Roasted Moroccan Sardines with Quinoa

Roasted Moroccan Sardines with a side dish of coconut quinoa. You can grill the sardines on an outdoor barbecue, but it's winter here in San Francisco and I'm not venturing outside in the cold. Today I'm going to roast my sardines in the oven in a Staub au gratin cast iron pan.

Some people do not like the 'fishy' smell or taste of fresh sardines, but the good outweigh the drawbacks with these affordable, super healthy little fishies. It's the good fat!

They are packed with Omega-3 fatty acids:
-- cancer prevention
-- anti-inflammatory effects for people with arthritis or joint pain
-- raise high-density lipoproteins, or the good cholesterol
-- high calcium content
-- youthful, healthy skin
-- very high in vitamin B-12
-- may help prevent degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer's



You can pair this dish with a spinach salad, 3-bean salad or gluten free grain. I felt like having coconut milk and quinoa side dish.

I had the butcher at the fish market remove the head, spine and tail while leaving the skin on the fish. Skin-on is great for grilling and roasting.

Sardines in Olive Oil (Google Affiliate Ad)



Ingredients:

- 1 pounds sardines
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lemon zest and juice - finely grate the zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
- 2 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (or more if needed)
- salt
- saffron threads (if you can afford it, not needed) pinch



Place the fish skin down on a plate. Mix all other ingredients in a bowl, then drizzle it on the Sardines. Cover and place in the fridge for at least an hour.


Pre-heat oven to 350. Place the fish in a Staub cast iron au gratin pan or a cast iron fry pan and cook for 20 minutes - more or less (depends on how you like your fish - go longer if you like it crispy)



Sardines in Olive Oil (Google Affiliate Ad)



DDI Polar Sardines in Mustard- Case of 24 (Google Affiliate Ad)

Fort Funston Beach Day - Get Out and Hike!

It's the end of January! Why is it so warm? Because it's winter in San Francisco! Gotta love the reversed seasons here in SF. We call it Jun-uary! Get out there and Urban Hike while the weather is nice. Saltwater, fresh air, and a dog friendly beach is just what the doctor ordered after being stuck in the flat with a cold for almost 2 weeks! Yikes!

Fort Funston was named in honor of Frederick N. Funston (1865–1917), a General in the United States Arm.



Even cooler historical fact, my brother and I had our birthday parties here. Birthday cake with a little wind-blown beach sand, sandy feet and lot running around laughing and freezing. Great memories at this beach!



Lost of parking (not sure it's free), two sets of bathrooms and a Dutch sand ladders leading down to the beach. A Dutch sand ladder is a cable ladder with rungs usually made of wood - Great leg work-out on the way back up to the parking lot.



Above the beach are a network of trails for hiking, horseback riding or off-lease dog walking. The trails are lined with trees to protect hikers from the wind and it's great for dogs to exploring the area.



Decaying structure on the beach, now home to some fish street art.



I don't know what these big, round circles are? Do you?

This area (San Francisco Defense Area Site SF-61R), is part of the California State Military Museum - read about the history and use of Fort Funston before is was a public beach.




Fort Funston, San Francisco. Mosaic octopus at Fort Funston.  Street art made with found sea glass or beach glass on the outfall structure on the beach.



Doggie street art at on the watershed or outfall structure



Submarine discharge pipeline next to the sewer overflow structure - The sewage overflow receives only primary treatment, excluding bacterial disinfection, before being released from overflow structures into the ocean.

Please check the water condition before swimming after a big storm. You can here at SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION website.



Decaying wooden pillars on the southend of the beach at Fort Funston.



No leash needed at this beach. Dog heaven!



Reminder! This is a dog friendly beach. If you do not like off-leash dog, maybe this isn't your spot!



Long our 2 hour exploration, we saw many dead and half dead crabs. I tried to put one back in the water. The birds were really enjoying their fresh crab! Most birds at this beach are seagulls and Bank Swallows



Look at that old ice-chest! Fort Funston 1977 - Brother's birthday party



Family Birthday party - Ski jackets on in the parking lot of Fort Funston 1977 - best birthday party!

Seaweed Soup Regatta on the San Francisco Bay

Zamazann Sail boat at the Seaweed Soup Regatta on Feb. 2, 2013. The race is hosted by the Golden Gate Yacht Club located next to the Marin Greens.

What I didn't know was that there was a Alcatraz swim that day as well and made for some close calls in the bay. Check out Pressure Drop's Blog for some really cool photos and a more detailed description of the day.

"There was a bit of a parking lot at Aquatic Park where the wind went really light, and the current had yet to switch from ebb to flood. To make matters even more interesting, a group of swimmers from Alcatraz were working there way in the protected bay, creating another challenge for the fleets." -- Pressure Drop

Here is Pressure Drop's Full Seaweed Soup Photo Gallery. Really nice photos.



Crew on the boat in San Francisco Bay - Winter



Zamazaan (Farr 52) on San Francisco Bay



Late start as we wait for the wind to pick up. It did around 1PM



It's a big boat with lots of halyards and Sheets



The race is hosted by the Golden Gate Yacht Club - home of the America's Cup

Here is a video I took with the GoPro of the Manuel Fagundes Seaweed Soup Regatta