This is an absolutely delicious winter warmer. And it’s SO easy. There is a wee bit of cooking required before bunging all of the ingredients into the slow cooker, and this involves coating and briefly frying the chicken in a pan. Other than that, it’s just chopping some veges and putting the cooker on early, so it’s ready for you … Read More
Rocket and Parmesan Salad
Ok, I admit it. I’ve never really been a fan of rocket. I’ve never really known how to use it other than as a substitute for lettuce or spinach in a sandwich. I also never really liked the bitterness or ‘peppery’ flavour as a leaf on it’s own – I found it overpowering. Little did I know, I had been … Read More
Beef and Lentil Burgers
From the ‘Heart Foundation Cookbook – Full of Beans’ available for download from https://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/resources/full-o-beans-cookbook/ Ingredients 250 lean beef mince 400g canned lentils, drained and rinsed 2 tbsp tomato sauce 1 egg 1/3 cup parsley, chopped 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped 1 cup dried breadcrumbs 1 carrot, grated Pinch ground black pepper Method Combine all ingredients Knead mixture until well … Read More
30 minute Chicken Pie
30 minute Chicken Pie Serves 6 Ingredients 3-4 large chicken breast (about 700g) Knob of butter A lug of oil 2 spring onions 150g mushrooms 1 heaped tbsp plain flour 2 tsp English mustard (optional) 2 heaped tbsp lite cream cheese 300ml chicken stock 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 3 pinches of dried thyme ½ tsp nutmeg Puff pastry … Read More
Diabetes Classes
Village Health presents a 3 part interactive series for people with Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes, run by our very own Dietitian Leanne! Click HERE or read on for further information. This event will be held upstairs in our brand new building at Village Health, 30 Lincoln Road. Classes begin at 5.45pm and will finish approximately 6.45pm. The first class – held … Read More
Coeliac Awareness Week, 10 – 16 June 2019
This week is ‘Coeliac Awareness Week’ in NZ. Approximately 1 in 70 New Zealanders have coeliac disease, and up to 80% of those are unaware they have the condition! Increasing awareness is important for both diagnosis and increasing our knowledge on what a gluten free diet is. Someone close to me personally has coeliac disease – she recently had dinner … Read More
Making Small Changes
Whether we think about it or not, we have all made changes for better or worse over our lifetimes. Most of the time, these changes occur without us even realising they are happening – especially the ‘bad’ ones! Whether you’re trying to cut down on some indulgences, get fitter, socialise more, or even learn an instrument – the number one … Read More
Vitamin C & The Common Cold
As winter steadily approaches, our noses tend to drip a little more and the trusty Vitamin C tablets come back out of the kitchen cabinet. But how useful is vitamin C when it comes to the common cold, and is it worth its hefty price? Vitamin C plays a role as an antioxidant, assists in wound healing, increases iron absorption … Read More
Measles Outbreak in Canterbury
Due to the recent outbreak of measles in the community, Village Health has been inundated with phone calls asking about the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine (MMR). The MMR vaccine is given in two divided doses at age 15 months and 4 years. One vaccine will give 95% coverage, and two vaccinations will provide 99 % coverage. So the priority … Read More
Mindfulness, Not Mindlessness
It’s fair to say we live busy lives. We go from one thing to the next – whether it’s our jobs, relationships, children, houses, finances… the list goes on! Being mindful in the way we live, interact with people and food can be a way of dealing with all that life stress that just seems to build up. Mindfulness? Mindfulness … Read More