Sardine Fillets with Veggie Medley
 This was a mid-week dinner that I quickly whipped up with no expectations of it being anything special. Little did I know I'd created a plate of deliciousness! Obviously, I discovered this after I began eating it, which leads to my apology regarding the dodgy photo of my partially eaten meal. So, although this certainly doesn't look too pretty, I can assure that it is absolutely delicious! And to add to its amazingness, it took only 10 minutes to create from beginning to end. Swears!
Before I talk about the dish itself, I need to have a little rave about vegetables and how much potential they all have. I feel sorry for veggies as a lot of people aren't fans and often avoid them. I get it; they're not the tastiest things going round. Their blandness, however, is a great attribute! This means they become the perfect pair for numerous sauces, spices, and seasonings without interfering too much with the overall flavour of a dish. Also we can't forget that, nutritionally, veggies are absolutely amazing. They offer so much benefit to the body that no one should ever go without. I love veggies, and if prepared correctly they can be so delicious!
One of my most favourite seasonings is nutritional yeast; another very beneficial ingredient! It offers a cheesy, nutty like flavour and is a great source of protein, folate, selenium, zinc and more. It is an inactive yeast, meaning it won't contribute to any yeast infections or overgrowth occuring in the body, and actually exhibits antiviral and antibacterial properties! So, if you're looking for an easy, healthy way to flavour your veggies, give nutritional yeast a try.
Now, onto the sardines. These are super cheap, super easy to cook and super healthy! I won't go on about them, but they are one of the best types of fish you can eat as they contain little heavy metals and are one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids- an incredibly important anti-inflammatory. I was able to buy 500g of sardine fillets from my local seafood shop, and just froze what I didn't need. So, before I move onto the recipe, I want to mention there are no measurements as I had no intention of writing this. Just taste as you go, add as much or as little of anything as you like, and enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 4 sardine fillets
- 1 rasher bacon (nitrate free! and finely diced)
- cashews (crushed)
- brown rice (approx 2 TBSP in my dish)
- nutritional yeast
- cauliflower
- broccoli
- zucchini
- baby spinach
- green beans
- Himalayan pink salt
- black pepper
 Note: all veggies, except baby spinach were already steamed and chopped realllllyyy tiny! Chopping them tiny is so important, it makes them more delicious - trust me!
 Method:
1. In a fry pan, heat some coconut oil and cook bacon pieces until semi-crispy and delicious
2. Add chopped veggies, baby spinach, cashews, brown rice, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper into pan and stir until warmed through
3. Take pan off the heat and drizzle veggies with some extra virgin olive oil and set aside *do not leave the olive oil on heat for too long as it does not have a high heating point and becomes carcinogenic
4. Place pan back on heat, and cook sardine fillets for 30 seconds each side
5. Put it all on a plate and enjoy!
