Recipes for Using Canned Sardines
 

Good morning! I'm on the hunt for good, healthy recipes that use canned sardines. When I was a kid, my mom (a Norwegian) used to eat them right out of the can, usually with a cracker. I wouldn't touch it! Now, I like sardines a lot more and need to find some yummy ways to use them. They're cheap, super nutritious and a "safe catch." Got any good recipes?

I don't have any ideas, but sardines around here are canned, with a tomato sauce base....
I'd love some ideas too!

Growing up we had tin fish a lot. sardines, herring, and mackerel. It was a good weekly food to stretch the food budget. I preferred herring in the tins but did eat a lot of sardines. Mackerel was used to make fish patties. We never had a recipe for sardines, just ate them out of the tin with crackers, pickles, tomatoes, or toast. We were told we needed the fish oils so eat it. I started giving my kids bites of herring and sardines when they were toddlers. They didn't take but a bite of it when small but as they grew they developed a taste for it, maybe not eat them often but won't turn their noses up at it either.

I don't know, it is hard to beat sardines on a cracker. Just the best. I used to go wild raspberry picking with my brother. Sardines and crackers were always on the menu. Maybe some chips and fruit too.
oh, and as there were smokehouses around that lake, we also would sometimes stop and pick up smoked herring or whitefish to add to our picnic lunch. We seldom stopped at a restaurant.

We love sardine pasta and the one we use is sardines and lemon zest and juice. There are variations if you do a search.
Also we use rice noodles mostly instead of pasta noodles as rice noodles have no flavor so the topping is more flavorful.

Also like to eat sardines on toasted naan wedges with a thin layer of chevre or cream cheese along with fresh tomato and avocado.
Frequently lunch : )

A gourmet after my own heart. That last idea sounds delicious! The pasta does too...maybe using soba noodles?

Humm,soba noodles. I'm thinking they are more substantial and flavorful than pasta or Thai rice noodles?
We just had the sardines with rice noodles last night. From breaking up and heating the sardines to coat the noodles, they kind of melt and the taste is light with a hint of lemon and capers. Give the soba noodles a try and let me know what you think.

Are you gluten free?

Will do. No, we're not gluten free. I just like soba noodles. I also frequently make buckwheat pancakes. They have an nice nutty, earthy taste.

Capers are a must with the sardines.

Love buckwheat! Funny that grain is named buckwheat when it's not wheat. Use some buckwheat in waffles and just saw
a recipe for a chocolate buckwheat cake want to try.

So, we ate the sardines. I mixed them up with some diced tomatoes, garlic and parsley and served them on some flatbread crackers. Hubby couldn't get enough! I loved them too. Must buy more sardines. They're always on sale and very reasonably priced.

Costco is a great place to buy sardines. And they every so often have money off.

What you made sounded great!

I just discovered yesterday that the Dollar Tree carries Chicken of the Sea Sardines in water and also in other sauces. $1.25 a can.

So...I looked around for sardine recipes and I sort of merged a few recipes to come up with this one. I think it's a winner. Writing out the entire recipe is long and time consuming, so I'm just going to list the ingredients. Ask any questions, if you're confused.

1 can of sardines in water
cooked fettuccini for 4 people
chopped parsley

Garlicky white bean dip, blended in the blender or food processor (a WW recipe)
-can of white beans
-2 cloves of garlic
-squeeze of lemon juice
-water to thin down slightly to the thickness of a creamy salad dressing

Put the fettuccini in a big pasta bowl, add the chopped parsley, entire can of sardines, including the water/brine. Pour some garlicky bean dip over the pasta mixture and toss to totally coat but not drench the pasta and break up the sardines. Serve.

You could dress with some seasoned bread crumbs, if desired.

The recipe above is low fat, high protein, super filling and tastes very Italian, or even French. It's kinda classy and super simple to make. It goes great with a glass of wine and a simple salad.

I've been haunting the Dollar Tree for more tinned seafood. Loved the smoked mussels! I also bought a big can of Mackerel and plan to make an Indonesian Fried Rice recipe that looks super yummy! https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/...-rice-mackerel

All of the cans that I bought at DT were only $1.25 a can. That makes a really cheap and healthy form of main meal protein.

Agree. When Mr. Stitchnripper was working, his lunch consisted of a can of some seafood from Dollar Tree and a piece of fruit. He didn't eat more because then he would fall asleep! Now that he is retired he doesn't eat that for lunch much anymore. He usually skips lunch, as do I. But, then there is grazing!!

This morning I made scrambled eggs with sliced mushrooms, scallions and smoked oysters. It was absolutely delicious! I used the Pampa Smoked Oysters in Sunflower Oil that are mixed with a small amount of spicy veggies. I just threw the whole can into the frying pan, oil and all and sauteed the mushrooms in the oil. I added the scallions, then the eggs and cooked until the eggs were just barely done. I served the dish on a thin, multi grain lavash along with some fresh plums.

So, we've been enjoying all of thee cheap "tinned seafood" treats, but I have to consider where these fish come from and how they are harvested. Yes, they're delicious and nutritious, but are they environmentally sustainable? I'm still doing research on the brands that I picked up at the dollar store, but in the meantime, I've been scouting around the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch website. https://www.seafoodwatch.org Great website with lots of good information.

BTW, if you are ever in California and want a place to take the kids, try the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It's an amazing place!

You are really finding some fun recipes! Will be interested in what you learn about the canned fish from the dollar tree.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is really wonderful isn't it. Nice area to visit and not far from us.

Are you getting any Park fire smoke in your area? We're not here thank goodness but that fire is so huge.

So...the canned fish from the dollar store passed the test. All of the ones that I tried were mostly sustainable and very healthy foods. The only ones to watch out for were Mackerel and Sardines from the Iberian Peninsula waters...most likely because of their fishing methods. While none of the fish were as good as "fresh off the boat and bought on the dock" that you get from the local fishermen, these really were not bad at all.

Yes...the MB Aquarium is wonderful. I'm going to have to talk the family into taking a trip down there soon. Fall is such a nice time to go for a car ride. :)

Yesterday we made our favorite summertime pasta. Tomatoes (they are fantastic this year at the farmer's market) chopped, fresh basil, olive oil and salt and pepper. Made about an hour ahead. Only thing cooked are the noodles. This time we tried something different -- we added sardines broken up. Yummy! Super easy summer meal with minimal cooking.

OMG! I just made something similar and came here to post about it. Great minds think alike! :) Your version sounds delicious!

I used canned mackerel instead, but sardines would work just as well. I started with a little olive oil, sliced up some mushrooms added a cut up zuke, a little tomato sauce, a little red enchilada sauce, some chopped parley/seasonings and some capers. It's delicious! It doesn't taste fishy at all, just tons of umami rich flavor. Mackerel was only $1.25 a can. I added the juice and half a can, then added the other half after it was done because the fish chunks have a way of disappearing into the sauce.