Spinach & Sardine GF Quesadillas

GF | EF | NF | GrF

From what I’ve gathered talking to others about sardines is that they’re very hesitant to eat them because they don’t think that they’ll taste good. However, I assure you that they can taste good! With the right preparation, they’re honestly really yummy. I made this recipe for those that want to dip their toes into eating sardines. This is why I have used 50 /50 of sardines and tuna as I think it’s a great place to start.

Here’s how nutrient dense sardines are;⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

  • ⁣⁣Sardines contain a massive 2-3g of Omega 3’s and 650mg EPA + 800mg DHA per serve (which is particularly important for babies brain development)⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

  • Also contain; calcium, iron, copper, selenium, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, bioavailable calcium and phosphorus, especially when they contain skin and bones

  • More potassium than coconut water and bananas⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

  • Sardines are one of the lowest-risk species of fish for mercury content due to being a small and short-lived fish

  • They’re sustainable, renew quickly and have a small environmental footprint

  • A great source of cheap, quality protein⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

Makes 16 wedges

This below recipe is a double batch of these 3 Ingredient Tortillas

TORTILLA INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups cassava flour*

  • 6 Tbsp olive oil

  • ⅔ cup + 3-4 Tbsp boiling water

FILLING

  • 3x 120g tins sardines (in olive oil or spring water)*

  • 3x 120g tins tuna (in olive oil or spring water)*

  • 2-3 spring onions, sliced

  • Baby spinach leaves

  • Grated cheese (as much or little as you like) - I used hard sheep’s cheese for this, but use what you like

  • Optional; 2-3 Tbsp hot sauce, fresh coriander

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Add all the tortilla ingredients into your food processor or Thermomix , starting with 2/3 cups boiling water and blend. Add in 1 Tbsp of the extra boiling water at a time until the mix turns into a dough. (See notes below if you don’t use the cassava flour brand I use and recommend).

  2. Split the dough into 8 and roll each one out in-between two pieces of baking paper evenly. Make sure it’s not too thick. I like to place a small plate on top and cut around it to get a perfect round tortilla shape. You can add any of the excess dough to the other balls of dough and repeat until you have 8 perfect tortillas.

  3. Fry each tortilla in a frying pan, in oil of choice (I use ghee) on both sides for a few minutes until golden brown. I often use two separate frying pans to do this as it speeds up the process.

  4. Once they’re cooked, place them all onto a plate, one on top of the other while you prepare the filling.

  5. Add the sardines + tuna into a sieve and drain off the oil. Then add it into a bowl with the spring onions and optional hot sauce and coriander. Mix until combined.

  6. Lay the tortillas on a bench. Place the baby spinach, sardine / tuna filling and grated cheese on one half of each tortilla. Fold the tortilla on top so it creates a half moon shape.

  7. Fry them on both sides until the cheese is melted, or you can cook in the oven until the cheese has melted.

  8. Slice the quesadillas in half to create wedges. If desired, serve the quesadillas with a side of additive-free hot sauce, sriracha or tomato sauce for dipping.

TIPS & VARIATIONS

  • *CASSAVA FLOUR - I use the Ottos Naturals brand of cassava flour as I find it has the best / most consistent results. I order it from iHerb online, you can use my discount code for IHerb “CJJ916” if you would like to order some. I find cassava flour varies from brand to brand. So if you’re using a different brand of cassava flour to make these tortillas, it may require a touch more water, or a touch more flour depending on the brand. If the dough is too dry and crumbly, it needs more water. If the dough is too wet, it needs a touch more flour. Use your intuition and blend until you reach the right consistency. You can watch a video of me making these 3-Ingredient Tortillas here if you’re a visual person too.

  • If you don’t have cassava flour to make these tortillas, you could make a regular tortilla recipe if you’re not gluten free. Or you could use a store bought tortilla or wrap instead. You can find a few additive free recommendations here - Tortilla Swaps + Wraps Swaps.

  • *SARDINES + TUNA - I use the brand Good Fish. They have an amazing range of tinned tuna, salmon, sardines and mackerel which are all wild-caught and in olive oil. I order this range either from Jivita here or Part&Parcel here - feel free to use my discount code “jordiepieface” for 10% off with both of these amazing small businesses. For this recipe, you can use any of the tinned fish range, or a mixture like I did (half tuna / half sardines) but tinned mackerel or salmon would also work well.

  • If you’re not a fan of seafood, swap it to chopped leftover roast chicken, beef or lamb.

  • Feel free to make it your own and flavour the filling with anything from grated garlic, jalapeños or chilli, you could add in grated carrot or zucchini for some extra veggies, herbs, spices etc. Get as creative as you like.

  • I served it with an additive free tomato sauce from Undivided Food Co. which I ordered from Part&Parcel here. It’s also very yummy with a hot sauce.