7 minute read
HEALTH & LIFESTYLE
Chefaholic Chefaholic
Cooking School Cooking School and Catering and Catering
Chefaholic Cooking SchoolA PADDOCK TO PLATE COOKING EXPERIENCE FOR ALLA PADDOCK TO PLATE COOKING EXPERIENCE FOR ALL
•250ml Pureed pumpkin (room temperature) •50 ml warm water •1 tsp Salt •1 Tsp sugar
Method
PUMPKIN BREAD Duck à l’orange A paddock to plate cooking experience for all
Ingredients
•1 x 2kg whole duck •1 Tbsp olive oil •150g butter •500g plain flour •100ml Grand Marnier •2 tsp dry yeast. • • • 50ml vinegar 50g castor sugar Juice of 3 oranges •Pepitas and sunflower seeds (optional) •6 oranges
Method
GLUTEN-FREE
minutes. Remove from IngredientsCHOCOLATE SPONGE oven and cover with Grand Marnier and cook for a WITH BUTTERCREAM Ingredients further 5 minutes. Remove from oven and Cake: strain all liquid into a pot, add in vinegar, sugar • and juice of 3 oranges and reduce until a nice 225g softened butter, plus extra for greasing consistency. • 225g castor sugar Meanwhile peel and cut oranges and prep with no skin or seed. When sauce is • 200g rice flour nearly ready add segments to sauce and warm - do not • 25g cocoa powder let oranges break down. • 4 eggs Carve duck and cover with sauce and arrange • segments. Enjoy!2 tsp gluten-free baking powder • 2 tbsp milk Icing: • 150g softened butter • 250g icing sugar
1. To make pumpkin puree you will need a cup of Clean and pat dry duck, chopped pumpkin and enough water to cover it. heat butter in fry pan large
Either boil on the stove top in a saucepan or place in enough to hold duck and a microwave on high for 8 to 10 mins.fry duck for approximately 2. When the pumpkin is soft use a blender to process 5 minutes. it. Stand aside to cool. Place duck in oven for *These next steps can be done with a bread maker on approximately 45 minutes dough setting. on 180°C basting as you go. 3. In a bowl place the 50 ml warm water, sugar and Turn heat down to 160°C yeast together. Mix and set aside until frothy, or and cook for a further 30 about 10 mins. 4. In a larger bowl place the flour and salt. Make a well For further information please contact: E: P: in the centre and put in olive oil, cooled pumpkin puree and the yeast mix. Mix together and turn out onto a floured bench top and knead for 10 mins, if chefaholic.tas@gmail.com 0407 175 720 or 0448 820 367 dough is sticky add a bit more flour. Set aside for www.chefaholiccookingschool.com half an hour or until doubled in size. Knead again for 10 mins and set aside for another half an hour. 5. When dough has risen again flatten out slightly and sprinkle pepitas and sunflower seeds onto • the dough. Form into the shape of loaf you want, containing the seeds on the inside. 2 tbsp cocoa 6. Set aside again to rise for 40 mins. 7. Set oven to 195oC Method 8. 1. When dough has risen again, brush the top with water and sprinkle on more seeds. Lightly grease and line two 20cm 9. Bake for 20 – 30 mins, depending on shape of loaf. sandwich tins. 10.2. Bread is ready when it is golden brown on the Place all the cake ingredients in a bowl 11. 3. outside and sounds hollow when you tap it with your knuckles. Let cool a bit then eat! Enjoy and mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Divide the mixture between the For further information please contact: prepared tins and place in a pre-heated E: chefaholic.tas@gmail.com 180C oven for 12-15 minutes, until P: 0407 175 720 or 0448 820 367 just firm to the touch and beginning to www.chefaholiccookingschool.com shrink away from the sides of the tin. 4. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 5. Beat together all the icing ingredients in a bowl, then spread half over one sponge and sandwich together with the remaining sponge. Spread the remaining icing on top.
For further information please contact:
www.chefaholiccookingschool.com
Be prepared for anything when hiking in Tassie
Four seasons in one Tassie day of hiking
Jo Cordell-Cooper
WHAT the weather is like can make or break your hiking adventure and Tasmania is known for having the most weather - that is, the most variety over a single day. Here are my three tips to consider when heading out.
First, use a reliable weather app and set it to the region where you are walking. That might sound kind of obvious but if you are in Hobart and heading in to the Central Highlands make sure the website or app is set to that region, and as close to the altitude you are going to as possible.
If you are heading out on a multi-day walk, check the weather for the entirety of your hike. Ensure your phone has ongoing battery and if possible, phone reception, as long-range weather report often change.
It has become a topic of discussion amongst hikers heading out in winter as to which app is the best. Not all weather apps are equal, and even some high-profile sources of local weather information have been unreliable so we’ve been looking at other options.
I’ve heard good reports about the WillyWeather and YR apps, and as one of my very funny clients asked, “YR we walking in the rain, Jo?”. We will always remember the name of that app following this rather terrible Dad joke!
Secondly, there is often a clue in the name of certain regions. If a place is called Tornado Flat or Windy Ridge, expect wind. Additionally, if the plant life is low to the ground it is possible that there is frequently high wind or heavy snow dumps (or both). Simply do a little research before you go, as there are many bloggers and social media groups that are excellent sources of information.
Thirdly, consider the weather of the last few weeks. If there has been rain river crossings may be hazardous, trails may be become landslides. Add a little wind, and trees are coming down from the roots. Once the ground becomes truly sodden wind comes quite risky in regions with tall trees.
I was lucky to have walked into Ironstone Hut in winter and made a small river crossing where Snake Lake decants into Lake Nameless. It was a small, straightforward but icy crossing. A friend went in a few weeks later following rain in that region and found it impassable. So, keep recent weather events in your mind too. Snow melt following a burst of sunshine can also fill the lakes and streams with icy flow.
Get out and enjoy our beautiful state but check the weather first! Tassie weather can change quickly so always be prepared for four seasons in a day.
Jo Cordell-Cooper is the current AusActive Tasmanian Personal Trainer of the Year. Jo specialises in hiking fitness, and also people with complex bodies such as autoimmune conditions and recovery from cancer. Like free hiking fitness resources? Go to jocc.com.au or phone 0409 862206.
Why have private health insurance?
MANY people question the need for private health insurance. Here are some advantages to having private health cover and not just relying on Medicare.
Peace of mind
Ensuring the health of you and your family is very important. Private hospital cover gives peace of mind by guarding against large and unexpected hospital and health care bills.
Plus, extras cover can reduce costs for dental visits, glasses, physio sessions and much more – making it easier to afford health.
Other health care costs
Medicare does not cover the cost of dental, optical, physiotherapy, chiropractic and many other health services. HCi offers you three levels of extras cover to help offset these health costs.
Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS)
Private health insurance also helps high earners avoid paying the MLS of up to 1.5 per cent of their income. This surcharge is on top of the Medicare Levy paid through tax.
Medicare covers hospital and medical costs as a public patient in a public hospital. It gives you no choice of doctor and usually means a shared ward. There is often a substantial waiting time for treatment, especially for elective surgery.
With HCi health cover, if you or your family need hospital care, you get greater control over who treats you where. Usually, elective surgery wait times are significantly less than the public system. HCi covers over 500 private hospital facilities, and more than 30,000 doctors.
Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) loading
LHC is a financial loading added to hospital cover rates. If you join early and continue hospital cover, you get lower premium rates than those starting cover when older.
A loading of two per cent applies for each year you are over 30 when starting cover, up to a maximum of 70 per cent. So, if you join at 40, you could pay an extra 20 per cent on your hospital cover costs.
