It’s been a while!
[Not sure how I would feel about fish for breakfast – guf!]
But they are back! I found his maple flavor at Whole Foods. It was dryer than other brands packed in oil, but very good. The sweetness was subtle – like a maple bacon.
I mixed together half the tin (which included 3.5 servings) with a carrot, chopped spinach, 1 heaping spoonful of greek yogurt and paprika. OH and a bit of cinnamon! That was a key delicious ingredient.
Served with Stacy’s Pita Chips (which I bought with a coupon I received at some blog conference – BlogHer?) and clementines
DAaaaaannnng those pita chips are good!
Water, however is boring. Matt, please make us a sparkling keg soon!!
Lata playas!
The Mrs @ Success Along the Weigh says
I found myself instantly wrinkling my nose then I thought, “you’ve never even tried them, don’t assume!” So I may just get some so I can love it loud or bash with authority. 🙂
faith says
I feel the same way whenever I see Sardines posted! But I haven’t tried them so who knows. I also used to wrinkle my nose at raw fish and mussels and now I eat both and enjoy them so maybe someday I will brave the tinned fish!
Krissy @ Shiawase Life says
I tried them but I still feel the same way – three different attempts, strike out for me!!!
Stephanie @ On the Road to RD says
What an unlikely, but intriguing paring! Sounds delicious.
Kelly @ Foodie Fiasco says
Why don’t I eat fish?!?! Oh well. Have an extra serving for me?
SkinnyRunner says
does anyone else have a problem with pita chips, like need to go to pita rehab? only me?! i will eat an entire bag in one sitting, regardless of bag size, because they taste so dang good and they’re “healthy”. yeah, an empty bag later, not quite as healthy…
Roxanne says
just run it off……. HeeHee 🙂
Jasmine says
Not all of us can run it off. I just way overeat them (and more). No burning it off 🙁
Roxanne says
Jazz up your water with some lemon or lime Kath 🙂 until Matt does his thing…..
Kelly says
I so get what you’re saying about fish for breakfast! The english do it, but I don’t think I’d like it. The first time I went to San Francisco, we stayed in Japantown and our hotel served lots of fish for breakfast breakfast choices. I’m like a coffee and scone type person…. very hard to stomach the smell early in the morning!
Kelly says
Lata Playas! You’ve got vacation on the brain! I’m so jeally!!
Julie H. of Spinach and Sprinkles says
Beautiful meal! ….. Love the note to Matt. HA! I would have added a ‘pretty please’ 🙂
Cait @ Beyond Bananas says
You need to try the Gingerbread Stacy’s Pita chips! THey don’t sell them everywhere, but I found them at my local grocery store. They are AMAZING. A great sweet treat for the holidays!!!
KathEats says
GINGERBREAD!?!?!?
Cait @ Beyond Bananas says
Yes 🙂 . Limited edition so I stocked up! And bought a few bags for my parents because they can’t seem to find any! They are THAT good!
lynn @ the actor's diet says
i just ate sardines too! i made a random dip and chips yesterday:
http://theactorsdiet.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/strange-sightings/
and ate the leftovers for breakfast today!
Hope @ With A Side Of Hope says
Pita chips are the best! They are so addicting! Your lunch looks cheerful 🙂
Blessing @ Working Mom Journal says
Lunch has never looked better! I have one more can of sardine as well, I might try something like this tonight. I love that you eat so much tangerines.
Aly says
Hey Kath! I love how you use sardines so often. I have 2 cans which I have yet to use (I’m a bit intimidated). Do they taste similar to tuna? Also, do you eat the entire can as one serving or do you split it? Finally, if you DO save 1/2 the can for another serving/time, how do you store the unused portion? THANKS SO MUCH!!
Jen says
Only one way to answer those questions – TRY it! You can’t judge whether or how much of something to eat something based on how someone else eats it.
Jasmine says
I always eat a whole big tin (and that’s only a part of the whole meal….oye).
KathEats says
If the can is for 1 or 1.5 servings, I eat the whole thing, but lately we’ve been getting bigger fancy cans that are 2.5 – 3.5 servings so I save half. Sometimes I go ahead and make a salad and take out half for another meal (Matt often eats it on Sundays) but today I just removed some of the fish and will maybe do a different style of salad – or a dinner – later. Stored in the fridge in tupperware.
They taste a little like tuna, yes.
Paige @ Running Around Normal says
Man I still don’t know that I can do sardines. MY mom says the same thing as you – she loves them! I just can’t get over the heads and how they look in the tin!
Krissy @ Shiawase Life says
THIS.
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat says
Maple sardines is a unique combo but it does sound good! I haven’t had sardines in quite a while either but thanks for the reminder – they’re on my shopping list now!
Ashley @ Coffee Cake and Cardio says
When I was a kid I loved these mustard marinated sardines. They were fantastic!
Becca says
LOVE STACY’S!
Maria @ Sinfully Nutritious says
That is an interesting combo. I am vegan so the sardines don’t exactly work for me, but, you did make me want to make a vegan tuna salad or chickpea salad. I am always happy to see all your creative meals, they are very inspiring.
Johanna B says
David Lebovitz had a video of him buying fresh ingredients from the market in Paris last week. He bought 6 sardines. They were a lot bigger than I thought they’d be. Interesting video. You’d enjoy it.
Johanna B says
Tho’t I’d better share the link to David’s post with the market video.
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2011/12/visit-to-a-paris-bastille-market-video/
That way anyone can just click rather than have to hunt for it.
linda says
Thank you for posting that link. I love the video!
Pat says
This was great, thanks for posting. Sardines in the can are smaller than those he was buying.
Erin says
The only time I ever ate them was in Lagos, Portugal and the sardines were HUGE! And delicious. I haven’t worked up the nerve to eat the ones in the can.
KathEats says
Loved the video!! Food is so beautiful! His sardines were big – reminded me of the ones my dad got at this restaurant: https://www.katheats.com/mother-of-the-bread. The ones I had today were pretty large too!
Also loved his comment about relating sardines to bacon 🙂
Kaila @healthyhelperblog! says
Mmmmm….maply sardines!?!?! Sounds delicious!!! I wish I could find fun varieties like that near me!
katie says
Hi Kath, I meant to ask you the other night. You mentioned that when you were eating gelato, the employees noticed that you were displeased. I often find myself very underwhelmed by my choices when I eat out but nobody seems to notice!!!! How does one convey their distaste in a way that actually results in more gelato for you? I am amazed at how many times you order something and get it taken back without actually mentioning that you don’t like it! Lucky gal.
KathEats says
Hey Katie,
There were very few customers in the shop and I just commented that the ginger was making my throat burn and I didn’t think I could finish it. I wasn’t totally unhappy per se, but she still offered me something else to soothe it. Had there been tons of customers in there I definitely wouldn’t have taken it up to the counter or anything.
However, I’m not afraid in a restaurant to point out if something was prepared incorrectly (like I asked for no onions and it’s covered in them) or is flawed in some way – but I don’t send things back if I just don’t love them.
Katie @ Talk Less, Say More says
Your sardine salads always looks so good but anytime I think about making it, I can’t get past the thought so I still have yet to try ’em…
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says
We call Stacey’s pita chips “crack” in our house b/c they’re seriously gone in 2 days once we open a bag. So good with hummus 🙂
Lauren @ What Lauren Likes says
looks great! how cool, I have never tried sardines before!
Rebecca @ Naturally Healthy and Gorgeous says
Sardines are such a great source of Omega-3s!
Irina G (Fit Flexitarian) says
Oh my… I have to say, when I think of “sardines”, I think of something really really gross. The picture in my mind is NOTHING like what you just showed us! I may have to check these out for myself…
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says
love the title of this post!
I am not a sardine eater but when I was pregnant, I remember reading all kinds of things talking about how good they are for you…but I never ventured into sardine territory.
Em (WIne and Butter) says
I LOVE sardines – but the posh ones do taste better – its one area (okay there are MANY!) where quality really does make a difference I think. I also especially like sardines with chilli … but the cinnamon addition is clever in any case.
AND I totally agree about adding cinnamon to just about anything – I put it on my lattes and on my bananas with almond butter AND (sometimes) with smoked paprkia, mushrooms and a spoonful of yogurt into my scrambled eggs – delicious! 🙂
Michelle (Peachy Palate) says
Loving all the clementines! They’re just incredible at the moment. I haven’t eaten sardines in absolutely ages, I’ve been neglecting fish in favour of veggie food!
Justeen @ Blissful Baking says
Kath, you have turned me into a sardine lover! After watching your video a few months ago, I made a sardine salad and loved it. Definitely not as aesthetically pleasing as canned tuna or salmon, but still delicious. I also tried a Vietnamese banh mi with sardines at Best Baguette, a sandwich shop in Portland, and it was good!
KathEats says
Woo hoo! another convert 🙂
Jen says
Eek – I’m with ya on the breakfast thing! Although eating smoked salmon is common in many places.
I wonder if they said “for breakfast” because it’s in maple syrup….sardine-cakes for breakfast? 😉
Krissy @ Shiawase Life says
Love ya but sardines are a no go for me 😀
Eat ’em for all the haters!!
[email protected] Broken Cookies Don't Count says
I miss my sparkling water when I run out, too.
katie @KatieDid says
I gave sardines a try for the first time last month. Bought just the ones packed in oil so I could doctor them up myself and I found they were perfect with some dijon and a touch of maple syrup! I’m still warming up to them, but thanks to you I even gave them a try in the first place!
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats says
ooo maple flavor sardines sound good, I’ll have to see if I can find those next time I go to whole foods!
Clare @ SweetnSimple says
Looks and sounds delicious 🙂 I love sardines.. your lunch looks veeery tasty!
Susan H. @ the food allergy chronicles says
Still not sure about the sardine thing…although, you make it look and sound so good!
Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife says
I love those pita chips. SO dang good.
Heather @ Run Eat Play says
I don’t really know about the sardine thing either, but you sure made them look good!
Laura says
Wow, that sounds SO good. Though I’ve never tried a sardine. In fact I’ve always been squeamish about fish. I’m up to salmon, white fish and tuna now, but hmmm, HEADS? I don’t know…
Mind you, my husband can’t go hiking without a tin of sardines, for some reason.
Angel7 says
I wish I had sparkling water at my discretion 🙂
Ah hah… I get it… That sparkling water that Matt makes is your fountain of youth, huh? Matt puts something in it that keeps you both so young 🙂
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
Meagan says
MAPLE – wow, looks DELICIOUS. I will look out for that at WFs 😀
Mary Legare Whaley says
I have a tin of sardines in my pantry that I’ve been wanting to try. I like the simplicity of pairing them with spinach and carrot. I usually use plain Greek yogurt + mustard as a base for tuna or salmon salads. I might try something like that. Maybe paprika over cinnamon, as a compliment to the mustard. I’m scared of what I’ll find inside that tin…just tiny, headless fish, I’m assuming? I’ve cleaned my share of large fish, but sardines are foreign to me.
KathEats says
Yes, no heads! You should watch my sardine video 🙂
Khushboo says
As a fish lover I dont know why sardines scare me- must give them a shot!
Melody (Redhead in the Kitchen) says
This looks amazing! I haven’t had sardines in ages, but I’m a big fan of both sardines and anchovies. I had these gorgeous lemony anchovies with a Caesar salad at Vic’s on the River in Charleston last month and now I’m on a kick! Adding sardines to this weekend’s grocery list. Yum.
Lindsey @ Lindsey Living says
Always looking for fun new options for sardines… and Greek yogurt. It’s a twofer! Did you use smoked paprika?
Crystal says
Hi, Kath! You said Matt makes you a “sparkling keg”?!?! Seriously? How do you do that because I’m a die-hard sparkling water fan & we’re wanting to put taps in our bar at home. That would be a HUGE money saver for us. Any info or direction would be much appreciated!
KathEats says
It’s very simple – Matt just fills a keg with water and then puts our CO2 tank for the beer on it to carbonize it. It’s awesome!
Foy Update: Garden. Cook. Write. Repeat. says
As someone who’s been mostly vegetarian for four years now, I’m learning to like sardines. I did a bunch of research about the time we left for Peace Corps and decided that eating lower on the food chain and less processed food was more environmentally responsible and generally healthier than the packaged food laden Weight Watchers inspired diet I had been eating. (Not that Weight Watchers is bad in any way; it just doesn’t discourage processed food or look at environmental concerns or at least it didn’t in 2002.)
Now that I’m pregnant I’m revisiting my diet and doing research from the “growing a fetus” point of view. I’m blending my former dietary goals into a real, traditional food plan that includes more fats and proteins as well as micronutrients.
Sardines are one of the foods that have lots of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids, and iodine (good for brain health) and are in no danger of over fishing or contain high levels of mercury. Plus they are lower on the food chain than most fish.
They do have a pungent flavor, I’m surprised to find I like it. I was looking up recipes that involve sardines when I came across your post. This recipe also includes raw veggies and dark leafy greens so it gets bonus points. I’m definitely adding it to the lunch rotation and perhaps summer dinners as well. Thanks!