This dish is inspired by Rukmini Iyer’s excellent The Quick Roasting Tin, but I’ve adapted it to make it even easier, and I’ve added the sauce, which is marvellous! Iyer specifies that the oregano should be fresh – use this by all means if you have some growing – but dried oregano also has a deep intense flavour, just as good in a different way. Good for a hearty lunch.

Serve it with flatbreads – of course you can buy them, but they are so simple to make – and so much better – go to this post for the recipe.

Follow this link for much more on halloumi.

Recipe for baby tomatoes roasted with aubergines and halloumi, with minted tahini sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 400g/14 oz baby tomatoes (get plum if you can)
• 2 medium aubergines
• 500g/1 lb 2 oz halloumi
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 4 tbsps olive oil
• 1 tsp Urfa pepper flakes
• 2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed with 1 tsp smoked salt
• 35g/¼ cup pine nuts
• 90g/3 oz rocket – or shredded watercress
• zest and juice of a lemon

Ingredients for the minted tahini sauce

• generous handful of mint
• 2 lemons, juice and zest
• 6 tbsps water
• 80ml/⅓ cup tahini

Serve with flatbreads 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Cut the aubergines into quite large dice.
3. Halve the baby tomatoes and put them in a shallow roasting tin, large enough to contain the aubergine chunks in a single layer. Add the aubergine chunks.
4. Sprinkle over the dried oregano, the salted crushed garlic, and the Urfa pepper flakes.
5. Drizzle over two tablespoons of oil.
6. Slice the halloumi and overlap, like roof tiles, over the dish.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. Scatter over the pine nuts, return to the oven, and bake for another ten minutes.
8. Meanwhile make the minted tahini sauce, either by chopping the mint and mixing with the lemon juice and zest, the tahini, and the water; or by throwing all into a blender, or using a stick blender.
9. Mix the rocket with the remaining olive oil, zest and juice of a lemon, and some more salt and pepper. Make a bed of this on each plate, top with the halloumi topped bake (divided into four).
10. Serve with the sauce and the warmed flatbreads.