Japanese ramen noodles, Cypriot halloumi, Mexican jalapeño, spinach and sun dried tomato (mediterranean flavors) and a glass of Italian Chianti. There is a cooking term for that ‘fusion cuisine’, meaning the mix of ingredients coming from different cuisines into a sole recipe. In other words this can be a ‘I forgot to go to the super market and in the end I pulled through’ or ‘I used all kinds of different ingredients I love and in the end I pulled through’… If there is no road, just pull through!

the recipe

ingredients

for the sauce

• 150gr. halloumi
• 150gr. ‘baby’ spinach
• 125gr. sun dried tomato paste
• 5tbsp. oliveoil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper
• fresh juice from half lemon
• salt

for the noodles

• 200gr. ramen noodles
• salted water for boiling

directions

• Put the olive oil to a big deep pan (or a wok if you have one) and warm up in medium temperature.
• At the same time put in a pot some warm water and salt and boil in high temperature.
• Instead of peeling the garlics and chop them, use the blade of your knife to smash them, pressuring the blade against them and then remove the peel and add them in the pan.
• Chop the jalapeño pepper in thin slices, add them in the pan together with some salt.
• Cut halloumi in slices (half cm thick) and put them in the pan. Fry from one side until they get softer and crispy, it will take up to 4′-5′.
• Meanwhile the water in the pot would probably be ready by then. Add the noodles and boil according to the time indicated on the package (most likely 4′-5).
• Going back to the pan, when you turn the halloumi pieces to the other side, add also the spinach leaves. In a few time the spinach while get soft and it will ‘shrink’.
• Add the tomato paste and the lemon juice and mix well. Taste the food and add extra salt/pepper or lemon depending on your taste.
• Noodles should be also ready by that time. Using a big spoon, transfer the noodles to the pan and add also 2tbsp. from the water where they were boiling.
• Mix and serve right away..

Enjoy!

Tips!

• Serve with a glass of Chianti, red dry Italian wine or any other wine you like!
• If you have sun dried tomatoes you can make the paste yourself. Cut the tomatoes in pieces, add them in the blender with some olive oil and smash them. If the paste is too thick you can balance with some extra oil.