Cardamom and Tea

Sardine Toast

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The secret to the ultimate sardine toast is a 30-second step that most recipes skip entirely.

I’ll get to that in the next paragraph, but real quick: What’s to love about this recipe? It’s delicious with whatever you’ve got in your fridge! You just need a spread (hummus, pesto, avocado, you name it), one or two toppings, sardines, and crusty bread. The toast in these photos is made with hummus, tomato, red onion, and lemon, but it’s hard to go wrong.

Okay, onto that 30-second step: We must fillet them! Just use your fork to split the sardine in half lengthwise, just like cracking open an English muffin. It’s nothing like filleting a whole raw fish. Filleting creates the perfect shape for laying flat on toast. Sardines that have not been filleted have a tendency to slip and slide away from you with each bite. Filleted sardines stay put (as they should!).

Jump to the recipe to hit the ground running, or read on for a bit more on how/why to fillet them and how to get creative with sardine toast.

sardines in an open can
filleted sardines

Filleting sardines (it’s as easy as opening an English muffin)

How to: You just take the sardine, look for the “seam” on its back, wedge a fork in, and split it in half lengthwise. They split cleanly apart, leaving two perfectly flat halves that lay beautifully on toast. See the video in the recipe card at the end of this post if you’re more of a visual learner.

Why to: Whole sardines are a bit annoying on toast or in a sandwich. They’re just not the right shape to lay flat on bread, which leads to a lack of structural integrity. And you might think that the key to a great sandwich is high-quality ingredients, but it’s actually structural integrity.

Putting a whole sardine on a sandwich is a bit like putting a whole cherry tomato on a sandwich (instead of a sliced one). Good luck getting it to stay where you placed it!

Silvery-side-out or bones-side-out: Filleting creates a fun dilemma: You get to decide whether to display the sardines skin-side-out or bone-side-out. I’m personally a bones-side-out person because I think they look cool. Most people disagree with me, which is why I styled 100% of these photos skin-side out. You can also alternate. You do you!

sardine toast
sardine toast

Getting creative with sardine toast

This recipe is super adaptable. You just need a spread, some bread, a can of sardines, and one or two toppings. In the photos in this post, I used hummus, tomato, red onion, and lemon. That is my favorite way to make sardine toast when I have very little on hand.

The notes at the bottom of the recipe below list a bunch of common ingredients, but you can go even further afield.

Leftover chimichurri from dinner last night? Use it! Got some leftover cucumbers and peppers from making fattoush? Slice them thinly and throw them on there! Call me crazy, but I’ve even made sardine toast with hummus and a tiny bit of lemon curd for some sweet-and-sour flavor. The sky is the limit, and experimenting can only go so wrong here. After all, it’s just a can of sardines. Live a little!

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Sardine Toast (with any ingredients)

sardine toast
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Use this recipe with whatever ingredients you’d like! There are suggestions in the notes at the end. The ones pictured here are made with hummus, tomato, red onion, and lemon.

  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 can of sardines
  • 2 slices of crusty bread
  • Your favorite spread* (e.g., hummus)
  • Toppings** (e.g., red onion, tomato, and lemon)
  • Salt

Instructions

  1. Fillet your sardines: Use a fork to break each one open, lengthwise along the seam (see video).
  2. Toast your bread in a countertop toaster.
  3. Spread your favorite spread over each piece of toast.
  4. Arrange the toppings and sardines over the spread. Season to taste.

Notes

* Spreads (pick 1):

  • Hummus
  • Guacamole
  • Avocado with lemon
  • Pesto
  • Smashed sundried tomatoes in oil
  • Tapenade

** Toppings (pick 1-3):

  • Red onions (pickled or thinly sliced)
  • Leafy herbs (cilantro, dill, parsley)
  • Sliced green onions
  • Sliced tomato
  • Sliced olives
  • Capers
  • Sliced cucumbers
  • Lemon or lime wedges

(Or use whatever spreads and toppings you’ve got! These are just suggestions.)

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Strawberry Oatmeal

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Choose your own adventure with this strawberry oatmeal: You can go either chewy or creamy. The difference? Either add the smaller amounts of water and milk or the larger amounts; simmer longer for creamy and shorter for chewy. And that’s that!

This recipe is pretty simple: You start out with some macerated strawberries. You’re going to use some of them for the topping, and blend some of them into the oatmeal itself.

Jump to the recipe to hit the ground running, or read on if you need help deciding whether you’re team chewy or team creamy.

strawberry oatmeal
chewy oatmeal
strawberry oatmeal
creamy oatmeal

Creamy vs. chewy strawberry oatmeal

This is a bit of a personality test. Do you prefer your oatmeal to be on the chewy side or on the creamy side? You might immediately have an opinion, but if not, here are some things you can ask yourself:

  • Do you like eating oatmeal at fancy hotel breakfast bars? If so, you’re team creamy. If that sounds like cafeteria oatmeal (and not in a good way), you’re team chewy.
  • Are you okay with sacrificing chewiness for a super silky smooth texture? If so, you’re team creamy. If that sounds like baby food, you’re team chewy.
  • Are you a fan of the oatmeal recipe on the side of the box? If so, you’re team chewy. If you’ve always found that standard recipe kinda disappointing, you’re team creamy.
strawberry oatmeal
strawberry oatmeal

A few tips for success:

  • Order really matters. In other words, don’t accidentally purée your oats! Blend the strawberries before you add the oats. All just to say, keep your wits about you and don’t just start dumping ingredients in the pot before reading the recipe.
  • Use either fresh or frozen berries, but be sure to follow my instructions for frozen (which you’ll find in the notes at the end of the recipe).
  • If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender. I suggest immersion because it saves on dishes. If you have neither, you can also use a food processor, but do not add all this liquid to your food processor or it may flow out. Instead, just purée the berries separately and add them to the pot.
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Strawberry Oatmeal

strawberry oatmeal
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  • Yield: 1 large or 2 small bowls

Ingredients

for the strawberries:*

  • 8 oz [225g] strawberries
  • 1 heaped Tbsp [15g] sugar
  • Salt (optional)

for the oats:

  • Between ¾ – 1½ cups your milk of choice** [180g – 360g]
  • Between ⅔ – 1 cup water** [155g – 235g]
  • ¾ cup old fashioned oats [75g]
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Optional, yogurt for serving

Instructions

  1. For the strawberries: Hull and slice the strawberries. Sprinkle with sugar (and a pinch of salt, if using). Fold together to combine. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to 4 days.
  2. For the strawberry oats: After the strawberries have given off some juices, lift half of the strawberries out of their juices. Place these strained berries in a saucepan along with the milk and water. Keep the other half whole, in their juices (as a topping). Purée the milk/water/strawberries with an immersion blender (or move to a regular blender, or purée the strawberries in a food processor separately).
  3. Add the oats and salt to the water/milk/berries purée. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once it comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally. With the larger amount of liquid, this will take about 15 minutes***, until the liquid thickens and the oatmeal softens. With the smaller amount of liquid, this will take about 4 to 5 minutes, until the oatmeal thickens significantly.
  4. top with the whole macerated strawberries, their juices, and optional yogurt.

Notes

* Use 1 2/3 cups [200g] hulled frozen berries with the same amount of sugar. Follow the same instructions, leaving them in the fridge to thaw and macerate overnight. For a shortcut, instead microwave for about 30 to 60 seconds, just until they start to thaw slightly (but before they start to get warm). Stir together and leave on the counter for about 20 minutes to thaw the rest of the way. If you prefer unrefined sugar, you can use 1 Tbsp maple syrup or honey.

** If you are a fan of creamy oatmeal (see photos above the recipe), use the larger amount of both the water and milk.

If you are a fan of chewy oatmeal (see photos above the recipe), use the smaller amount of both water and milk.

Use whatever milk you’d like. I prefer using either soy milk or cow’s milk. In my experience, oat milk tends to be too starchy for making oatmeal. But any alternative milk will do.

*** For the creamier, longer-simmering version, it will start out watery, and at a certain point it will noticeably thicken (e.g., the bubbles will get bigger), while still remaining very pourable and creamy. Leave it uncovered the whole time, and be careful not to let it bubble over. If you’re using a wide pan instead of a small saucepan, you may need to add a bit more water as it cooks (more water will evaporate from a wide pan).

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