Sardine Tapenade

OK, so, if you’re reading this, you’re ok with sardines. Personally I love them, they’re healthy and are great to have in the kitchen cabinet for snacks or in case of natural disasters. In this case, it’s the snack I’m looking for, and sardine tapenade is delicious.

This is not the first tapenade I’ve posted. However, it is a little closer to the official recipe, because it contains fish, olives and capers. Read my post on olive and pimento tapenade, it delves into the history, and what exactly is considered a tapenade today

So, that would explain the what. Now let me tell you a little about why, on a Wednesday afternoon, I ended up making a sardine tapenade. Usually when I get home from work I’m hungry. First thing I would do is cook dinner, usually eat by 6-6:30, well, that’s fine, but by 7:30-8:00 I start snacking. The problem with snacking is that it’s usually not healthy; cookies, chips etc. And this doesn’t fit well with me trying to eat healthier. So, I had an idea, I’ll snack when I get home, something a little healthy, and have my dinner a little later.

So, I pushed dinner back to 7:30, seems to be working. Now, I don’t know if any of you are dealing with this, but, I guess the idea is to be open minded. Now back to the sardine tapenade that held back my hunger for a bit.

As usual, the idea is to only utilize what you have in the fridge or the closet. No running to the store for special items. The household budget always controls the food. I always have sardines in the house, they are a very good snack to have around. They’re very good for you too. Although they have a fat content, it’s mostly monounsaturated fat, which is not bad fat. They’re high in B2, Niacin, B12 (150% dv), Phosphorus and Calcium. But they’re also high in Omega-3 Fatty acids, which have been shown to have an effect on heart disease. All this from a little fish.

I always have them in the closet, in oil, water and tomato sauce, the full selection. The ones in tomato sauce work best. I like the tomato flavor in the tapenade. One can in a bowl and mash them up. The onions and garlic have to be really finely diced. The last thing you want is a chunk of raw garlic, by dicing really fine and mixing well, the flavor spreads throughout the dish evenly. The same gets said for the onions, diced very fine. Just as a point of note, I know I like to offer options, but garlic and onion powder don’t work here, has to be fresh. Your taste buds will thank you

Now for the olives, again, diced fine, although it’s not as critical, olives taste good. In this case it’s about the spreadability of the tapenade. Rounding off the ingredient list is capers, they’ll add that salty component. Plus they are true to the official tapenade recipe. Lastly a sprinkle of kosher salt, a grind of coarse ground pepper and a spritz of lime and that’s it.

And that’s my sardine tapenade, serve on anything hard, toast, cracker, pita chips are good. Garnish as you like. It’s a delicious snack, and a healthier way to tame the hunger till dinner is ready. Thank you for reading and enjoy.