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Recipe for March

3/2/2023

Leon - Spicy Chicken Couscous

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, skin cut off, cut into big chunks
2 tsp. dried chili flakes
a few hefty pinches of ground cinnamon
8 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
about 8 tbsp. of olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp. good curry powder (or curry paste)
about 8 handfuls of couscous
2 heaped tbsp. of butter
2 handfuls of raisins or sultanas (optional)
500 ml/2 cups chicken stock
salt
pine nuts, mint leaves, coriander, and lemon, to serve

For the tomatoes:

6 ripe plum tomatoes, cut in halves
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 220ºC/430ºF/gas mark 7.
In a small bowl, mix the chili flakes, cinnamon, garlic, salt, 4 tbsp. of the olive oil, and curry powder together. Coat your chicken pieces with it, then leave them in an ovenproof dish to marinate, 20 minutes or so.
If you are making the tomatoes, here is what you do: mix the garlic and oil for the tomatoes together. Lay the tomato halves on a baking tray with the garlic/oil mix. Season liberally.
About halfway into the marinating process, make your near-perfect couscous: put the couscous and sultanas/raisins (if using) into a medium-sized, heatproof bowl and stir with the remaining 4 tbsp. olive oil, completely coating the grains. Cover with the chicken stock, then lay a tea towel over the bowl and leave the couscous for 5 minutes.
When the couscous is finished, fluff it with a fork and then pour it into the dish with the chicken. Mix everything around, pushing the sultanas/raisins below the surface, since they can burn. You will want the couscous to be coated in the marinade, as well. Dot the top with the knobs of butter and cook on the upper shelf for 25 minutes, putting the tomato tray on the shelf underneath.
If you are using pine nuts as a garnish, toast them. Then, when everything is done, scatter on top, along with the chopped mint, coriander, and squeeze of lemon.
Plate and serve with the tomatoes.

To add an extra layer of texture and healthy greens, wilt a large bag of baby spinach and place into the oven dish before you add the chicken and couscous.

Back pain advice from the Clinic

3/2/2023

If the prospect of Spring has tempted you out into the garden, onto the golf course or up onto the hills, you might be feeling a few aches and pains in the lower back as your body adjusts to moving more vigorously again. As many of you are aware, it is not only those who overdo the gardening that can suffer from back ache, those who sit at a desk all day also are at increased risk as their abdominal and back muscles become increasingly weaker.

According to the 2014 Review, Prevention of Low Back Pain by Dr Maher et al. exercise can play a significant role in helping those with lower back pain.

Dr Maher prescribes exercise as, "exercise strengthens the muscles that support and control the spine, meaning that your spine is better able to cope with the load that you put on it during daily life, secondly the tissues that make up the spine, ligaments, discs and bones need regular movement and activity to stay strong and healthy."

Exercise, movement, and motion are our medicine; and should become our daily prescription for healthy living.

Try the Seated glutes stretch or the Wall calf stretch

If any of these exercises causes pain, contact one of our team for further advice and treatment. Do not leave it to go away on its own, the earlier the treatment is carried out the better. You should exercise and keep fit so that you can enjoy your gardening and other leisure activities, rather than using your gardening as an exercise to keep fit.

https://personalbest.neptune.practicehub.io/p/booking

Recipe for March

Back pain advice from the Clinic

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