I chose to make these Simple Sardine Toasts for this month's Recipe Redux's "Sea What You've Been Missing" challenge in honor of my maternal grandmother who lived to be 93-years-old and who regularly ate all kinds of fish (fresh, smoked, salted, and canned) including sardines.
"Was this one of the secrets of her longevity?" I wonder.
She grew up in Lubec, Maine, the easternmost town in the contiguous United States, where she once worked in a sardine factory that has long since closed.
What are sardines?
Small, oily fish related to herrings, canned packed in everything from spring water, olive oil and soybean oil to mustard sauce and hot sauce. Few other fish are as healthful (with a whopping 1,950 mg of omega 3's per 3 ounces - more than salmon and tuna - and lots of vitamin D), sustainable and affordable, so it's definitely worth experimenting with canned sardine recipes to uncover a few that work for you.
Okay, sardines are NOT mild fish. They're fishy fish, like anchovies. An acquired taste. A relic from the Depression-era that appears to becoming a culinary trend in some circles, according to this Wall Street Journal article. (Nana would find this development very amusing, indeed!)
I came across several "fancy" recipes calling for canned sardines, including one for spaghetti with sardines, broccoli and cauliflower that is on my list of recipes to try soon. But spaghetti and sardines is not something my Maine-born-and-raised grandmother would have ever made. (Growing up, we most often ate sardines straight from the can on or alongside saltine crackers.)
But this simple sardine toasts recipe, adapted from Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition (affiliate link), is something she would have enjoyed. To make it healthier, I substituted the butter called for with olive oil and swapped minced scallion for onion.
How Many Calories and WW Points in these Sardine Toasts?
According to my calculations, each serving has 76 calories and:
2 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
1 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
1 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
2 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
If you like this easy sardine snack, you might also like these WW friendly recipes Crock Pot Manhattan Clam Chowder, Fish Stew (Budget Bouillabaisse), White Wine Clam Sauce with Spaghetti, Smoked Salmon Egg Salad Tartines and Tuna Olive Pasta Salad
If you've made this Sardine Snack Toast, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Simple Sardine Toasts
Ingredients
- 12 canned sardines
- 1 teaspoon minced scallion
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 6 narrow strips of toast (preferably from 1 - 2 slices of wholegrain or sourdough bread)
Instructions
- Remove sardine bones, if necessary
- In a small bowl (affiliate link), mash 6 of the sardines with the scallion, olive oil, mustard and lemon juice until well combined.
- Spread this mixture evenly on top of the toast strips.
- Place a whole sardine on each toast strip.
- Place under the broiler and cook until warm, 1 - 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
More WW Friendly Recipes
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
Subscribe to Get: Top 10 Reader Favorite Recipes
The Top 10 Most Popular Recipes (PDF) on Simple Nourished Living + Weekly Support Emails with Tips & Easy Healthy Recipes Not Found Anywhere Else!
Leave a Reply