Mediterranean Style Baked Sardines

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I love this Mediterranean Style Baked Sardines recipe. We are talking about fresh sardines which i can only find in spring, so it’s a very seasonal recipe. The taste of the sardines with the marinade of garlic, lemon and olive oil is such a classic Mediterranean style cooking. Perfect for my low carb Mediterranean diet. This is a true keto style recipe and perfect for anyone who is looking to eat healthier.

If you ask me Sardines are one of the best fish you can eat. First of all, they feed on plankton so they don’t have a high level of mercury like other fish such as grouper or tuna. second, the nutrition value is outstanding.

Sardines Nutrition Facts:

Heart Health:

• Omega 3 – one of the most concentrated sources of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. Contains over 50% of the daily value.
• Vitamin b12- sardines is one of the most vitamin b12 dense food in the world. B12 promotes cardiovascular well-being

Bone Health:

• Vitamin D – sardines are rich in vitamin D. Vitamin D helps to increase the absorption of calcium (as well as other important roles). Many people suffer from vitamin d deficiency. Vitamin D may turn out to play an important role in the prevention of various types of cancer.
• Phosphorus – an important mineral that helps to strengthen the bone matrix

Source of Quality Protein

Packed with high-quality protein that supplies us with amino acids.

This Mediterranean Style Baked Sardines is a really delicious dish i love to pair it with my vegetable buckwheat. For those who are strict low carb try a side of roasted cauliflower and broccoli and a green salad.

Useful information regarding Sardines

Many people think they don’t like Sardines, however, with the appropriate cooking i guarantee, it’s going to be your favorite and healthiest fish. When selecting fresh Sardines make sure it looks fresh. The fish should have bright clear eyes and the skin is firm. If you can smell it make sure it smells fresh.

If you’re not finding fresh sardines get sardines in olive oil in a jar rather than a can and stay away from those in soybean oil. With can sardines, i recommend trying the sardines and veggies dish.

When getting fresh sardines, if they were not cleaned at the store they will need to be gutted and rinsed in fresh cold water (don’t worry it’s easier than it sounds). The magic with sardines is by simply sprinkle lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic.

Preparing the Sardines

For this recipe, I decided to bake the sardines in a simple marinade I made in 2 min.

To start i gutted the fresh sardines and rinsed them in cold water, then pat dry them.

To make the marinade get a big bowl and add mustard, garlic (i love to chop my garlic but you can mince it too), olive oil, lemon, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper. I mix all the ingredients together. Add the sardines to the marinade gently. You can let them sit in the marinade for a few minutes.

In the meantime warm up the oven to about 210c (420f) and put the sardines in an oven safe pyrex. The pyrex goes to the oven for 15 minutes and it’s ready. Sprinkle green onions, chive or parsley on top to garnish and serve hot.