Audio version

28

Sustainability, Safety, Health & Wellbeing

October/November 2012 www.esb.ie/em

Health&Habitat

Electricity Abroad

page 30

HEALTHY EATING

Autumn Warmers

Chicken Cacciatore

Serves 6

3 tbsp olive oil
6 chicken drumsticks, trimmed of excess fat, skin on
6 chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, skin on
1 onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
150g pancetta, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
125g button mushrooms, sliced
100ml dry white wine
2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
½ tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1 bay leaf
150ml chicken stock
300g pitted black olives

To serve:
Fresh basil leaves, chopped Roast potatoes

1 Heat the oil in a large casserole dish or saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 3-5 minutes, turning frequently until browned all over. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

2 Add the onion, celery, carrot and pancetta and cook over a low heat for five minutes until the onion softens. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for one more minute.

3 Return chicken pieces to the pan, add the wine and simmer for 1-2 minutes.

4 Add the tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, herbs and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the olives and cook for 10 minutes.

5 Transfer the chicken to a platter and increase the heat under the sauce for five minutes to thicken it. Serve with fresh basil and roast potatoes.

Last-Minute Lasagne

Serves 6

Cooking Spray
1 x 500g tomato pasta sauce
800g cheese-filled ravioli or tortellini
280g frozen spinach, thawed and drained
200g Mozzarella, shredded
80g Parmesan, grated

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray and spoon in enough sauce to cover the base.

2 Arrange a layer of pasta and scatter the spinach on top. Top with half of the cheeses. Cover with another layer of pasta and the remaining sauce and cheese.

3 Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes until heated through. Uncover and bake another five minutes until bubbly on top.

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!

The Easy Food App is available from iTunes.

Baked Raspberry Cheesecake

Serves 10

8 digestive biscuits
50g butter, melted
600g cream cheese
2 tbsp plain flour
175g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, plus 1 yolk
142ml pot sour cream
300g raspberries
1 tbsp icing sugar

1 Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4. Crush the digestive biscuits in a food processor (or put them in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin). Mix with the melted butter. Press into a 20cm springform tin and bake for five minutes, then cool.

2 Beat the cream cheese with the flour, caster sugar, vanilla, eggs, yolk and sour cream until light and fluffy.

3 Stir in half of the raspberries and pour into the tin. Bake for 40 minutes and then check, it should be set but slightly wobbly in the centre. Leave in the tin to cool.

4 Using the remaining raspberries, keeping a few for the top, heat in a pan with the icing sugar until juicy. Mash with a fork and push through a sieve. Serve with the raspberry sauce and leftover raspberries.

ESB Women compete in National event

ESB Cycling Club members Catherine Halpin (Ardnacrusha) and Roisin Kennedy (Head Office) combined forces to compete in two National Track Cycling Championship events at the Sundrive Velodrome on August 4th. First up was the Women’s Team Sprint event, where the ESB CC duo finished just outside the medals in 4th place. The Women’s Team Pursuit was next, and this event was always going to suit the two endurance riders better. Joining them on the ESB CC Team was Bronagh Rogers, a guest from Lucan CRC. The Team started last as they had been seeded as the favourites, and they were able to deliver - comfortably winning the event by posting steady lap times faster than their nearest rivals. Having collected the Gold, Halpin and Kennedy rounded off a very successful day by competing in the Keirin Championship. Kennedy progressed to the Final, but was unlucky to finish up one place off the podium, with her second 4th place of the day.

ESB ATHLETIC CLUB UPDATE

IT’S BEEN AN amazing summer for athletics with Olympians and Paralympians inspiring new and seasoned ESB runners. Note the achievements of Mark Rohan of ESB Networks, who added Olympic Gold Medals in the Men’s H1 Individual Hand-Cycling Time Trial and the Road Race to his existing World Champion status!

Feel free to contact the club to start or improve your own running. Note that several club members are now ramping up for the Dublin half and full Marathons.

RUNNER FOCUS:

Darren Reilly, Surveyor, HV Cables, ESBI

Darren, what made you take up running?

I was fed up playing football and decided to take a break. I did a local 10k and haven’t looked back since.

What motivates you to keep running?

I enjoy the fresh air during a lunchtime jog and the craic with the club members, plus challenge of trying to improve

Who is your favourite athlete?

Haile Gebrselassie because of his incredible ability, plus his love of athletics and how he’s always smiling.

What brand of running shoes do you wear?

Asics GEL DS Racers, which I change after nine months.

What are your top tips?

Try to get into a routine and stick to it.

What is your usual race preparation?

I ease down training the week of a race, sort my gear the night before, aim for a decent night’s sleep and have a bowl of chicken and pasta three hours before the start (very tough for a 10am race!).

What injuries have impacted your running?

I’ve had a few niggles, which I tried to ignore but I now know its best to get the problem looked at straightaway.

What was your favourite race?

BHAA Government Services 5m in Dunboyne. It’s a really nice course and they put on a great spread afterwards.

Your greatest running achievement?

Winning the Clonliffe Harriers 10 Mile Club Championship.

Your running ambition?

To keep enjoying it and making improvements and to step up to a marathon.

Recent BHAA Results

• Dublin City Council 5k – ESB Teams 7th Grade A, 6th Grade B, 6th Grade D
• BNY Mellon 1500m – J Healy 5th Std 1-6, M Hanly 2nd Std 18-30
• Zurich Mile – D Reilly 3rd Std 1-6, N McGeorge 1st Std 10-12, ESB 2nd in Relay
• Firhouse 10k - See BHAA website

Next BHAA Races

• Sat Sep 15, Dublin Half Marathon
• Sat Oct 13, Teachers Cross Country
• Mon Oct 29, Dublin City Marathon
• Sat Nov 10, BOI
• Sat Nov 24, Irish Life

Further ESB AC information: http://esbnet/athleticclub/