Apr 22
2014
Fish oil may help the heart beat mental stress, says a recent study, “Fish Oil and Neurovascular Reactivity to Mental Stress in Humans.” It appears online in the May 2013 edition of the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology, published by the American Physiological Society.
The omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil have long been thought to protect against cardiovascular disease… Read the entire story here. [examiner.com]
Oct 19
2012
If you read my post about the Top Fish competition, then you know that I recently made a stuffed squid dish that landed me in third place. I am pretty proud of that recipe, and I’d like to share it with you.
I have served this dish to many friends, and they all enjoyed it. What is difficult about cooking squid is that you either need to cook it quickly or over a very long period of time, making sure that it doesn’t get rubbery. The way I prepare it is to bake it quickly, and it doesn’t take ages to chew—win win.
The prep for this dish takes about 10 to 15 minutes depending on your knife skills; I usually like a chunky chop, but with the squids being so little, you are going to want to chop everything pretty small.
Full recipe and story here
Sep 7
2012
Stock up on your Omega-3 with sardines. Sardines are cheap and they are worth their weight in gold. If there are people that don’t really like sardines, you can stuff them with cream cheese and herbs. They taste differently and I am sure they will be a hit.
Ingredients
500 gr sardines
150 gr cream cheese (Philadelphialight)
Finely chopped chives
Finely chopped dill
Finely chopped parsley
Salt, pepper
Oregano
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Directions
First you have to clean the sardines, which many of you absolutely hate. Perhaps you can get your fishmonger to do it for you.
In case you want to do it yourself, here is how: Put the fish in a bowl with water, and lightly scrape off the scales. You can use a knife or a special scraper. Take care not to scratch the skin. The sardines have very soft scales that come off very easily. Then you have to cut off the head with the gills and everything. Cut open the belly and remove the intestines. Rinse the fish.
Use a very sharp knife for the next step. Insert the knife in the fish from the cut side. You must feel that it touches the backbone. Run your knife along the bone to the tail. Be careful not to separate the two fillets completely. They must be joined at the back. Open the fillet and insert your knife below the bone and slide it towards the tail, so that you can remove the bone. Gently scrape off the soft bones and your sardine is ready to be stuffed. It sounds complicated but it is very easy and it doesn’t take long once you get the hang of it.
Rinse each fish as you finish filleting it and place it in a colander to drain. Sprinkle some salt over the fish and let them drain while you prepare the stuffing.
In a bowl place the cheese and the chives, dill and parsley. Mix well with a fork. Lay the sardines in a baking pan, the one next to the other. With a teaspoon, put some stuffing between the two fillets of fish. Press the two fillets lightly together. When you have stuffed all the fish, sprinkle a little salt over them and some oregano if you wish, and drizzle some olive oil and lemon juice.
Bake them in a preheated oven at 180oC for about 20 minutes. You can serve them with a nice green or Greek salad and some fries.
If you wish, you could leave some sardines whole after having removed the head and the intestines. Place them in the pan, drizzle some oil and lemon juice over them and sprinkle some salt and oregano. They are very tasty this way as well.
Another way to cook the sardines is to barbecue them. These little fish packed with vitamins and minerals are a real powerhouse, and should be added to your menu.
This delicious recipe is the courtesy of Cooking In Plain Greek!
Jul 23
2011
The flavor of sardines at Presidio Social Club is a good match for cocktails. John Storey/Special to The San Francisco Chronicle
by Michael Bauer
Earlier this week, I was writing the introduction to this week’s Food&Wine newsletter which focuses on seasonal recipes. The topic was sardines, which drew out some long-buried memories.
Only a few years ago sardines were rare on menus, but now they’re coming into the spotlight as more people become aware of seasonality and sustainable seafood practices. The emergence of this strong-tasting fish on restaurant menus seems to parallel the growing cocktail culture. Sardines make great snacks with a stiff drink, which is why you’ll find them in the snack section on many menus.
Even though I only eat fresh these days, whenever I see the word “sardines” I first think of the canned variety. Growing up, tinned sardines and soda crackers were a lunch-time staple.
At least 20 years ago I dined with two food and wine legends in an East Bay restaurant — Gerald Asher, who was the longtime wine writer for Gourmet; and Elizabeth David, one of the most respected British cookbook authors. During that dinner we got into a discussion of sardines; both of them loved the canned variety. I was surprised to learn that they also both “aged” the tins for a time. From there the discussion turned to how long is ideal.
It’s been decades since I’ve had the canned product, but remembering this conversation I think I’ll go out and try them. Maybe they will be my new lunchtime staple a year or so down the line, once they’ve properly mellowed in their cans.
For now I’ll stick to fresh sardines. The 10 places below show how versatile this fish really is. If you want to try the Spoonbar or Gitane dishes at home, click here for the recipes.
Read the rest of the article here.
Jul 22
2011
Note – California’s sardine fishery reopens September 15.
Uuber-easy is the name of the game with this classic Mediterranean recipe.
Grilled sardines are a completely different beast than the oil-packed, canned ones, and they come to life with just a bit of lemon juice and olive oil. We used our robust Italian Blend Olive Oil, since its spice and aroma hold up well to the grill, and finished off with only citrus and seasonings, this summer dinner is done in under 10. Serve it up with a side of olive tapenade, garlic bread, and cheeses for a lovely platter.
Ingredients
Jul 11
2011
photo © 2008 Robin | more info (via: Wylio)
What you might find interesting about this calamari recipe from Michael Sargent is the grill.
There are a growing number of people who are buying the Big Green Egg for their backyard grilling and becoming fanatical about its qualities. Sargent often gives cooking demonstrations using the Big Green Egg at Foster’s Grill Store on Eastern Avenue.
Calamari is the Italian name for squid, and the squid is a mollusk that is related to cuttlefish and octopus. They range in size from an inch or so up to 80 feet, but the most common size for eating is less than 12 inches. The meat is white and firm with a mild, sweet and what some describe as a nutty flavor. Although you can eat the tentacles, the main body is the prime section of meat. It can be stuffed whole, cut into flat pieces, or sliced crosswise into perfect rings. Here only the main body part is used.
This is a simple recipe that takes no time to prep or cook. The thin slices look wonderful as they curl atop a bed of spring mix greens. And the flavor of the delicate calamari comes through without being overpowered by the usual ingredients or preparations, drowning the creature in bread crumbs and hot oil, or smothering it in peppers.
Click here for the Grilled Calamari recipe.
May 17
2011
By Skye Gyngell
The combination of sweet tomatoes and salty black olives is a favourite of mine, and is a lovely match with squid.
20 small, ripe tomatoes
6 sprigs of oregano, leaves only
tbsp good-quality red-wine vinegar
A little olive oil for drizzling
800g/1 lb of the freshest squid
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
I handful of wild garlic, well rinsed
A handful of black olives, preferably niçoise,
Get the rest of the recipe here.
May 12
2011
photo © 2009 Yusuke Kawasaki | more info (via: Wylio)
Contributed by Hoss Zaré
- ACTIVE: 45 MIN
- TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS
- SERVINGS: 6
