Tomato Toasts with Sardines & Mint (Recipe/Photo courtesy EatingWell.com: March/April 2010)
I am in LOVE with this recipe for Tomato Toasts with Sardines & Mint by Washington D.C. based Chef, Barton Seaver. Since I find myself making it for lunch all the time, (though it's a fab little appetizer as well), I felt compelled to share it with you!
Make sure you buy high-quality, smoked sardines packed in olive oil - not the kind in tomato sauce or mustard - and FRESH mint to ensure a delicious result.
INGREDIENTS (12 toasts)
1 4-ounce can boneless, skinless sardines packed in olive oil, preferably smoked
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 slices multigrain bread or 12 slices baguette, preferably whole-grain
1/2 medium ripe tomato
1 tablespoon very thinly sliced yellow onion
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Flake sardines with a fork into a mixing bowl. (The pieces should not be mashed, but should be no bigger than a dime.) Add mint, oil and salt; toss gently to combine.
If using whole slices of bread, cut off the crusts and cut each into four triangles. Place the triangles or baguette slices on a baking sheet and bake until crispy and golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. As soon as you remove them from the oven, rub each slice with the cut side of the tomato. As you progress, the tomato will break down until only the skin remains; discard any remaining tomato.
Top each toast with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the sardine mixture. Top the sardine mixture with a couple of onion slices and serve immediately.
NOTE: Did you know this so commonly overlooked little fish, named after the island of Sardinia, is a nutritional powerhouse? Their high concentration of omega 3's, calcium, vitamin D and protein make their nutritional value hard to beat if you're into "clean" eating.
