When you cannot afford fish from a market let alone a supermarket then the tinned varieties can be a good substitute. Some can be well preserved and not only give you the omega 3s you need in your diet to keep you healthy but also give you a boost of calcium from their soft edible bones. Canned anchovies are divine in sauces. You can use tinned mackerel in making pates to put on hot toast [just drain off the olive oil and mash with a fork with dijon mustard, lemon juice and capers]. I love tinned sardines in a rich tomato sauce along with beans or pulses. Here is my budget recipe for tinned sardines in olive oil with yellow split peas...
Ingredients:
Yellow Split peas [dried] - soaked overnight OR cooked can of chickpeas drained and washed]
Tinned Sardines in Olive oil [drained]
Onions - 1 large - finely diced
Garlic - 1 clove - grated
Celery - 2 sticks [peeled and finely diced]
Carrots - 2 peeled and finely diced
Can of chopped tomatoes
Tomato puree - 1 large tablespoon
Chopped Black olives
Capers in vinegar/brine [1 teaspoon drained and washed]
Herbs to garnish e.g. parsley
Salt and cracked black pepper
1. If you are using cooked canned beans/chickpeas then you don't need to worry. Just drain and wash them and set aside. If you have the split peas [or any other bean/pulse you wish to use up] and have soaked them, then drain and wash well before boiling for 30 minutes - they should be cooked but retain some bite for texture in the dish.
*Any dried beans or pulses that you have to hydrate by soaking overnight should be washed thoroughly and then refreshed with clean cold water before boiling [as this prevents any embarrasing trumpeting later on!]. Always boil without salt as this hardens the pulses prematurely. Season once cooked i.e. when a bean/pulse can be squashed easily between your finger and thumb!
2. Fry onions, garlic, celery, carrots in 1 tablespoon of oil [canola/olive].
3. Add tomato puree and cook out the acidity
4. Add chopped olives and capers
5. Add the can of tomato and simmer for 30min
6. Add the cooked and drained peas/beans
7. Reduce the sauce so that it is thick and glossy, then gently place the sardines around the dish and push into the sauce.
8. Cover with a lid and heat through. Switch off the heat and let it all stand for 5 minutes.
9. Garnish with parsley/corriander herbs and a squeeze of lemon before serving
You can serve this with mash/rice/crusty bread/green beans ..
Additional Points:
This one pot dish takes about 30 - 45 min and contains store cupboard essentials. It is a very cheap and healthy dish to knock up mid week if you have not had time to get any fresh ingredients [or in my case - the market was shut!].
Granted soaking and washing and boiling the yellow split peas takes forward planning but you don't have to use that. Canned pulses and beans are really cheap and so much easier as they are already cooked and contain lots of nutrients - they are high in protein and fibre and low in fat and carbs. It helps if you always have a can of chickpeas or say red kidney beans or lentils at the back of the cupboard to knock this sort of dish up.
The Sardines have Essential Omega 3 fatty acids and oily fish proteins as well as a calcium hit from their edible soft bones - important if you don't drink enough milk or eat any dairy like cheese/yogurt! Calcium is important for building and maintaning strong teeth and bones. It is also essential in muscle contraction and blood clotting. The fatty acids help the body absorb dietary calcium.
Sardines also contain Vitamin D. This is a hormone that is usually formed under the skin through sun exposure as UV light activates it. Vit. D helps absorption of Calcium from food and it also increases the rate of mineral deposition in bones thus maintaining strong bones.
Incidently Calcium absorption can be inhibited by phylates and oxylates which are fibres found in some dried pulses and cereals like All Bran. High intakes of Phosphorous can also upset the balance of Calcium e.g. Fizzy drinks like Coca Cola.
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| Sardines with yellow split peas |
Yellow Split peas [dried] - soaked overnight OR cooked can of chickpeas drained and washed]
Tinned Sardines in Olive oil [drained]
Onions - 1 large - finely diced
Garlic - 1 clove - grated
Celery - 2 sticks [peeled and finely diced]
Carrots - 2 peeled and finely diced
Can of chopped tomatoes
Tomato puree - 1 large tablespoon
Chopped Black olives
Capers in vinegar/brine [1 teaspoon drained and washed]
Herbs to garnish e.g. parsley
Salt and cracked black pepper
1. If you are using cooked canned beans/chickpeas then you don't need to worry. Just drain and wash them and set aside. If you have the split peas [or any other bean/pulse you wish to use up] and have soaked them, then drain and wash well before boiling for 30 minutes - they should be cooked but retain some bite for texture in the dish.
*Any dried beans or pulses that you have to hydrate by soaking overnight should be washed thoroughly and then refreshed with clean cold water before boiling [as this prevents any embarrasing trumpeting later on!]. Always boil without salt as this hardens the pulses prematurely. Season once cooked i.e. when a bean/pulse can be squashed easily between your finger and thumb!
2. Fry onions, garlic, celery, carrots in 1 tablespoon of oil [canola/olive].
3. Add tomato puree and cook out the acidity
4. Add chopped olives and capers
5. Add the can of tomato and simmer for 30min
6. Add the cooked and drained peas/beans
7. Reduce the sauce so that it is thick and glossy, then gently place the sardines around the dish and push into the sauce.
8. Cover with a lid and heat through. Switch off the heat and let it all stand for 5 minutes.
9. Garnish with parsley/corriander herbs and a squeeze of lemon before serving
You can serve this with mash/rice/crusty bread/green beans ..
Additional Points:
This one pot dish takes about 30 - 45 min and contains store cupboard essentials. It is a very cheap and healthy dish to knock up mid week if you have not had time to get any fresh ingredients [or in my case - the market was shut!].
Granted soaking and washing and boiling the yellow split peas takes forward planning but you don't have to use that. Canned pulses and beans are really cheap and so much easier as they are already cooked and contain lots of nutrients - they are high in protein and fibre and low in fat and carbs. It helps if you always have a can of chickpeas or say red kidney beans or lentils at the back of the cupboard to knock this sort of dish up.
The Sardines have Essential Omega 3 fatty acids and oily fish proteins as well as a calcium hit from their edible soft bones - important if you don't drink enough milk or eat any dairy like cheese/yogurt! Calcium is important for building and maintaning strong teeth and bones. It is also essential in muscle contraction and blood clotting. The fatty acids help the body absorb dietary calcium.
Sardines also contain Vitamin D. This is a hormone that is usually formed under the skin through sun exposure as UV light activates it. Vit. D helps absorption of Calcium from food and it also increases the rate of mineral deposition in bones thus maintaining strong bones.
Incidently Calcium absorption can be inhibited by phylates and oxylates which are fibres found in some dried pulses and cereals like All Bran. High intakes of Phosphorous can also upset the balance of Calcium e.g. Fizzy drinks like Coca Cola.
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| Sardines served on a bed of Mashed Potatoes |
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