season, then toss well to coat. Roast for 25 minutes, turning the vegetables halfway through the cooking time.

Remove the roasting tin from the oven and increase the temperature to 220°C or 392°F fan. Scrape up any crusty bits from the bottom of the roasting tin for extra flavor, then fold in the spinach.

Tip in the passata and kidney beans and combine with the rest of the ingredients.

Layer the halloumi on top, drizzle with the extra tablespoon of oil and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes until the halloumi is melted and charred in areas.

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