Vietnamese Prawn Skewers

Vietnamese Prawn Skewers

Recipe by Louis Tikaram

Ingredients

8 medium green prawns, peeled & deveined

1/4 cup fish sauce

1 lemongrass stalk, very finely chopped

1 lemon1 (juiced) 

1 long red chilli, seeds removed and chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped

2 teaspoon sugar

½ cup Vietnamese mint or Thai basil leaves, chopped

METHOD  

In a medium mixing bowl combine fish sauce, lemongrass, chilli, lemon juice, sugar, chopped herbs and garlic, whisk till sugar is dissolved then add the prawns, toss to coat.

Thread each prawn lengthways onto a skewer.

Heat a grill plate or barbecue to a medium heat. Cook prawns, turning, for 2 to 3 minutes while spooning the left-over marinade onto the prawns while cooking, continue to turn and baste until browned and just cooked through.

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.

Harissa, Cumin Marinated Lamb Backstrap

Harissa, Cumin Marinated Lamb Backstrap

Recipe by Michael Weldon

Dietaries:

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20

Ingredients

4 x lamb leg steaks

Harissa and Cumin marinade

1 tablespoon harissa

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Sea salt

Black pepper

Olive oil

Serve with

Sumac onions

2 shallots, sliced thinly

1 teaspoon sumac

1 lemon

Olive oil

White beans

METHOD

In a bowl combine the marinade ingredients coat the lamb, leave for a few hours. 

Cook the Lamb on a griddle pan until done to your liking. Rest then slice.

In a bowl combine the shallots, sumac, lemon, olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Serve the lamb on top of crushed white beans. Garnish with the sumac onions.

Honey Mustard Sprout Slaw

Honey Mustard Sprout Slaw

Recipe by Courtney Roulston

Dietaries: Gluten free, vegetarian

Serves: 4 as a side

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time:

Ingredients

500g brussels sprouts, washed

1 cup flat leaf parsley, washed, roughly chopped

1 cup round mint, leaves picked

½ red onion, thinly sliced

1 large red apple, thinly sliced

½ cup whole roast almonds, roughly chopped, plus extra to garnish

Dressing:

1 heaped tablespoon wholegrain mustard

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon honey

Sea salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

METHOD  

Thinly shave the brussels sprouts, discarding the thick stem, and place them into a large mixing bowl.

Add the parsley, mint, onion, apple and almond into the bowl.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients until emulsified.

Pour the dressing over the salad then toss well to coat. Place onto a serving platter then garnish with extra almonds before serving

Sichuan Braised Pork Ribs

Sichuan Braised Pork Ribs

Ingredients

500 grams Pork Ribs cut and separated into individual ribs

3 tablespoon Ayam soy sauce

2 tablespoon Ayam dark soy sauce for colour

2 tablespoon Ayam oyster sauce

3 tablespoon Coles honey

8 cloves garlic whole

4 green onions cut into 5cm lengths

1 teaspoon red Sichuan peppercorn

500ml Water (just enough to cover the ribs)

1 bunch coriander

1 red chilli (deseeded & sliced)

METHOD  

Place the sliced ribs into a pot of cold water.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 3–5 minutes, until impurities rise to the top.

Drain and rinse ribs under cold running water.

In a clean pot, add the blanched ribs. 

Add soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and honey. Add whole garlic cloves, green onion, Sichuan peppercorns, and enough water to mostly cover the ribs. 

Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Once simmering, reduce to low heat, cover, and cook gently for about 1 hour. 

Stir once or twice during cooking to prevent sticking.

Plate and spoon some of the rich braising sauce over the top.

Garnish with coriander & chilli.

Almond & Chicken Korma

Almond & Chicken Korma

Recipe by Poh Ling Yeow

Feeds 4–6 - gluten-free

This recipe was given to me by local South Aussie chef, Ragini Dey, a Northern Indian korma she shared with me to showcase a subtle use of spices. The result is foolproof, beautifully aromatic and a definite crowd pleaser.

INGREDIENTS
4 medium brown onions, peeled and quartered
1¼ cups water
¾ cup (105 g) raw almonds
4 large green chillies, quartered
2–3 garlic cloves, peeled
3 cm piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
1½ tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
6 large chicken thighs, each cut into 4 pieces
¼ cup yoghurt
1½ cup pouring cream
1½ teaspoon garam masala
1½ teaspoon salt or to taste

GARNISH
Few sprigs of fresh coriander
2 tablespoon roasted almonds, chopped

TO SERVE
Steamed rice

METHOD

Place the onions and water in a saucepan, cover and simmer until tender. Drain and reserve a quarter of the water. Cool the cooked onions and puree with a stick blender.

Combine the almonds, green chillies, garlic and ginger in a food processor and blitz to a course paste.

Heat the oil or ghee in a heavy-based non-stick frypan over medium heat. Add the onion puree and cook for four minutes continuously without browning. Stir in the almond, green chilli, garlic and ginger paste and cook for about a minute, or until fragrant.

Add the chicken with the reserved onion cooking liquid and simmer for 15–20 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Stir in the yoghurt, cream and garam masala. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve immediately with steamed basmati or jasmine rice.

Chocolate Mint Nice Cream

Chocolate Mint Nice Cream

Recipe by Magdalena Roze

 

Ingredients 

300g frozen bananas,

1/2 cup almond milk

few sprigs of mint

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoon cacao powder

PANA Chocolate with mint

METHOD  

Heat the almond milk in a small saucepan until almost boiling. Place bruised mint leaves in it and allow steep for 5-10 minutes.

Add frozen bananas to a blender with 2-3 tablespoons of mint-infused almond milk, vanilla and cacao and blend until smooth and creamy. Add chopped chocolate and pulse briefly or mix with a wooden spoon to combine. Scoop out and serve immediately in a cone or bowl.

Strawberry Matcha Misu

Strawberry Matcha Misu

Recipe by Magdalena Roze


Serves: 6–8

Matcha Soak
1 cup boiled water
1 tablespoon matcha powder, sifted
2 tablespoons coconut sugar

Cream Layer
400g mascarpone
200g thick coconut yoghurt
4 tablespoons icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Assembly
1 packet Savoiardi/ lady finger biscuits (around 28 lady fingers)
2 ripe mangoes, peeled and thinly sliced or 1 x 250g punnet strawberries if mango not in season 

Topping:
1/3 cup toasted flaked almonds
2 tablespoons toasted coconut flakes
Extra matcha powder, to dust

METHOD  

For the matcha soak, whisk the sifted matcha powder into boiling water until smooth. Stir in maple syrup. Let cool slightly.

For the cream, in a mixing bowl, whisk mascarpone until smooth. Fold in coconut yoghurt, icing sugar and vanilla until creamy and well combined. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed.

To assemble, briefly dip each Savoiardi biscuit into the matcha soak (1–2 seconds per side) and line the base of the glass dish. Spread half the cream mixture over the soaked biscuits. Layer the sliced strawberries or mango pieces 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, lightly dust with extra matcha and sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds and coconut flakes.

Thai Panang Curry with Prawns

Thai Penang Curry with Prawns

Recipe by Louis Tikaram

Ingredients

200 grams banana prawns, shelled & deveined

¼ cup oil

2 1/2 teaspoons Ayam fish sauce 

1 pack dried thin rice noodles

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Ayam Panang curry paste 

1 teaspoon ayam soy sauce 

1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine

1/4 teaspoon Coles ground white pepper

1/4 teaspoon sugar

2 eggs, beaten (coles brand preference) 

1 small onion, thinly sliced

12 snow peas, slice thinly 

1 small carrot, julienned

2 green onions, sliced very thinly 

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

METHOD  

Place rice noodles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand until pliable, about 5 minutes. Drain noodles in a colander.

Place garlic in a small bowl and add Curry paste along with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, white pepper, sugar, fish sauce and mix well till combined then set aside. 

Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil in a wok then add eggs and let cook for about 5 seconds then scramble them with a wooden spoon and remove, set aside in a large bowl.

Return wok to high heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat until smoking. 

Add prawns and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add onion, and stir for another 30 seconds, then add carrots and finally snow peas, cook, tossing then scrape the veggies into the bowl with eggs.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil over high heat until smoking. Add rice noodles and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Stir in garlic and curry paste sauce until evenly distributed, return egg, prawns and vegetables to wok and stir-fry until everything is evenly combined, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and add green onions, drizzle with sesame oil, mix well, and transfer to a large serving platter.

Eat straight away.

Grilled Squid Salad

Grilled Squid Salad

Recipe by Louis Tikaram

Ingredients

250gr or 2 large, cleaned squid tubes

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ tablespoon kecap manis (sweet soy)

Pinch of sea salt

1 cup shredded cabbage

1/2 cup julienned carrots

1/4 cup sliced cucumber

1 red chilli, seeds removed and sliced

1/4 cup sliced red breakfast radish

1 teaspoon grated ginger

2 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons chopped green onions

1 tablespoon roasted white sesame seeds

METHOD

In a mixing bowl combine the squid tubes, sweet soy, salt and oil then allow to marinate for a few minutes while you heat up a grill plate or barbeque.

Once the grill is hot, add the squid and cook for a few minutes either side till almost cooked, you don’t want to over cook the squid and a little rare is good to keep it tender, the sweet soy will help to caramelize the squid, so you don’t have to cook it too much.

Remove from the heat and slice it up ready to toss into the salad.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and grated ginger. Then, add the hot sliced squid to the dressing and toss.

In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, julienned carrots, sliced chilli, sliced cucumber, and sliced radishes.

Pour the squid & dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss well to coat.

Transfer to serving plate and garnish the with chopped green onions and sesame seeds.

Blueberry & Lemon Curd Eton Mess

Blueberry & Lemon Curd Eton Mess

Recipe by Courtney Roulston

Ingredients

Dietaries:  

Serves: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients 

1.5 cups Fresh blueberries

2 tablespoons honey

500ml thickened cream

½ cup store bought lemon curd  

1 x 80g pack Coles Meringue nests

METHOD   

Place 1 cup of blueberries into a small pot along with the honey. Bring up to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, or until slightly jammy, set aside to cool slightly.

Place the cream into a bowl and whip until soft peaks. Fold the lemon curd through the cream so there are still streaks of it throughout.

Crush the meringues into rough pieces. Layer the crushed meringue, lemon cream, fresh blueberries and some of the juice from the cooked blueberries into a large mixing bowl. Gently fold through so it is just combined.

Spoon the meringue mixture into serving glasses or plates. Top with more of the cooked blueberries before serving. 

Cumin Beef Dumpling with Pine nut Chilli Crunch

Cumin Beef Dumpling with Pine nut Chilli Crunch

Recipe by Louis Tikaram

Ingredients

500 grams lamb mince + 10 % lamb fat in mince

5 grams toasted ground cumin seeds

25 grams harissa paste

1/2 onion diced

15 grams chopped garlic

Salt & white pepper

¼ bunch chopped parsley

¼ bunch chopped mint

1 packet round dumpling skins

 

 

Pinenut Chilli Crunch

200 ml vegetable oil

50 grams fresh chilli

50 grams garlic cloves

½ red onion

5 grams chilli flakes 

5 grams paprika powder

5 grams cayenne pepper

50 grams pine nuts

5 grams chilli flakes

10 grams sesame seeds

Pinch salt

Greek yoghurt

METHOD  

Dumpling filling

In a large bowl, combine the lamb mince and lamb fat and mix until evenly distributed.

Add the toasted ground cumin, harissa paste, diced onion, chopped garlic, salt, white pepper, parsley and mint.

Mix well with your hands until the mixture becomes slightly sticky and all ingredients are thoroughly combined, then rest in the fridge for 20–30 minutes.

Method – folding dumplings

Place one Gow gee dumpling skin in your hand and add about 1 heaped teaspoon of filling to the centre. Lightly moisten the edge of the wrapper with water, fold in half to enclose the filling and press the edges together, pleating if you like to seal well. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling, keeping finished dumplings covered with a damp cloth so they do not dry out.

Cooking  (pan‑fried)

Heat a non‑stick or cast‑iron pan over medium‑high heat and add a thin layer of vegetable oil.

Arrange dumplings flat‑side down in a single layer and fry 2–3 minutes until the bottoms are golden.

Carefully add about 1/4 cup water, cover with a tight lid and steam 6–7 minutes until cooked through and water has evaporated; remove lid and let the bases crisp again.

Pinenut chilli crunch

Finely chop the fresh chilli, garlic cloves and red onion.

Gently heat the vegetable oil in a small pot over low–medium heat, then add onion, garlic and chilli and cook 10–15 minutes, stirring, until lightly golden and fragrant.

Turn off the heat, then stir in chilli flakes, paprika, cayenne, pine nuts, sesame seeds and a pinch of salt; allow to cool and let the flavours infuse.

To serve:

Spoon some Greek yoghurt into a shallow bowl or plate and top with hot dumplings.

Drizzle generously with the pinenut chilli crunch, making sure to get both oil and crispy bits, and serve immediately.

Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Recipe by Louis Tikaram

Ingredients

For the Dressing

1/2 cup Squeaky Gate Extra Virgin Olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon crushed chilli flakes

Big pinch sea salt

Big pinch cracked black pepper

 

For the Salad

350gr penne pasta

1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved

2 green onions, chopped

1 cup marinated artichoke hearts

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives

6 pepperoncini, chopped

150gr salami, cut into bite-size pieces

150gr mini mozzarella cheese balls

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

METHOD

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat

Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients to combine.

Generously salt the boiling water, then add the pasta and cook until al dente 6 to 8 minutes.

Drain and add to a large mixing bowl.

Add the tomatoes, green onions, artichoke hearts, olives, pepperoncini, salami, mozzarella, and fresh herbs and mix well then pour all the dressing over the pasta and toss to coat.

 Allow for the pasta to sit in the dressing for a few minutes while you continue to stir to soak up all the flavours before serving.

When time to serve transfer to a large platter and enjoy by itself or as part of a summer spread!

Chocolate & Orange Mousse

Chocolate & Orange Mousse

Recipe by Magdalena Roze

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 x Whole Avocado

1 x Block Pana Organic Dark Baking Chocolate

1 x Box Pana Organic Cacao Powder

1 x Block Pana Organic Fig and wild Orange Chocolate

 METHOD

Deseed Avocado and remove from skin.  

In a double boiler melt Pana Organic Dark Baking Chocolate

Add avocado to a blender along with two teaspoons of Pana Organic Cacao Powder 

Blend avocado and cacao then add melted chocolate to blender mix.

Blend until consistency holds and place in glass jar

Chop Block Pana Organic Fig and wild Orange Chocolate into pieces and add to top of mix in jars.

Honey & Cinnamon Buns with Vanilla Icing

Honey & Cinnamon Buns with Vanilla Icing

Recipe by Courtney Roulston 

Dietaries: 

Serves: Makes 12

Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus 30 minutes resting time 

Cooking Time: 30 minutes 

Ingredients 

1/3 cup full fat milk 

75g butter 

2 tablespoons Coles Finest honey 

¾ cup water 

4 level teaspoons instant yeast 

3 cups plain flour 

1 teaspoon sea salt

Filling:

¼ cup brown sugar 

¼ cup white sugar 

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus extra to garnish 

50g softened butter 

Icing:

1 cup icing sugar, sifted 

1 tablespoon softened butter

1 tablespoon Coles Finest honey 

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

METHOD 

Place the milk, butter and honey into a small pot over a low heat and warm through until the butter has melted. Stir to combine then pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in the water to cool the mixture slightly then scatter in the yeast and stir through. Add 2 cups of the flour and salt to the yeast mixture and mix with a dough hook on a low speed for 2 minutes. With the mixer going, add the remaining flour 1 tablespoon at a time then leave to knead on a low speed for 3 minutes, or until the dough is sticky and elastic. 

Grease the inside of a bowl then place the dough into the bowl (the dough will still be sticky at this stage). Lightly oil the top of the dough then cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm area for 15 minutes. While the dough rests, combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl until mixed thoroughly and set aside. 

Heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently knead. Roll into a rectangle around 3/4 cm in thickness. Carefully spread the cinnamon filling all over the dough. Roll up into a log shape then cut into 12 even pieces. 

Grease the inside of a rectangular baking dish with butter and arrange the rolls cut side up in the dish. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm area for 15 minutes to rise.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the rolls are golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly for 30 minutes. Whisk the icing ingredients along with 1 tablespoon of warm water until smooth. Spread the icing onto the buns then sprinkle with extra cinnamon. Leave for 10 minutes before serving.

Salmon Sashimi with Wasabi, Honey & Avocado

Salmon Sashimi with Wasabi, Honey & Avocado

Recipe by Louis Tikaram

Ingredients

150 grams sashimi grade salmon

1 bunch chives

2 Ripe Avocados

1 teaspoon Wasabi Paste

2 teaspoons honey

1 Lemons (juiced)

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon olive oil

METHOD

Cut the avocado in half, remove the seed and scoop out the flesh.

With a stick blender or food processor combine the avocado, wasabi paste, honey, juice from lemons and a salt.

Blend the ingredients scrapping down the sides of the food processor till a smooth consistency, add a touch of water if you want it a little thinner.

Store in a piping bag, seal and refrigerate ready to serve.

When ready to serve remove skin, bones and bloodline from the salmon and slice into bite size pieces.

Finley slice the chives then arrange the salmon onto a serving plate.

Squiggle the wasabi, honey & avocado over the salmon then sprinkle with chives.

Drizzle with olive oil and some extra sea salt to finish.

Beef Tartare with Grilled Crostini

Beef Tartare with Grilled Crostini

Recipe by Louis Tikaram

Ingredients

1 fresh baguette

1 tablespoon oil

200 grams black angus sirloin steak

2 tablespoons capers, drained and finely chopped

2 tablespoons cornichons, finely chopped

2 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped

2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon sea salt, plus a little more for crostini

1 egg

METHOD

Slice the baguette thinly on the diagonal so you have nice large, thin slices.

Heat a grill pan, oil and salt the slices and grill lightly till a little toasted and crispy, set aside ready to serve.

Cut beef into ½ cm slices, then into ½ cm strips and then finely chop into a small dice.

Chop the capers, cornichons, shallots, and parsley into a fine dice. Add to a mixing bowl and add Worcestershire sauce and mustard then stir to combine.

Add the steak, gently fold in all the ingredients, add salt, to taste, mix again.

Serve on a plate and make a small well in the centre then gently add the egg yolk.

Serve with a few extra cornichons and your toasted baguette and spoonful of mustard.

Enjoy right away.

Thai Basil Grilled Prawn

Thai Basil Grilled Prawn

Recipe by Louis Tikaram

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil

500 grams whole green prawns, peeled and deveined

¼ cup Ayam Thai basil chilli paste.

2 tablespoon Soy sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 long red chilli, deseeded and sliced thinly

½ bunch spring onion, julienned

1 cup picked coriander leaves

1 x lime

METHOD

In a large mixing bowl add the olive oil, prawns, Thai basil chilli paste, soy and fish sauce.

Allow to marinate for at least 30minutes.

In a hot grill pan add the marinated prawns and cook on a high heat till caramelized, around 2 minutes then flip and cook on the other side for a further minute.

Once cooked remove from the heat and add to a clean mixing bowl.

Combine with the spring onion, coriander, chilli and a squeeze of fresh lime toss to combine then stack on a serving platter.