This gorgeous dish comes together with only a few ingredients and very little active prep. It’s the perfect example of using olive oil as Mother Nature’s “sauce”—a drizzle right before serving turns EVOO into the star of this dish. Read the fine print on frozen puff pastry labels—many brands are loaded with artificial ingredients and no butter! I like the Bronx, New York-based Dufour Pastry Kitchen brand—the company is run by women and the results are delicious (they also make a vegan version). Any dough trimmings can be twisted into spirals, brushed with egg, sprinkled with grated cheese, and baked on a separate sheet of parchment for about 20 minutes.
Ingredients
4-ounce package of frozen puff pastry
White whole wheat flour
8 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
12 ounces asparagus, rinsed and trimmed to the same length
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 small egg
Optional garnishes: thin strips of prosciutto, Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings, balsamic vinegar
Directions
Step 1
Defrost the puff pastry according to package directions. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place a piece of parchment paper about 24 inches in length on your countertop and sprinkle on a small amount of the flour, then flour your rolling pin. Unfold the thawed dough on the paper, gently roll out the creases, and then roll it to about 10 by 16 inches. Use a paring knife to trim any uneven edges and then to score a rectangular border just 1 inch in from the edges on all four sides—it will look like a picture frame (be sure not to cut all the way through the dough). Lightly prick the dough within the border in an even pattern with a fork. Slide the parchment paper with the dough onto a rimmed sheet pan, cutting off or folding under any excess paper.
Step 2
Evenly sprinkle the grated cheese across the dough within the border. On a plate, toss the asparagus with a tablespoon of olive oil, then arrange the spears in one row over the Gruyère. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, and use a pastry brush to brush it on the dough border.
Step 3
Bake the tart for about 30 to 35 minutes, until the border is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Let cool for 10 minutes before topping with prosciutto and/or cheese, if using. Serve warm or at room temperature with a drizzle of olive oil and, if desired, a splash of balsamic.
Pan-Sautéed Cod Recipe, Spotlight on Pan, No-Waste Lemon Rinds, Breakfast for Your Brain and Exercise Can’t Undo the Heart Risks of Sugary Beverages
Do you shy away from making fish at home? It doesn’t have to be tricky. What’s more, fish is not only tasty, but also fast to prepare. Cod is a meaty yet mild fish, and when you buy the tenderloin, or central portion, it all cooks evenly—no worries about the thin end drying out while waiting for the thicker portion to be done. This week’s studies are both food-related, but in different ways. You’ve often heard it said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and a new study serves up some proof, while another offers more evidence of the downside of sugary drinks.
This simple prep creates a delicious sauce for the fish, and it cooks in a single pan. If you can’t find wild-caught cod, you can substitute another white-fleshed fish, fresh or frozen, preferably sustainably caught. There are now wonderful online fishmongers that ship expertly frozen fish to your door.
Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds cod, loin cut
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Directions
Step 1
Use paper towels to thoroughly pat the fish dry; season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and then the fish, skinned side up. Arrange the garlic and cherry tomatoes around the fish and cook for 8 minutes (overall cooking time will be longer than for a thin fillet). Use a wide spatula to flip the fish, then add the wine. After 3 minutes, cover the pan, lower the heat to medium, and continue cooking until cooked through, about another 5 minutes.
Step 2
Take off the cover, add the butter, squeeze the lemon over the fish and tomatoes, and sprinkle with the oregano. Once the butter melts, spoon the sauce over the fish, then transfer to a serving platter for an elegant presentation or slice into individual sections and plate. (If you’d like a thicker sauce, remove the fillet and turn up the heat, cooking the sauce until it reduces.)
Step 3
Serve with the tomatoes, pan sauce, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Yields 4 servings
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Cozy up to Cod
A mild fish, cod is a great choice if you want to expand beyond salmon and tuna. It doesn’t have the amount of omega-3 fatty acids found in those fatty fish, but it does have about a gram or so per serving. A great source of protein, plus important nutrients like vitamin B12 and selenium. it’s also low in mercury, a concern when it comes to fish like swordfish and king mackerel.
Because cod will take on the flavors of your recipe’s other ingredients, it lends itself to many cuisines. The center cut or loin, sometimes called the tenderloin, cooks evenly since it’s of a uniform thickness, plus it typically comes boneless and skinless. For the most nutrients and environmentally friendly cod (as well as any type of fish), look for fish that’s fresh or flash-frozen wild caught or certified as sustainably sourced.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
No-Waste Lemon Rinds
If you’re like me, you’re always looking for ways besides composting to use up lemon rinds. Here are some ideas:
Make candied lemon peels. These are a delicious treat and a festive garnish for many desserts. You can easily adapt my candied orange peel technique to lemons (and any other citrus rinds).
Mix up a household cleaner. Fill a spray bottle halfway with distilled vinegar and add the rinds of a lemon or two. Wait a week and then top off the bottle with water.
Refresh your cutting boards. This is a great use of lemon halves that still have some juice left. Sprinkle your board with salt and then use the cut side of a lemon to make a paste with the salt. After 5 minutes, use the edge of a wide metal spatula or bench scraper to scrape off the paste. Give the board a quick water rinse and pat dry.
Add a citrusy aroma to your home. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add lemon rinds, and simmer for 10 minutes or longer.
For Your Best Health
Breakfast for Your Brain
Despite the age-old cliché that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, there hasn’t been a lot of definitive research to support why this might be. Now a Danish study has found that a very specific type of breakfast, one that’s rich in protein, may leave you feeling more satisfied and improve your concentration for the day ahead.
The study followed 30 obese women, ages 18 to 30, for three days, during which time the women ate either a protein-rich breakfast, a carbohydrate-rich breakfast, or no breakfast at all. The women’s sense of satiety, hormone levels, and energy intake were measured at lunchtime, along with their total daily calorie intake. They also completed a cognitive concentration test during the study.
“We found that a protein-rich breakfast with skyr and oats increased satiety and concentration in the participants,” said Mette Hansen, PhD, associate professor in the department of public health at Aarhus University in Denmark and one of the authors of the study. Several of the subjects even had a hard time finishing the entire protein-rich breakfast!
“It’s intriguing that there can be such a big difference in the satiety effect of two different meals with the same calorie content. Had the women in the project been allowed to choose the size of the meal themselves, it’s likely that they’d have consumed more food and thereby more calories on the day they were served bread and jam than on the day they were given skyr and oats,” Dr. Hansen said.
Although the study provides important insights, it also has its limitations because only overweight young women participated, and it was based on relatively short-term observations, leaving open the question of how long-term dietary changes can affect health and weight. The researchers are already in the midst of a study looking at the differences between a high-protein breakfast and a low-protein breakfast on body composition and other measures such as microbiota and cholesterol levels.
The study, “A dairy-based protein-rich breakfast enhances satiety and cognitive concentration before lunch in young females with overweight to obesity: A randomized controlled cross-over study,” was published in the Journal of Dairy Science.
Fitness Flash
Exercise Can’t Undo the Heart Risks of Sugary Beverages
Despite all the benefits of physical activity, it can’t neutralize the risks of cardiovascular disease (the world’s leading cause of death) associated with drinking sugar-sweetened beverages, according to the new study “Sugar-sweetened or artificially-sweetened beverage consumption, physical activity, and risk of cardiovascular disease in adults: A prospective cohort study,” published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Sugar-sweetened beverages are the largest source of added sugars in the North American diet. “The marketing strategies for these drinks often show active people drinking these beverages. It suggests that sugary drink consumption has no negative effects on health if you’re physically active. Our research aimed to assess this hypothesis,” said study co-author Jean-Philippe Drouin-Chartier, PhD, professor at the Université Laval in Canada.
For the study, scientists looked at two groups of participants, totaling around 100,000 adults, who were followed for about 30 years. The data show that those who consumed sugar-sweetened beverages more than twice a week had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, regardless of their physical activity levels.
The study found that even the recommended 150 minutes of weekly physical activity said to protect against cardiovascular disease is not enough to counter the adverse effects of sugar-sweetened beverages. “Physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease associated with sugar-sweetened beverages by half, but it does not fully eliminate it,” Dr. Drouin-Chartier said.
The frequency of consumption considered in the study—twice a week—is relatively low, but still significantly associated with cardiovascular disease risk. With daily consumption, the risk of cardiovascular disease is even higher. For this reason, Dr. Drouin-Chartier underlined the importance of targeting the omnipresence of sugar-sweetened beverages in the food environment, a category that includes soft and carbonated drinks (with or without caffeine), lemonade, and fruit cocktails. The study did not specifically consider energy drinks, but they also tend to be sugar-sweetened.
For artificially-sweetened drinks, often presented as an alternative solution to sugar-sweetened beverages, consumption was not associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. While replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with diet drinks is better in some respects because it reduces the amount of sugar, Dr. Drouin-Chartier reiterated that the best drink option remains water.
“Our findings provide further support for public health recommendations and policies to limit people’s intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, as well as to encourage people to meet and maintain adequate physical activity levels,” added lead author Lorena Pacheco, a research scientist in the department of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
This simple prep creates a delicious sauce for the fish, and it cooks in a single pan. If you can’t find wild-caught cod, you can substitute another white-fleshed fish, fresh or frozen, preferably sustainably caught. There are now wonderful online fishmongers that ship expertly frozen fish to your door.
Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds cod, loin cut
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Directions
Step 1
Use paper towels to thoroughly pat the fish dry; season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and then the fish, skinned side up. Arrange the garlic and cherry tomatoes around the fish and cook for 8 minutes (overall cooking time will be longer than for a thin fillet). Use a wide spatula to flip the fish, then add the wine. After 3 minutes, cover the pan, lower the heat to medium, and continue cooking until cooked through, about another 5 minutes.
Step 2
Take off the cover, add the butter, squeeze the lemon over the fish and tomatoes, and sprinkle with the oregano. Once the butter melts, spoon the sauce over the fish, then transfer to a serving platter for an elegant presentation or slice into individual sections and plate. (If you’d like a thicker sauce, remove the fillet and turn up the heat, cooking the sauce until it reduces.)
Step 3
Serve with the tomatoes, pan sauce, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Chilaquiles with Fried Eggs Recipe, Spotlight on Salsa and Homemade Chips, Emotional Healing After a Loss and A Woman’s Edge When it Comes to Exercise
Mediterranean recipes aren’t the only ones enhanced by extra virgin olive oil. I love to use it in all my dishes, from Asian to South American and all points in between. In fact, even recipes that call for a “neutral” oil will be more flavorful with EVOO. My chilaquiles are the perfect example, and when you use olive oil to make this zesty tortilla chip breakfast, you’ll also get the health benefits of its polyphenols. In this edition of the newsletter, I’m also sharing a new study’s strategies for coping with grief, something we will all face at different points in our lives, as well as research on the different exercise needs of men and women.
This Mexican dish, which dates back to the early Aztecs, is as delicious as it is easy to make. My fast-and-furious version uses prepared salsa and packaged tortilla chips for the quickest prep, but if you have a few extra minutes, it’s even more amazing when you make your own chips (see Quick Kitchen Nugget) and salsa—click to check out my salsa recipes. I love chilaquiles with fried eggs, but you can personalize your dish with another protein or beans.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use, plus more for drizzling
1 small onion, slivered
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups salsa (about 32 ounces), red or green
4 cups tortilla chips
4 large eggs
4 ounces queso fresco or cotija cheese, crumbled
1 avocado, cut into small chunks
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Hot sauce
Sour cream
Directions
Step 1
Heat a very large frying pan and, when hot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the onions, and the tomatoes. Sauté until the onions soften. Pour in the salsa and heat through. Add the chips and stir to coat; allow them to soften over low heat while you make the eggs.
Step 2
Heat a rimmed griddle over high heat and, when hot, pour in the remaining olive oil. Crack each egg into a separate area of the griddle and allow to fry, undisturbed, for 3 minutes.
Step 3
Spoon servings of the chilaquiles onto 4 plates and top with equal amounts of cheese, avocado, and cilantro. Use a wide spatula to top each portion with a fried egg and then drizzle with olive oil. Pass hot sauce and sour cream on the side.
Yields 4 servings
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Choosing Salsa
There’s no shortage of jarred salsas on supermarket shelves, and many are excellent alternatives to making your own. Read labels and choose brands with only the essentials—typically tomatoes, onions, chiles, garlic, vinegar, cilantro, and spices. Steer clear of any artificial flavors—the core ingredients should have enough flavor on their own! Also, pay special attention to the salt content so you don’t go over nutritional guidelines.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Homemade Chips
Originally, chilaquiles were created as a way to use leftover fresh tortillas, and if you can spare the time, making your own chips is a great way to go. Start with a stack of twelve 6-inch blue or yellow corn tortillas. Cut them into 6 triangles, place them in a bowl, and toss them with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Line two rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper and arrange the tortilla pieces in one layer in the pans. Sprinkle lightly with coarse sea salt and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, flip, and bake for another 5 minutes.
For Your Best Health
Emotional Healing After a Loss
Navigating the turmoil of losing a loved one is one of the most emotional—and universal—life experiences we go through. Grieving is different for each of us, and there’s no one healing road map or timetable to follow. But a new study found that there are simple activities that can help improve mood and emotional well-being.
“We were conducting a larger study that looked at how daily behaviors affect emotional well-being and day-to-day functioning, and we realized that a significant number of study participants were dealing with the traumatic loss of a loved one,” said Shevaun Neupert, PhD, the study’s corresponding author and a professor of psychology at NC State University. “Our study suggests there are specific things people can do to bolster their emotional well-being following a traumatic loss. This gave us an opportunity to gain insights into how daily behaviors in the wake of a loss can influence our emotional well-being.”
For the study, researchers worked with data from 440 adults between the ages of 50 and 85, and 356 of those participants reported the traumatic loss of a loved one. Study participants completed a daily diary survey for 14 consecutive days with questions designed to document changes in each of their day-to-day lived experiences and mood.
“The survey questions also helped us capture information related to subjective age, or how old people report feeling each day,” Dr. Neupert said. “Do they feel older than they actually are? Younger? And how does that correlate to their mood or emotional well-being?”
“One of the study’s big findings is that activities we call ‘uplifts’ can have a significant impact,” says Ali Early, co-author of the study and a former undergraduate at NC State. Uplifts are activities that can improve our mood, such as completing a task, getting enough sleep, dining out, spending time with family, and visiting, phoning, or writing to a friend.
“Uplifts were good for everyone, but there is some nuance in not only who is most impacted but when the uplifts are most powerful,” Dr. Neupert said. “For example, we found that the positive effect of uplifts was more pronounced for people who had experienced traumatic loss, and especially so on days when they reported feeling older…There are things we can do, which are accessible for most people, to improve our moods. And those things can help us most on days when we most need it.”
The study, “Traumatic Losses Permeate Daily Emotional Experiences: Roles of Daily Uplifts and Subjective Age,” was published in the journal Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being.
Fitness Flash
A Woman’s Edge When it Comes to Exercise
There is a gender gap between women and men when it comes to exercise, but this one is in favor of females, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. It showed that women can exercise less often than men yet receive the same or even greater cardiovascular gains.
“Women have historically and statistically lagged behind men in engaging in meaningful exercise,” said Martha Gulati, MD, director of preventive cardiology in the department of cardiology in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, the Anita Dann Friedman Chair in Women’s Cardiovascular Medicine and Research, and co-lead author of the study. “The beauty of this study is learning that women can get more out of each minute of moderate to vigorous activity than men do. It’s an incentivizing notion that we hope women will take to heart.”
Investigators analyzed data from 412,413 US adults utilizing the National Health Interview Survey database, including gender-specific outcomes in relation to frequency, duration, intensity, and type of physical activity between 1997 and 2019.
“For all adults engaging in any regular physical activity, compared to being inactive, mortality risk was expectedly lower,” said Susan Cheng, MD, MPH, the Erika J. Glazer Chair in Women’s Cardiovascular Health and Population Science, director of the Institute for Research on Healthy Aging in the Department of Cardiology in the Smidt Heart Institute, and senior author of the study. “Intriguingly, though, mortality risk was reduced by 24 percent in women and 15 percent in men.”
The research team then studied moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activity, such as brisk walking or cycling, and found that men reached their maximal survival benefit from doing this level of exercise for about five hours per week, whereas women achieved the same degree of survival benefit from exercising just under about two and a half hours per week.
Similarly, when it came to muscle-strengthening activity, such as weightlifting or core body exercises, men reached their peak benefit from doing three sessions per week and women gained the same amount of benefit from about one session per week. Dr. Cheng said that women had even greater gains if they engaged in more than two and a half hours per week of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity, or in two or more sessions per week of muscle-strengthening activities.
With all types of exercise and variables accounted for, there’s power in the recommendations based on the study’s findings. “Men get a maximal survival benefit when performing 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per week, whereas women get the same benefit from 140 minutes per week,” said Dr. Gulati. “Nonetheless, women continue to get further benefit for up to 300 minutes a week.”
“I am hopeful that this pioneering research will motivate women who are not currently engaged in regular physical activity to understand that they are in a position to gain tremendous benefit for each increment of regular exercise they are able to invest in their longer-term health,” said Christine M. Albert, MD, MPH, professor and chair of the department of cardiology in the Smidt Heart Institute and the Lee and Harold Kapelovitz Distinguished Chair in Cardiology.
