basil haloumi and roasted vegetable skewers

this month's issue of delicious magazine has the best summer recipes. i am a huge basil fan so this veggie skewer recipe that called for a basil marinated got me really excited. problem was that i didn't have any wooden skewers and my nearest waitrose had sold out. so i ended up pulling out my fondue set and using those metallic skewers instead - not an ideal solution but a somewhat workable one. if you end up using metal skewers, take care that your fingers don't get burnt when you take the skewers off the grill pan. of course, if your'e planning to use a real grill then you better find those wooden skewers before you try this recipe.

ingredients:
50g basil
8 tbsp olive oil
250g haloumi, drained and cubed
1 large red pepper, deseeded and roughly cubed (i used cherry tomatos instead)
6 mushrooms, halved
1 courgette (zucchini), roughly cubed

preheat grill pan. soak 8 wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. or skip this step if you're also using your fondue skewers :)

put the basil, oil and seasoning in a small food processor. put 2 tablespoons of the mixture into a large bowl. save the rest to toss through a pasta salad.

thread the haloumi and vegetables alternately on the skewers. cook on the grill pan for about 10 minutes, turning halfway, until the vegetables are just tender.



h really loved this dish. he said that he loved the chargrilled, pesto-flavoured vegetables that were succulent and absolutely delicious.