Featuring Pandora’s Bliss Balls

Pandora Colledge born in England, immigrated to Australia in 1966 and lived in Prahran, Melbourne. My parents taught me the passion of food and cooking as they were well travelled. Every weekend we went shopping at the Prahran markets, which was an experience in itself. I have inherited my parent’s fondness of cooking.  I really enjoyed starting to cook in my early teens. Our kitchen was often filled with exotic smells and dishes.  Food was always an important part of our social upbringing and this is something I have taken into my adulthood and also as a parent.  My children have inherited this enthusiasm of cooking.

I moved to Coffs Harbour almost 17 years ago with my husband Pete where we live a relaxed lifestyle by the sea. We all love cooking and socializing and this is the perfect back drop to continue our passion. I am particularly passionate about good health and cooking and have since completed my Advanced Diploma of Nutritional Medicine.  My aim is to utilize this qualification in creating healthy fresh food and to also promote organic holistic recipes. I want to educate as many people as possible in the art of fresh and healthy cooking habits.

I enjoy having people around me while cooking so that I can talk about the healthy quality of the ingredients. It is even more satisfying when I see they have thoroughly enjoyed my food and company. The rewarding part is how good healthy food is a natural medicine in itself. Many people are unaware of the value of fresh wholesome food, it is an exciting challenge to help people learn about it. My family has benefited from eating better quality made food which is fresh and healthy and we have more energy. 

Sushi is my regular comfort food – Just love sushi and the different ingredients that you can put with it. It is good for you as the sea vegetables are alkalizing for the body. The most essential item in my kitchen is my new “Thermomix”. I’m just mad about it.  It does everything.  It is the one stop shop.  It grinds grains, makes sorbet, blends, chops, steams and cooks.  It cuts down on time spent in the kitchen and I can also use raw product and grind my own flour. This means I know my food hasn’t been processed, bleached or been tampered with.  It allows for additive free cooking.

My much loved kitchen tool is a Citrus Press – I pick this tool up at least 5 times a day.  It is like a garlic press but it presses juice from your citrus in seconds.  No pips, maximum juice and very easy to clean. My roast chicken is probably my best creation and our favourite dish.  I pick handfuls of fresh tarragon or sage, whole garlic cloves, sliced lemon and orange and then drizzle it with Manuka honey and place in water.  Everything goes into the bottom of the dish. Allow it to roast for a couple hours and you have the most aromatic bird.  I then make gravy with all the juices and cooked zest.  There is never anything left. I find organic or free range chickens are much tastier and tender.  My favourite classic dish is Chicken Parmigiana, topped with fresh spinach, basil, crushed tomatoes and then melted cheese.

My favourite cook book is “Gwinganna Health Retreat”. I was lucky enough to experiment the healthy organic food in person. It is full of healthy organic recipes. Samantha Gowing, whom I gain inspiration from is a therapeutic chef with many years of experience and has a degree in nutritional medicine. She is renowned for setting up health retreat menus around the world and I had the pleasure of completing a one day workshop with her.

Fresh Turmeric is quite strong in taste, much better than the powdered variety and is my newly discovered ingredient. It can be used to make tea or add to your cooking.  An amazing antioxidant and it is exciting learning about all the new recipes that you can combine it with. My everyday food is fresh salad, a complete meal finished by adding, nuts, seeds, fruits, olives, feta, roasted veggies, fish, chicken tofu etc., It is filling without being heavy using seasonal fruit and vegetables. I add fresh herbs and flowers to make salads even more nutritious.

I am very proud of my vegetarian lasagna. Many people can’t even tell that there is no meat included. I can pack as many vegetables in there as I like which is a great way to hide them. I use gluten free lasagna sheets topped with ricotta, spinach and cheese. It is a truly amazing dish even the die hard meat lovers come back for more.

The current trends I see in the food industry today are less is more and plenty of fresh food with masses of colour. Every home should have nuts, seeds, fresh herbs, garlic, onions, spices, apple cider vinegar, tamari, flaxseed oil, coconut oil, fresh vegetables, fruit and lentils in the cupboard or refrigerator. My best cooking tip is let your passion and taste buds guide you. Don’t forget fresh herbs and spices are such a great flavor enhancer. 

At one of my dinner parties, I was boasting about how the gorgeous salad I had made was from my organic garden. The presentation of the dinner was amazing and the salad sat proudly in the middle of the table.  As we raised our red wine glasses to toast a big caterpillar came crawling out of the salad.  My guests didn’t expect the added protein in the salad and although embarrassing I was proud having proved the salad was totally fresh and organic from my kitchen garden.

Pandora’s Bliss Balls

This gluten free recipe, which contains no processed sugar, makes an excellent snack for in between meals, after dinner or especially great for kids at school, before and after exercise. The almonds are full of protein, phosphorus, magnesium, Vitamin E and calcium, good essential fatty acids which lower cholesterol. Dates are packed with calcium, magnesium, potassium and fiber. The cacao is a natural antioxidant which promotes the feel good endorphins and coconut oil has many health promoting qualities.

Creamy Tomato Soup

Tomato is a classic fruit we eat and cook like a vegetable, so nothing is better than a perfectly ripe, local summer tomato eaten with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt or nothing at all. This recipe demonstrates an additional fine way to make a healthy and delicious soup made with excellent ingredients.

Chicken and Asparagus Cobbler

Cobbler refers to a variety of dishes consisting of a fruit or savoury filling poured into a large baking dish and covered with a layer of uncooked plain scones, which is fitted together. Baked in an oven and when completely cooked, the surface has the appearance of a cobbled street.

Lemonade and Cream Scones

Lemonade provides some sweetness, fluffiness and cream is used instead of butter. This recipe is an excellent base recipe where fruit, nuts and candies can be added. It is a light, soft and easy scone to make and more sugar, salt and lemon zest can be added if desired.

Cauliflower Soup with Poached Egg

A perfect poached egg has a runny yolk, with a firm crust and no raw white remaining. The cooking time is approx. 150 seconds if the egg is at room temperature (20ºC). The fresh egg is cracked into a bowl and gently slid into a pan of simmering water. To prevent dispersion of the white of the egg, add a small amount of vinegar to the boiling water. Stirring the water energetically to create a whirlpool can reduce dispersion.

Baked Chicken and Leek Risotto

Risotto is a way of making stock edible with a fork. Quality of the stock you use is the most important factor in the quality of your risotto. Utilize a different type of liquor to replace the white wine, vodka, whisky, champagne and martini works well, however keep in mind that the color of the liquor will affect the rice. Red wine will create a red risotto and Rosé wine will make a pink/purple risotto. For a great crunch place large roasted breadcrumbs on the risotto instead of parmesan cheese. Left over risotto can be formed into cakes or patties, coat them in flour and shallow fry them in olive oil. These risotto patties can be served with a salad.

Cauliflower and White Sauce

This is a great side dish to any roast, patty, steak or fish and can also be baked in the oven with a crispy cheesy top.

Leek and Parmesan Damper

The vegetable leek is used in many dishes and is most popular to add to stocks and soups. The stalk of the Leek is the edible part, which has a mild onion flavour, a crunchy texture and is used in salads in raw form. Frying leek will preserve the flavour and provide a crunchier surface.

Tomato and Basil Soup

Tomatoes are high in Vitamin A and C and are naturally low in calories. They are also an excellent source of lycopene, which is an antioxidant that fights free radicals. Tomato soup is a great comfort food made from tomatoes and may be served hot or cold. It could be smooth in texture or include large pieces of tomato. Conventional toppings for tomato soup include sour cream and croutons.

Ocimum basilicum know as Sweet Basil and generally used in Italian cooking is a member of the large mint family. Basil is normally used fresh in cooked recipes and is added at the last moment, since cooking rapidly obliterates the flavor.

Cultured Buttermilk Scones

Traditional buttermilk is the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cream. Cultured buttermilk is a fermented dairy product produced from cow's milk with a characteristically sour taste and tartness caused by lactic acid bacteria. Traditional buttermilk is likely to be thinner than cultured buttermilk.

Buttermilk can be substituted in recipes by adding 1 Tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, apple cider vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice to 1 cup of dairy milk and allowing it to stand for five minutes.

This is my all time favourite scones that don’t need butter or cream and can be eaten as is. I have made an astounding quantity of these scones since I started to make them back in the 80’s.

Potato and Dill Scones

Scones are a type of quick bread connected with Scotland, England and Ireland. Traditional scones are made by adding the wet ingredients to the dry and mix the dough until combined. The shape of a conventional scone is triangular; nevertheless round, square and diamond shaped are also widespread. Customarily they were made on baking stones, but at present they’re baked in ovens.

This is a delightful savoury scone with a soft crumb and crispy crust.

Chicken Cacciatore

Cacciatore, which means “hunter” in Italian, is generally made with braised chicken or rabbit. There are of course many diverse variations of this dish based upon ingredients available and used in specific regions. A basic cacciatore recipe typically begins with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil heated in a large frying pan. Chicken parts, dusted with salt and pepper are seared in the oil for three to four minutes on each side. The chicken is removed from the pan and the majority of the fat poured off. The remaining fat is used to fry the onions, mushrooms, peppers or other vegetables for several minutes. A small can of peeled tomatoes is added to the pan with some oregano and dry red wine. The seared chicken parts are returned to the pan which is then covered. The dish is complete after an hour at a very low simmer. Cacciatore is often served with rustic bread or some pasta on the side.