Mint Pea Smash with Chilli Honey Halloumi Bites, Pomegranate and Pea Shoots

For today’s meat free meal I thought I’d share this brunch recipe, but it works for lunch or a light dinner as well. Some minty sweet smashed peas with creme fraiche or sour cream, spicy, salty and sweet halloumi bites, fruity pomegranate seeds for texture and sweet pea shoots to garnish, it’s a colourful and vibrant meal which delivers on every level.

(Serves 4 - £1.89 per portion)

1. Add a handful of thinly sliced radishes to a bowl with 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt and a 1 tsp caster sugar. Leave to pickle at room temperature while you finish the rest of the recipe.
2. Add 300g frozen peas to a sieve and pour over boiling water until they’re cooked. Refresh under cold water and add to a food processor with the leaves from a bunch of mint, a dollop of creme fraiche, sour cream or natural yoghurt, the juice of a lemon and four roughly chopped spring onions. Season well and blitz until combined but the peas still have some texture.
3. Chop a block of halloumi into cubes before frying in a little oil in a frying pan over a medium heat until golden on each side. Drizzle over 1 tbsp runny honey, add 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (more if you like it hotter) and fry until golden and crispy on each side.
4. Toast the sourdough slices and top with some of the pea smash, the halloumi, a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds, some pea shoots and some finely sliced spring onions. Add a drizzle of olive oil and serve.