SARDINES - Why They Are Good for You

I believe it’s never too late to treat your body right.  And one way I treat my body right is by eating healthy.  As we grow older, one of the foods important for brain function is oily fish like Sardines or Anchovies.

Fresh sardines - Sarde fresche

The essential fatty acids found in sardines can help prevent "senior moments" by protecting the membranes that cover our brain cells. The fatty acids can also reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular disease and may also help lower blood sugar levels. They are also a good source of vitamin D, calcium, B12, and protein.

All fish, but especially sardines because they contain fat, if not fresh the flavor is altered.
Signals to recognize that fish is fresh even for the less experienced:
The skin must be humid and shiny
The scales must be compact
The body must be rigid and have an ocean smell

Sardines will preserve all flavors if the cooking is fast and simple.

Broiled or grilled fresh sardines with garlic, parsley, black pepper and a good drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

If a good fishmonger is not nearby, look for canned, smoked, or pickled sardines. When buying them canned, look for the ones packed in their own oil, olive oil, or water rather than in soybean or cottonseed oil.

Canned Sardine Salad

In my household, we also love salted sardines or anchovies.

      One of my favorite brands of anchovies

Another dish which I have bee eating since childhood, is
Cabbage with Cornbread and Fried Sardines - Verza con Pizza di Granturco e Sarde Fritte

1 cabbage
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 cup olive oil (fry sardines or anchovies in it and later pour over cabbage).  See below.
2 chilies or red pepper flakes
Pinch of black pepper
Adjust salt if necessary

Cornbread recipe.    Cook cabbage and set aside.

Fried sardines and peppers

Fried Sardines
Ingredients for 2 persons
8 sardines or anchovies
2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 cup olive oil

Being that sardines or anchovies are salted, they must be rinsed and sit in water for an hour.  Water should be changed often to remove salt.  Drain and pat dry.  Dust sardines with flour and fry in hot oil about 5 minutes.  Set aside.  In the same oil, add chopped garlic, few hot or sweet chilies, black pepper and simmer for 5 minutes and pour over the cooked cabbage.  Serve with cornbread and fried sardines or anchovies.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/15/dining/sardine-recipe.html?_r=0

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/health/nutrition/11recipehealth.html

http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/healthtrending/eating-this-food-can-ease-a-painful-condition-affecting-millions/ar-BBEioM7?ocid=ob-fb-enus-280

Seafood Extravaganza - Estravaganza di Pesce

This Labor Day weekend we had a seafood feast and we sent summer out with a bang. 

No, it was not a clambake.  We did not have the pleasure of eating on the beach within the sound of ocean waves, but simply a feast in our own backyard shared with friends and family.






Anchovies alla Ligure

1 1/2 lb. fresh anchovies
1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion minced
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 can of pitted black olives

Clean and fillet anchovies.  Chop onion.  In a baking pan, lightly oiled, put the onion.  Add the anchovies in a single layer.  Cover them with tomato and olives.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 15 to 20  minutes.  Leave to rest and serve lukewarm.

All photos - Copyright - ©2011 - La Casa e Il Giardino – picasaweb

Acciughe alla Ligure

Stuffed Mussels alla Pugliese

2 lb. mussels, rinsed and debearded

1 cup of tomato pulp

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

2 cloves of minced garlic

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

basil and parsley minced

salt and black pepper to taste

Cozze Farcite alla Pugliese



In a pot, add the mussels with a little water, cover and cook for 10 minutes on high heat.  Eliminate the shells without the mussels.  Puree' the tomato pulp with the oil, cheese, breadcrumbs.  Add the basil and parsley.  Add black pepper and minimal salt.  Distribute the mixture over each of the mussel.  Place the stuffed mussels in a baking pan with a few tablespoons of water at the bottom and bake them in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Clams with Garlic, Parsley and Peperoncino

   24 littleneck clams, scrubbed

    2 cloves of garlic

    1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

    1/2 cup chopped parsley

    2 small red peperoncini

Clams with garlic, parsley and peperoncino

Place the clams in a pot and cover with water and salt for a minimum of 2 hours in order to remove the sand.

In a small pot heat the olive oil.  Add the minced garlic and chopped peperoncino and cook until the garlic is lightly brown about 1 minute.  Add the clams, cover and simmer until the clams open.  Discard any clams that don't open.  Add chopped parsley.

Serve with toasted bread.

STUFFED CHILI PEPPERS IN A PAN - Peperoni ciliegia ripieni in padella

Many of you must have seen stuffed chili peppers in oil in Italian delicatessens.  They make great appetizers.  Love their spicy taste.

I like to make them stuffed with tuna and anchovies but rather than put them in oil, I cook them in a pan.  They make a great side dish.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. cherry peppers (preferably hot)

Can of good tuna in olive oil

Small can of anchovies

Small can of chopped green olives

1 tablespoon of capers

1 clove of garlic (minced)

Sprig of parsley (chopped)

2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:

Wash the peppers and remove the tops and seeds.  In a bowl combine the tuna, anchovies, capers, garlic, parsley and breadcrumbs.  Blend the mixture well and stuff the peppers.

Once the peppers are filled, place them in a non-stick frying pan with the olive oil

Cover the pan and cook them for 30 minutes over medium heat.  Serve warm or at room temperature.