Thai Sardine Cakes

FOOD AS MEDICINE

Sardines are one of those foods that even functional medicine RDs have to psych themselves up to eat from time to time while uttering “this is good for me, this is good for me”. Sardines are known to pack a nutrient density punch and are high in omega 3 fatty acids, B-12 and selenium. In fact, they are one of the best sources of omega 3 fatty acids on the planet with one can providing 1.3 grams of omega 3. They are rich in both EPA and DHA which are the most important anti-inflammatory components to look for in a quality fish oil from a food source! A can of sardines provides over 100% of the daily value of B-12 to support neurological health and energy. We love sardines for their highly bioavailable calcium content and talked about them in our podcast episode on Building Strong Bones as well as our recent episode on Supplements and Keto During Pregnancy as they are a pregnancy superfood! Sardines also contain almost 70% of your daily selenium needs to support thyroid function and detoxification. We love sardines for their low mercury content–as they are small fish that consume plankton they will not contain the same levels of heavy metals as other larger fish like tuna and swordfish. These sardine cakes are a great way to sneak in this superfood to picky eaters and reap all of the benefits of sardines in a hand-held and convenient delivery! We recommend getting fatty fish including sardines in at least 3 times per week to reap their benefits and taking a quality fish oil like EPA DHA Extra as one of your baseline formulas to defend against inflammation, support cognitive function and cardiovascular health.

INGREDIENTS

4 cloves garlic, smashed

3 green onions, roughly chopped (white and green parts)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

1/4 cup fresh basil

2 Tbsp red curry paste (we like Thai kitchen)

juice of 1 lime

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 Tbsp coconut aminos or Ocean’s Halo no-soy soy sauce

1/2 tsp sea salt

3 cans wild caught sardines in olive oil

1 egg

1/4 cup almond flour

Avocado oil for frying

For the dipping sauce:

4 Tbsp peanut butter

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

juice of 2 limes

2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

sriracha or hot sauce to taste

Not into sardines or not hitting your fish quota? EPA DHA Extra provides 2g of Omega 3s in 3 lemon-flavored capsules for easy delivery and potent anti-inflammatory support! 

DIRECTIONS

Place the garlic, onions, cilantro and basil in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add in the red curry paste, sesame oil, sea salt and coconut aminos and pulse again until just combined. Add in the sardines, breaking up with a fork as you remove from the cans. Pulse until fully combined, then pulse in the egg and almond flour. Scoop the mixture into 1/4 cup portions and form into 8 half inch thick patties. May need to add additional almond flour if the mixture is too wet. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the avocado oil. Once hot, fry the patties in batches until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. For serving, combine the peanut butter, vinegar, lime juice, cilantro and hot sauce, thinning with a bit of water if needed and serve with a lime wedge.

Makes 4 servings of 2 patties each

Nutrition per serving: 282 Calories, 21g Fat, 5g Carbs, 18g Protein

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