What Single Ingredient May Prolong Your Life? Cleo Coyle Shares it in this Recipe (2024)

A single ingredient may prolong your life?

Yes, I know. It sounds more like the hook for an infomercial than the summation of a respected medical study, but...

Last week, the BMJ (British Medical Journal) released the findings from a huge study suggesting the humble chili pepper and its many varieties may do more than spice up your life—it may actually prolong it.

To watch a fun, little 2-minute CBC News
video on the findings, click the arrow in the window below....

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If you do not see the video above, click here to view it.

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According to the study, eating spicy foods once or twice a week appeared to lower the risk of mortality by 10%, when compared with those who ate spicy foods less often or not at all. Those who consumed spicy foods six or seven days a week appeared to fare even better, with a 14% lower risk of mortality.

The study has encouraged the medical community to do more research into these findings and into the benefits of hot peppers.

Why Heat May Help Your Health

One component in chili peppers, capsaicin, reduces inflammation in the body, which is believed to help prevent many diseases, including cancer. Spicy foods also raise the heart rate, which improves circulation and brain function. Other studies have shown that hot red chili peppers release endorphins in our bodies, which make us feel good.

Today I'm sharing a recipe thatwill make
yourtaste buds feel good, too...

Honey-Glazed Garlic Chicken with Jalapeños

Marc and I inhale this dish when we make it. It's fast, easy, full of very healthful ingredients, and delivers delectable flavor. It also uses the most common chili pepper in America, the humble jalapeno.

Fresh chili peppers gave the best results in the cited longevity study, and we love slicing up fresh jalapenos for salsa, burgers, and sandwiches.

The good news is the milder hot peppers deliver the health benefits mentioned above, so you don't have to eat anything as hot as, say... theCarolina Reaper (pictured below),which currently holds the world's hottest pepper title from the Guinness Book of World Records.

Cleo Coylehas a partner in

crime-writing—her husband.

Learn about their books

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Cleo Coyle'sHoney-Glazed
Garlic Chickenwith Jalapeños

This is a one-skillet stovetop dinner with a quick marinating process and a fast final glaze that's fantastic.

The heat of the jalapenos is nicely controlled by the honey, which brings the spice level to a very pleasant warmth—as opposed to a call-the-fire-department barn burner. The cumin lends an earthy flavor, and the lemon juice brings a nice brightness to the balance.

May you eat it with joy and in good health!

~ Cleo

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Makes 6 chicken thighs

Ingredients:

2 Jalapeno chili peppers, chopped and divided*
10 cloves garlic, minced and divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 2 Tablespoons
6 chicken thighs, skin on
1 teaspoon coarsely ground sea salt (or kosher salt)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup honey (any kind will work, but we suggest a raw local honey)

*Note: When working with jalapenos or any hot pepper, take care not to touch your eyes or you’ll feel the burn. Wash hands after handling.

Also, make sure you discard all of the seeds and the white pulp, which is where the less pleasant heat hides.

Step 1 - Make the Fast Marinade: Cut 1 of your 2 jalapenos in half, remove the seeds and chop the flesh. Place the chopped jalapenos in a re-sealable plastic bag. Wash hands well. Mince 5 of your 10 garlic cloves. Place the minced garlic in the bag and measure in the cumin, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and lemon juice. Shake the bag well to blend.

Step 2 - Chicken in the Bag: Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Salt and pepper both sides and place the pieces in a plastic bag. Seal the bag and gently shake it, upside down and back and forth, manipulating the chicken inside to make sure the pieces are well coated. Marinate in refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.

Step 3 - Brown the Chicken: Place your ¼ cup of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet, heat on stovetop at medium-high. When the oil is very hot, place the thighs skin side down and cook for 8 minutes, or until the skin is browned. Flip the thighs over and reduce the heat to medium until the thighs are cooked through, this will take about 20-25 minutes. (Do not cover the pan at any time.)

Step 4 - Glaze and finish: While the chicken cooks, mince the remaining 5 cloves of your garlic, and chop the final jalapeno (after removing the seeds). Mix these in a small bowl with your 1/3 cup of honey and thin this glazing mixture slightly with 1 or 2 tablespoons of chicken pan drippings. When the thighs are ready, turn the heat back up to medium-high and pour the honey-garlic-jalapeno glazing mixture over the chicken. Cook 5-7 minutes more, uncovered, until the mixture reduces to a savory sauce, and...

What Single Ingredient May Prolong Your Life? Cleo Coyle Shares it in this Recipe (10)

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the free PDF, and...

May you eat with joy

and in good health!

Fun Foodie Note

KEEPING YOUR CULINARY COOL

Did you know dairy is the only substance that neutralizes a chili burn?

If your mouth is on fire, don't reach for water, reach for milk or yogurt or ice cream.And, of course, a sour cream dollop is a delightful addition to

many highly spicy meals.

Q. Why does dairy soothe a pepper burn?Will coconut milk, nut milks, or soy milk work?

A. Chemically speaking, capsaicin in peppers binds with lipoprotein receptors on the tongue, which causes the pepper burn. Drinking water does not help because capsaicin doesn’t dissolve in water. The most effective cure is mammal's milk because it contains casein, a substance which acts on capsaicin the same way soap cuts grease. But it must be mammal’s milk because coconut milk, other nut milks, and soy milk do not contain casein.