Pumpkin Spice Halloumi with Fall Vegetables

Let’s talk about pumpkin spice. The PSL (pumpkin spice lattes). The #basicbetch necessity has now turned into a national phenomenon, and for good reason. Pumpkin spice tastes good, no matter how you slice it. But, not going to lie, I’m tired of the super sugary PSL drinks, but I’m not over pumpkin spice. While I do think it’s ridiculous that there’s now a national holiday for the seasoning (*eye roll*) I also can’t pass down a good opportunity to use it in my own cooking.

To break down this trendy spice for you, pumpkin pie spice consists of the following: ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, ground allspice, and ground cloves. Yes, you can make your own. And yes, you can buy it already pre-made and ready for spicing up lattes. I used to use it for two things: coffee and putting on apple slices. However, after whipping up some Jerk salmon tacos and realizing that pumpkin pie spice has a similar essence to jerk seasoning (with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice) I realized it could also be used for cooking with savory ingredients.

Enter my delicious pumpkin spice halloumi! Why halloumi? Well, every time I order halloumi, I love when it’s paired with honey. It’s such a salty, firm cheese, that it goes well with something sweet and soft. It also sears extremely nicely, which allows for seasoning (similar to the way you would season meat!) I decided to pair it with broccoli and acorn squash, well, because that’s what I had in my fridge. But I also love these vegetables because they are hearty and in my opinion, they are pretty neutral and go with a lot of different flavors. To top everything off, I put some pomegranate seeds and juice over the entire dish, to pull together all of the flavors and add a little bit of tangy sweetness.

This is a great dish for fun, or if you’re thinking ahead, make this for Thanksgiving as a “healthier” starter. It’s also gluten-free….just sayin’….