Alison Carroll’s turmeric journey started over four years ago when she sought relief from chronic knee pain. As she began to take turmeric, she noticed the pain subsiding. Alison says she was inspired to then share her experience with the aim of helping others.

“I’ve supported thousands of people as they use turmeric to overcome health challenges,” she explains. “There’s a lot of ancient wisdom and modern science surrounding its anti-inflammatory benefits.”

Many customers have asked Alison for tips on how to take turmeric, so she developed an ebook. ‘Turmeric the Magic of Curcumin’ contains information on the healing power of turmeric as well as some of Alison’s favourite turmeric-rich recipes.    

Turmeric and Coffee Smoothie

Put the bananas and berries to one side and grab some turmeric powder and coffee beans instead. This smoothie combines the golden goodness of turmeric with a caffeine hit and the nutrition found in almond and coconut milk.

Ingredients

⅓ cup oats

1 tbsp chai seeds

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp instant coffee or your favourite coffee blend – cooled

1 ½ cup almond or coconut milk

½ cup cashews soaked 

1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

1 tsp turmeric powder from Go Vita Coffs Central or Organics Mattr Port Central

6 ice cubes 

Method

Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth — approximately 30 seconds. Allow time for all nuts to completely grind up. Pour into a tall glass or cup then sip with a reusable straw. Enjoy!

Visit Go Vita or Fresco in Coffs Central for great turmeric.

Looking for more nutritious yet delicious recipes and meal ideas? Learn how to cook with bone marrow and enjoy these healthy treats.  

The post Make a Refreshing Turmeric and Coffee Smoothie appeared first on Coastbeat.

The little suburb of John’s River, half way between Port Macquarie and Taree, now boasts an award winning business. Matt and Emily Neilson, first generation dairy farmers, and their two little boys, Joseph and Henry, milk just over 100 cows on their John’s River property. The family began dairy farming in 2015, with a mere 55 cows going through an old eight-bale walk-through dairy at Dungog.

…milk was being sold for $1 a litre in the supermarkets and consumers were happily buying it, meanwhile the dairy farmers working hard every day to produce it were going broke and struggling through intense drought.

Understanding that farming life is tough and success requires diversity, the Neilsons also ran their Dungog farm as a tourist destination. This won them the 2021 Hunter Region Business Excellence Award for Tourism and Hospitality.

Success allowed expansion and a move to the property at John’s River. Emily says, “It’s absolutely beautiful here and the property has a lot of potential. The cows have adjusted really well and we can see the future being very positive.” 

So what is The Dairy and why did it win an award?

“We wanted to recreate that connection between the farmer who produces the milk and the people who buy it in the shops,” explains Emily. “There’s a huge gap between the two these days and it means that consumers know very little about where their milk is coming from and what goes into producing it.

“It became really obvious that this was a huge issue when milk was being sold for $1 a litre in the supermarkets and consumers were happily buying it. Meanwhile the dairy farmers working hard every day to produce it were going broke and struggling through intense drought. It’s not sustainable at that price but the bigger issue was why were people happy to buy it so cheaply.”

The education program that is The Dairy, John’s River allows milk lovers, cow lovers and those who are just plain curious, to tour the property, meet some of the animals and experience life on the dairy. You can bottle feed a little calf, learn how to make fresh butter and enjoy cheese tasting.

It’s all about connection – with the people, the land and the cows.

Milking the Farmers

Emily says, “We want to allow you to chat with a real farmer and ask all the questions you might have about dairy farming and milk production. We’ll answer all your questions with honesty and openness and show you our happy, healthy animals and what their day-to-day lives are like. It’s all about connection – with the people, the land and the cows. And we love it!”

Book now for The Dairy, John’s River Easter grand opening dates, available on their website. Follow them on social media for regular updates on what’s happening on the farm.

The post How much is a litre of milk? appeared first on Coastbeat.

Coffs Coast locals Pandora and Nalia met 16 years ago working in real estate. As they became friends, they shared their hopes and dreams for the future. Nalia vividly recalls Pandora talking about the recipe book she would one day write. 

“It feels emotional for me knowing she had that vision so long ago,” explains Nalia. “Now her beautiful book Nourished by Nature is in my store at Go Vita and we get to work alongside each other!”  

“I’m so proud of Nalia because she wanted to have babies and next thing she had four!” laughs Pandora.  “She studied naturopathy and look her now.”

The pair are passionate about fresh, nutrient-dense food that tastes good. As a mother of four school-aged children, Nalia is a school lunchbox pro. Pandora is a qualified chef who just loves to share healthy plant-based alternatives with busy parents.

Preparation is Key 

Nalia sets time aside on the weekend to get ready for the week ahead. She prepares enough to last five days so lunchboxes can easily be packed each morning. She says there are plenty of good-quality packet mixes available if cooking from scratch just isn’t possible.

Try Funch Protein Ball Mix in Vanilla and Coconut or Organ Felafel Mix.   

Get the Kids Involved 

“Bring them to the kitchen bench and give them a job,” says Pandora. “Things like making colourful fruit kebabs or rolling the bliss balls in coconut.”  

Another tip is to plant a small veggie garden with snow peas, cherry tomatoes and carrots. When children watch food grow and know where it comes from, they are more likely to be excited about eating it. 

Add Protein 

“Protein fills kids up and makes them less likely to reach for sugary snacks,” say Pandora. “Find it in yoghurt, hummus, nuts and seeds.” 

“I put protein powder in my kids’ bliss balls, smoothies, acai bowls, even porridge,” adds Nalia. “I make a tahini slice which also contains oats so that’s another tasty protein hit.”  

Find Healthier Alternatives

Pandora makes a Mars Bar alternative by stuffing dates with nut butter and popping them in the freezer. 

“Dates are naturally sweet but they also have fibre which aids in the slower release of that energy,” she explains. 

Introduce New Foods Slowly 

“It can be difficult when your kids are used to certain foods but when you know better, you can do better,” Nalia says. “Make small, gradual changes like swapping their chips to healthy crackers.” 

Try Spiral Foods Tamari Rice Crackers, Ceres Organics Brown Rice Crackers or Honest Sea Organic Roasted Seaweed.  

Don’t Forget Immune Boosters

“Probiotics are especially good for kids heading back to school to keep their immune systems up and firing,” explains Nalia. “Children can have this dry on a tea spoon or mix it with yoghurt, porridge, water or any liquid really.” 

Gastrointestinal health is required for the development of healthy skin, hair, bones and teeth. It also aids muscle tone and growth, mental competence and correct functioning of the immune, nervous and lymphatic systems.   

Nalia recommends Children’s Probiotic Plus Powder by Nutri Vital 

Pandora’s Tabouli for Kids 

½ cup chopped parsley

½ cup chopped mint

1 spring onion

1 finely diced cucumber

1 finely diced tomato

1 cauliflower floret grated

Salt to taste

Juice from ½ lemon and mix

Pandora’s Peppermint Bliss Bombs

2 1/2 cups activated almonds

7 tbsp cacao powder

1 cup Medjool dates, pitted

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 tbsp coconut butter, melted

3 tbsp honey

2 tbsp orange or apple juice

1/2 tsp peppermint essence

3 tbsp cacao nibs

1 cup desiccated coconut for ball coating

Place almonds in the food processor and Grint them into almond meal. Remove the mix and put aside in a separate bowl. Place the remaining ingredients (excluding cacao nibs) into food processor and blend into a chocolate paste . Add the ground almonds and cacao nibs and blend to combine. Roll into even sized 30g balls and then coat with desiccated coconut. These guys freeze well or can be kept in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Nalia’s Tahini Chocolate Slice

Base

1 cup rolled oats

6 medjool dates, seeds removed*

1 tablespoon cacao or cocoa

1/2 teaspoon concentrated natural vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Place the ingredients into your blender or food processor and blend at high speed until the mixture forms a ball. This takes a while, but it will happen.

*You may need to double the dates, give it plenty of time but if it isn’t coming together add extra dates. The dates are also much softer if you store them at room temperature.

Press the mixture into a loaf tin.

Topping

1/2 cup rolled oats

4 tablespoons hulled tahini

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons cacao or cocoa

1/2 teaspoon concentrated natural vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Pulse the oats until they are ground, you do not have to be to pedantic about this, a bit of texture is fine. Add the remaining ingredients and quickly pulse to combine. Spread the mixture over your base and return to the fridge to set. Enjoy!

Where to Shop

Go Vita Coffs Central

Organics MattR Port Central

Fresco Coffs Central

IGA Port Central

Buy ‘Nourished by Nature’ by Pandora Colledge at Kaleidoscope Coffs Central and Go Vita Coffs Central

The post Super School Lunches appeared first on Coastbeat.

A Family Affair

“Adam and our four-year-old daughter spend hours in the kitchen making pasta together,” explains Alicea Blanks. “Our son is three months old so he doesn’t make it yet, but he will!” 

There’s no denying the “family” element to Blanks Family Pasta. Their shared love of pasta started the business and now they’re sharing it with other families. The Blanks’ have just joined Port Central’s Real Food Market. If their first week is anything to go by, they’re an extremely welcome addition.

“The weather was horrendous, but we sold a lot,” Alicea says. “We were hand rolling cavatelli and it sold out.” 

Get to Know Garganelli

While Adam and Alicea will always have crowd pleasers like fettucine, they’re keen to introduce lesser-known pasta shapes and styles.

“A lot of people haven’t tried cavatelli or garganelli so we’re trying to show them new varieties and keep things interesting,” Alicea explains. 

Locals Supporting Locals

The pasta and sauces are made using as many local ingredients as possible. Fellow Real Food Market stall holders Masters of Fresh supply a lot of the vegetables while the eggs come from Chef to Table.  

“People are starting to discover that there is a lot of good produce in Port Macquarie and the more stores at the Real Food Market the more people will know it,” says Alicea.

Alicia and Adam’s young daughter has already experienced the joys of the markets. She came along for the first week and was even paid $2 and hour for her time.

“She went straight to Target and bought herself a little doll!” laughs Alicea.

Follow Blanks Family Pasta on Instagram and find their fresh pasta, sauces and lasagnes at the Read Food Market every Tuesday from midday.  

The post Blanks Family Pasta appeared first on Coastbeat.

In Australia, Certified Organic Always Means:

• Sustainable and Regenerative
• Synthetic Herbicide, Pesticide and Chemical Free
• Free Range and No Artificial Additives or Hormones
• All GMOs are Prohibited

Here, Matt, from Port Central’s Organics MattR, shares what’s in season for spring.

Spring Veggies

Artichokes – Asparagus – Broccoli – Beans – Beetroot – Brussel Sprouts – Cabbage – Carrot – Cauliflower – Cucumber – Eggplant – Lettuce – Onion – Potatoes – Pumpkin – Tomato

Spring Fruits

Apples – Avocados – Bananas – Grapefruit – Honeydew Melon – Lemons – Limes – Kiwifruit – Mandarines – Navel Oranges – Passionfruit – Red Papaya – Rockmelon – Strawberries – Watermelon

Watch the Masters of Fresh in action on their farm near Port Macquarie. Find their fresh produce at Port’s Central’s Real Food Market – every Tuesday from midday.

The post Why Buy Organic? appeared first on Coastbeat.

The post New Spring Recipes appeared first on Coastbeat.

Shop for ingredients for plant based spelt flour pizzas at Fresco Marketplace online or at Coffs Central. In Port Macquarie, go to Richies Supa IGA Port Central.

I’ll be honest, I don’t find a lot of joy in cooking for myself. But add friends and it’s a completely different experience! Likewise, a pizza party for one isn’t much of a vibe. The answer? Fun housemates! Plant Based Spelt Flour Pizzas may sound too healthy to be tasty but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Read on and see how a random Sunday afternoon went from blah to BEST then cook the pizzas yourself! 

Ingredients

For the bases:

325g spelt flour – we used Chef’s Choice Stoneground Organic Wholegrain from Fresco Marketplace
Half a 7g sachet of fast acting yeast
1 teaspoon salt – we used Maldon Sea Salt from Fresco Marketplace
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
160ml warm water

Toppings – All from Fresco Marketplace

Full disclosure, we’re not big on following recipes to the letter. We go with the flow and sometimes add a splash of this or leave out a dollop of that. Cooking shouldn’t feel too rigid but obviously it helps to have a bit of guidance. With that in mind…

Method

Step 1. Mix the yeast, warm water and olive oil in a small bowl. Set it aside for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 2. Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add all of the liquid and start mixing with one hand. Keep the other hand clean and holding onto the bowl, trust us! Things will likely get verrrrry sticky so feel free to add some extra olive oil to the surface of the bowl.

Step 3. Turn out the dough mixture onto your surface and give it a good knead. Maybe your dough is too dry. If so, add some warm water. Maybe it’s still super sticky. If so, dust it with some more flour.

Step 4. When you can say you have a smooth ball of dough on your hands, divide into four smaller balls and place back in your bowl. We covered the bowl with a tea towel and put it outside in some warm, dappled sunlight.

Step 5. Preheat your oven…and make it HOT! We turned that bad boy up as high as it could go which was about 250 degrees C. It’s a good idea to get it going about an hour before you want to cook. If you have a pizza stone put that in now.

Step 6. Prep/chop all of your toppings and veggies. We put them in small bowls or spaced them out on chopping boards.

Step 7. Once your dough has risen (we left it about 90 minutes) put each ball onto a floured surface and give it a little more of a knead. Grab your rolling pin and shape your dough into a thin base. No rolling pin? No worries! We had a wine bottle on hand and it did the trick.

Optional Step 8.

Impress your friends by spinning your bases high into the air! Take it to the next level: Pair up with bae and try to switch bases mid air!

The real Step 8: Lay your base onto some baking paper and add your toppings. Everyone has their preferences when it comes to pizza. So add whatever you like in quantities of your choosing.

Step 9: Bake until the edges of your bases are nice and golden. Enjoy!

Want more recipes? Check out our Mexican Pulled Pork Tacos

The post Plant Based Spelt Flour Pizzas appeared first on Coastbeat.

This recipe has many great features, its preparation is quick, most of the ingredients can be substituted or adjusted, and there is a huge margin for error, if it’s not ready simply put it back on the heat. The general principle is that the pork is slow cooked in a liquid. The recipe below yielded fantastic results but if you wish to swap the orange juice for beer, or any other liquid, that would give the meat a different flavour.

Once you’ve made this you’ll want to make it again as it’s very easy, freezes well and is great bang for your buck.

Cook: up to 4 hours in the oven or at least 8 hours in a slow cooker

Have fresh groceries from Fresco delivered to your door! Order here.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 onion

• 3 garlic cloves

• 2kg pork shoulder skin off (if it has the skin you can remove it and make cracking separately)

• Spice rub of paprika, dried oregano, salt, pepper, cumin, allspice, cayenne pepper, and cloves – or whatever your favourites are

• Juice of 3 oranges

• 1 lime

• 1 400gm tin of diced tomatoes

• sugar or honey

Method

If the pork has skin then you will need to remove it using a sharp knife, you can salt the skin and set it aside to be made into crackling.

Step 1
If using oven, preheat to 140-150 ⁰C

Step 2
Heat the oil in a large ovensafe pan (with lid) on medium heat on the stove (or in slow cooker). Dice onions and garlic and saute in oil until soft, stirring frequently

Step 3
Wash and dry the pork then rub the spice mix all over the outside and place on top of the onions and garlic. (Ideally use whole spices freshly ground in a pestle and mortar or coffee grinder, otherwise whole spices will do)

Step 4
Add orange juice, tomato paste and honey or sugar to taste

At this point feel free to experiment. You could add extra tomatoes, capsicum, or an alternative liquid like chicken or vegetable stock. It’s hard to go wrong with this recipe just make sure the dish is balanced and not too salty or sweet.

Step 5
After 3.5-4 hours (in oven) or 8 hours (in slow cooker) check that the pork can be pulled apart easily with a fork. If not, continue cooking.

Step 6
Reduce the cooking sauce till it thickens in consistency, at this stage you also have the option of sieving the cooking liquid to remove any solids – the onion will be soft and tasty but if you don’t want the texture then you can take it out.

Step 7
Heat some butter or oil in a separate pan and fry the pulled pork to brown it slightly, before adding the reduced sauce to finish your dish

Serve with tortilla wraps, rice and beans, salsa, guacamole or any other Mexican accompaniments.

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The post Recipe: Mexican Pulled Pork appeared first on Coastbeat.

Moss? No! M.O.S.S. as in mustard, oil, sugar and soy. This is my grandmother’s recipe and it’s another easy one with a delicious result. You want to use thighs because they are juicier than chicken breast and won’t dry out, and ideally marinate overnight but if not a minimum of half an hour at room temperature is fine. You can tweak the recipe by adding fresh garlic and ginger to the marinade but the recipe’s simplicity is its beauty. It is sweet, salty, and tangy hitting all those spots on your taste buds. 

For a healthy meal, pair the thighs with a simple salad of cos lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, and shallots. Add a homemade salad dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and you’re in for a delicious lunch or dinner. This salad is my mother’s and she actually uses Paul Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette rather than a homemade one, so that’s another option. 

Any number of variations could be made to both the chicken and the side salad; the key to knowing you are going to enjoy it is to taste the marinade and salad dressing and tweak ingredients to your taste. If you’d like something more substantial, add some boiled baby potatoes with butter or you could easily make a sandwich or wrap too.

Quick and easy to make, and for most people, these will be ingredients you already have in your pantry. For best results, I recommend using a barbecue to cook the chicken (or you can pan fry).  

INGREDIENTS

For the Chicken:

• 1kg chicken thighs (preferably skin on)
• 3 tbsp French or Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of brown sugar or honey

For the salad:

• Two baby cos lettuces, washed and leaves separated
• Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
• One ripe avocado
• One bunch of shallots (spring onions), washed and sliced into rings (white part only)
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar

METHOD

Step 1

Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl, add the chicken thighs and cover to marinate overnight in the fridge (or at least half an hour).

Step 2

To make your salad combine all the ingredients in a bowl then, in a separate bowl or jar, mix your dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with pepper and salt to taste. Don’t dress the salad yet.

Step 3

Heat your barbecue or frying pan (if using a pan add oil) on medium-high heat and then fry those thighs for about 5 mins or so each side. On a barbecue, you’re looking for a bit of rich darkening on the edges.

When the chicken is cooked dress the salad and toss it then serve immediately.

Check out more recipes here.

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The post Tasty M.O.S.S. Chicken Thighs and Salad Recipe appeared first on Coastbeat.

Rob and Desley Bailey are the masters of fresh. They’ve been small-scale organic growers at Upper Rollands Plains for seven years. Two and a half years ago, homegrown organics became their family business. Now they sell the freshest of veggies at Port Central’s Real Food Markets every Tuesday and at the Bellingen Farmers and Producers Market. Masters of Fresh deliver produce boxes to homes between Port Macquarie and Bellingen as well as supplying to a number of restaurants. We toured the garden with Rod and met some keen young farmers.

“Regenerative agriculture is the buzzword today,” laughs Rod. “It doesn’t matter what you call it, we’re interested in being stewards of the soil, of the land, of nature and working in cooperation with that instead of in opposition.”

“The freshness of our produce really sets us apart,” he explains. “We just think freshness is absolutely vital to people’s health and our Masters of Fresh mission statement is to help families flourish.”

“We’re trying to instil in kids a love for plants and for growing and the joy of doing practical things with their hands,” Rod says. “This work is giving them skills and a sense of accomplishment.” 

“Pearl studied horticulture and she’s in training to be garden manager here,” he adds. “Layla is doing Year 10 and her school has a flexible study program where they actively encourage young people to get work. 

“Two home school students come along for half days on Mondays too.” 

“We’re doing more value adding now – Desley is busy making chutneys, relishes and pestos plus a range of vegan pies,” Rod explains. “Families are so busy these days so it’s important to offer really healthy options.” 

Find Homegrown Organics from Masters of Fresh at the Port Central Real Food Markets every Tuesday from midday.

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