Aimilia Ypsilanti – Actor

Mushrooms with halloumi cheese

A truly exquisite recipe.

Ancient Greeks considered mushrooms mysterious, products of the divine, that grew from the lightning bolts Zeus rained down from the heavens. Some varieties, such as the “Horn of Plenty” (Craterellus), were used for their flavour and aroma, boiled in goat’s milk. It is no surprise that they were known as the “food of the gods”. Mushrooms were viewed as an exceptionally valuable food, considered equal to meat in both flavour and nutritional value.

I personally love them because of their flavour, texture, and unique ability to absorb aromas. They are my go-to when I’m looking for something flavourful with character. This recipe for baked mushrooms stuffed with halloumi cheese is one of my favourites, as it combines the flavour of the former with the intensity of the latter and the herbs, to create a tasty but light meal.

Mushrooms stuffed with halloumi cheese

Ingredients:

• 30-40 medium-size white mushrooms
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 packet halloumi cheese, finely grated
• ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
• parsley leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 teacup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• breadcrumbs
  

Prearation:

1. Start off by wiping down the mushrooms with a wet towel and removing and finely chopping their stems.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C.
   In a deep frying pan or pot, heat up the olive oil and sauté the onions and finely chopped mushroom stems until softened. Add the salt and pepper (do not overdo it with the salt, as the cheeses are quite salty). Add the herbs, stir, and remove from the heat.
3. Add the halloumi 
4. Using a teaspoon, stuff the mushrooms with the filling.
5. In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the parmesan and cover the surface of each stuffed mushroom with it.
6. Lightly grease a baking tray with olive oil and place the stuffed mushrooms on it, close together but not touching. Drizzle some olive oil over them.
7. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked and a crispy surface has formed on top.