Quinoa with Corn and Black Beans Recipe, Spotlight on Quinoa and Black Beans, How Air Quality Affects Your Brain, and Lower Your Cancer Risk with Exercise

Even if you haven’t jumped on the Meatless Monday bandwagon, adding plant-based proteins to your diet can help maintain muscle mass, which naturally wanes as we get older. This quinoa recipe, enriched with black beans, is a winner! For more good health in 2022, take stock of your air quality, both indoors and out, and get motivated to move by new findings on the link between exercise and how it may lower cancer risk.

Quinoa with Corn and Black Beans

• Quinoa with Corn and Black Beans

  Protein-packed quinoa is a nutrition powerhouse, rich in manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin B1, and folate. Tossed with corn, black beans, red bell pepper and herbs, it makes for an easy, colorful, healthy main or side!

  Ingredients

  • 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade 
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 cups flash-frozen yellow corn kernels, defrosted
  • 1 cup cooked black beans 
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded, ribbed, and diced
  • 3 to 4 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts thinly sliced 
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or more to taste
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

  Directions

  Step 1

  Combine the stock and quinoa in a 1-1/2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the paprika and turmeric. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the quinoa is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. 

  Step 2

  Add the corn and black beans and heat them through, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the olive oil, bell pepper, scallions, cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. 

  Step 3

  Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

  Yields 4 side dish or 2 main course servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Quinoa: Tastes great, more filling

Cultivated for more than 5,000 years in the Andean region of South America, quinoa has become a high-protein plant food darling in the US. Though technically a seed, it’s often put into the whole grain category. But no matter what you call it, quinoa is a powerhouse of nutrition. One cup of cooked quinoa delivers about 5 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein, and unlike most other grains, it’s a complete protein, meaning that it contains all nine essential amino acids. It’s also rich in manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin B1, and folate, according to Harvard Health. There are more than 120 known varieties of quinoa, from the mild-tasting white and yellow to the earthier red and black, whose shape holds up better after cooking. You can even pop it on the stove like popcorn. 

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

Black beans: Know your options

It’s crazy easy to open a can of black beans, cooked and ready to reheat or add to a recipe. But it’s not really complicated to make them from scratch, plus you control the added salt—the chief drawback of canned beans. Store brands like Goya sell dried black beans, and they’re also available from Rancho Gordo and other online gourmet outlets. When convenience is key and you’re shopping for canned, look for sodium-free varieties, or drain and rinse the beans before using to remove as much salt as possible.

For Your Best Health

Air quality and your brain

It’s no secret that air pollution can be harmful, especially to our lungs, and it pays to stay indoors on poor air quality days. Now research shows that it can age our brains, too. A fascinating study looked at performance changes in people playing brain-training games and found that even short-term exposure to air pollution affects brain performance and the capacity to work, causing cognitive function damage. 

“The games we studied targeted seven cognitive functions: memory, verbal ability, attention, flexibility, math ability, speed, and problem-solving,” explains Andrea La Nauze, PhD, of the University of Queensland School of Economics. “We found that exposure to moderately high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) caused a player to drop by almost six points on a 100-point scale where 100 represents the score of the top 1% of cognitive performers. In fact, if you’re under 30 years old and you’re exposed to this level of pollution, your cognitive function declines by the same amount as aging by 15 years.” 

PM2.5 are tiny particles 2.5 microns or smaller in size. If inhaled, they can get into the lungs, enter the bloodstream, and cause other serious health problems such as heart disease and respiratory issues. “Cognitive functions are skills that we use to process, store, and use information—they’re critical to tasks ranging from making a cup of tea to self-regulating,” she says. “Economists are just beginning to study cognition, but recent research suggests changes in cognitive function impact workforce productivity. Our results show the effects of air pollution are largest for those under 50—people of prime working age—which indicates that day-to-day performance in our jobs is also likely to be impacted. You can alter your exposure in small ways by staying indoors, using air filtration, or moving to a less-polluted suburb,” she says.

Fitness Flash

Lower your cancer risk with exercise

A study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise and led by Adair Minihan, MPH, of the American Cancer Society, found that 3% of cancer cases—more than 46,000—could be prevented each year in the US if we met the recommended physical activity guidelines of 5 hours per week of moderate-intensity exercise.

This was the first study to estimate, state by state, the number of cancer cases linked to physical inactivity based on the location of the cancer (breast, endometrium, colon, stomach, kidney, esophagus, and urinary bladder). In terms of specific cancer sites, 16.9% of stomach cancers, 11.9% of endometrial cancers, 11.0% of kidney cancers, 9.3% of colon cancers, 8.1% of esophageal cancers, 6.5% of female breast cancers, and 3.9% of urinary bladder cancers were associated with a lack of exercise. By state, the proportion of cancer cases attributable to physical inactivity ranged from 2.3% in Utah to 3.7% in Kentucky.

For both men and women, states with the highest proportion of cancers attributable to physical inactivity were in the South, including Kentucky, West Virginia, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Mississippi; the lowest proportions were found in the Mountain region and northern states, including Utah, Montana, Wyoming, and Washington, as well as Wisconsin.

The study also highlighted the fact that many people have to overcome barriers in order to exercise, such as a lack of time because of work demands, the cost of a gym membership or home equipment, and even not having access to a safe environment in which to exercise. It may help to get involved in community programs and group activities, both to strengthen a commitment to exercise and to tap into its social benefits. 

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Olive Oil Smoothie and Carrot Salad Recipes, Spotlight on Mustards, New Year—Clean Fridge, and How to Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions can be a powerful force for change. While many start a new diet on January 1, intending to momentarily undo the excesses of the holidays, I like to make small yet permanent changes that I can stick with and build on for a healthier lifestyle. This year, my wife, Meghan, and I are making a commitment to eating more vegetable-based meals—and this week’s recipes each score a 10 in that department. How can you make change easier? Here’s research that will help you reinforce the positive steps you want to take so they won’t be forgotten by Valentine’s Day!

Olive Oil Smoothie

• Olive Oil Smoothie

  A couple spoonsful of antioxidant-rich extra virgin olive oil boosts the nutritional value of your pre- or post-workout smoothie. 

  Ingredients

  • 1/2 banana
  • 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk 10 raw cashews
  • 1 handful baby spinach
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Pinch of salt (kosher or sea)
  • Dash of cinnamon (optional) 

  Directions

  Combine the fruits, almond milk, cashews, and spinach in a blender and run the machine until the mixture is smooth. With the machine running, add the olive oil, salt, and cinnamon, if using. Makes one 16-ounce smoothie. 

  Serves 1 — Recipe courtesy of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club 

Carrot Salad

• Carrot Salad

  Garden-fresh carrots with feathery tops are preferred for this simple but colorful salad. It is perfect for weeknight dinners, potlucks, or picnics.

  Ingredients

  • 1 pound whole carrots, preferably with tops
  • 1/2 cup golden or dark raisins (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon or coarse-grained mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt, to taste

  Directions

  Step 1

  Remove the carrot tops and chop 2 tablespoons for the salad; add to a medium mixing bowl. (Save the remainder of the tops for vegetable stock, carrot top pesto, etc. You can substitute chopped parsley if carrots with tops are not available.) Peel the carrots and finely grate on a box grater or in a food processor.

  Step 2

  Combine the carrots with the chopped carrot tops, raisins, if using, and chives.

  Step 3

  Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, honey, mustard, cumin, if using, and olive oil. Whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt. Add the dressing to the carrot mixture and toss gently to combine. For the best flavor, allow the salad to sit for 30 minutes, then transfer to a serving bowl. If covered and refrigerated, the salad will keep for several days.

  Serves 4 — Recipe courtesy of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Mustards

Having a selection of mustards that go beyond the ubiquitous yellow adds versatility to your cooking. A classic Dijon brings a wonderful sharpness to vinaigrettes and crusts for fish and lamb; add some honey and you’ve got a sweet and tangy sandwich condiment. Grainy mustards, which use the entire mustard seed, have texture as well as a heartier flavor, making them a great addition to stews and soups, among other dishes.

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

Clean out your fridge for the new year

A New Year’s resolution that’s easy to keep and takes an hour at most is to do a clean sweep of your fridge. Most important is to check each item for its expiration date (of course, toss anything that looks or smells questionable, no matter the printed use-by date). Hard as it might be, throw out foods that you know you’re not going to use again, like that salsa you tried and just didn’t like or the jam that wasn’t as sweet as you expected. If you haven’t given the fridge itself a good cleaning lately, use a mild dish soap and paper towels to wipe down all the shelves, bins, and doors.

For Your Best Health

Putting the Spotlight on Potassium

It’s no secret that changing habits is hard. There have only been a few studies on how well we stick to New Year’s resolutions, and the findings say it’s not well at all. But research published in Frontiers in Psychology in 2018 found that having two types of goals can make a difference: They work together to get you where you want to go. There are big-picture goals, like being healthier or losing weight, which tend to be vague, and smaller, in-the-weeds goals that can be the building blocks of getting to the big target, like going to the gym twice a week or cutting out 100 calories a day. The smaller goals, which are very specific and time-oriented, need to be repeated until you reach the big-picture one, yet they serve as terrific motivation to keep you going.

A study on New Year’s resolutions published in 2020 in PlosOne found that some people do better with some support. This could be a session with a fitness trainer or a dietitian, who can provide information to help you reach your goals. 

Change is also easier to effect when it becomes second nature. In her book How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be (Penguin), Katy Milkman, PhD, a behavioral scientist and the James G. Dinan Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, details research-backed tools to help make new habits stick. These include telling your partner or a close friend about your goal because it makes the commitment more real and you won’t want to risk embarrassment by not reaching it; linking a new habit to an existing one, like eating fruit when you take your morning vitamins; and setting smartphone reminders for walking breaks so you don’t have the excuse of forgetting to do them. It also helps to be flexible and not abandon your entire plan because of one slip here or there. 

Making permanent habits, rather than going on and off a regimen, really brings the best results in the long run.

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Salmon with Blood Oranges and Olive Oil Recipe, Plus Learn How Fruits, Vegetables, Fish, Whole Grains and Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Can Effect Mental Health

The benefits of olive oil can be seen in almost every aspect of our health—and not only physical health, but mental health, too. Research has looked at how extra virgin olive oil, both on its own and as part of the Mediterranean diet, can be a helpful component in an overall plan to combat depression. That’s a powerful message. Cooking and sharing food with others are also powerful mood enhancers—one delicious way to do this is with my olive oil and orange baked salmon recipe!

A Surprising Benefit of Olive Oil: Easing Depression

The Research: 

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Improves Depression Symptoms Without Affecting Salivary Cortisol and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Patients With Major Depression: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial,” August 2021.

Nutrients, “The Relationship between Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, Intake of Specific Foods and Depression in an Adult Population (45–75 Years) in Primary Health Care. A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study,” August 2021.

BMC Medicine, “A randomised controlled trial of dietary improvement for adults with major depression (the ‘SMILES’ trial),” January 2017. 

Research has shown that olive oil included in your diet on a regular basis protects against depression, especially when part of a Mediterranean diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole grains. Research published in 2017 in BMC Medicine looked at whether the diet could help treat major depression as well. Participants who got personalized nutritional consulting from a dietitian, including goal setting and mindful eating, and followed the Mediterranean diet had significantly greater improvement after 12 weeks than did participants who didn’t get that comprehensive plan. On a daily basis, the helpful diet included 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 5–8 servings of whole grains, 6 servings of vegetables, 3 servings of fruit, 2–3 servings of low-fat unsweetened dairy foods, and a serving of raw, unsalted nuts; and on a weekly basis, 3–4 servings of legumes, at least 2 servings of fish, 3–4 servings of lean red meat, 2–3 servings of chicken, and up to 6 eggs. At the same time, sweets, refined cereals, fried food, fast food, processed meat, and sugary drinks were limited to no more than 3 per week. 

A pair of recent studies built on these findings. The study in Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that having 25 mL of extra virgin olive oil (about 5 teaspoons) every day for 52 days led to a significant improvement in depression symptoms among study participants with severe depression, making it a potential complementary therapy to mental health counseling and medication. 

The Nutrients study took a more global view, similar to the one in BMC Medicine, investigating the effects of the Mediterranean diet along with the roles of specific foods. It also looked at depression from the opposite point of view—which foods are linked to depression. The researchers came to this positive conclusion: “Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and the resulting consumption of nuts, vegetables, and olive oil has been found to relate to a lower presence of depressive symptomatology. On the other hand, a poorer adherence to the Mediterranean diet and an excessive consumption of sugary drinks and red meats has been related to higher depressive symptomatology.” In view of this, they pointed out that assessing the diet of people with depression could help in development of a treatment plan. Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that diet is just one facet of depression care; the researchers added that “depression is a very complex issue and the relationship between nutrition and depression must be further examined to obtain additional scientific evidence.” 

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Salmon with Blood Oranges and Olive Oil

• Salmon with Blood Oranges and Olive Oil

  The brilliant red color of blood oranges adds to the tasty appeal of this dish, rich in a variety of healthful fatty acids from both the fish and the olive oil.

  Ingredients

  • 2 blood oranges
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 center-cut salmon fillets, 4 to 6 ounces each, preferably with skin on
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black and white pepper
  • Chopped fresh dill or parsley for serving 

  Directions

  Step 1

  Preheat your oven to 350°F. Juice one of the oranges and strain out any seeds. Whisk in the olive oil. Cut the other orange into thin slices and remove any seeds.

  Step 2

  Arrange the salmon fillets skin side down in a baking dish. Drizzle half the olive oil–orange juice mixture evenly over the salmon fillets. Season generously with salt and pepper, and then top each fillet with an orange slice. 

  Step 3

  Drizzle the remaining olive oil–orange juice mixture over the orange slices. Bake the salmon, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until done to your liking.

  Step 4

  Transfer to a platter or plates and garnish with the dill or parsley. 

  Yields 8–10 servings.

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Replacing Butter with Olive Oil for Your Health: Orange and Rosewater Olive Oil Cake, Olive Oil Lemon Curd and Chocolate Olive Oil Dipping Sauce & Customized Bark Desserts to Sweeten Holiday Celebrations

Desserts! Desserts! Desserts!

Your Olive Oil Hunter loves to indulge at this time of year, but the secret to being a guilt-free gourmet is reaping the benefits of olive oil by replacing butter as often as possible to slash saturated fat. Instead, you’ll get a wealth of monounsaturated fatty acids or MUFAs, a far healthier choice. From cake to candy, here are three mouth-watering olive oil desserts to enjoy throughout the holidays, either on their own or together as a magnificent dessert table, perfect for New Year’s Eve and beyond. Enjoy!

Orange and Rosewater Olive Oil Cake

• Orange and Rosewater Olive Oil Cake

  Rosewater adds a light yet irresistible perfume to this Moroccan-inspired citrus cake—a little goes a long way. For an equally delicious variation, use lemon juice and zest in place of the mandarin oranges. Note: The whole-wheat pastry flour adds some fiber to the cake.

  Ingredients

  For the cake:

  • ½ cup medium or bold extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon or more for the pan
  • 2 extra-large eggs
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¾ cup Greek yogurt
  • Zest of 3 mandarin oranges or clementines
  • ½ cup fresh mandarin orange or clementine juice 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
  • 1 teaspoon rosewater
  • 1-½ cups pastry flour
  • ½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
  • 1-½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

  For the icing:

  • 3 tablespoons mandarin orange or clementine juice
  • 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • ¼ cup or more shelled pistachios 

  Directions

  Step 1

  Preheat your oven to 350°F. Oil a Bundt pan with olive oil. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until no whites are visible, and then slowly whisk in the sugar, followed by the yogurt, the ½ cup olive oil, the juice and zest, the vanilla, and the rosewater.

  Step 2

  In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and fold into the egg-oil mixture with a spatula until combined.

  Step 3

  Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40–45 minutes, depending on your oven. The cake’s done when a dinner knife inserted in its center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning the cake out onto a wire rack to cool it to room temperature.

  Step 4

  To make the icing, whisk the juice and sugar until incorporated, and drizzle it over the cooled cake. Carefully sprinkle on the pistachios and let the icing set for about 15 minutes before serving.

  Yields 8–10 servings.

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Olive Oil Lemon Curd

• Olive Oil Lemon Curd

  Extra virgin olive oil gives classic lemon curd all the silkiness of butter without the saturated fat. It’s delicious spooned over Greek yogurt and topped with berries—serve it in a champagne glass for an indulgent yet good-for-you dessert. You can also use it to make a lemon tart—fill a baked and cooled 8″ tart shell with the chilled curd, and top with dollops of whipped cream.

  Ingredients

  • 3 large or 5 small lemons
  • 2 large eggs, plus 1 yolk
  • 10 tablespoons sugar 
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla paste
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons mild extra virgin olive oil 

  Directions

  Step 1

  Rinse the lemons, dry them thoroughly, and then zest them with a microplane grater. You should have a generous tablespoon of zest. Juice the lemons. You should have a generous cup of juice. Some pulp is fine to include, but remove any seeds.

  Step 2

  In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, use a silicone whisk to blend the eggs thoroughly, and then whisk in one ingredient at a time in this order: sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest, vanilla, and salt—this will give you the silkiest results without needing to strain the mixture after cooking.

  Step 3

  Place the pan over medium heat and continue to whisk as you bring the mixture to a very low boil. Cook for two minutes (this activates the cornstarch), lowering the heat if necessary to prevent a rapid boil. The curd should be thick enough to coat the whisk.

  Step 4

  Off the heat, slowly whisk in the olive oil until it’s completely blended in. Pour the curd into a glass pitcher or jar and allow it to come to room temperature before covering and placing it in the fridge to thicken further.

  Yields 1-¾ cups.

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Chocolate Olive Oil Dipping Sauce & Customized Bark

• Chocolate Olive Oil Dipping Sauce & Customized Bark

  Olive oil infuses melted chocolate with a fresh, slightly herby taste that intensifies the rich flavor of dark chocolate. You can dip fruit and other treats in this sauce, create melt-in-your-mouth chocolate bark with it, or simply drizzle it over your favorite ice cream or Belgian waffles.

  Ingredients

  • 8 ounces dark chocolate discs or pieces, preferably 72% cacao, such as Guittard’s Coucher du Soleil
  • 2 tablespoons mild extra virgin olive oil 

  Directions

  Step 1

  Melt 6 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl placed over simmering (not boiling) water, stirring with a silicone whisk or spatula until fully melted.

  Step 2

  Carefully remove the bowl from the heat and place on a towel on your counter. A few pieces at a time, add in the rest of the chocolate. This tempers it, or brings it down in temperature, so that the finished treat is silky. (If you have an instant-read thermometer, the chocolate on the stove should reach 118 degrees and go down to 90 after you add in the rest.) Stir in the olive oil until blended.

  Yields about 1 cup of melted chocolate.

  To dip: Prep an assortment of sweet fruits, like whole berries, pineapple triangles, and banana slices; cake squares; and/or pretzels and potato chips. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper, and using a dinner fork, dip your chosen treats, one piece at a time, in the melted chocolate and then place on the waxed paper. Place the sheet in a cool spot for about two hours to allow the chocolate to harden, and then transfer your treats to a platter or tin. (Of course, you can also dip and eat right away, fondue style!)

  

  To create a custom chocolate bark: Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Pour all the tempered chocolate on the wax paper and use an offset spatula to smooth it out to a 12-by-8-inch rectangle. Sprinkle with your choice of toppings in a random pattern—a great combination is 2 tablespoons each golden raisins, pistachios, and crispy chocolate pearls like Valrhona’s Les Perles Craquantes. Let the chocolate harden in a cool spot for two or more hours or, for a firmer bark, in the fridge for 30 minutes, and then break into random-sized pieces and store in a cookie tin.

For more holiday meal inspiration, be sure to check out our recipe library, updated weekly with new recipes!

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