I know, I know. You’re reading the title of this blog thinking, “Yeah, right. There’s no such thing as a delicious sardine recipe.” Well, sardine skeptic friends, I promise there is. And if you’re already a sardine convert - I hope you enjoy adding this recipe to your repertoire.

Personally, I aim to include sardines in my family’s diet two or three times a week for the nutrients they offer. Sardines are a small oily fish which is a wonderful source of vitamin D, omega-3s, iron and calcium. For those of us who struggle to digest the dairy-based forms of calcium, regularly eating sardines with bones can be an excellent way to meet calcium intake by consuming the soft edible bones of the fish.

Now, I've got to admit, it has taken me years to shift my seat from the hate 'em camp to the love 'em camp. I've been eating sardines for years (as I've been dairy-free for years too) but have never really enjoyed them - and I think this is about the only whole food I've ever said that about! I find that if I don't enjoy a food that mother nature has provided, it typically comes down to the way it's been served (aka my cooking), rather than the food itself being the problem.

When I completed Helen Padarin’s Course recently, one of her recipes was for sardine pâté and I made it and guys, honestly - it tasted really good! Since then, I’ve tweaked the recipe many times and have landed on a version that is incredibly delicious. With tinned food, I always opt for BPA-free as the research shows that BPA in the lining of tins is toxic for a female's reproductive organs. Knowing this, I emailed the team at Freedom Foods about the Brunswick Sardines and they've reassured me that their tins are BPA-free and have been since 2012. So don't worry friends, I've done the research for you!

Creamy Sardine Dip
Mix the following ingredients together:

• 2 tins of sardines mashed with a fork (I like the Brunswick brand in olive oil or spring water with no added salt for the reason above and also no dodgy vegetable oils included)

• 2 tablespoons homemade mayonnaise (if you don’t have or can’t make homemade mayonnaise, I invite you to substitute with olive oil and yoghurt instead of store bought mayonnaise that is made with vegetable oils, click here to read why)

• 1 tbsp chopped chives

• 2 diced gherkins (I love the sugar-free additive-free Ceres Organics ones, fermented pickles would work well too)

• Juice of half a lemon

I like to serve ours on cucumber crackers (just sliced rounds of cucumber), with sliced radishes, capers or with homemade sweet potato crackers (which are so addictive, I've warned you!) like in the photos below. Come on over and join me in the love em' camp!

If you’d like support with your family’s mealtimes and weekly nutritious recipes, get in touch, I’d love to chat through how we could work together.