Oven Baked Halloumi Ratatouille With Herby Rice

Before you begin...

This recipe takes around 5-10 min to prep, so get your casserole dish and all your ingredients ready, then wash your fruit and veg

Note: Make sure your dish is oven-proof and safe to use on the hob. Don't have one? Start cooking in a large, wide-based pan then transfer to an oven-proof dish and cover tightly with foil

Now, let's get started!

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7, boil a kettle and heat a large, wide-based, hob-safe oven-proof casserole dish with a generous drizzle of olive oil over a high heat

Trim the green stalk[s] off your aubergine[s] and cut into bite-sized pieces

Once hot, add the chopped aubergine to the dish and cook for 1-2 min or until lightly browned

Whilst the aubergine is browning, peel and chop your red onion[s] into wedges

Deseed your pepper[s] (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) and roughly chop

Add the onion wedges and chopped pepper to the dish and stir it all together

Cut your halloumi into bite-sized chunks (save the halloumi juices from the packet for later!)

Add your cherry tomatoes to the dish with the chopped halloumi, halloumi juices, roasted garlic paste, tomato paste, red wine vinegar and half your dried oregano (you'll use the rest later!)

Add 200ml [260ml] [350ml] boiled water with a pinch of salt, pepper and sugar

Give everything a good mix up and put the dish in the oven, covered, for 30-35 min or until the veg is tender – this is your oven baked halloumi ratatouille

Whilst the ratatouille is cooking, add your white long grain rice, the remaining dried oregano and a pinch of salt to an oven-proof dish with 300ml [390ml] [600ml] boiled water

Cover tightly with tin foil and put the dish in the oven for 30 min or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked – this is your herby rice

Use this time to clear up, set the table, have a cup of tea or simply chill!