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HEALTH&HABITAT

August/September 2012 www.esb.ie/em

HEALTHY EATING

Recipes

Download the Easy Food App for tasty recipes and features that will help you to make a delicious meal with the ingredients in your fridge!

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Pancetta and Chive Mini Quiches

Makes 12
For the pastry:
225g plain flour
75g butter, chilled, chopped
1 egg yolk
30ml cold water
2 eggs
For the filling:
2 tsp olive oil
2 slices pancetta, finely chopped
35ml cream
A handful of chives, chopped
1½ tbsp Parmesan, grated

1 Place flour and butter in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and cold water. Process until the dough just comes together. Turn on to a lightly-floured surface and knead until smooth. Using a lightly-floured rolling pin, flatten the dough into a 15cm round. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

2 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4. Lightly grease one 12-hole muffin tin.

3 Roll out the pastry between two sheets of baking paper until it is 3mm thick and cut 12 rounds from the pastry. Press the pastry rounds into the prepared pans. Pierce the bases with a fork. Freeze for 20 minutes or until firm.

4 Using a fork, lightly beat one egg in a bowl and brush over the pastry rounds. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden.

5 Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Season with pepper.

6 Beat the cream, remaining egg and stir in the chives. Spoon the pancetta mixture into the pastry cases and pour two teaspoons of the egg mixture over the fillings. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the filling has set.

Duck Pancakes with Plum Sauce

Serves 4
4 duck breasts, skin removed
Salt and black pepper
For the plum sauce:
800g plums, peeled, cored and chopped
2 tbsp orange juice
150ml red wine
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp redcurrant jelly
For the pancakes:
225g strong white flour
175ml boiling water
1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 Preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C fan/gas mark 7. Place the duck, skin-side up, onto a rack over a roasting tray and pierce the skin all over with a knife.

2 Boil 250ml of water and pour the boiling water over the duck skin, discarding the water. Pat the duck dry and season generously with salt and pepper.

3 Cook for 1-1¼ hours, until crisp. Allow to rest for 10 minutes, then use two forks to shred the meat.

4 Heat the plums and orange juice in a saucepan over a low heat for 10 minutes until they become soft. Transfer to a bowl and use a fork to mash them into a rough paste.

5 Add the wine and spices to the saucepan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the mustard, redcurrant jelly and plum mixture and set aside.

6 Meanwhile, place the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the boiling water and stir to form a dough. Tip the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 2-3 minutes, or until the dough is smooth. Cut the dough into 16 pieces and roll each into a thin pancake.

7 Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook each pancake for 1-2 minutes per side.

8 Serve the shredded duck on the warm pancakes with a spoonful of the plum sauce.

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Baked Blueberry Cheesecake

Serves 8-10
75g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
250g ginger nut biscuits, crushed
1 vanilla pod
500g cream cheese
1 x 397g tin of condensed milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Zest of 1 small orange, plus 1 tsp of juice
400g blueberries

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4 and grease a deep, 24cm non-stick springform cake tin with some of the butter.

2 Mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter and spoon into the tin. Pat it down evenly and firmly with the back of a spoon to form the base. Chill for 10 minutes.

3 Use a small, sharp knife to split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds.

4 Put the seeds into a large bowl with the cream cheese and beat until softened.

5 Add the condensed milk, eggs, orange zest and juice. Beat with an electric whisk until well blended.

6 Layer a handful of blueberries onto the biscuit base. Stir all but a handful of the remaining blueberries into the cream cheese mixture and pour it into the tin.

7 Put the tin on a baking sheet and scatter over the remaining blueberries, pushing them down into the mixture.

8 Set the tin on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until golden brown and almost set. It will still be a little wobbly in the centre, but it will firm up as it cools.

9 Open the oven door, but leave the cheesecake to cool completely inside the oven before removing it.

10 Run a knife around the edges to remove from the baking tin. Chill, covered, for a few hours or overnight for best results, then serve. Enjoy!

National Champion Cycle

ROISIN KENNEDY Won a Silver Medal at the Elite Women’s National Omnium Cycling Championships at Sundrive Velodrome on Sunday July 15th, in the colours of ESB Cycling Club.

The Championships (soon to be featured in the Olympics with Irish competitor Martyn Irvine) covers Six Events over two Days, with Points awarded to each race.

Roisin (pictured) ended Day 1 with a commanding lead in the Gold Medal Position, after two dominating displays in the two endurance races, where she had lapped the field.

Day 2 however, featured two technical timed events suiting Track Specialists, and Roisin only lost out on the Gold in the final race of the day over a 500M Time Trial.

Why Some People Succeed and Others Fail

SAMUEL A MALONE HAS AN entertaining and eclectic blend of inspirational real life stories from all areas of life including business, sport, science, politics, music, entertainment, exploration and invention. Marvel at and learn from the way many people have overcome seemingly insurmountable handicaps and obstacles in their lives to go on and become successful in their chosen careers or areas of expertise. The text is interspersed with inspirational quotations, practical tips and techniques/activities to help you acquire the right habits and attitudes, and practise the skills of success.

Why Some People Succeed and Others Fail by Samuel A Malone is available from Amazon (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0955578183/) @ £15 or direct from the publishers: Glasnevin Publishing, 16 Griffith Parade, Glasnevin, Dublin 11 at €17 postage paid (www.glasnevinpublishing.com) or from your local bookshop. Samuel A Malone is a retired member of ESB staff.

SUMMER CAMPS

SUMMER CAMPS August Summer Camps for kids aged between 4 and 12 years of age. Activities include: soccer, swimming, unihoc, arts and crafts, basketball and aerobics and dance. With over 25 years of experience and with excellent camp leaders, SPORTSCO offers a fun camp for all kids! Pre-camp and post-camp care also available.

Camp 6: August 13th to 17th
Camp 7: August 20th to 24th
Camp 8: August 27th to 31th

Wellness Courses in September

Our wellness courses can help you reduce stress and maintain a balanced lifestyle. Courses in yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi and weight management are on offer in September. Please contact reception on 668 7022 ext 0, or check our website www.sportsco.ie for more information.

SPORTSCO GOLF SOCIETY

SPORTSCO Golf Society is actively seeking new members. Our handicap system caters for all standards of golfer. Each month, during the playing season, we play at one of the best courses in the greater Dublin area. We always negotiate very competitive prices. Why not give me a call now and enjoy the coming summer with a very pleasant social experience.

Contact Frank O’Connor
at frankeoconnor@eircom.net
Tel. 087 244 8409.

SPORTSCO, South Lotts Rd, Ringsend, Dublin 4.
Tel. 668 7022 • www.sportsco.ie • info@sportsco.ie
Application forms available soon on our website and at reception