Pan-Roasted Cod with Tomatoes Recipe, Spotlight on Fish Stock, Mangoes and Diabetes Risk, and Going Green on the Mediterranean Diet 

There’s a crispness in the air that can only mean one thing: Autumn is upon us. To herald the season, I’m sharing one of the new recipes in my expanded e-cookbook, Savor the Season: Autumn 2025. The cod dish fits squarely in the healthful Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes eating whole foods—foods in their natural state. A new study found that even fruits high in sugar have diabetes-fighting benefits when eaten whole. And according to an international group of researchers, you can take the brain health benefits of the Mediterranean diet up a notch by adding two green components—one of them might be in your kitchen already.

Pan-Roasted Cod with Tomatoes

• Pan-roasted Cod with Tomatoes

  Cod tenderloin is a thick cut of fish that takes a few more minutes to cook than a thin fillet but stays wonderfully moist. The fresh tomatoes make a tasty pan sauce that’s delicious with any mild fish as well as shellfish.

  Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
  • 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 small bell pepper, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, more to taste
  • 1 pound cod tenderloin or fillets
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup fish stock or white wine
  • 6 large basil or flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped 

  Directions

  Step 1

  Heat a large wok or sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, add 3 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, onion, and bell pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute. Push the vegetables to the sides, pour the last tablespoon of olive oil in the center of the pan, and add the cod. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. 

  Step 2

  Place the cherry tomatoes in a ring around the cod and continue cooking until they burst, about 5 minutes, and then mash them with a large fork or potato masher to release their juices. Add the stock or wine and herbs to the pan and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for about 5 to 8 more minutes until the fish is cooked through. Use a fish spatula to transfer the cod to a platter. Turn the heat up under the pan and bring the pan sauce to a low boil; cook for another 5 minutes to reduce it. To serve, divide the cod among 4 dinner plates and spoon on the tomatoes and sauce.

  Yields 4 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Fish Stock

You might have beef and chicken stock in your pantry, but you might not have considered adding fish or seafood stock yet. Here’s why you should: It adds so much depth to fish sauces, and without the overly salty taste of clam juice. Many packaged brands are now available, and you can also make your own—the process is not all that different from making beef or chicken stock. Ask the fishmonger at your local store if you can get bones from fish they’ve just filleted; there’s usually no charge. You can also make it from leftover shrimp or lobster shells (lobster legs included). 

Here’s how: Heat a stockpot. When hot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and some aromatics, like a chopped onion or leek, a celery rib, a large carrot, 2 bay leaves, and a sprig of thyme. Sauté for a few minutes, add the fish bones or shells, and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add enough water to cover by 3 inches and bring to a low boil; cook for 30 to 60 minutes and then strain through cheesecloth. If you’re not using the stock right away, refrigerate or freeze it. 

Quick Kitchen Nugget

The Spatula You Didn’t Know You Needed

If you’ve ever struggled to lift a fish fillet from a pan, the fish spatula is the utensil you’ve been looking for. Longer than a typical spatula with slots that keep cooking liquids in the pan, it lets you transfer fillets without their breaking. It’s also handy anytime you need to flip a fillet. You might even find yourself reaching for it when you’re transferring or flipping other foods. Like other spatulas, you can get a classic metal one or one made of heat-resistant silicone for use with nonstick pans. 

For Your Best Health

A Fruit That Lowers Diabetes Risk

For the nearly 100 million American adults with prediabetes, a sweet and juicy tropical fruit that can reduce the risk of diabetes sounds too good to be true. Tropical fruits contain anywhere between 10 and 50 grams of sugar, and mangoes are on the high end of the spectrum, making them seem a poor snack choice. But a study from Raedeh Basiri, PhD, RD, clinical nutrition researcher and assistant professor in the George Mason University Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, found that mangoes, despite having more grams of (natural) sugar than many low-sugar snacks (with added sugars), may be a great choice. This study is the first long-term clinical trial to demonstrate both metabolic and body composition benefits of mangoes in prediabetes.

Dr. Basiri and her team split study participants into two groups: One group received a fresh mango daily, and the other group ate a low-sugar granola bar each day. Over six months, researchers measured participants’ blood glucose levels, bodily responses to insulin, and body fat. At the end of the study, eating the high-sugar (32 grams) mango proved more beneficial than the low-sugar (11 grams) granola bar. The group that consumed the daily mango showed improved blood glucose control, enhanced insulin sensitivity, and reduced body fat. 

Dr. Basiri suggests that people at high risk of diabetes focus not only on the sugar content of foods but also on how sugars are delivered. “It is not just the sugar content that matters, but the overall food context that matters,” said Dr. Basiri. That means getting the whole food. The sugars naturally found in mangoes and other fruits are complemented by fiber and other vitamins and nutrients that offer health benefits. Food with added sugar, such as breakfast cereals and even low-sugar snack options, may not have the same nutritional value and can even increase diabetes risk. “The goal is to encourage people to include whole fruits, like mango, as part of healthy eating behaviors and practical dietary strategies for diabetes prevention,” she said. 

The study, “Daily Mango Intake Improves Glycemic and Body Composition Outcomes in Adults with Prediabetes: A Randomized Controlled Study,” was published in the journal Foods.

Fitness Flash

Going Green on the Mediterranean Diet 

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University, the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and the University of Leipzig have shown that a “green Mediterranean” diet, one that includes green tea and mankai, an aquatic plant, can help slow brain aging. They hypothesize that their findings could be because the anti-inflammatory molecules in green tea and mankai help protect against cognitive decline.  

Neurological conditions, including mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease, have been associated with a higher brain age gap—that’s when the brain appears older than it should be based on chronological age. To evaluate the impact of diet on brain age, researchers analyzed data from around 300 participants in the DIRECT PLUS trial, one of the longest-running studies on the link between brain and diet. Over the course of 18 months, the participants consumed one of three diets: a standard healthy diet; a traditional calorie-restricted Mediterranean diet, which is low in simple carbohydrates and rich in vegetables and replaces red meat with poultry and fish; and the green Mediterranean diet, which adds green tea and mankai.

When the researchers measured protein levels in the participants’ blood, they found that higher levels of certain proteins were associated with accelerated brain aging. Further, they found that those protein levels decreased in participants who followed the green Mediterranean diet. 

“Studying the circulating proteins in blood allows us to observe, in a real-life setting, how the brain’s aging processes are influenced by lifestyle and dietary changes,” said Anat Meir, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow at the Harvard Chan School, who co-led the study. “This approach gives us a dynamic window into brain health, helping to reveal biological changes long before symptoms may appear. By mapping these protein signatures, we gain powerful new insights into how interventions, such as diet, may help preserve cognitive function as we age.”

The study, “Serum Galectin-9 and Decorin in relation to brain aging and the green-Mediterranean diet: A secondary analysis of the DIRECT PLUS randomized trial,” was published in the journal Clinical Nutrition.

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Grape Galette Recipe, Spotlight on Grapes, and The Facts on Flexibility

Autumn grapes are one of my favorite seasonal fruits. Since munching them right off the stem is so delicious, you might not think of cooking them unless you like to make jam. But this galette is so enticing, you’ll want to make it right away. More than just tasty, grapes are a nutritional powerhouse, according to dozens of studies, making them a possible addition to the list of superfoods. 

Grape Galette

• Grape Galette

  A galette is a freeform tart that you can fill with almost any fruit you like. Fall grapes are a perfect choice—you can use one or more varieties, including intensely flavored concord grapes, as long as they’re seedless or you take the time to remove the seeds with the tip of a paring knife after halving them.

  Ingredients

  For the crust:

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 
  • 6 tablespoons ice water
  • 1 cup pastry flour, plus more for rolling
  • 1/4 cup white or golden whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  For the crumble:

  • 1/4 cup whole white pastry flour
  • 8 tablespoons rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

  For the filling:

  • 4 cups seedless red grapes, halved
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

  For the assembly:

  • 1 tablespoon half-and-half
  • 1 tablespoon sanding sugar

  Directions

  Step 1

  Make the crust: Cut the butter into small cubes and return to the fridge to stay cold. Next fill a large measuring cup halfway with ice and cold water; set aside. 

  Step 2

  Place the flours, salt, and sugar in a food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Add the cubed butter and process for 10 seconds, just until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the food processor running, add the olive oil and then 4 tablespoons ice water in a steady stream through the feed tube until dough forms large clumps, about 30 seconds. Test the dough: It should hold when you press a small amount together. If it’s too dry, add additional ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse for a few seconds. Transfer the dough to an 18″ length of parchment paper and form into a flat oval. Fold up the sides of the paper and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

  Step 3

  Make the crumble: Combine the flour, oats, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until completely incorporated and large crumbs form. Chill until ready to use.

  Step 4

  To assemble the galette, unwrap the dough on a countertop and dust the dough and a rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll out dough, rotating a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a rough 12″ oval. Slide the dough, parchment paper and all, into a rimmed sheet pan. Chill for 15 minutes while you preheat your oven to 400°F.

  Step 5

  Place the grapes in a large bowl and toss with the sugar, cornstarch, olive oil, and lemon juice. Spoon the filling over the dough, leaving a 2″ border. Fold the edges of the dough up and over the outer perimeter of the grapes, pressing down with two fingers or a serving fork as you move around the tart. Drop dollops of the crumble randomly over the visible grapes.

  Step 6

  Brush the dough border with the half-and-half, then sprinkle on the sanding sugar. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the dough turns a rich golden brown. Let cool for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

  Yields 8 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Choosing Grapes

With so many grapes being sold already bagged, it’s important to look inside to check that they are firm and plump, not wrinkled or bruised, and that whatever the color of their skin, it’s vibrant. Examine the stems—they should be pliable, not dry or brittle, and the grapes shouldn’t fall off on their own.

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Storing Grapes

It’s fine to store grapes, unwashed, in the bag they came in as long as it’s well perforated for air circulation. Place them in a crisper bin away from any pungent items like garlic. Carefully rinse just before eating, cooking, or freezing. Grapes freeze extremely well (frozen grapes make a fun snack, too)—rinse them, carefully pat them dry, transfer them to a rimmed sheet pan, and pop it into the freezer. Once the grapes are frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container.

For Your Best Health

Are Grapes a Superfood?

A recent article in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry written by resveratrol and cancer researcher John M. Pezzuto, PhD, DSc, dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Western New England University, explored the concept of superfoods and made the case that fresh grapes have earned a prominent position on the list, even as Dr. Pezzuto noted that the term superfood has no official definition or established criteria. Mainstream superfoods are typically part of the Mediterranean diet and generally rich in natural plant compounds linked to healthful benefits.

Grapes are a natural source of over 1,600 compounds, including antioxidants and other polyphenols such as flavonoids, anthocyanidins, catechins, phenolic acids, and resveratrol. Polyphenols are credited with providing many of the health benefits of grapes, thanks to their antioxidant activity and boosts to cellular processes. It is the whole grape and the unique matrix of these compounds within it that creates the biological effects, not a single component.

Over 60 peer-reviewed studies have been published in the scientific literature on grapes and health, according to Dr. Pezzuto, including their role in cardiovascular health, such as promoting the relaxation of blood vessels and healthy circulation, as well as modulating cholesterol levels. Clinical trials also show that grapes support brain health (help maintain healthy brain metabolism and beneficial impacts on cognition), skin health (enhanced resistance to UV radiation and DNA damage in skin cells), gut health (modulating the gut microbiome and increasing diversity in the gut), and eye health (retinal impact via an increase in macular pigment optical density). Finally, in the realm of nutrigenomics—the study of foods on gene expression in the body—grape consumption has been shown to positively alter gene expression in relevant body systems. Dr. Pezzuto suggested that it is these activities at the genetic level that are likely the driving force behind the health benefits of grapes.

Fitness Flash

The Facts on Flexibility 

As explained by the sports medicine experts at the University of California, Davis, flexibility is the ability of joints to move through an unrestricted, pain-free range of motion. Although flexibility varies widely from one person to another, minimum ranges are necessary for maintaining joint and total body health. Range of motion is influenced by the mobility of the soft tissues that surround the joint: muscles, ligaments, tendons, joint capsules, and skin. Other variables include injury, inactivity, and not stretching. Even if you’re active, not stretching can lead to a fatigue-induced soft tissue shortening over time, making muscles feel tight.

The UC Davis experts listed eight benefits of practicing a regular stretching routine:

1. Enhanced performance
2. Decreased risk of injury
3. Increased blood supply and nutrients to joint structures
4. Increased quantity of synovial joint fluid 
5. Increased neuromuscular coordination
6. Reduced muscular tightness and increased joint mobility
7. Return of muscle to natural resting state
8. Modifying blood pooling and recirculation

The flip side is that inadequate flexibility can hurt you in significant ways. Without enough synovial joint fluid, joints, notably weight-bearing joints like the hips and knees, can’t move through the full range of motion needed to maintain healthy cartilage and other structures. Muscles that are inflexible tire more quickly, causing opposing muscle groups to work harder. Muscle fatigue can lead to muscular injuries and the inability of the muscles to protect joints from more-severe injuries. For example, the hamstrings play a role in stabilizing the knee and preventing anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, tears. Decreased flexibility may also lead to abnormal stress on structures and tissues; developing tendonitis in the knee, for instance, can be a result of calf tightness.

A physical therapist can measure the range of motion in joints with devices such as a goniometer or inclinometer as well as functional tests, identify areas of inflexibility, and create a program to address them with a set routine that can be incorporated into your regular training program. 

A stretching routine should cover all major muscle groups as well as any specific muscle groups utilized in a sport or activity you participate in. The movement of other areas of the body, other than the muscle group being stretched, should be minimized. While each person’s stretching routine will likely be different, the aim is usually the same: to maintain each stretch position for 30 seconds at first, increasing to 1 to 2 minutes, while breathing normally. Begin each stretch slowly and gently, gradually stretching through a muscle’s full range of motion until you feel resistance or mild discomfort—stretch to the point of tightness and then just beyond. You should feel pulling, but not pain. Stay relaxed and do not bounce. Then gradually release the stretch. 

Stretching is most often thought of as a way to loosen muscles, but it is also effective in increasing the mobility of all soft tissues that restrict flexibility. On the other hand, stretching will not head off delayed-onset muscle soreness, the kind that generally occurs the day after unaccustomed strenuous exercise.

It is generally agreed that stretching at the end of an exercise session has great benefits. Stretching before an exercise session though is generally not recommended unless it is preceded by a 5-minute cardiovascular warm-up. Warming up before stretching increases the blood flow and temperature of the muscles, ligaments, and tendons, improving the elasticity and optimal functioning of the muscles and connective tissue. Stretching when muscles are cold could lead to a strain or pull. 

Keep in mind that gaining flexibility takes time and dedication. It may be several weeks of consistent daily stretching before you notice improvement, so try to be patient.

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