I've always had an affinity for mussels, and they are relatively quick and easy to make. Seafood (including mollusks) are great sources of protein, as well as vitamins (especially C, iron, and B-12).
Living in the Pacific Northwest, I have fairly easy access to Penn Cove mussels. Mussels are in peak season from October to March, but you can purchase live or frozen mussels year round, online or from a seafood market.
I'm a bit spoiled these days since my office is a 10 minute walk to and from Pike Place Market, so I can pick up fresh seafood from the market before heading home and have it for dinner that evening.
For this recipe, I make the cauliflower rice first, and while it's roasting I prepare the mussels. You can keep the mussels warm and steamy in the pot, covered until the rice is ready and then serve together. And I recommend pouring some broth over the mussels and rice.
Garlic & Herb Mussels
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup onions minced
- ½ cup fresh herbs a mixture of thyme, basil, oregano, or other herbs
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 4 pounds mussels
Instructions
- Preheat a large stock pot on a low to medium heat.
- Add the garlic, olive oil, and onions and sauté for about 5 minutes.
- Add the herbs, broth, wine and bring it to a steady low boil.
- Cover the pot and turn the heat down a bit and simmer for 8 minutes or until the mussels open up. If there are a few stubborn mussels that won’t open up, discard them.
- Serve on top of the pesto cauliflower rice (recipe below).
Nutrition
Pesto Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower diced into bite-size pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup pesto
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400ºF (200ºC, or gas mark 6).
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the cauliflower, oil, and salt in a bowl until the cauliflower is well coated.
- Spread the cauliflower across the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
- Cool the cauliflower for 5 minutes and then gently pulse a few times in a food processor, or until it has the texture of large pieces of rice. Don’t over pulse it or it will become mushy.
- Mix in the pesto and serve.
Austyn Allen-Taylor says
Currently eating this right now. Absolutely delicious and was a blast to make. I’m a linecook and I haven’t had anything this tasty. I love it! Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks, Austyn! so great to hear!