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Welcome aboard the first-ever Mussels in Minutes newsletter. You’re in for quite a ride, so sit back and enjoy this smooth sail through tasty tips and simple recipes that feature fresh blue cultured mussels, like our family version of the traditional Moules Marinières. Home consumer Chef Lindsay Cameron Wilson will show you how easy it is. Kick back and make the most of your minute!
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In this issue
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Moules Marinières
Moules Marinières is the classic steamed mussels in white wine. Chef Lindsay substitutes broth in this simple recipe. To enjoy Moules Frites - serve with french fries.
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Mussels Primer
Nature’s Power House
Mooove over beef, pork and poultry and make room on the dinner plate for blue mussels. Cultured mussels are an excellent source of protein, and provide more iron and Vitamin B12 than a serving of beef. Did you know protein is used to build and repair body tissues while iron helps form red blood cells and fights fatigue? So good and so good for you!
Fresh mussels are the answer for busy families hungry for healthy meals. Easy to prepare, quick to cook and top of the class for the nutrition they provide, blue mussels are one valedictorian of a meal.
Everyone wants more Omega 3 fatty acids in their diet, and blue mussels have 125% of the omega 3 fats found in a similar serving of halibut. That’s just one more great reason to eat fresh mussels weekly. You can feel good that you’re making your family a meal packed with good nutrition.
To see the nutritional breakdown click here. |
Mussels 101
Buying Mussels
When buying fresh blue mussels at your local seafood counter, here are a few tips to assess their quality:
1) The smell should be fresh like the ocean, not fishy.
2) Mussel shells should be undamaged. Discard any mussels with chipped or broken shells.
learn more...
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Did you know?
Fresh blue mussels from Atlantic Canada are traceable. In lieu of a trophy to award their goodness, each bag has a tag added during processing which tells where the farmed mussels were harvested and the date for easy reference. If the mussels you are buying are displayed loose on ice, you can ask the counter person to provide you these details.
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Moules Marinières- Family Style
   
Number of Servings: 4-6
Preparation Time: 5mins
Cooking Time: 10mins
Ingredients
- 5 lbs fresh blue cultured mussels
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 clove of garlic, minced
- ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth, or water
- salt and pepper
- fresh, flat-leafed parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse fresh blue mussels in tap water and set aside. Discard any mussel that does not close after being rinsed.
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add stock, salt and pepper. Tip mussels into pan and cover. Leave to steam for 5-7 minutes, until mussels are open. Discard any mussels that are not open. Toss with chopped parsley.
- Transfer mussels to a large bowl.
Blue Mussel and Noodle Bake
Number of Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 5mins
Ingredients
- 4 lbs fresh cultured blue mussel meat cooked and shucked.
- 12 oz thin noodles, cooked and drained
- ½ cup butter or margarine
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tbsp green pepper, chopped
- 1/3 cup flour
- 4 cup milk
- ¾ cup dry white wine or broth
- 2½ slice Swiss cheese
- 1 pinch grated paprika
- 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the fresh blue mussels in tap water.
- Place cooked fresh blue mussels and noodles in a 4-quart (4-L) casserole dish. In a large frying pan, melt half the butter adding mushrooms and green pepper. Sauté until tender.
- Remove from heat and place vegetables in casserole dish. Add rest of the butter to the pan, blend flour, and then milk. On a low heat, Add salt and pepper to taste, stir constantly until thick.
- Remove from heat, stir in wine (or broth) and pour sauce into casserole dish. Toss all ingredients to coat with sauce, sprinkle cheese on top and colour with paprika.
- Bake, uncovered, in preheated 350°F (18°C) oven for 45 minutes.
get more great mussel recipes …
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Entertain the thought
What if your guests arrive late?
Traffic, babysitting issues and other last-minute hiccups happen to the best of us. Next time you entertain don’t let late dinner guests disrupt your meal. Give yourself at least a 30-minute window from when guests arrive to when you plan to sit down for dinner.
Still MIA after 30 minutes? Go ahead, start without them. They can join in on whatever course is being served when they arrive. They won’t feel as guilty and your meal isn’t overcooked.
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Don't throw out your leftover wine! Freeze it in an ice cube tray for future use in soups, casseroles and sauces... |
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©2011 Mussel Industry Council
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