Winter Hot Honey Halloumi Bowl

& cold weather habits

Hi! Welcome to “good mood food” from Kale Me Maybe’s Carina Wolff. If you’ve made it here and aren’t yet a subscriber, come join! You can expect recipes, musings, and faves in your inbox every Wednesday! Paid subscribers get even more! Learn more about the paid tier of my newsletter here. You can also try a week for free!

CATCH UP!

I’m cozied up in a sweatshirt and blanket and about to make some brothy beans. I can feel winter’s arrival. I’m laughing at myself a little because it’s only 60 degrees, but it’s already getting dark, and it’s the light that really signals seasons to me!

Even though I hate that it gets dark earlier, it makes me engage in cozy activities like making a pot of beans, baking cookies, and reading in bed. I’m still finishing Fourth Wing, but I have to be honest, it’s losing me a little. The sex scenes are sooo cheesy they’re making me laugh. It’s not the worst book, but I think I was expecting a little more based on the hype.

I also started The Courage To Be Disliked, which people either seem to love or seem to hate. Will report back once I’m finished!

I started acupuncture last week, which is something new and different. I’ve always been curious about it, but now I feel like it has opened a whole can of worms, a curiousity about a different type of medicine that obviously now I must know everything about.

THINGS I’M LOVING!

Since I’ve been making so much squash, everyone is asking me for my favorite peeler, and I have to say, the best one I’ve found is the Oxo Good Grips Peeler! Having a good peeler makes everything so much easier, and thankfully, they’re not a big kitchen investment!

Most of you know I share a lot of my favorite hair products in my quest for long and healthy hair, and my latest and greatest is this scalp massager from Amazon. I use it in the shower to stimulate my scalp, but you can use it on dry hair as well!

I’ve been making protein brownie bites on repeat and using up all my Ritual Essential Protein Powder! Now’s the time to buy it, too (40% off with code kalememaybe40). They have been sponsoring me on my Instagram, but this write up in my newsletter is solely coming from me!! Here’s the brownie bite recipe for safekeeping:

BROWNIE BITES RECIPE (makes 6)

• 2 bananas mashed

• 1/2 cup nut butter

• I tbsp melted coconut oil

• I tbsp maple syrup

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

• 1/2 cup protein powder

• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chunks

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and spray muffin tins with cooking oil.

2. Blend together ingredients until smooth.
   Fold in chocolate chunks. Transfer batter to muffin tins and bake for 15 minutes

RECIPE!

A few month ago I made a summer hot honey halloumi bowl, and now we have a winter hot honey halloumi bowl! The base of this one is also brown rice, but I used chickpeas for protein and loaded it up with sautéed spinach, roasted butternut squash, pan fried hot honey halloumi, quick pickled sumac shallots, and a yogurt-based mustard pear sauce!

I got the idea to add pear to the dressing from Justine Snacks, who put out a delicious pear salad last week. I love pairing sweet and savory, and the flavors in this bowl just feel so wintery! Plus, there is nothing better than some hot halloumi.

Winter Hot Halloumi Bowl

Ingredients (serves 2)

Bowl

• 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced

• Olive oil

• 1 (14 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• 1/2 tsp garlic salt (can sub garlic powder)

• 1 tsp paprika

• 5 oz spinach

Quick Pickled Sumac Shallots

• 1-2 medium/large shallots, thinly sliced

• 1 tsp sumac

• Red wine vinegar

Hot Honey Halloumi

• Olive oil

• 5 oz halloumi, cut into 1-inch slices

• Hot honey

Yogurt Mustard Pear Sauce

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

• 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1/2 Bosc pear, finely grated with a microplane

• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Salt & pepper

1. Prepare your rice, if you haven’t already. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. Start by preparing the quick pickled shallots. Add shallots to a small bowl along with sumac. Add red wine vinegar until shallots and submerged, and set aside to marinate.

3. Add squash and chickpeas to a baking sheet (using 2 seperate ones, if needed). Toss the butternut squash in a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss the chickpeas in a drizzle of olive oil, garlic salt, and paprika. Place both in the oven, annd bake for around 25-30 minutes or until chickpeas are crispy and squash is soft.

4. While squash and chickpeas are baking, prepare the sauce by whisking together ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.

5. Prepare the spinach by heating a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan on medium heat. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until wilted. Remove from pan, and use the same pan to cook your halloumi.

6. Prepare the hot honey halloumi by heating up a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the halloumi, drizzle with hot honey, and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until halloumi is golden brown.

7. When everything is ready, add the rice as your base, and then add the butternut squash, chickpeas, spinach, and hot honey halloumi. Top with the yogurt mustard pear sauce and sumac pickled shallots. Serve warm. You may have extra sauce, so save for later!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Last week, paid subscribers received a special bonus recipe! I hate the photo for this one, but I will not allow a recipe to be judged by its photo! This is a cream-free and wine-free bolognese made with harissa for added complexity. Join my paid newsletter tier and get access to this one and all the others coming up and in the archives!