Brain health in your inbox!

Subscribe to our free emails

Sign Up Now


We provide you with articles on brain science, timely topics, and healthy living for those affected by neurologic challenges or seeking better brain health.  

Recipes
By LINDA MONASTRA

4 Brain-Healthy Fish Dishes

salmon-main.jpg
shutterstock.com

Eat more fish. That advice comes from researchers in France who found that people who ate fish at least twice a week were less likely to have signs of blood vessel damage than those who didn’t consume fish.

These recipes from Linda Monastra, a pastry chef at Sprig and Vine in New Hope, PA, and a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City, will help you heed the researchers’ advice.


Sicilian-Style Tuna Salad Sandwiches

Serves 2

  • ¼ cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
  • 4 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • ⅛ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp. minced shallot
  • 1 tbsp. chopped basil
  • 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 (5 oz.) can no-salt-added light tuna in water, drained
  • 1 large hard-boiled egg, chopped
  • ¼ cup diced fennel
  • 1 tbsp. chopped fennel fronds
  • 1 tbsp. capers, drained and rinsed
  • 4 slices multigrain bread
  • ½ cup arugula

In small bowl, soak sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for five minutes. Drain.

Combine 2 tbsp. olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and ⅛ tsp. black pepper in small bowl. Mix in shallot and set aside.

To make spread, put drained sun-dried tomatoes, remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil, basil, 1 tbsp. parsley, garlic, and remaining ⅛ tsp. black pepper in food processor, and blend into thick paste.

Stir together tuna and egg in medium bowl. Add olive oil mixture, fennel, fennel fronds, capers, and remaining parsley, and mix together.

Spread 1 tbsp. sun-dried tomato paste on each piece of bread. Divide tuna mixture evenly between two slices of bread, and top each with half the arugula and then one of remaining pieces of bread.


Mackerel with Puttanesca Sauce

Serves 4

  • 1 (28 oz.) can whole San Marzano tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 anchovy fillets, roughly chopped
  • ¼ tsp. red chili flakes
  • ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
  • ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
  • 3 tbsp. capers, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (9 oz.) jar or can mackerel fillets in oil, drained
  • 2 tbsp. chopped basil
  • 1 tbsp. chopped parsley

Empty can of tomatoes into medium bowl and crush with hands or large wooden spoon. Set aside.

In medium skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, anchovies, red chili flakes, and black pepper and cook, stirring often, for two minutes or until garlic is fragrant and anchovies have broken down. Add tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Add olives and capers and continue cooking for two to three more minutes. Add whole mackerel fillets and cook until heated through, about four to five minutes. Remove from heat. Top with basil and parsley and divide evenly among four bowls.


Baked Salmon with Maple-Mustard Glaze

Serves 4

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
  • ½ tsp. ground black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 (6 oz.) salmon fillets, skin on

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Pour olive oil and mustard into small bowl and whisk until well-combined. Add maple syrup, soy sauce, rosemary, black pepper, and garlic. Whisk thoroughly. Set aside.

Place salmon fillets skin side down in large baking dish. Pour sauce over fish and coat evenly. Bake until salmon turns lighter pink around edges and just begins to firm, about 15 minutes for medium-rare fish. For more well-done fish, cook an additional three to five minutes.


Seared Trout with Kale Pesto

Serves 4

  • 1 oz. curly kale (tough stems removed), roughly chopped
  • 1 garlic clove
  • ¼ cup slivered almonds
  • ⅛ tsp. plus ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • ¼ cup plus 4 tbsp. olive oil
  • 4 (6 oz.) rainbow trout fillets, skin on
  • ⅛ tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 whole lemon, cut into four wedges

Bring medium pot of water to boil. Add kale, and blanch until wilted and softened, about two to three minutes. Drain, then cool in ice bath for two minutes. Drain again and squeeze out any excess moisture.

In food processor, pulse garlic, almonds, and ⅛ tsp. salt until nuts begin to break into smaller pieces. Add kale and lemon juice and pulse a few times to break down kale. Add ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. olive oil and blend until mixture is mostly smooth, but some small chunks of almonds remain. Set aside.

Gently pat trout fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides of each fillet with remaining salt and pepper.

Pour remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil in large skillet and warm over medium-high heat. Place fillets in skillet skin side down and sear until they’re cooked around edges, about two to three minutes. Carefully flip fillets and continue to cook until flesh is opaque and gives when pressed with a fork, about two or three more minutes. Distribute pesto evenly over fish and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat. Serve each fillet with a lemon wedge.

Read More

More Evidence Suggests Fish Is Good for Brain Health