Mussels in a Tomato Wine Sauce
Mussels in a quick tomato wine sauce
Mussels shellfish are readily available at most grocery stores in the autumn and winter and are very affordable. You may be intimidated if you have never prepared this shellfish but don’t be. It is super easy. Think making a delicious tomato wine sauce is difficult and too time-consuming? Well, I have you covered with a quick ‘cheat’ to get this dish ready in less than thirty minutes.
Nutrition and Preparation
Mussels are low in calories (less than 150 cals for 3 oz. serving) and fat, as well as a very good source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12 and iron.
When purchasing at your local grocery store, ensure you select tightly closed and undamaged live mussels. They are usually are embedded in ice at the store to keep them fresh and moist. Once you have purchased and taken the mussels home, you will need to check for gaping mussels. These tend to be dead. To check if they are, tap the outside of the shell or squeeze them closed. The ones that remain closed are fine. Toss out any mussels that stay open.
To clean the mussels, you can soak them in fresh water for 10 minutes to help expel any sand. Then rinse the shellfish. Using a firm brush, scrub the exterior to remove any other dirt. Pull out any ‘beard’ hanging from the shell by tugging (beard -a string like membrane the mussel uses to attach itself). Rinse the mussels again and pat dry.
Delicious ‘cheat’ tomato wine sauce
Here’s my secret to a quick, tasty sauce for the mussels to cook in. I use a jar of good quality salsa. Yes, I said salsa. Look for a brand that is all natural. It should contain only what you expect to be in a salsa; tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and other fresh ingredients.
In a deep Dutch oven pan, sauté four cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 cup diced sweet onion until translucent in a 1/4 cup of olive oil. Then add the 2 lbs. of cleaned mussels, 1/2 to 1 cup of white wine and one jar of all natural salsa (approx. 15 oz.). Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cover.
Continue cooking the mussels in the sauce (on medium-low temperature) until all the shells are open, and the sauce has reduced. It should take no more than 10 minutes.
Voila! You have a flavorful healthy dish on the table in 30 minutes.
- 2 lb bag mussels, cleaned
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
- 1- 15 oz jar of all natural salsa
- 1/2 to 1 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- In a deep dutch oven pan, saute four cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 cup diced sweet onion in 1/4 cup of olive oil until translucent.
- Then add 2 lbs of cleaned mussels, 1/2 to 1 cup of white wine and one jar of all natural salsa (approx 15 oz).
- Bring sauce to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cover.
- Continue cooking the mussels in the sauce (on medium-low temperature) until all the shells are open, and the sauce has reduced.
- Serve