you Saturday, June 13, 2020
AND YOUR LIFESTYLE
Give tofu ANOTHER GO
PHOTO MIYA KOMATSU
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YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE | Saturday, June 13, 2020
Tempting you into gi Creamy tofu
FROM JAPAN with Miya Komatsu
H
ave you tried tofu before? Tofu is made from soybean curds. It is a good source of protein, iron and calcium, and it has no cholesterol. I’ve had many people say to me that it has “no taste”, it’s a “weird texture” and they “hate” it. Like many others, my husband doesn’t like tofu. So, I tried many ways to cook tofu for him to eat. I found out that very firm tofu is good for pan-frying, in soup and curry, etc. But if you try tofu for the first time, you may not like the rubbery texture and strong soy flavour. I use the Morinaga brand for my recipes, because it has a nice silken texture and mild flavour. Please try my recipes and maybe it will change your mind.
2 servings
Sauce 200g soft tofu 3T mayonnaise 1t chicken stock powder 1 egg 1t soy sauce 1t minced garlic Salt and pepper, for taste
Filling 200g chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces 1/2 onion, thinly sliced 80g mushrooms, sliced Salt and pepper, for taste 1/2 broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets and boiled Grated cheese, as much as you want!
Miya Komatsu is a Japanese-trained chef and nutritionist who has made Ashburton her home. She has been living here for 14 years.
Baked tofu cheesecake
15cm cake tin or 20x20cm brownie tin 150g soft tofu (I recommend Morinaga brand), wipe excess water with paper towel 250g cream cheese, softened to room temperature 4T sugar 2 eggs 2T flour 2t lemon juice 1t vanilla
– Grease and line the tin with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 170°C. – Put tofu in a large bowl, beat with an electric whisk until creamy. – Add cream cheese and sugar, beat until sugar dissolves. – Add eggs and beat well. Gradually add flour, beating until smooth, then beat in lemon juice and vanilla.
– Pour mixture into a tin lined with baking paper and level the surface. – Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minues until the top is browned and the centre is firm. – Allow to cool. Place in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight. – Serve with berry coulis, etc.
Berry coulis 2C frozen or fresh raspberries 1/2 C white sugar 1T lemon juice
– Boil raspberries and sugar together, simmering for 15 minutes or until it thickens. – Strain and press through a sieve to get rid of seeds and then stir in the lemon juice. – You can store in the fridge for up to a week or freeze.
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Saturday, June 13, 2020 | YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE
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iving tofu another go casserole – Preheat the oven to 180°C. – Heat a frypan over medium heat and add 1T oil. – Add chicken and fry until nicely browned, add onion and mushrooms. – Cook through until the chicken is fully cooked. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a casserole dish with half the broccoli. Set aside. – Make tofu sauce: Wrap tofu in two layers of paper towels and put on a plate. Microwave for two minutes to soak up moisture. – Put tofu into a bowl and whisk until smooth and creamy. – Add all remaining sauce ingredients and mix well. – Pour the tofu sauce over the chicken mixture and place remaining broccoli on top. Cover with grated cheese. – Cook in the oven for about 20-25min until browned on top and sauce is bubbling.
Vegan tofu chocolate muffins
Makes 12 small muffins
Wet ingredients 1 pack firm or soft tofu (I recommend Morinaga brand) 8T sugar (I used coconut sugar, but any kind you like) 1/2 C soy milk or any plant-based milk 1/2 C oil (Use a mild flavoured oil. I used rice bran)
Dry ingredients 2C self-rising flour – sifted with Cocoa powder 2T cocoa powder 1 pinch salt 50g dairy-free chocolate chips Any kind of nuts for topping
– Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a muffin tray with paper muffin cups. – In a large bowl, mix all wet ingredients until well combined. – Sift self-raising flour and cocoa powder together. Stir all wet ingredients into dry mix and stir until just smooth. – Mix in chocolate chips. – Fill muffin cases two-thirds full and top with nuts. – Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until risen and centre is firm. – Leave the muffins in the tin to cool for a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack. – Serve with dusted icing sugar.
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YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE | Saturday, June 13, 2020
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Saturday, June 13, 2020 | YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE
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Keeping you on your toes How is it injured?
PHYSIO LAID BARE with SHAUN CLARK
P
lantar fasciitis is an overload injury at the attachment of the plantar fascia to the underside of the heel and is the third most common injury in runners and walkers. It is an extremely common issue and one that is not often well understood, but if you can understand what is going on, and what the plantar fascia does, it may just help you get this frustrating heel pain better!
What is the plantar fascia? The plantar fascia is a band of connective tissue that runs along the sole from the heel to the ball of the foot. One of its main roles is to keep the bones and joints in position and enables us to push off from the ground. Bruising or overstretching this ligament can cause heel pain and thickening of the tissue. This is why it is now called plantar fasciopathy, rather than fasciitis, as it is more due to thickening and dysfunction than inflammation. In many cases, plantar fasciitis is associated with a heel spur. Surprisingly, the spur itself does not cause pain and may often be found in the other foot without symptoms. The plantar fascia is a really important structure in our bodies and works with every single step we take, so it is no wonder that these injuries can really hang around as they are very hard to rest. As you can see in the diagram (below), the plantar fascia gets tight when your heel comes off the ground to push off on your big toe. It works like a spring to help drive us forward and also raises the arch up to stabilise it so that we have a strong base to work off.
The plantar fascia is injured through repetitive strain to the tissue. The repetitive strain causes micro-tears to the fascia which in turn causes localised degeneration, mild inflammation and pain where the fascia attaches into the heel. There are a number of causes that lead to the fascia becoming overloaded, from calf dysfunction or inadequate footwear to changes in loading, to hip strength or increased BMI. This overload produces excessive stress on the fascia leading to micro-tears in the fascia. This causes your body to go into protective mode, starting a reaction, which makes the fascia thicker, less flexible, more sensitive and overall more dysfunctional.
How can I get it better? There are a number of things you can do to help your heel pain get better. The main things are addressing footwear and using orthotics if needed, addressing calf tension or weakness and loading the fascia through specific rehab exercises to encourage it to adapt and heal back to normal. Your physio can help you address these things, but keep in mind that everyone is different, and it is important to find out what is contributing to YOUR injury. Shaun Clark is principal physio and director at PhysioSteps Ashburton and Selwyn and has experience at the Commonwealth Games and World Rugby 7s. The team are experts in musculoskeletal pain and injury rehab.
Above – Bottom of a normal human foot. Shown is the plantar fascia, a fibrous band of tissue on the sole of the foot that helps to support the arch. Left – As you can see, the plantar fascia gets tight when your heel comes off the ground to push off on your big toe.
An icy reality T
he latest wellness trend sweeping Europe and America has made its way to rural Mid Canterbury – although possibly by accident. And I’m pleased to say it comes at a lovely price. Free. In fact, possibly even saving me a fortune. It all coincides with a plunge in temperature and the icy reality that winter is finally here. So one morning, when a cracker frost transformed the lush green pastures to crisp white and you could hear the crunch of ice under your ugg boots, I leapt out of bed as usual, flicked on the shower and headed to the kitchen for a coffee. With a hot, strong brew in hand I headed back to the bathroom and although it didn’t seem its normal steamy self, I shrugged it off and dove in. Then ... it hit me – ice. Ice so cold I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out. Unfortunately, I was com-
FARMY PRINCESS with DONNA-MARIE LEVER
pletely committed, standing starkers, directly underneath what felt like a blizzard in full swing. Although I’m not a 100 per cent sure, my heart possibly stopped for a few seconds, I definitely stopped breathing momentarily. Once I regained the ability to yell and scream and call for help, the farmer chuckled that the pipes had probably frozen and I should have checked the temperature before leaping in. Not. Very. Helpful. The slightly blue tinge to my skin didn’t last long and a quick google of events later revealed there would be no negative long-term health effects from my chilly encounter – but rather, quite the opposite. This was good for me!
Ice therapy is a thing – athletes use it for recovery, it can apparently assist weight loss, reduce inflammation, rejuvenate the skin and cleanse the spirit. This trend isn’t just confined to the corners of the globe either, it turns out that for around $25 a week an inner-city Auckland facility will let you freeze too. This must be the easiest business to set up; we could even have a row of ice baths in a paddock taking in the beautiful rural landscape, while customers shiver their way to great health. I’m not sure I can keep it up to be honest, but if I could, imagine the benefits, a booming business, a leaner figure by summer and most definitely a lighter power bill this winter! TV reporter, journalist, mum and born and bred Aucklander Donna-Marie Lever talks about life after marrying a farmer and moving to rural Mid Canterbury
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STAY AND PLAY MACKENZIE
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It’s 35 minutes from Fairlie. Mount Dobson is an under-rated gem with a triple-seater chairlift and a T-bar accessing two massive valleys and, come powder days, a short traverse or walk will ensure you score fresh tracks all day long. The Waitaki Valley is an untouched valley home to rivers and lakes with arguably some of the best scenery in New Zealand. Take a drive through Omarama, Otematata, Duntroon or Kurow for food and a fuel stop or feel inspired to get in touch with nature. Near Kurow, in the Waitaki Valley, is Awakino, a club-operated ski area that opens for group bookings during the weekends in winter. The beauty of the ski area is its club charm, touring options and how remarkably unchanged it’s remained over the years.
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Tips for things to do in Mackenzie – Walking around Lake Alexandrina. While the Tekapō lakefront is usually packed with tourists for most of the year, nearby Lake Alexandrina is a quiet refuge for locals. A peaceful, still lake packed with trout, where motorboats are banned and old campervans have been parked for decades, Lake Alexandrina is one of the last authentically Kiwi holiday spots around Tekapō. – The views from Kea Point at Mt Cook. Pretty much no matter where you go around Aoraki Mt Cook National Park, you are guaranteed great views. Quite possibly the easiest place to access the Southern Alps, It leads you to a beautiful view of Mueller Lake and Mt Cook in the distance along with great views of the thundering hanging glaciers of Mt Sefton. – In Tekapo there’s the Church of the Good Shepherd to visit, and right around the corner is the Sheepdog Memorial on
Mackenzie Street. – There are tonnes of walks in the Mackenzie and a nice short Tekapo one with gorgeous views is the Cowans Hill Walkway (1-2 hour walk). – Fairlie is home to the famous Fairlie Bakehouse, art galleries and even a heritage museum. You can even take a hands-on tour of an alpaca and llama farm, which the kids would love, or take a scenic helicopter flight. – Kurow is located in the middle of the Waitaki Valley at the junction of two rivers. You can go on a wine tour to savour the local cool climate varieties. It’s also surrounded by dams and lakes where you can enjoy cycling and walking, which often takes in part of the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail. If you’re feeling more energetic, there’s a mini-mountain walk up Kurow Hill. It’s pretty steep but the visual pay-off is well worth the climb.
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5469 Kurow-Duntroon Road Kurow | Check out our FB @Westernhousekurow Phone: 03 436 0876 or 027 501 6534 | westernhouse.kurow@gmail.com
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YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE | Saturday, June 13, 2020
Boost your winter wellness NATURALLY YOU with Jane Logie
W
ith all of the Covid-19 virus fear in the media, it can make us all feel rather vulnerable to this virus and other viruses that may arise over the coming winter months. So if you are feeling well and healthy it will help to make you feel better as a person. Feeling better on the inside helps you to shine on the outside. With the dark winter months ahead of us, the best way to embrace those long cold months that many of us dread, is to get out and about, and soak up the sunshine when and where we can, and when it is available to us. Sunshine provides us with the essential vitamin D, that is important to build immunity, and getting out into its rays helps us to feel well, builds up our levels of vitamin D, and look healthy as a consequence. Sitting outside, or actually going outside into the sunlight for some exercise, is a great way to enjoy those sun rays. Sun and exercise, whether that be a short or long walk, riding your bike around the block or several, hiking a hill, or taking a stroll somewhere in nature, can help boost your winter health and feelings of wellness. Sunshine provides that much-needed boost in serotonin, your feel-good hormone, and helps reduce your levels of melatonin, your sleepy hormone. Staying indoors for long periods of time can make you feel tired, sluggish, lethargic, low in mood and increase your feelings of anxiety and depression, due to low levels of serotonin. Going outside on a near daily basis, especially when the sun is shining, can boost your levels of serotonin, which lifts your mood, helping you to feel good, boosts your energy levels and improves your overall mental health. It also improves your immune health and could even improve your quality of sleep. Being cooped up inside during these cold winter days, the indoor air can become quite stale, so that crisp, fresh winter air sucked deep into your lungs can help re-oxygenate your body. Getting fresh oxygen into your lungs, brain and cells, lifts your mood, energy levels and state of wellness. Physical fitness, be it gentle or vigorous walking, biking, hiking, skiing, cycling, running, golfing, are all ways to get out into nature or your local community to see the sights, hear the sounds and smell your surroundings. It really can have a powerful uplifting effect. So step outside, put on plenty of layers and you may just feel magic again. When the sun goes down and the coolness of the short winter day sets back in, you can then enjoy sliding back into that comfy couch once more. Your muscles and lungs will be ever grateful to you for giving them a whirl around the block. So make sure you get out there this winter and enjoy what nature has to offer, and you will find that the cold winter days will become way more enjoyable than you anticipated. Boosting your winter wellness will also leave you feeling that much fitter when spring arrives, and you may also find you are carrying a few less kilos than at the start of winter. With the compliments of Jane Logie, a medicinal herbalist, clinical nutritionist and chef from Methven
Fillet steak with shitake mushroom sauce This is a great winter dish that can help to boost your iron levels, which, in turn, helps boost energy levels and immune health to get you out into the fresh air and exercising. The sauce is topped with the immune-boosting shitake mushrooms that you can buy fresh from your local supermarket, giving your mushroom sauce a depth of flavour. The addition of green vegetables helps boost your cells with energy and vitality.
2 fillet steaks 3-4T olive oil 1/4 t rock salt 1/4 t white pepper 1/4 t ground black pepper
Sauce 4 shitake mushrooms 6 button mushrooms 125ml cream 1T butter 1/2 C red wine – cabernet merlot 1/4 t rock salt 1/4 t black pepper – Bring your steaks to room temperature before cooking in a pan on the stove. – Season steaks well with salt and the two peppers. – Heat a cast iron or heavy-bottomed pan on the stove with olive oil and cook steaks on
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both sides for 2-3 minutes, and then set aside on a plate for them to rest. Using the steaks’ juices in the bottom of the pan, add in the butter and let sizzle, saute the sliced mushrooms for a few minutes. Add in the red wine and let bubble away for a few minutes, then add the cream and let the sauce reduce and thicken slightly so it starts to coat the back of a spoon. Finally season the sauce to your taste. To serve: Place the steaks on a dinner plate and coat with the shitake mushroom sauce. Serve with either winter vegetables of your liking or a fresh crisp salad and potato mash. Tip: Letfover shitake mushrooms can be added to any other dishes of your liking such as a risotto, a Chinese stir-fry or a tom yum with rice, for example.
Saturday, June 13, 2020 | YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE
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Welcome winter
ow it’s officially winter, don’t abandon those lovely gardens that enjoyed your attention during lockdown. Keep reaping the benefits of your hard work through a few monthly tasks. This month’s jobs include pruning of pip, stone fruit and roses, harvesting of winter vegetables and planting new strawberry plants, shrubs and trees, as well as general maintenance in the garden.
In the vege patch Continue planting seedlings of vegetables that you want to harvest in late winter/early spring. Seeds of broad beans, onions, peas, radish and spinach can still be sown. Prepare the soil thoroughly with the addition of fresh compost before planting. June is the month for dividing old rhubarb plants and this should be done every three to four years. Plant new divisions 600mm apart. Rhubarb thrives in a ‘rich’ soil i.e. fresh compost enriched with blood and bone. Winter flowering annuals Winter flowering annuals planted in autumn should be in full flower. They include alyssum, calendulas, aurelia, nemesias, pansies, poppies, primulas, snapdragons, stock and sweet peas. Dead-head finished flowers to encourage continuous blooming. Pruning fruit trees June is the main month for pruning existing fruit trees and purchasing new ones. Garden centres have the most comprehensive selection of new season fruit trees
now. When pruning young pip and stone fruit trees, aim to create a strong structure that will support the weight of fruiting wood in future years. With older, mature fruit trees, remove inward growing branches, reduce the height of trees (for harvesting and maintenance) and remove any overgrown branches. Where there are signs of damage or disease, remove these branches.
have a lot of dead/diseased wood, it is advisable to remove the specimens and replace with new rose bushes. With climbing roses, train the main leaders (growing up from ground) on a horizontal axis as this encourages the production of flowers. With all roses, a spray with copper compound after the completion of pruning helps minimise re-infection of fungal disease in spring.
Pruning berry fruit All these berry fruit (raspberries, boysenberries, loganberries, gooseberries) are very vigorous growers requiring the removal of all old growth and some of the same season’s canes where they are not required. Tie new canes to the existing wires or framework. Be careful to remove any diseased plant material.
Lawn care Great growth has now ceased, and light mowing should only be needed every 3-4 weeks. Check lawns regularly for wet spots which may require additional drainage, which is probably better carried out during dry summer months.
Planting strawberries It’s the last month for planting strawberries. Space new plants 120-200mm apart into mounded soil 200mm above the existing soil level. This ensures adequate drainage and most importantly, enhances the early warming of the soil in spring. Rose pruning commences Apart from the odd late flowering rose e.g. iceberg, most roses have now shed their leaves and can be pruned. Remove all dead or diseased wood, remember most rose bushes, even though quite healthy, will have some dead wood. Prune to outward facing buds and remove any wood that is thinner than pencil thickness. If some plants
Ornamental trees and shrubs Garden centres have the best range of plants in June and July so an excellent time to buy! Always be fussy when selecting new plants. Ensure they are new, healthy, and not root-bound, and are the right plant for the position you are going to plant them in. Try to avoid overcrowding in your garden as trees and shrubs can often grow a lot bigger than what is written on the label. Container gardens Especially useful over the winter months for growing salad vegetables and herbs close to the kitchen. Mass displays of winter annuals in containers can brighten up winter decks and balconies. Always plant into fresh container mix that has sufficient nutrients for healthy, vigorous growth.
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YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE | Saturday, June 13, 2020
Carrot rot
Cynthia Young is this month’s winner with the following question:
Our vege garden has been similar to our weather this year. All was rather good except for one row of carrots which were a good size, but half the row was coated in a dark grey/black sooty covering which had penetrated the skin. Do I replace the soil or sterilise the soil?
P
roducing good quality carrots in the home garden is not an easy proposition. From the photo you supplied, it looks like your carrots have been infected by bacterial soft rot. This is a common problem especially when carrots are grown in heavy clay soils
or if the soil becomes very wet during the growing season. Ohakune, the home of NZ carrot growing, has a very free-draining volcanic soil thanks to the surrounding volcanic mountains, so the carrots are always superb. In the home garden, we would not recommend sterilising the soil. It is not a simple process and the chemicals used are quite toxic and they will kill all the beneficial organisms in the soil along with it. Instead, lighten your soil with the addition of Daltons 7in1 Compost, improve the existing drainage and regularly rotate the vege crops in your garden. You may find it helpful to read our free How to Grow Guides which cover a range of gardening topics and include tips from our experts: www.daltons.co.nz/how-to-
FREE
Daltons Rose Care prize pack
We have a prize pack to give away valued at $80 and includes 2 Garden Time Planting Mix (40l), 1 x Daltons Premium Rose Fertiliser (1.5kg) and 2 x Daltons Premium Flower Bed Mix (40l), including a pair of comfortable Red Back gardening gloves from Omni Products www.omniproducts.co.nz. For more information on Daltons products visit www.daltons.co.nz
Be in to win Email goodies@ theguardian.co.nz with Daltons Rose Care prize pack in the subject heading, or write to Rose Care pack giveaway, Box 77, Ashburton. CONDITIONS OF ENTRY:
• You must provide a gardening question for the Daltons experts to answer. • Please include your address and phone number in email and letter options! • Giveaway entries must be received by June 29.
All questions supplied are entered into the draw to win a Daltons prize pack, but the Guardian reserves the right to choose which questions and answers will be published. Daltons post the prize to our lucky winner.