MasterChef Australia star Hayden Quinn returns to the kitchen to give you fresh, healthy food that is easy to prepare and share. Hayden beach-living-inspired kitchen repertoire is packed with punchy flavours from around the globe.

Think energy-packed breakfasts and post-surfing power foods, travel-inspired street food, backyard feasts and special occasion meals to share with family and friends. His recipes are easy to navigate and come complete with helpful hints on cooking techniques and the best places to source key ingredients. Hayden's enthusiasm for good food and his easy-going cooking style make this the perfect recipe book for cooks who aspire to fresh, healthy, mouth-watering food that's guaranteed to make you smile!

SAMPLE RECIPES

Bali-style pancakes with banana, coconut and honey (pictured)
Preparation time: 5 minutes (plus 30 minutes resting time) Cooking time: 15–20 minutes
Makes: 12

INGREDIENTS
225 g (1½ cups) plain flour
3 free-range eggs
200 ml milk
125 ml (½ cup) water
60 g butter, melted,
plus extra for cooking
6 large bananas, sliced on the diagonal
fresh coconut, shaved
honey, for drizzling
3 limes (or lemons), cut into wedges, to serve

METHOD
If you’ve been to Bali you’ll know these classic crepe-like pancakes — often served with banana in the centre, a little honey, some fresh coconut and a kick of lime juice. Feel free to fill your pancakes with whatever fillings you like or enjoy them as is.

Sift the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. In a jug, whisk together the eggs, milk and water. Slowly add the mixed wet ingredients to the flour, combining with a fork until you have a smooth batter. Strain through a fine sieve. Stir in the melted butter, then cover the batter and set aside for 30 minutes.

Heat a 16 cm crepe pan or large flat-based frying pan over medium heat and grease with a little butter. Pour 2 tablespoons of the batter into the hot pan, tilting the pan so you cover the base with a nice thin layer of batter. Cook for about 1 minute or until golden on the underside, then flip (with some flair) and cook for another 20–30 seconds. Slide the pancake onto a plate. Wipe the pan clean with paper towel and repeat, using a little more butter and batter to make 12 pancakes. Stack the pancakes in a pile to keep them warm.

Take the warm pancakes, place a few slices of the banana in the centre of each pancake and roll them up. Sprinkle with the shaved coconut and drizzle with the honey. Squeeze a little lime (or lemon) juice over the pancakes and serve immediately with extra lime (or lemon) wedges.

Prawn and avocado rolls with homemade seafood sauce (pictured)
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Makes: 8 rolls

INGREDIENTS
8 flour-top bap rolls (see note)
2 ripe avocados
32 cooked king prawns or 64 cooked school or bay prawns, peeled and deveined (see note)
Homemade seafood sauce
300g (1¼ cups) Kewpie mayonnaise (see note)
1½ tablespoons tomato sauce
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1½ teaspoons Sriracha chilli sauce (see note)
lemon juice, to taste

METHOD
For me, these rolls are the ultimate summer snack. There’s nothing better than coming home from a surf with sand still on my feet and sitting down in the shade to tuck into a few of these things.

These rolls are super simple to make and best with the freshest prawns you can buy. Make sure you get the flour-top bap rolls and super-ripe avocados. If you’re feeling extravagant you could substitute the humble prawn for lobster.

For the seafood sauce, simply combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and add a squeeze of lemon if desired, then refrigerate until needed. For the rolls, you can assemble these as you please. I tear open the rolls, lay down a bed of avocado, then layer the prawns on top followed by a good drizzle of sauce and some freshly ground black pepper.

Notes: Flour-top bap rolls are made at most local bakeries. They are super-soft and fluffy and have a little flour dusted on the top. They’re a perfect choice for this dish. Both school and bay prawns are very sustainable options. Kewpie mayonnaise can be purchased at Asian grocers and some supermarkets. If you like, you can use freshly made mayo but for some reason (I think it’s the sweetness) Kewpie works best here. You can pick up Sriracha chilli sauce at your local Asian supermarket or substitute with Tabasco.

Author Biography

Hayden is a lover of food, travel, culture and all things outdoors. Growing up on Sydney's northern beaches with his family, Hayden was never far from the ocean or from cooking with his mum and family, who served up incredible meals night in and night out. It was hard for him to not fall in love with food, the ocean, good people and of course the healthy lifestyle he loves so much. Cooking is second nature to Hayden and it was his passion for travel and experiencing new food and cultures that led him to apply for the series 3 of MasterChef Australia.