Putting together healthy, fast and satisfying weeknight meals may very well be the Achilles heels of most cooks. I spend the better part of my professional days developing recipes and coming up with easy dinner solutions for Canadian Living readers, but I do often come home with the eternal, almost cliche, “what’s for dinner?” question. Having a meal plan is one of the ways to make sure I stay on track and plan balanced meals for the week. I’d be lying if I said I always stick to the plan (because what would the fun in that be?) but it does help to have a list and an idea of how to make the week efficient. Sometimes, the unplanned gets in the way (a sudden desire for a night-out or a last minute work event) but having an overarching plan does help.

Halloumi cheese is my current mid-week saviour. If you haven’t tried the king of squeaky cheeses yet, I urge you to get some next time you’re grocery shopping! It’s pleasantly salty, holds its shape when cooked and, with ease, transforms everyday side salads into hearty mains.

I love combining the cheese with chunks of watermelon and seasonal asparagus at this time of year — it takes minutes to put together and helps welcome summer with open arms.
Halloumi, Asparagus and Watermelon Salad
Serves 2
10 asparagus spears
5 slices of Halloumi cheese
2 cups chopped watermelon
2 cups Boston lettuce, torn
4 tsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Lemon wedges

Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes until tender crisp. Run under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the asparagus. Set aside.

In nonstick pan over medium high heat, cook halloumi slices until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Arrange lettuce on bottom of platter. Top with asparagus, watermelon and halloumi,

In small bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice juice and pinch each of salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and serve with lemon wedges. Enjoy!