This recipe is courtesy of Sydney-based Malaysian food writer Carol SelvaRajah.

Thinly slice the beef (or chicken pieces)  across the grain – they should 2 cm wide and 10 cm long.
Combine all the marinade ingredients with mortar and pestle. Coat the meat with the marinade and  refrigerate for 30-60 minutes, or longer if time permits, covered with plastic wrap .
Thread the meat onto the skewers. Trim off any straggly bits of meat with scissors.
Mix together the coconut cream, oil and brown sugar to form a basting mixture.
Grill on an open hot griller, brushing  lightly with some oil and then cook the skewers for 1-2 minutes on each side, brushing them with coconut cream baste mixture.
Serve with yellow rice for a festive look.

This recipe is  courtesy of chef Le Ping Wong, The White Olive, Murwillumbah.

Preheat the hot plate of a BBQ.
Cut the banana leaf into a square or rectangle large enough to enclose the fish. Scatter top with some finely sliced preserved lemon skin (discard the pith and membrane).  Season with freshly ground pepper and a little salt.
Wrap up into a parcel and secure with toothpicks.
Place the fish on the BBQ (or in a frying pan) for approximately 8 – 10 minutes. Top with some of the salad before serving.
For the Bush Tucker Salad: toss all the ingredients together in a bowl, season to taste and drizzle with olive oil.

More info: the whiteolive.com.au

“Summer afternoon – summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”

- Henry James

Snip wing tips from quails, then cut down their backbones with a pair of kitchen scissors.  Press down hard on the breast bones to flatten.
Place the quails in a large earthenware dish, pour over the oil and add the thyme leaves, bay leaves, parlsey and black pepper.
Marinate, covered, for at least 3 hours, turning occasionally.
Light the BBQ and cook the quails, 4- 5 minutes on each side – timing will depend on heat of your BBQ.
Delicious served with a couscous salad and leafy green salad (fresh from the garden).

Tip: you can also use this marinade for lamb (cutlets, backstraps or chops) and chicken pieces.

This recipe is inspired by a delicious dish I tasted earlier this year at EEST, a swish pan Asian restaurant in the  Westin Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Aussie chef David King is executive chef at the hotel where he runs the Kings Kitchen Klub, a series of cooking classes for both adults and kids.  It’s an interesting take on the more traditonal Indian Tandoori marinade with yoghurt.

Combine all the Tandoor paste ingredients in a small bowl and mix well to combine.  Coat the fish on both sides with the paste, cover with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to allow flavours to penetrate.  Remove from fridge and bring to room temperature.  Lightly spray a non-stick frying pan with olive oil and cook fish over medium heat, about 4 minutes on each side or until done – timing will depend on thickness of the fish. Keep an eye on it as it tends to blacken quickly. Serve on a bed of mesclun (mixed baby lettuce leaves).

Note: At EEST, David King uses black cod (which belongs to the groper family), but this is a protected fish in Australia. I used red miso paste in this recipe but you can also use white miso.

Kiwi fruit acts as a tenderiser in this tasty marinade for skewered baby octopus.

Serves 4 as a starter or part of a BBQ

Clean the octopus: hold the head firmly and cut through the flesh underneath the eyes. Pick up the tentacles, and with your index finger underneath, push out the beak and discard (alternatively, cut through back of head and clean inside by removing all organs).
Combine the remaining ingredients in a non-corrosive bowl. Add the octopus and leave to marinate, covered, for a 2 – 3 hours.
Thread three octopus onto each skewer – try to keep them flat. Cook over hot coals for about 5 minutes – time of cooking will depend on size.