I’m excited about this post because it’s my first time participating in The Recipe Redux Challenge. Every month, there’s a new recipe challenge, and this month, it is:

What did I choose to work with? Sardines. I’ve posted a fennel and anchovies salad recipe last week. I’ve never cooked  smelt (and I hope another Recipe Reduxer did because I’d love to see a smelt creation). And I’m not a fan of seaweed (did I just say that??), or at least, the only time I had it, it wasn’t prepared right (and maybe I need to listen to my own advice and give it a second chance).

And for the price of $1 a can, sardine’s price is hard to beat.

You can’t really see the sardines in the picture and that’s because the ingredients all became a mush. A delicious one though. Think of this recipe as ground meat spaghetti sauce–except that the ground meat is actually flaked sardines. We would have liked more sauce in our dish, so you can add more crushed tomatoes to your saute pan. Serve it with your pasta of choice, preferably whole wheat.

Why I consider this meal healthy? Sardines are an excellent source of protein (filling) and omega-3 fatty acids. They’re small fish, hence less mercury and PCBs. Lots of veggies; onion, garlic, fennel, tomatoes, and arugula. And, you can satisfy your cheese or cream craving with a little bit of quality cheese instead of a boat-load of heavy cream and butter. Light, yet satisfying, for a beautiful ‘almost’ summer day!

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 fennel bulb, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 c crushed tomatoes (from a can)
• 1.5 c grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 5 oz bag baby arugula
• juice of 1 lemon (or more if you like)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 4 3.75-oz cans sardines in water, drained and gently rinsed
• Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a saute pan. Add the onion and fennel and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute.

Add the crushed tomatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the grape tomatoes and arugula and saute until they wilt. Add the additional olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper.

Add the sardines, stir, and cook until they’re hot.

Serve with your preferred pasta (choose whole wheat) and top with some grated Parmesan cheese.