Tempura Bugs - Green Papaya Salad - Sweet Chillie Lemon Myrtle Dipping Sauce

Serves 4 entrée’s
Recipe by: Craig Squire, Ochre Restaurant, 43 Shields St Cairns. “Simple quality local ingredients providing a fresh and lively flavor perfect for the tropics”.

BUGS
8 pieces of green bug meat
8 fresh lemongrass skewers
‘Red Ochre’ Sweet chilli lemon myrtle dipping sauce
Tempura batter
oil for deep frying

SALAD
1 small green papaya, peeled, cut into long matchsticks
50g green beans cut into 1-inch pieces
40g unsalted roasted macadamias
½ red onion – sliced
12 cherry tomato’s - halved
10 gms mint – chopped
10 gms coriander - chopped

DRESSING
2 fresh small whole green chilli’s – finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
60 ml fresh lime juice
60 gm palm sugar- grated
60 ml fish sauce
30 ml Rainforest Bounty ‘Jeowbong’
1 tsp sea salt

Mix all ingredients


Method

Cut lemongrass sticks on an angle at the point where the stem starts to branch
Skewer 2 pieces of Bug meat onto each stick of lemongrass
Prepare batter according to instructions
Heat oil to 180 c
Dip bug skewers in batter and fry to golden and cooked thru.
Mix salad with dressingAssemble papaya salad on plate, place skewers across, and serve with dipping sauce.


For this recipe Craig uses local products from NQ Prawn Cutlets, Cairns Produce, Rainforest Bounty, Rusty’s marketRed Ochre retail products, Asian Foods, and Wondaree macadamias.

Tropical Pan Seared Tuna laced with Mango Vinaigrette

Recipe By Chris Buckley, Chriso The Personal ChefOn-site Catering T: 0434829218 E: info@chriso.com.auMy dish showcases this regions amazingly fresh seafood which is complimented by our locally grown tropical produce, creating a tasty, relaxed and vibrant dish which captures the Taste of Paradise.

What you will need:-

300g high grade local Tuna
3 tsp Cajun spiceOlive oil
6 local strawberries
1 yellow local zucchini
1 local ruby grapefruit
1 local organic orange
3 sprigs of fresh local mint
1 local lettuce
3 cherries
A squeeze of lime juice
150g local frozen Bowen mango
2 Tbl coconut vinegar
Salt and pepper


What to do:

Combine olive oil, Cajun spice, salt and pepper to make a thin paste.
Drizzle over prepared tuna and lightly rub in.
Cling wrap the tuna and put aside in fridge.
Make the dressing by blending coconut vinegar, mango and half of the mint. Put aside in the fridge.
Segment orange and grapefruit. Quarter strawberries. Slice zucchini. Set these aside.
Remove tuna from fridge.
Place non-stick frying pan on high heat. Sear tuna on all sides for 4-6 mins (depending on thickness) or until tuna has nice colouration on the outside but is still soft and moist.
Remove tuna and allow to rest.
Add sliced zucchini to the pan and fry for 2 mins.
Put lettuce, strawberries, grapefruit and zucchini in a big bowl and gently fold in the mango vinaigrette.
Assemble salad nicely onto serving plate.
Slice tuna and place on top of the salad and garnish with the remaining mint and the fresh cherries.
Enjoy.

Tunisian carrots

Brighten up a carrot dish with this simple recipe from Suzanne Quintner’s website www.suzannequintnerfinefoods.com


What you need:-

1kg carrots, washed and sliced
2 tablespoon olive oil
3-6 cloves crushed garlic
1 teaspoon (or more!) harissa
3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoon brown sugar
salt to taste


What to do:

Saute carrots in oil, then add garlic and other ingredients and cook uncovered until carrots are tender and caramalised (you can do this in the oven as well).

Serving Suggestion: Sprinkle with carraway seeds or sesame seeds

Banana Health Loaf

From the Australian Banana Growers Council Inc. website www.abgc.org.au Great for the school holidays.



What you need:-

1 cup All Bran cereal
1 cup low fat milk
1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup sultanas
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup wheatgerm
3 bananas
2 eggs




What to do:
Place All Bran in a small bowl, cover with milk and allow to stand 10-15 minutes.
In a large bowl combine flour, bicarbonate of soda, sugar, dried apricots, sultanas, coconut and wheatgerm. Stir well.
Mash bananas thoroughly, break in eggs and stir to combine.
Add banana mixture and soaked All Bran to dry ingredients. Mix well.
Pour mixture into greased and lined loaf tin and bake at 170C for approximately 1 hour or until skewer inserted in the centre comes out cleanly.
Turn onto a cake cooler and allow to cool.
Slice and butter if desired.

Avocado and Mango Temaki

What you need:


240g prepared sushi rice
6 nori sheets
1 ripe avocado, peeled and cut into 6 wedges
1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into 6 wedges
Pickled sushi ginger
Roasted sesame seeds



What to do:

Place a small handful of sushi rice on the nori sheet. Add avocado and mango slices. Fold into a cone shape and top with some sesame seeds. Repeat to make 5 more rolls. Garnish with pickled sushi ginger.

Tuna & Cucumber Rolls

What you Need:

Prepared sushi rice
Nori sheets
Wasabi pasteTuna – cut into narrow strips
Cucumber

What to do:

Prepare the sushi rice.
Slice the cucumber into narrow strips.
To make the rolls, lay sheet of Nori (shiny side down) on the bamboo rolling mat.
Moisten your hands with water, spread sushi rice on the nori and cover the edges, leaving the tops 2 ½ cm uncovered.
Dab a very small amount of wasabi on rice in a line along the centre of the rice. Lay thin tuna strips and half the cucumber onto the wasabi.
Holding the filling in place with your fingers, lift the front of the bamboo mat closest to you and roll up. Just before reaching the end of the sheet, wet the exposed end with a little water.
Press the mat around the roll to shape it, remove the mat and with a sharp knife cut the roll into six slices.

Black Sapote & Chocolate Devils Foodcake

Recipe courtesy of Silky Oaks Lodge Treehouse Restaurant

6/8 serves

What you need:

100 g chocolate
80 g black sapote pulp
125 g butter
125 g sugar
65 g flour
3 eggs




What to do:

Preheat oven to 200°C
Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl over simmering water.
Whisk sugar, flour and eggs until light.
Fold chocolate and blended sapote into the batter.
Spoon into 6-8 small well greased pudding moulds
Bake for 15 minutes Once baked let the devils rest in their mold for 2 to 3 minute.
Turn them around gently and serve with coconut ice cream, berry coulis and coconut cream and a toasted pineapple slice.

Prawn & Avocado Salad

Very healthy, very quick and oh-so yummy!

Serves 4-6

Recipe from www.queenslandprawns.com.au

What you need:

Salad:
1 large iceberg lettuce
1 truss cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Lebanese cucumber, sliced
50g/2oz snow pea sprouts
1 large ripe (Queensland) avocado, chopped
1kg cooked prawns, peeled, but with the tail section left on
Ground black pepper




Dressing:
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons reduced fat natural yoghurt


What to do:

Break the lettuce up and put the pieces into a large salad bowl.
Add the tomatoes, cucumber and avocado. Toss.
Arrange the prawns and snow pea sprouts on top.

To make the dressing:
Put all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. It should be pouring consistency. If it's too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons cold water.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and garnish with extra snow pea sprouts and ground black pepper.

Baked Scallops wrapped in Bacon

Simply and delicious canape

What you need:

12 scallops, rinsed and drained
6 bacon rashers
3 tblspns lemon juice


What to do:

Cut the bacon slices in half and wrap each half around a scallop and secure with a toothpick.
Place on a baking tray and drizzle lemon juice over scallops.
Bake in the preheated oven at 180c for 15 to 20 minutes or until bacon is crisp.
Serve warm with cracked pepper.

Stir Fried Bamboo Shoots with Spinach and Cashews

What you need:

500gm spinach leaves (washed thoroughly)
100ml vegetable or peanut oil
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1/4 cup finely shredded bamboo shoots
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
50gms cashew nuts


What to do:

Heat the oil in a wok.
Toss bamboo shoots in the oil approx. 45 seconds. Keep stirring.
Add spinach and stir until wilted.
Add salt and sugar, and cook, stirring, about 1½ to 2 minutes.
Transfer to a hot platter, (do not add the liquid from the pan).
Sprinkle with cashew nuts

Thai Tom Kha Kai (Soup)

What you need:-

4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup Thai fish sauce
2 crushed Kaffir lime leaves
Lemongrass –(10cm length)
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon red curry (fried gently in oil)
3cm piece of Galangal
500g chicken breast – (cut into bite size pieces)
2 Tablespoons tamarind juice
400ml can coconut milk
2 - 6 small red chillies, slightly crushed
Juice of 1 lime
Coriander leaves for garnish


What to do:

Combine chicken stock, fish sauce, lime leaves, lemongrass, sugar, fried red curry and galangal to a boil.
Simmer for 20 minutes and strain.Add pieces of chicken, tamarind juice, coconut milk, and small red chillies (to taste), and return to a boil for one minute.
Lower the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes.
Garnish generously with coriander leaves, the lime juice, and serve.

Durian Cake

What you need:

1 durian
¾ cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
¾ cup flour


What to do:

Preheat oven to 180C
Use a large knife to slit the skin at the segment joints.
Prise apart the slits to open the fruit.
Separate the sections
Remove flesh from the durian and discard the seeds.
Puree the flesh in a food processor.
Beat butter and sugar together until smooth, then beat in the egg yolks.
Sift flour and beat it into the butter mixture.
Beat in the durian pulp.
Whip egg whites into stiff peaks and fold them into the mixture.
Bake cake in a greased, 8" cake pan for 1 hour, or until cake is done when tested with a toothpick.

Seared Scallops & Chorizo sausage with sweet Carrot Puree

Recipe by Leon Walker, Chef / Owner - Wink II Restaurant and Wine Bar at Cocoa Amour on the Esplanade; Cairns.

serves 4


Ingredients:

8 medium size scallops
2 chorizo sausages
Salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 large carrot
100 g white vinegar
50 g caster sugar
salt & pepper for seasoning
mesculin salad for garnish or mix bean spreads
Herb oil for garnish


Method:

Slice scallops in half slice chorizo length ways in to 8 long strips
Place scallops on bamboo skewer with chorizo sausage
Heat medium size pan season scallop & chorizo with pepper of pinch of salt.
Leave for 1 min on hot pan & turn over for 10 sec
Squeeze juice from 1/2 lemon into the pan remove scallop from the pan to rest
Get 1/2 size pan medium heat peel & chop carrot small place into the pan with 3 tbsp white vinegar & 2 tbsp caster sugar cover carrot with water cook 10 min till soft.
Place in blender to puree for 2 min
Then add 2 tbsp of olive extra virgin oil salt & pepper for seasoning
place on the plate with scallops puree & garnish with salad or bean spreads
finish off with herb oil.

Hot smoked red emperor and pink pomelo miang with chilli, green papaya relish and salmon pearls

Recipe by Nick Holloway, NuNu Restaurant, Palm Cove

Serves 4

Ingredients:

12 betel leaves (also known as wild pepper leaves)
120gm picked, hot smoked red emperor wings
4Tbsp green papaya, shredded into fine threads
2 small green chillies (scuds), sliced into fine rounds
2 long red chillies, sliced into fine threads
12 tsp pink pomelo flesh
24 coriander leaves
3 kaffir lime leaves, very finely sliced
2 limes
6 Tbsp miang paste
12 tsp crispy fried shallots
12 slices of crispy fried garlic
1 tsp thai basil flowers
4 tsp yarra valley salmon caviar


Miang paste
200ml water
500gm pale palm sugar
30gm shelled peanuts
10gm galangal, peeled and grated
15gm hot smoked red emperor
60gm dry roasted coconut
3 small green chillies
2 cloves garlic
3-4 Tbsp fish sauce
3-4 Tbsp tamarind water (about ¼ of a packet massaged with the same volume of water and strained)


Method:

Slowly melt the palm sugar and water together in a pot with the lid on.
Roast the peanuts, galangal, and red emperor until fragrant at about 160C.
With a mortar and pestle pound the garlic, chillies with a little salt until smooth.
Add the roasted ingredients and continue to pound until a fine paste is achieved.
Introduce this paste to the hot palm sugar with the fish sauce and simmer until rich, thick and highly perfumed.
Once the caramel has a lustrous dark shine to it remove from the heat and stir in the tamarind water. Taste for seasoning.
The miang paste should taste decadent and balanced. Too sweet. Too salty. Too sour. And yet just right. Add more fish sauce, tamarind or sugar as your personal tastes dictate.
In a bow Add the green papaya and chillies and gently toss together.
Add the pomelo, coriander and kaffir lime leaf and massage lightly with your fingertips.
Squeeze in half of the lime juice and taste for seasoning. It should taste spicy, sweet, salty and sour all at once. Add more lime juice or extra chillies if desired.
Spread the betel leaves out across your work surface and top each with an elegant pile of salad. Sprinkle over the crispy fried shallots, caviar, garlic chips and finally the thai basil flowers and serve immediately.
Eat with your hands by wrapping the leaf around the salad and offer finger bowls with a slice of lemon in each to refresh between bites.

Blue Swimmer Crab and Avocado with Sweet corn Gazpacho

Recipe by Lewis Taylor, The Sebel Cairns

Serves 4

Ingredients

Sweetcorn Gazpacho-Corn Kernels (300gm Tin)
2 Yellow Peppers (Roasted, de-seeded & Skinned)
1 Brown Onions (Diced)
100ml Champagne Vinegar
250ml Fish Stock ‘Campbell’s’
2 Garlic Clove Sliced
Crab Mix-Blue Swimmer Crab Meat
200ml Mayonnaise (Thomy)
1pc Lime Juice
1pc Lemon Zest (Grated)
2each Avocado Puree (Seasoned)
1/2 Cucumber (Sliced into Discs/Rounds)
pinch Cayenne Pepper
3 Tbsp Chopped Chives & Coriander


Sweetcorn Gazpacho

Sweat Onions & Garlic in little butter until transparent
De-glaze with Vinegar & reduce till dry
Add Corn Kernels with juice & Yellow Peppers & simmer for 10min’s
Add Fish Stock and reduce by 1/3
Puree in a blender & pass through a fine sieve
Add seasoning, a pinch of Cayenne Pepper & a squeeze of Lemon juice to taste
Chill immediately & keep cold till required


Crab Mix
Squeeze out excess moisture from Blue Swimmer crab meat.
Place Blue Swimmer Crab meat in a cold bowl. Add Cayenne Pepper, Onion chives, Coriander, Salt & Pepper, Lime Juice, Lemon Zest and a spoon of Mayonnaise. Fold to incorporate. Should not be too soggy. Correct Seasoning to taste


To Assemble
Using a round mould/cutter (approx 50mm diameter). Place in centre of service bowl/plate, place a Cucumber disc on bottom & Spoon some Avocado Puree into mould to accommodate approx 1/3 of volume.
Next place another Cucumber disc on top of puree & lightly press down to make surface flat. No need to push too hard.
Spoon Crab mixture in next to fill.
Next, sauce with chilled Sweetcorn Gazpacho, garnish with Cucumber ribbons and serve immediately.

Mangrove Jack with Lemon Beurre Blanc

Recipe by 2 Fish Restaurant, Port Douglas

Ingredients:

2 x 180 gm Fresh Mangrove Jack
50 gsm Kipfler Potatoes
50 g Snow Peas
50 g Green Beans
50 g Asapargus
1 Portion lemon Beurre Blanc sauce
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Method:

Heat a small pan and cook fish finishing in oven. Slice in half and fry off kipfler potatoes in deep fryer until crisp (2-3 mins) Blanche vegetables in hot water, strain and season
Place deep fried Kipflers and Blanced vegetables into centre of plate. Place fish on top and spoon over heated lemon beurre blanc sauce.


Lemon Beurre Blanc Sauce

Ingredients:
50 ml lemon juice
200 ml white wine
100 ml thickened cream
500 ml butter unsalted
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method
(Used on seafood plate)
Bring white wine, lemon juice & Cream to boil
Reduce by 50% and turn to very low heat
Slowly whisk in diced butter until emulsified
Add salt and pepper to taste

Coconut & kaffir lime panna cotta

Recipe by Kurt Goodban, Executive Chef, Elandra Resort, Mission Beach

Serves 6

Ingredients
2 x kaffir lime leaves
1 tin coconut milk 400ml
350ml milk
125gr sugar white
3 1/2 x gelatin sheets

Pineapple soup
2 pineapples
Star anise x 3
500 ml water
350gr sugar


Method:

Put your milk, coconut milk, lime leaves & sugar all together bring to a light simmer. While that’s on put your gelatin sheets in to some ice water just to soften them. Once they are soft squeeze off any extra water then place them in your pot let them dissolve. Remove from the heat and strain it through a fine strainer, once that is done you just pour your mix into 8 x 100ml dariole moulds. Then place in fridge for 5 hrs to set.

Soup
Put the whole pineapples in the oven on 170 degrease for about 35 – 45 mins until soft to touch. Then pull them out let cool for 15 mins, peel & cut up pineapple into chunky pieces and put through a juicer .once you have all the juice and little pulp again strain that through a coffee filter so it is nice and clear. This will take about 1.5 – 2.5 hrs to strain.

Sugar syrup
Put sugar, water & star anise in a pot put on the stove bring it to the boil, remove from the heat let cool then add this to your pineapple soup.

To serve
Place panna cotta in a bowl pour chilled soup around it garnish with fresh strawberries or thinly shaved and toasted coconut & mint or a piece of star anise . But star anise not really edible

Garlic fried prawns on table lands golden scallop potato with spring onions, seedless lime dressing and tempura oyster

Recipe by Ajay Zalte Executive Chef Rydges Esplanade Resort Cairns

4 Entrée portions

Ingredients

3 Medium sized potatoes
12 Prawns with tail on
40 gm Crushed fresh garlic
1 Bunch Spring onions
1 Large Lime
200ml Canola/vegetable oil
3Tbsp honey
4 Rock oyster
1 Medium size onions

Batter Tempura
75gm Corn flour
75gm Plain flour
Soda water as required to make a dipping tempura batter
Salt as per taste
Pepper as per taste
Oil for deep frying tempura oysters


Method:

Peel and slice the potatoes and onion thinly.
Slice spring onions thinly.
Heat 60ml (four tablespoons) oil in a pan. Place potatoes,, onions, add salt, pepper and fry carefully till lightly brown without burning on high heat.
Lower the heat and cover and cook on a low heat till soft and cooked
Add spring onions to the potatoes and mix carefully to avoid breaking of the potatoes. Keep hot
Squeeze the juice of lime in a bowl, add salt, honey and mix thoroughly
Add in 100ml oil slowly, whisking through all the way till a dressing is formed.
Make a tempura batter by mixing through the ingredients listed above for the batter.

Dip the oysters in tempura batter.
Fry the oysters till crispy. Drain and season with salt and pepper.
Heat remaining oil in another pan; add garlic, prawns, salt, pepper and fry till cooked through.
Arrange scallop potatoes in the centre of a plate, place three prawns on top and one oyster on top of the prawn, garnish with spring of coriander or parsley
Drizzle lime dressing around and serve hot.

Chilli Salt

Served with prawns or other seafood

Ingredients:

2 teaspoon chilli flakes or to taste
2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon onion flakes
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest

Method:

Heat a small fry pan and cook chilli flakes and salt for 2 Minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer into a stainless steel bowl, add remaining ingredients and press with a heavy spoon and mallet until a grain like texture is formed.

Vietnamese Style Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

1 stalk lemon grass, chopped
2 large cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon (1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 dessert spoon sugar
1 chilli sliced
1 tablespoon coriander leaves
1 lime

Method:

Place first part of ingredients into a sauce pan and simmer for 8 minutes. Cool and strain. Add 1 sliced red chilli, 1 tablespoon coriander leaves, coarsely chopped and grated zest of 1 lime and serve.

Serve with prawns or other seafood