Smoked Sardine Toast with Radicchio Salad and Pickled Onions

Smoked Sardine Toast with Radicchio Salad and Pickled Onions - Heart-healthy toast that is great for #toasttuesday, lunch, or as an appetizer!

Not going to lie, this was my first sardine recipe on the blog as well as my first sardine recipe creation to date! I’m not quite sure why it has taken me until now because I love all things fish! The only thing I can come up with is that I think it’s the most underrated fish in the nutrition world and because it’s not the most photogenic thing to shoot. But...that’s just me!

But if you are hesitant about sardines or automatically thinking of another fish to sub out for this recipe, don’t do it! 

Flavor-wise - go with smoked sardines as it’s reminiscent of smoked salmon. Hello, bagel and lox or my everything bagel and lox socca pizza! 

Health-wise - Heart-healthy benefits including omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium, and minerals like iron, zinc, potassium, and magnesium.

Want to know more about sardines!? Check out my fellow FNTP gal pal and creator of #sardineweek, Kendall McKinven IG page on all things sardines! 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

---

Smoked Sardine Toast with Radicchio Salad and Pickled Onions - Heart-healthy toast that is great for #toasttuesday, lunch, or as an appetizer!

Ingredients

Toast

• 2 slices of sourdough bread or bread of choice

Spread

• ¼ cup Goat cheese, plain greek yogurt, or dairy/non-dairy spread of choice

Radicchio Salad

• ½ head of radicchio (finely chopped)

• 5 radishes (thinly sliced)

• 1 English cucumber (thinly sliced)

• 5-10 olives (sliced in half)

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 3 garlic cloves (minced or sliced)

• 1 tsp (or more) red hot chili flakes

• S&P

Pickled Onions

• ½ red onion (thinly sliced)

• ½ cup apple cider vinegar (with the mother)

• 1 tsp fine sea salt

• ½ Tbsp pure maple syrup (or another sweetener)

• Filtered water

1 can smoked sardine filets of choice (wild-caught & sustainable)

Garnish

• Lemon juice, sea salt flakes, fresh dill, extra virgin olive oil, capers, chili flakes

Directions

1. In a 16 oz mason jar, place thinly sliced onions in a 16 oz mason jar or jar of choice. Add apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and sweetener of choice. Fill to the top with filtered water. Screw on the lid and shake vigorously to combine all ingredients. Make sure the onions are evenly coated with the vinegar mixture. Let the onions marinate for 30 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, add chopped radicchio and sliced radishes, cucumbers, and olives. In a small saucepan, heat oil on low-medium heat and add garlic. About halfway when the garlic is turning brown, sprinkle chili flakes. Once the garlic and chili flakes are aromatic, turn the heat off. Let the oil mixture cool before tossing it into the salad until fully coated. Season with S&P. 

3. To assemble your smoked sardine toast: toast 2 slices of sourdough bread, spread dairy/nondairy mixture, top with radicchio salad mixture, pickled onions, 2-3 sardine filets per toast and garnish with desired toppings. Enjoy! 

4. **For the pickled onions - Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to two weeks. Great as a garnish on tacos, eggs, or making more smoked sardine toasts! 

5. **You will have leftover radicchio salad which is great as a side dish, turn into a meal by adding a fish of choice, or making more smoked sardine toasts! 

INGREDIENTS/KITCHEN TOOLS USED FOR THIS RECIPE:

Smoked sardine filets, mandolin (vegetable) slicer, 16 oz mason jar

Ahi Poke Bowl & Stack

Ahi Poke Bowl + Stack - 2 fun versions that you can make for a lunch meal prep, refreshing light dinner, or for a crowd! 

I don’t eat out often, but when I do, I get a poke bowl...and I get ALL THE TOPPINGS! Just like a salad, poke bowls are so versatile. You can create so many fun flavor combinations all by the toppings you choose. And for this recipe, it’s the same way! 

So even though I have preferred toppings that were used for this specific meal, feel free to change them out to your liking. 

But for this recipe, I give you my classic, go-to way of creating a poke bowl that can also be transformed into a stack (if you want to be fancy!) 

Ahi tuna is my favorite protein so I created a marinade that is full of Asian flavors, a sauce that is sweet but spicy, and toppings that pair really well with those flavors. 

Since we are searing the tuna, this recipe is great as a meal prep. So if you want to make 4 servings and divide it amongst you and someone else for the next 2 days then you can. It’s also great as a light and refreshing dinner or for a crowd as people can top their bowl or stack however they would like! 

To see how I turn this into a stack version, check out our IG reel here! 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Candace | From the Roots (@fromtherootsblog)

So stop paying $10-$15 for a poke bowl and make it yourself! 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

---

Ahi Poke Bowl + Stack - 2 fun versions that you can make for a lunch meal prep, refreshing light dinner, or for a crowd! 

Ingredients

Chili mango sauce

• 1 whole mango (chunks)

• ½ juice of 1 lime + zest

• 1-2 tsp chili garlic sauce

Ahi Tuna marinade

• 2 ahi tuna steaks (4-6 oz 1.5” thick each)

• ¼ cup water

• 2 Tbsp white miso paste

• 2 Tbsp low-sodium GF tamari 

• 1 Tbsp honey

• 1 knob fresh garlic (minced)

• 1 Tbsp sesame oil

• 1 tsp chili oil

• ½ juice of 1 lime + zest

Bowl/Stack components (makes 4 servings)

• 1-2 cups sprouted brown rice 

• 2 cups edamame

• Seared ahi tuna steaks

• And top with your favorite poke bowl garnishes like mango chili sauce, English cucumbers, shaved carrots, jalapeno slices, nori sheets, green onion, pickled ginger, avocado slices, and microgreens

Directions

1. Prepare the marinade by combining all ingredients in a shallow bowl or Ziploc bag and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 

2. While your steaks are marinating, prepare the chili mango sauce by simply adding all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

3. Prepare the rest of the ingredients by steaming your rice and chopping veggies. 

4. Sear tuna steaks either on the grill or in a skillet on medium-high heat (4-6 minutes per side). 

5. To make ahi poke stack version: You can use a 4” springform pan or use a greased 1 cup to create your stack mold. Layer starting with brown rice first and ahi tuna at the end if using a springform pan or the opposite sequence if using a measuring cup. 

6. To make ahi poke bowl version: Add all components and garnishes in a bowl and serve! 

7. Divide all ingredients into ¼ in order to make 4 servings! 

The Best Gluten Free Confetti Cake

The Best Gluten Free Funfetti Cake - Fluffy, tender gluten free cake that reuses layered tops as cake ball garnishes!  Includes baking techniques to create that perfect “just came from the bakery funfetti cake.” 

I turned the big dirty thirty a couple weeks back (pisces in the house!?) and it feels so good! Ever since I was a kid, I dreamt of this day. For some reason, in my childhood brain, 30 meant that I was going to be a woman. That I would have it all together. That I was going to be successful. And in most ways, it feels that way or at least leading to that prediction. 

For so many years, I would let my stomach succumb to a laundry list of birthday cake ingredients that made me feel like crap for the sake of pleasing coworkers who barely knew me or family members that “forgot” that I had a gluten and dairy sensitivity. But not this year! This year, I am making my own damn cake! And the cake will have ingredients that I can fully digest and not feel like crap after! Haha

So if you feel the same way, you are making a cake for someone with these sensitivities, or just want a really good funfetti cake then look no further! 

I’ve been watching a lot of baking shows during COVID: Great British Baking Show Nailed It, you name it! So this cake was inspired by all those late nights drooling over all the glutenous and sugary-laden desserts! Haha! 

With that said, even though these recipes are traditional, I learned the techniques that can be applied to gluten and dairy-free baking! With cooking in general, it’s all about learning and finding ways where cooking can work for you! So the techniques used for this cake will, in the end, produce a damn good gluten-free cake. 

Directions in the recipe below, provide the techniques used but if you need more information regarding how to: reverse creaming, flat tops for even layering, milk soaking layers, build supported cake layers, frost your cake or leaving it naked, tools needed for a layered cake, and so much more -- check out Erin McDowell’s video on How to Make Layered Cakes and Claire Saffitz Makes Confetti Cake.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

---

The Best Gluten Free Funfetti Cake - Fluffy, tender gluten free cake that reuses layered tops as cake ball garnishes! Includes baking techniques to create that perfect “just came from the bakery funfetti cake.”

Ingredients 

• 1 ½ cups gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour

• ½ cup organic granulated cane sugar

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ¼ tsp salt

• ½ cup goat milk + ¼ cup or plant-based milk

• 1 tsp lemon juice + zest of one lemon

• 1 egg + 3 Tbsp egg whites (whisked + room temperature)

• ½ stick grass-fed butter (room temperature)

• ½ tsp almond extract

• ⅓ cup (1.75 oz) sprinkles 

Frosting

• Coconut whipped frosting (homemade or store-bought) or frosting of choice

Toppings 

• Sprinkles and cake balls (from leftover cake tops + frosting)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray 3 - 4-inch springform pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Make your “buttermilk” by adding lemon juice and zest to your goat milk. Let sit for at least 10-15 min. Set aside. *The zest just adds brightness to the cake, not necessarily creating the buttermilk mixture. 

3. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment.

4. Turn the mixer on the slowest speed. Slowly add chunks of your softened butter until everything is mixed and looks like coarse sand. 

5. Add your buttermilk mixture and bump up the speed to 4. Mix for one minute and scrape the bowl. Slowly add the whisked egg mixture, and almond extract and continue mixing for one minute. Stop halfway to scrape the bowl one more time. Mix until combined. Your batter should be thick but creamy and pourable. 

6. Take off the paddle attachment and fold the sprinkles into the batter. 

7. Divide the batter into your greased pans and fill ¾ of the way full. I like to evenly distribute batter by weighing each pan or use a cookie/ice cream scooper to make sure each pan has the right amount of batter. 

8. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick when inserted, comes out clean. 

9. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes, then gently remove the pan and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack. 

10.  Let layers cool completely before stacking and frosting. I like to place my layers in the fridge for about 20-30 min to firm up the cakes for easier stacking.

11. Before we start stacking, it’s time to start slicing! In order to have even layers for a tall and flat layered cake, we need to make sure each layer is even. Bonus: Slicing the tops off our cakes will make our cake balls for garnish! 

    1. Use a knife to score the entire outside edge of the cake - right where the cake stops cooking in the pan (you will see a distinct edge right as it starts to dome up). Go slowly, not too deep, and make sure you are getting down to eye-level.

    2. Take a serrated knife and cut through the cake along the indentation made with the knife marker. The best way of doing this without breaking the layers putting each cake layer on a decorating turntable. That way, you're slowly moving the serrated knife as the cake is turning. Eventually, you will end up in the middle and the top layer should come right off without any buckling or crumbling. 

    3. Set the domed top part of each layer to the side in a medium bowl to make cake balls for later. 

12. To assemble:

    1. Spread a bit of frosting onto the middle of the cake board, serving plate, or decorating turntable. (I like to cut out a piece of 4” round cardboard as a base for my cake so that it’s easier to transfer to a serving plate without messing with the finished product) If you are using this method, place the cardboard piece on frosting so that it stays. Dab another bit of frosting on that and then center your first layer on it. 

    2. Use a pastry brush or small spoon and dab leftover goat milk onto each cake. Don’t overdo it as you don’t want a soggy cake. Sprinkle extra lemon zest - optional but so good!

    3. Stack the layers on top of one another, using an offset spatula to spread about half-inch frosting between each layer. Repeat each layer with milk dab, zest, and frosting. The last layer, turn the layer upside down so that the cake bottom is on top. *Makes for a clean flat top!

    4. Crumb coat by covering the whole cake in a very thin layer of frosting. You can also pipe in between layers where there are visible holes. 

    5. Chill the cake in the fridge until the frosting has firmed up; about 20 minutes. 

    6. Apply the final coating of frosting. 

13. To make the cake balls: Crumble domed cake tops in a small bowl with leftover frosting. Combine until you can make a ball without it crumbling. Create different size cake balls and set them aside. 

14. To garnish, sprinkle the cake top with sprinkles or however you would like to decorate and stack cake balls in the center. Let set in the fridge so that everything is firm. Slice and enjoy! 

Notes:

• Simple Mills vanilla frosting, Sprinkles, cake pans, cake decorating starter kit

• Even though goat milk has lactose, I have found that my body tolerates it better than cow’s milk. If you don’t know if you can tolerate goat milk then do plant-based milk instead! 

Adrenal Cocktail

Adrenal Cocktail aka “Orange Creamsicle” - Is a magical elixir that supports hormone balance, HPA axis health, and blood sugar regulation. 

The #1 drink recipe I recommend to all my clients: The Adrenal Cocktail, or what I like to call, The Orange Creamsicle.

But why are you recommending a cocktail and what the heck is an adrenal!? 

Two very good questions! First and foremost, I’m not sure why this popular drink is called a cocktail seeing as how it’s alcohol free :/ but I recommend this recipe to my clients because most of my clients are stressed, burned out, lethargic, have sleep issues, and the list goes on!

So, what’s an adrenal?

An adrenal are actually hormone glands that are located on top of both kidneys. These glands produce hormones that help to regulate your metabolism, glucose usage, blood pressure, immune system, and response to stress. 

The central theme here is balance. We want to make sure that we are supporting our body’s natural ability to regulate blood sugar, increase insulin sensitivity, and improve metabolic flexibility. 

One small way we can do that is to make a nourishing drink that can bring balance back and give our adrenals some love in return! Adjusting macronutrient ratios as needed is imperative to reduce spikes in blood sugar and insulin. So for this recipe, our macro ratios are equal in order to support the adrenals while providing essential vitamins and minerals for healing any insulin resistance or adrenal fatigue. 

You will need: 

Fresh fruit juice (carbohydrate source) - Fruit juice like orange juice has high amounts of vitamin C which is needed when your adrenal glands are producing cortisol during stressful situations. The antioxidant properties are also needed in order to fuel the adrenal glands, protect against oxidative stress, boost the immune system and regulate cortisol production.

I like using this organic orange juice brand because there are no preservatives, no artificial ingredients, no added sugar, nada! As you can see in the picture, I like changing up other fruit juices just to level up the nutritional value of the cocktail. For example, I mix it up with an organic beet carrot-orange juice blend or tart cherry juice. 

Coconut Cream/Milk (Fat source) - Coconut milk has stable, saturated fatty acids that help stabilize blood sugar levels and provides your body with energy. Depending on your preference in texture, you can use either unsweetened coconut milk or cream. Personally, I think the cream is better and provides that “creamsicle” taste to the drink! 

Hydrolyzed Collagen Powder (Protein Source) - Collagen acts as a blood sugar regulator and provides essential amino acids to support and build a resilient gut and boost cortisol production. My shop page has my favorite collagen of choice, vital proteins. 

Sea Salt (Bonus* Mineral Source) - Sea salt and pink Himalayan sea salt contain essential electrolytes and minerals like potassium, sodium, and magnesium that are key for energy production, blood pressure, and adrenal function. Salt also elevates the flavor of the drink so don’t skimp! 

When to make an adrenal cocktail

• When your energy levels are low between 10-11AM and 2-3PM.

• Right before bedtime - if you experience waking up at 3AM

• Pre / Post workout snack

• Breakfast - If you find yourself not hungry upon waking up and usually skip breakfast, this drink is a great way to kickstart that metabolism! 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

---

Adrenal Cocktail aka “Orange Creamsicle” - Is a magical elixir that supports hormone balance, HPA axis health, and blood sugar regulation.

Ingredients

• 4-6 oz freshly squeezed orange juice or juice of choice

• 2 Tbsp coconut milk or cream

• 1 scoop of collagen

• Generous pinch of sea salt

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a glass or blender and enjoy! 

Notes

• You can make this into a latte by simply steaming the coconut milk/cream in a milk frother and pouring it into the glass with the other ingredients. Stir to combine and enjoy! 

Mint Matcha Smoothie

Mint Matcha Smoothie or what some people like to call, the Shamrock Shake! It’s a creamy, refreshing smoothie you can have for breakfast, pre/post-workout shake, or as a dessert! This smoothie is plant-based,  naturally sweetened with bananas, and made with only 6-ingredients!

If you love all things mint, then you will love this smoothie. This recipe uses fresh mint and/or peppermint extract depending on your mint preference. My favorite addition of mint flavor is combining fresh mint leaves and CBD peppermint oil drops - so tasty! 

What really elevates that fresh minty flavor is using matcha powder. Matcha comes from the same plant as green tea but since it is made from the entire leaf, it packs in a more concentrated amount of antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds. And since matcha is naturally lower in caffeine than regular coffee, this is a great alternative if you are wanting to cut back on coffee or incorporate it into your morning routine. 

Even though this shake is considered a healthier version to the traditional “Shamrock Shake” feel free to make this when it’s not St. Patty’s Day! Now that you have the flavor combination down, feel free to change up the recipe. For example, add the optional greens powder/frozen cauliflower chunks if you know hitting your veggie goal is not in the cards that day. 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

---

Mint Matcha Smoothie or what some people like to call, the Shamrock Shake! It’s a creamy, refreshing smoothie you can have for breakfast, pre/post-workout shake, or as a dessert! This smoothie is plant-based,  naturally sweetened with bananas, and made with only 6-ingredients!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup frozen banana

• 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk (I used my homemade cashew milk blend)

• 1 heaping handful of fresh greens

• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder

• 1 scoop green superfood powder (optional)

• Small handful of fresh mint leaves or 1-2 tsp peppermint extract

• 2 tsp matcha powder

Toppings

• cacao nibs, fresh mint, and yogurt

Directions 

1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Feel free to add more ingredients depending on preference. For example, add more bananas or another sweetener for a sweeter smoothie. 

2. Nutrition Booster tip: instead of using ice cubes as a thickener, use frozen cauliflower or zucchini. Can’t taste it I promise!

Other Mint Recipes