Simple Sardine Recipes, please

[WaturMama]

My vet recommended adding some sardines to my older dog's diet. I bought a can and am thinking I might like to add some to the human members of our family's diet. I'm kind of enamored with the idea of nourishing ourselves with these local, low-on-the-food-chain, fish.

I don't recall ever eating one in my life, and certainly not preparing them. Any sardine fans out there? How do you like to eat them?

[la mamita]

Besides just eating sardines on crackers w mustard or on rice or mixing them into a marinara sauce w spaghetti, I love this sardine curry recipe from Mother Earth News:
Drain the juice from one 3-3 / 4-ounce tin of sardines into a skillet, add 1-1/2 tablespoons of either sesame or peanut oil, and heat until the liquid sizzles. Then add one clove of finely minced garlic and cook until it begins to turn brown (about 15 seconds). Quickly dump in one teaspoon (or more, if you can stand it) of curry powder and mix it well with the hot oil. Then add half a medium onion (cut into thin slices), half a bell pepper (cut into thin slices), and one diced tomato. Stir-fry the mixture for two minutes.

When the frying is completed, pour one-quarter cup of water into the skillet, cover the pan,- and simmer its contents over medium heat for about five minutes. Then break the sardines into chunks, toss them into the pan too, and simmer everything for another two or three minutes (until the sauce in the bottom of the skillet is fairly thick).

That's the time to remove the pan from the heat, stir in the juice of half a lemon or lime, and ladle your savory concoction over a mound of hot cooked rice.

[Purple Sage]

Lucky you living in the Bay area! Fresh sardines are hard to find around here, and they definitely aren't local.

I eat sardines regularly straight out of the can. Just be sure to get them packed in water or olive oil and not soybean or cotton seed oil, if you buy canned. I prefer them packed in water, though, because even olive oil is a little high in omega 6. Omega 3 and omega 6 compete for absorption, so I think it's important to keep dietary omega 6 to a minimum in order to get all the benefits of the omega 3 in sardines. Smoked herring (Kippers) are also very yummy low-on-the-food-chain fatty fish.

Subbing to the thread for recipe ideas.

[WaturMama]

Thank you la mamita, that sounds yum!

Also thank you Purple Sage for the tip on how they are packed and the pointer about the omega 6s.

So this is a really basic question, but I do wonder...if you eat them straight out of the can are you eating them raw?

[Purple Sage]

Nope, canned sardines are fully cooked.

[Cascadian]

I grew up on canned sardines for breakfast (yes...).

Buy the one in olive oil. Take 'em out, and I strip the intenstines/spines (flip 'em in half, and use a knife or fork).

I cut up a bunch of onions, quite small, and mash those into the sardines with squeezes of lemon or lime. Even some hot sauce. Eat those on hot, buttered toast. Yum!! And so healthy!

[alison77]

haven't tried it yet but i thought this looked really good"

Sardine shortcut: Place two cans of drained oil-packed sardines (visible bones removed), 1/4 cup chopped red onion, 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, and pinch of salt in the processor; blend to combine. Add a couple tablespoons each of lemon juice and olive oil; process until smooth. Spread on toasted baguette slices. Sprinkle with grated lemon peel and chopped cilantro and drizzle with olive oil.

I might also like adding a little chili sauce to this. It's from Bon Appetit magazine - link: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...#ixzz0ynmmQTeS

PM me for some good fresh sardine recipes if you are interested - my Moroccan MIL has some great ones.

[Magelet]

I had sardine bruscheta at a restaurant in sf that was so good. (A16 in the marina). It was bread rubbed with garlic topped with smashed peas and mint and grilled sardines.

[jldumm]

www.katheats.com is always using them. otherwise she has great recipes and combination.

[redvlagrl]

i like them out of the tin too but also like to mix them up with guacamole (DH is horrified at this) to make a meal on a plate (with bread)....

[WaturMama]

Mmm the guac/sardine combo sounds good to me too.

I'm appreciating all the suggestions.

[WTHamI?]

I buy the boneless skinless ones in olive oil, and to be honest I just like to eat them plain. The bruschetta sounds good though.

[Ethelpea]

adapted from Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions:

can anchovies
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
squirt worcestershire sauce
squirt dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic
salt/pepper

Put all ingredients in a mixing cup, mix all together with a stick blender and use for salad dressing. Toss some parmasan/romano cheese (my little dairy cheat) on the salad and you've got yourself a simple ceaser. This will only keep for about 2 days in the fridge, though.



Oh, sorry, I just realized I typed a recipe for anchovies, not sardines. Sorry.

[WaturMama]

I'm glad you spelled out your error for me because I was just wondering how it was that I looked in NT and did not see this. It is easy to get those little fish mixed up--you aren't the first in my quest for Sardine recipes (one IRL).

[JlyGrnMigt]

Originally Posted by alison77

haven't tried it yet but i thought this looked really good"

Sardine shortcut: Place two cans of drained oil-packed sardines (visible bones removed), 1/4 cup chopped red onion, 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, and pinch of salt in the processor; blend to combine. Add a couple tablespoons each of lemon juice and olive oil; process until smooth. Spread on toasted baguette slices. Sprinkle with grated lemon peel and chopped cilantro and drizzle with olive oil.

I might also like adding a little chili sauce to this. It's from Bon Appetit magazine - link: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...#ixzz0ynmmQTeS

Call me crazy, but I can see this being double plus good if you throw in an 8oz brick of cream cheese.

PM me for some good fresh sardine recipes if you are interested - my Moroccan MIL has some great ones.

Please do not hide these in a PM! I have never seen fresh sardines in my life, but it would be sorta awesome to know what to do with them if I do!

[meandk0610]

Originally Posted by JlyGrnMigt

Please do not hide these in a PM! I have never seen fresh sardines in my life, but it would be sorta awesome to know what to do with them if I do!

i second that. get back here with those recipes!

[3Taureans]

This is how I usually eat sardines:

http://ediblearia.com/2009/07/16/sar...alad-sandwich/

Sardines and capers together....YUM

[ChocolateNummies]

Just FYI, if you are eating the canned sardines and/or kippers (yum) and like the Crown Prince brand, they have a frequent buyer program. I've seriously sent in upc's for 30+ cans at a time. We eat them a lot and just save the codes for a while to save on postage.

I like mine straight out of the can too. Usually with pickled jalapenos and some thinly sliced crispy toast or crackers. Extra yummy if you have an ice cold beer to go with it.

These other recipes do sound good, though.

[beep]

Bastardized Salad Nicoise:

Boiled new potatoes
Boiled or steamed green beans (I dump them in for the last minute with the potatoes)
Boiled egg, sliced or cut in wedges
Tomatoes
Romaine lettuce
Can of sardines (I prefer boneless)
Black olives
Chopped parsley and/or chives and/or red onion
Vinagrette made with olive oil and wine vinegar and a bit of dijon mustard

Cook potatoes and beans, then toss with dressing while hot. When cooled to lukewarm, toss with everything else or arrange prettily and put more dressing on top.

My DH hates this, but I really like it.

I also like sardines straight from the can dipped in mustard.

[Llyra]

DD1 eats canned sardines on a sandwich, with gobs of mustard. She does the same with canned herring. I'm all like but she thinks they're .