Sushi Bowl with Miso Roasted Eggplant

Sushi Bowl with Miso Roasted Eggplant

Recipe by Sarah Todd

Ingredients

• 4 japanese eggplants

• 100 g red miso

• 2 tbsp sake

• 2 tbsp mirin

• 2 tbsp sugar

dressing

• 50 g kewpie

• 1 tbsp mustard

• lemon juice

• Squeaky Gate extra virgin olive oil

to serve

• sushi rice

• edamame

• shredded cabbage

• toasted sesame seeds

• pickled ginger

• katsuboshi

• fried onions

• spring onion

Method

• Trim the tops from the eggplants and slice them in half lengthways. If you like, you can soak the eggplant in cold water for about 10 minutes, to remove some of the bitterness. 

• Lightly score the cut surfaces of the eggplant in a cross pattern, then brush with a little oil. Skewer the eggplant with long metal skewers and barbecue or grill over hot coals for about 10 minutes or until the eggplant is browned, softened and cooked through. (If you prefer, you can roast the eggplant in a 200°C oven for 15 minutes.)

• Make the marinade using the red miso, sake, mirin and sugar, and brush the roasted eggplant with a thick layer of the marinade and return to the barbecue for 2–3 minutes or until the miso is toasted and fragrant. Remove the skewers. Scatter the eggplant with sesame seeds.

• Make dressing and build your sushi bowl, drizzle with dressing.

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Watermelon, Feta and Herb Salad

Watermelon, Feta and Herb Salad

Recipe by Magdalena Roze

Serves 4

Ingredients

600 g seedless watermelon, cut into 2 cm cubes

200 g feta cheese, cut into small cubes

2 medium cucumbers, roughly chopped

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

Small handful fresh basil leaves

Small handful fresh mint leaves

3 tablespoons Squeaky Gate Extra Virgin Olive oil

Juice of 1 lime

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

METHOD  

Place the watermelon, feta, cucumber, and red onion into a large serving bowl.

Add the basil and mint leaves.

Drizzle with olive oil and lime juice, then season with salt and pepper.

Toss everything together gently so the feta does not break apart too much.

Serve immediately while fresh and chilled.

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Moonfish Skewers with Watermelon Salad

Moonfish Skewers with Watermelon Salad

Recipe by Louis Tikaram

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds

  1/8 tsp each celery seeds, dried oregano, dried mint

  1/3 cup Squeaky Gate extra-virgin olive oil

  400 g moonfish, cut into 5cm cubes

  Sea salt

  Black pepper

  Watermelon Salad

  500 g watermelon, cut into 2.5cm cubes

  1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced

  2 cups baby rocket

  ¼ cup Squeaky Gate extra virgin olive oil

  1 tbsp Squeaky Gate white wine vinegar

Method

• To make the moonfish skewers, combine the herbs and spices in a mortar and pestle, then pound until coarsely ground. Transfer to a large bowl, add the olive oil, and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Combine the mixture well.

  Drop the moonfish cubes into the marinade, then immediately skewer them. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

  Heat a barbecue or chargrill to medium heat. Cook the moonfish for 8-10 minutes, turning once or until golden and cooked through.

  For the watermelon salad, combine the watermelon, onion, and rocket in a large bowl. Mix the olive oil and vinegar, then season to taste and toss with the salad ingredients. Serve immediately with the moonfish.

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Eggs, Greens & Cheese Pie

Eggs, Greens & Cheese Pie

Recipe by Magdalena Roze

Ingredients

Squeaky Gate Olive oil

375g filo pastry, thawed

2 eggs beaten

500g mixed greens (spinach, kale, silverbeet leaves), chopped

1 brown onion, finely diced

2-3 garlic cloves, crushed

200g feta

200g ricotta

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

Zest of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1/4 cup dill, chopped

11 eggs (or a dozen depending on the size of eggs)

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Lemon wedges, to serve

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 28 cm round dish or cast-iron pan with olive oil.  

Cover filo sheets with a damp tea towel to prevent them from drying out.  

Place all the greens in a large pot on medium heat with the lid on and “sweat” them until they wilt. Remove from heat and set aside in a colander to drain and cool.

Once cool, squeeze any excess water and chop into smaller pieces. This step prevents the crust from getting soggy. Place them into a large bowl. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onion on medium heat, until soft and lightly golden, then set aside to cool.

Now add the cooled onion, garlic, ricotta, nutmeg, lemon zest and herbs to the greens and mix well with a wooden spoon. Crumble the feta and then the ricotta ensuring that the pieces aren't too small as they'll break up as you combine all the ingredients. I like to do this with my hands to get a nice even texture without over- mixing. Add two beaten eggs and combine, then add the bread crumbs with a final few stirs so it's all even!

Use two sheets of baking paper and overlap them to make a large square. Drizzle with olive oil then place one filo sheet at a time on top, in a clockwise direction starting in the top left hand corner to cover the surface area of the baking paper (each layer will have four overlapping filo sheets). Drizzle with olive oil and continue arranging filo sheets in a clockwise direction until all have been used up. Don't worry if some tear as this won't matter once it's cooked. Now, hold the baking paper and filo sheets from the top, drag it over your round dish or cast iron pan so it is directly in the middle and gently press the baking paper/filo into the pan.

Spoon the spinach and cheese filling over the filo and spread it out evenly. Now carefully crack one egg at a time into a cup and gently pour over the filling one at a time, so the yolk stays intact. Depending on the size of your eggs, you should fit 9-10 eggs. Try to arrange them evenly, ideally with a yolk right in the centre. Using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, trim the edges of the over hanging filo so it makes a rough circle. Gently fold the filo into the pie over the eggs, once again being careful not to break them. Drizzle olive oil over the top, scatter with sesame seeds and bake for around 45min or until crunchy and golden brown. 

Cook for 45 minutes, if the pastry is browning too quickly, turn the heat down to 160 degrees and continue cooking for the remaining time. Allow the pie to cool for 10 minutes before serving with freshly cut wedges of lemon. The pie makes the most satisfying crunch sound when it's cut so it's worth doing this in front of your guests!

Tip: To get your egg yolk right in the centre, create a little divet in the pie filling right in the middle and this will help one of your eggs should stay put there!

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Angus Beef & Shiitake San Choi Bao

Angus Beef & Shiitake San Choi Bao

Recipe by Louis Tikaram

Ingredients

500 grams beef mince

5 shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1 carrot, peeled & diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 spring onions, sliced thin, whites and greens separated

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

6 leaves of baby gem lettuce

1 tablespoon oil

METHOD

Heat a wok or large fry pan over high heat and add some oil. Once the oil is hot, add the beef mince. Flatten it out and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, white parts of the spring onions & carrot.

After 1-2 minutes add the mushrooms and black pepper, soy sauces, oyster sauce then continue to mix well as you are stir-frying.

Cook for another 2 mins until everything is well combined, adjust seasoning in necessary.

Serve the mixture in the baby gem lettuce leaves and garnish with the green parts of the sliced spring onions. 

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Yoghurt Marinated Grilled Corn

Yoghurt Marinated Grilled Corn

Recipe by Louis Tikaram

Ingredients

Corn

4 sweet corn

2 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon chaat masala

2 teaspoons finely chopped coriander leaves

For Marinade

1 cup Jalna Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

1 teaspoon masala powder

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon Squeaky Gate olive oil

METHOD

In a large pot of boiling water cook the corn over medium heat for around 5 minutes until soft. Drain the corn and allow to cool.

In a large mixing bowl prepare the marinade by adding the Yoghurt, salt, chilli powder, masala powder, lime juice and olive oil. Whisk till combined and forms a smooth consistency.

Spoon the marinade over the corn to completely cover and set aside for 10-15 minutes for the flavours to soak in.

On a hot grill pan or BBQ cook the corn over a medium heat being sure to rotate on all sides on until golden and crisp. It usually takes 4-5 minutes to roast evenly.

While the corn is cooking melt the butter and add the chaat masala and chopped coriander leaves.

When the corn is charred and crispy brush the coriander butter all over and sprinkle with a little sea salt before serving nice and hot.

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Strawberry & Blood Orange Marscapone with Balsamic & Almonds

Strawberry & Blood Orange Mascarpone with Balsamic & Almonds

Recipe by Poh Ling Yeow

Ingredients

2 x 250g punnets of strawberries, hulled and halved

½ cup (70g) roasted almonds

Handful of basil leaves

100ml balsamic glaze

Mascarpone Yoghurt Cream

¾ cup (170g) mascarpone

1 cup (260g) Greek Yoghurt

 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract or essence

90g icing sugar

METHOD

To make the mascarpone yoghurt cream, whisk all ingredients together in a bowl and chill until needed.

To serve, place about a third of a cup of the mascarpone yoghurt in each bowl. Divide the strawberries between the bowls, then drizzle 1 tablespoon of the balsamic glaze over the top. Finish with a sprinkling of roasted almonds and a small amount of torn basil leaves. Serve immediately.

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Raes Lobster Roll

Raes Lobster Roll

Recipe by Jason Saxby

Ingredients

Native Curry Blend

1 tsp curry myrtle

1 tsp bush tomato

1 tbsp classic curry powder

1 tsp lemon myrtle

1 tsp native mountain pepper

1 tsp anise myrtle

Curry Mayonnaise

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp tomato paste

Juice of 1 lemon

Egg (for emulsifying)

Lobster oil (reserved from cooking)

Sea salt

Native curry blend (to taste)

Pickled Eschalots

Eschalots, thinly sliced

Rice wine vinegar

Sea salt

Lobster Roll

Bay lobster or Moreton Bay lobster tails

Butter

Brioche buns

Lettuce leaves

Fresh herbs (for garnish)

METHOD

Native Curry Blend

Add the curry myrtle, bush tomato, curry powder, lemon myrtle, native mountain pepper and anise myrtle to a spice blender. Blend until a fine powder forms. Set aside.

Curry Mayonnaise

In a bowl, combine the Dijon mustard, tomato paste, lemon juice and egg. Slowly whisk while adding lobster oil to emulsify. Season with salt.
Fold in the native curry blend to taste, adjusting to suit your flavour preference.

Pickled Eschalots

Place the sliced eschalots in a bowl with rice wine vinegar and a pinch of salt. Toss and allow to lightly pickle while preparing the remaining elements.

Prepare the Lobster

Twist and separate the lobster tail from the body. Remove the shell and extract the tail meat.

Insert a skewer lengthways through the lobster tail to keep it straight during cooking.

Heat a pan over medium heat. Place the lobster shell-side down and add a few cubes of butter. Baste continuously with the melted butter until just cooked through. Remove from heat and take out the skewer.

Toast the Brioche

Lightly butter the brioche buns and toast in a pan until golden.

Cut a V-shape into the top of each bun to create space for the filling.

Assemble

Line the bun with lettuce leaves. Add the warm lobster tail, spoon over the curry mayonnaise, and top with pickled eschalots.

Finish with fresh herbs and serve immediately.

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Mango Misu

Mango Misu

Recipe by Magdalena Roze

Serves: 6–8
Dish size: 20 x 20 cm glass dish (or similar round equivalent)

Ingredients:

1.5 cups orange juice

Cream Layer
250g mascarpone

300ml thickened cream
4 tablespoons icing sugar
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

Assembly
1 packet Savoiardi/ lady finger biscuits (around 28 lady fingers)
2 ripe mangoes, peeled and thinly sliced

Topping:
3 tablespoons toasted coconut flakes

METHOD

For the cream, in a mixing bowl, whisk the cream, vanilla and icing sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in mascarpone.

Pour orange juice into a small bowl, but large enough to fit a biscuit. To assemble, briefly dip each Savoiardi biscuit into  (1–2 seconds per side) and line the base of the glass dish. Spread half the cream mixture over the soaked biscuits. Layer the mango slices evenly over the cream. Add another layer of dipped biscuits, then spread the remaining cream on top.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) for the flavours to meld and the layers to set. Just before serving, sprinkle toasted coconut flakes.

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Brûlèed Bananas with Creme Fraiche, Passionfruit, Lime & Macadamias

Brûlèe Bananas with creme fraiche

Recipe by Magdalena Roze

Serves 1 (can be made larger to serve more people if need be)

Ingredients

1 medium banana, sliced lengthways and halved

2 tablespoons caster sugar

2 tablespoons creme fraiche

1/2 passionfruit pulp

Lime zest

2 roasted macadamia nuts

METHOD

Place bananas on a stainless-steel tray or pan. Sprinkle sugar in top, then blow torch it until it’s caramelized.

To serve, arrange 2 caramelized bananas on a dessert plate, dollop creme fraiche then place 2 banana pieces on top. Drizzle passionfruit on top. Using a micro plane, zest a little lime for colour and some macadamias.

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Smashed Sweet Potato Dip with Yoghurt & Crispy Onion

Smashed Sweet Potato Dip with Yoghurt & Crispy Onion

Recipe by Courtney Roulston

Dietaries: Vegetarian, gluten free, meat free

Serves: 4 as a side

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced into chunks

Sea salt to taste

1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots (French shallots) peeled, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

1 cup Greek full fat yoghurt

1 lime

¼ cup coriander leaves to garnish

METHOD  

Place the sweet potato into a pot and cover with cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring up to a simmer for 12 minutes, or until soft enough to smash. Drain the potatoes and set aside.

Meanwhile heat the oil in a small frying pan and gently cook the onions until golden and crispy. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Keep the remaining oil on a low heat and add in the garlic and dried chilli to infuse for 1 minute then remove from the heat and stir in the sesame seeds.

Use a fork to gently smash the sweet potatoes. Mix the zest of the lime into the yoghurt then mix half the yoghurt into the sweet potatoes.

Roughly spread the sweet potato mixture onto a serving platter, making a few holes with the back of a spoon then add the remaining yoghurt into the holes. Squeeze a little lime juice into the chilli oil mixture then spoon over the sweet potato mixture. Scatter with fried onions and coriander leaves before serving. 

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Chocolate Mousse & Raspberry Compote

Chocolate Mousse & Raspberry Compote

Recipe by Nichole Horvath

Ingredients

200g frozen raspberries 

50g caster sugar

1 lemon

METHOD

Bring 300g of the cream to boil and pour over the chocolate. Allow to sit for one minute, then whisk together to emulsify.

Add in the remaining 300g cream, whisk together until combined, then cover and put in the fridge until firm.

To make the compote, place all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t catch and burn. Place in fridge until cool.

Once chocolate mix is firm, place in the bowl of a stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, whisk until airy. Place into a piping bag and pipe into glasses. Top with raspberry compote and serve!

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Kingfish Ceviche

Kingfish Ceviche

Recipe by Robbie Oijvall (Light Years Restaurant)

Ingredients

Fresh kingfish

Coconut milk

Rice wine vinegar

Fish sauce

Coconut sugar

Sea salt

Kaffir lime leaves

Fresh chilli

Chilli oil

Fresh coriander

METHOD

Dressing

In a bowl, combine the coconut milk, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, coconut sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix well until balanced, tasting and adjusting as needed.

Ceviche

Slice the kingfish into thick, even pieces and place into the dressing.

Finely slice the kaffir lime leaves and chilli, then add to the bowl along with a drizzle of chilli oil.

Gently mix to coat the fish evenly and allow it to lightly cure in the dressing.

To Serve

Spoon the kingfish onto a serving plate and finish with extra dressing.

Garnish with additional lime leaves, chilli, chilli oil and fresh coriander. Serve immediately.

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Gingerbread

Gingerbread

Recipe by Nichole Horvath

Ingredients

Butter 150g

Brown sugar 110g

Golden syrup 125g

Bicarb 5g

Egg 1

Flour 450g

Ground ginger 5g

Ground cinnamon 2.5g

Ground nutmeg 1.5g

METHOD

Place butter, sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan. Gently bring to a boil, until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and whisk in the bicarb. Pour into mixing bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes

Add in the egg and whisk to combine. Add in the dry ingredients and fold together into a dough. Flatten the dough into a square, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 mins to firm up

Roll the dough out, cut into desired shapes and bake at 160C for 12-15 mins, until golden brown.

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Creamy Yoghurt & Herb Omelette

Creamy Yoghurt & Herb Omelette

Recipe by Magdalena Roze

Serves 1

Ingredients

Olive Oil or ghee

3 eggs

2 tablespoon Jalna Greek yoghurt

1/4 cup chopped herbs like parsley, basil, dill

1/2 cup feta cheese

Handful baby spinach

Lemon wedge

Salt and Pepper

METHOD

Whisk eggs and yoghurt in a bowl. The yoghurt adds extra protein and makes them beautifully creamy.

Heat a frying pan with olive or ghee. Pour in the omelette mixture and once it starts to cook, place spinach, cheese and herbs on top. When almost cooked, fold one side over the other. Remove from heat using a turner and transfer to a plate. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a wedge of lemon.

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Sweet Potato Latkes

Sweet Potato Latkes

Recipe by Courtney Roulston

Dietaries: Meat free, vegetarian

Serves: 4 as a side or snack

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 medium sized sweet potato, washed, skin on

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds, lightly crushed

2 heaped tablespoons plain flour

1 large egg

Sea salt to taste

1 cup oil for frying

½ cup sour cream

¼ bunch chives

METHOD

Using a box grater, grate the sweet potato onto a flat tray lined with a clean tea towel or CHUX cloth. Sprinkle with sea salt then gently massage in to help draw out any excess moisture. Gather the cloth up on each corner and squeeze as much liquid out of the sweet potatoes as possible.

Place the sweet potato pulp into a mixing bowl along with the cumin seeds, flour and egg. Mix well to combine.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan then add tablespoon sized amounts of the mixture into the pan, flattening out with the back of a spoon or spatula. Cook for 2 minutes each side, or until golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and lightly season with a pinch of salt.  

Mix the sour cream and chives together then place into a small dipping bowl. Arrange the latkes on a serving plate with the sour cream on the side.

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Nutty Praline

Nutty Praline

Recipe by Magdalena Roze

Ingredients

Nuts of your choice (e.g. hazelnuts, macadamias)

Caster sugar

Water

METHOD

Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.

Place the nuts into a plastic bag and crush them using a rolling pin until roughly chopped. Scatter evenly over the prepared tray.

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the caster sugar with a splash of water and stir gently until the sugar dissolves.

Continue cooking without stirring until the syrup thickens and turns a deep caramel colour.

Immediately pour the hot caramel over the nuts, spreading quickly if needed, as it will set fast.

Allow to cool completely before breaking into pieces. Serve and enjoy.

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