Immune boosting series
#2 Roasted Sardines with peppers salad
Do sardines come from Sardinia? I have been asked this question several times. I always thought it was hilarious, it is one of these question people often used to break the ice as soon as they find out I am from Sardinia.
The straight answer is: No! Although there is some speculation that the word sardines derives from the Greek “Sardò”, indicating the island of Sardinia, there is no proven link between the two.
Another recurring question I am asked is “do you miss Sardinia being in London?” Of course I miss my island sometimes! What I miss the most is the long days and months of sun and very warm springs. In London I have suffer from Vitamin D deficiency before.
Talking to my friend Giulia from Cromonutrition I found out that it is extremely common to see vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency amongst people. The reason for this is the reduced day-light from autumn to early spring, which impacts the skin’s ability to make vitamin D. Vitamin D is one of the most important nutrients for the immune system, according to Giulia.
What you could do to increase your vitamin D level is to eat more fish such as salmon, tuna, sole… and sardines!
Sardines are also packed with essential fatty acids, low in toxins —as they are a small fish with a short lifespan— and they take 15 mins to cook, so you now have plenty of reasons why you should include them into your diet.
So together with Giulia we decided to make a pepper salad to go with our roasted fish because “yellow and red peppers are the fruits with the highest vitamin C content —yes, peppers and not oranges!” I’ve learnt from Giulia. “Bell peppers are also rich in vitamin E, betacarotene and flavonoids, so they do contain a wide variety of antioxidants. We also added capers for their quercetin content and parsley as it is high in betacarotene. The cherry on top of the cake for this healthy meal is Apple Cider Vinegar. Being a fermented food, ACV contains healthy probiotics which can improve our gut flora and, therefore, support our immune system.”
“I still remember the first time I ate sardines… It was many years ago, in one of my summer holidays in Southern Italy with my dad. The restaurants where we were having dinner had some Sarde a Beccafico on the buffet and I got tempted by their inviting appearance. Wow! Nothing was ever quite the same after I tried them.”
You can find Giulia on Instagram under @Cromonutrition
Roasted Sardines with yellow & red peppers salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 2 serves
INGREDIENTS
6 fresh whole cleaned sardines
2tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp dried oregano
parsley
2 tsp salt
ground pepper
PEPPERS SALAD
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
10 black olives
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp capers
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
For the salad, cut the peppers in very small cubes. Then cut the black olives in a half and slice them into small pieces. Put these in a large bowl, add in the capers and toss with the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
For your sardines, first thing when you purchase them make sure to ask your fishmonger to clean them for you, unless it is something you enjoy doing.
Preheat the oven to 200 ºC.
Pat dry the sardines and place them on a oven’s tray with some baking paper underneath. Rub the sardines on the inside and outside with olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano. Then chop the garlic cloves very thinly and do the same with the parsley. Place parley and garlic inside the sardines together with a small slice of lemon.
Cook the sardines in the oven for approximately 15 minutes, until well cooked and crispy.
Serve with the peppers salad and with a slice of bread if you wish.
