Pumpkin Soup with Savoury Granola Topping Recipe

Add crunch to pumpkin soup with this healthy granola topping.

Serves: 6

Time to prep: 20 minutes

Time to cook: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 prosciutto slices, excess fat trimmed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 brown onions, coarsely chopped
• 1kg Kent pumpkin, seeded, peeled, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped
• 4 cups (1L) chicken stock
• Thickened cream, to serve
• Coarsely chopped chives, to serve

Savoury granola topping

• 1 egg white, lightly whisked
• 1/2 cup (45g) rolled oats
• 1/2 cup (100g) pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 1/2 cup (75g) sunflower kernels
• 1/2 cup (40g) natural flaked almonds
• 1/4 cup (50g) white or tri-coloured quinoa, rinsed, drained
• 1 tablespoon black chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds

Method

• To make the savoury granola, preheat oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the egg white, oats, pepitas, sunflower kernels, almonds, quinoa, chia seeds, sesame seeds, honey and cumin seeds in a medium bowl and toss to combine. Spoon oat mixture in a thin layer over the lined tray. Bake for 10-15 mins or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, place the prosciutto on a baking tray. Bake for 5 mins or until crisp. Coarsely chop.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 mins or until onion softens. Add the pumpkin, carrot and chicken stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 mins or until pumpkin and carrot are very tender.
• Place half the pumpkin mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a clean saucepan. Repeat with remaining pumpkin mixture. Heat over low heat. Season with salt and pepper.
• Divide the soup among serving bowls. Top with a dollop of cream and sprinkle with prosciutto, chives and granola.

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Learn to Swim Term 3 - Re-enrollments opening SOON

Re-enrollments open

for Learn to Swim Term 3

on Monday 1 June!

New Term for Dolphins Learn to Swim - starting July 6 2015. Enrol your little ones now to join the Dolphins Learn to Swim program and prepare your loved ones for the year ahead - in our Award Winning Swim Centre.

*** WIN! ***

Pay your full Term 3 2015 fees upfront to go into the draw

to win Term 4 2015 FOR FREE!

For more information or to enrol in the Dolphins Learn to Swim term, please see Dolphins Health Precinct reception.

Dangers of Staring at a Smart Phone All Day

BY KELLY KREGLOW

What is “iPad neck” and why is it your best excuse for skipping work today to get a massage?

Remember when a curved spine or a “dowager’s hump” were signs of old age? A new study by the New York Spine Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine suggests that this affliction might just indicate that you’re too popular on social media.

Slumping and texting, slouching while Facebooking, and hunching over a Tablet can all lead to spinal issues. Holding the power of the universe in your hands can take a toll on your neck.

The average head weighs 10 to 12 pounds, but according to the study, “for each 15 degrees of tilt, the pressure increases. At 15 degrees, a person feels 27 pounds of pressure; at 30 degrees, it ups to 40 pounds; and at 60 degrees, a person should feel roughly 60 pounds of force on the spine.”

60 pounds! Take a moment and really think about that number. 60 pounds is the weight of an average 8 year-old child, or a full grown female German Shepherd. That’s also the approximate of weight of 33 pints of beer, 57 frozen pizzas, and 61 heads of romaine lettuce.

How do you get these proverbial dogs and frozen pizzas off your head? You can start by Strengthening Your Back With Exercise. There are also small fixes you can make in the way you use your devices.

Alan Hedge, Ph.D., director of Cornell's Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory, has some suggestions for preventing what he calls “iPad neck” or “text neck.”

Raise Your Phone Higher.

If you read your emails or surf the Internet on a hand-held device, “lift it higher,” Dr. Hedge says. “If you’re reading at a table, rest your elbow on the table to hold it higher.” If propping up a device with your own arms is too problematic (or you're just too lazy), there are also numerous Tablet stands and iPad mounts available online.

Do More Talking.

We don’t just mean calling people rather than emailing them—although that's a worthwhile challenge, now that you mention it—Dr. Hedge means utilizing voice commands. “Dictate your emails and texts,” he says. “And hold your head up straight while talking to your device.”

Take Frequent Microbreaks.

“When you’ve finished an email or text, pause, and look straight ahead for 20 to 30 seconds,” says Dr. Hedge. He also recommends periodically shrugging your shoulders, raising your arms and rotating them at the shoulders, and “turning your head left and right to ease neck tensions.”

Get Neck Massages.

If you needed permission, now you have it. If your boss asks why you're taking the afternoon off to get a massage, you can say, “The director at Cornell's Ergonomics Laboratory told me to do it so I can avoid back surgery.” Who's going to argue with that? You're welcome!

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Chicken, Cashew & Mint Rice Paper Rolls

Try these sumptuous rice paper rolls. Light enough as a delicious starter or a main dish for dinner. No cooking required.

Makes: 16

Time to prep: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 50g dried rice vermicelli noodles
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup dry-roasted cashews, chopped
• 3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, finely grated
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 16 (22cm round) rice paper rounds
• 32 fresh mint leaves, extra

Dipping sauce

• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

Method

• Place noodles in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water. Set aside for 5 minutes or until softened. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Drain. Using scissors, cut noodles into shorter lengths.
• Place noodles, chicken, carrot, chopped mint, coriander and cashews in a bowl. Toss to combine. In a separate bowl, combine ginger, garlic, lime juice and sugar. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Pour dressing over chicken mixture. Toss to combine.
• Place a damp tea towel on a baking tray. Fill a shallow dish with warm water. One by one, dip rice paper rounds in water. Place on a tea towel to absorb excess water. Place 2 mint leaves along 1 edge of each round. Top with 2 tablespoons chicken mixture. Roll up, folding in edges, to enclose filling. Place on damp tea towel on tray. Cover with another damp tea towel.
• Make Dipping sauce: Combine hoisin, five spice and 2 tablespoons cold water in a bowl. Stir in onion and coriander. Serve rice paper rolls with dipping sauce.

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Studio Suspension starting 2nd June

Starting June 2nd

at Balance Mind + Body Studio:

Studio Suspension Class

Studio Suspension is a highly effective total-body workout utilising a unique suspension training tool. By incorporating gravity, your bodyweight and resistance to increase strength, build tone, improve movement and help build a rock-solid core. This class will significantly strengthen your stabiliser muscles through all planes of motion and targets many different muscle groups. A fully trained suspension instructor will be there to guide you through the exercises, which you are in control of by simply adjusting your body position to add or decrease resistance depending on how much you’d like to challenge yourself.

Stay tuned for more information!

The Best Vegan Chocolate Mousse Recipe

A vegan chocolate mousse that is delicious! Need we say more? 

Serves: 4-6

Time to prep: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 400 ml can coconut cream.
• 1/2 cup raw cacao powder.
• 1/4 cup rice malt syrup.
• 1/4 cup chia seeds.
• cacao nibs, optional.

Method

• Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk ingredients together until well combined and smooth.
• Pour into 4-6 serving glasses. Sprinkle with cacao nibs if you like. 
• Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or until firm. 

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We're Hiring - Personal Trainer

Dolphins Health Precinct was the recipient of a Gold Quality Award in 2013/14 and National Fitness Facility of the year 2012.

We are looking for a contract based personal trainer with a minimum of 2 yrs of industry experience. Must be wanting a long term career in fitness and have the wiliness to make it happen by putting the hours in to build a successful business, as well as the ability to stand out from your average run-of-the-mill personal trainer.

Essential skills required

• Friendly and passionate about the health and fitness industry
• A team player but comfortable working independently.
• Highly enthusiastic, career driven and internally motivated
• Driven to help your clients achieve their goals
• Wanting to build a long term successful personal training business
• Keen to grow as a personal trainer and develop new skills.
• Great at providing customer service to all gym members
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Highly organised and able to demonstrate initiative.
• Hold current certificates for Fitness Australia, Qld Blue card-working with children, Fitness Insurance, Senior First Aid and CPR as well as an ABN
• Excellent record keeping skills

Highly desirable skills include

• Previous skills as a subcontract based personal trainer.
• Tafe or tertiary fitness qualification
• Able to work with children, the elderly and disabled patrons.
• Aqua related qualifications-bronze medallion etc
• Previous experience teaching group fitness classes/bootcamps
• Previous gym reception experience
• Additional training qualifications-TRX, kettlebells,pilates, boxing etc
• Specialty niche.

If this sounds like you, please forward your resume and cover letter along with relevant certificates to fitness@dolphinshealthprecinct.com.au