Competition-Inspired Cooking with Your Kids: Ode to Sardines

Inspired by the recent Rachael Ray's Kids Cook-Off episode, the chefs from Food Network Kitchen share ideas for cooking with sardines.

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sardines on toast

©food network 2015

food network 2015

We were so happy that none of the kids on Rachael Ray’s Kids Cook-Off were sent home this week! They all did a stellar job, especially during the immunity round when each competitor had to cook a dish with one of his or her parent's least favorite ingredients. Juliana was stuck with sardines — her dad’s worst nightmare. She did an amazing job, lightly frying them, and completely converted him into a lover of these oily little fish.

So many of us in Food Network Kitchen love sardines — fresh or canned in olive oil. And we’re sad that they have a bad reputation, because they’re delicious, inexpensive and an excellent source of heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids. And because sardines are low on the aquatic food chain, you don’t have to worry about mercury levels.

Here’s a roundup of how our sardine enthusiasts like to eat them:
- Straight out of the can, with a fork
- Over arugula

- Warmed with butter, chives and tomatoes, then poured, along with some of their oil, over pasta

- In sardine salad, instead of tuna salad, like in this recipe

Or we would make this open-faced sandwich (pictured above): rye bread with a smear of mayonnaise, a sliced hard-boiled egg, sardines, red onion, dill, black pepper and a drizzle of oil from the sardine can.

Tune in Monday at 8|7c to see which two contestants say good-bye to the competition.

Photo courtesy of Heather Ramsdell

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