Sardines are a unique kind of fish as they are packed with all sorts of valuable nutrients. Health benefits of these tiny fish include omega 3 fatty acids, which have strong anti-inflammatory properties, as well as vitamins D and B-12 along with calcium and many other vitamins and minerals. Another great point is that, as the smallest fish in the food chain, sardines accumulate the least amount of mercury. No wonder that sardines are popular among adherents of the AIP paleo diet!
I love having sardines for an easy and simple breakfast, but at some point I found them too repetitive. As soon as I caught myself on this thought, I thought (my apologies for tautology here) about sardine pâté . After all, it’s a very nutritious dish with delightful taste (just think of adding various “goodies”, such as herbs, spices and “why not” lemon zest!)
How to make a dairy-free sardine pâté?
However, one of the key ingredients in sardine pâté is butter. Not an ideal ingredient if you have a disease resulting from a leaky gut; plus dairy is known to be cross-reactive with gluten. Too much of a risk… Therefore, even though my personal experience during reintroduction indicated that I can tolerate a small amount of butter (particularly made from goat milk) eaten occasionally, I thought that better alternatives exist, and they surely do!
Indeed, there is a way you can prepare sardine pâté so that it won’t cause harm to your gut barrier (and will not mess up with with thyroid antibodies). Given nutritional value of this dish, it could in fact be a great way to correct nutrient deficiencies in people with autoimmune conditions, myself included.😢
As butter contributes to richness and flavor of pâté I thought about alternatives to replace it. This is when I thought about palm shortening, after all it’s often used as a substitute of butter in baking. And I wasn’t disappointed with the result as palm shortening gives rich texture and adds flavor: all that is needed for a savory sardine pâté recipe! I like serving my sardine pâté with plantain flatbread and side salad for a complete and balanced meal.
Collection of delicious meals!
This meal is one of my family favorites and it’s included into my recent collaboration cookbook “30 minute meals for the paleo AIP”, that features a collection of delicious MEALS from 41 amazing AIP bloggers. Click HERE to learn more about the book and to access the complete meal instructions!
- 1 lemon
- 2 cans (3-4 ounces each) sardines in olive oil
- 2 tablespoons palm shortening*
- 1 bunch of chives
- 2 garlic cloves
- Remove zest from lemon with grater and squeeze juice from lemon.
- Combine the lemon juice, zest, sardines, palm shortening, chives, and garlic in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl.
- Serve with flatbread and salad of your choosing.
30 Minute Meals for the Paleo AIP cookbook
features 120 complete meals that are fast and easy!
Maria is the blogger behind the Zesty Paleo website. As a Hashimoto's patient for more than a decade, Maria has constantly been taking steps to improve her quality of life, including nutrition and lifestyle choices.
Leave a Reply