I don't think that there is a healthier or more satisfying meal than a meal from the sea. This weekend we jumped into the sea and grabbed a pound of PEI mussels for $2.99! Did you know that one portion is actually 1/4 pound? We doubled that for this meal, that just doesn't seem like enough of those little bastards.


Ingredients

• 4 tsp olive oil
  
• 1 small onion(s), chopped
  
• 4 medium garlic clove(s), minced
  
• 3 small tomato(es), plum, coarsely chopped
  
• 1 cup(s) wine, dry white
  
• 2 tsp parsley, flat-leaf, chopped
  
• 1 tsp lemon peel
  
• 1 pound(s) blue mussels (weight is without shells), scrubbed and debearded
  

Instructions

1. Heat a very large pot.
2. Swirl in oil, then add onion and garlic. Sauté until golden, then add tomatoes and cook until they start to break down.
3. Add wine, half of parsley, and half of lemon zest and bring to a boil.
4. Add mussels, reduce heat, cover and simmer until mussels open, 6 to 8 minutes (discard any mussels that don't open).
5. Divide mussels and broth among 4 soup bowls. Serve, sprinkled with remaining parsley and lemon zest.
   

Chicken and Bean Wrap

I'm a huge fan of the wrap. There are so many ways to combine ingredients to make a unique wrap everytime. A fresh quality tortilla is very important so make sure you buy your favourite. I used Presidents Choice Blue Menu whole wheat wraps for this meal.

Yields 4 wraps.

Ingredients:

4 whole wheat flour tortillas - medium or large
1/2 cup canned kidney beans (or black beans, pinto beans, small red beans)
boneless skinless chicken breast (about 1/2 pound or so)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 green or red bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
30 gm bold cheddar cheese, grated (optional)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste (approx 1/2-1 tsp kosher salt worked well)

1. Flatten chicken breast with a meat pounder or rolling pin so it is an even thickeness. Season with salt and pepper. Heat up a skillet or non-stick pan to medium-high and add a little oil to help the chicken brown. Cook about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from heat and rest.

2. Dice up onion and bell pepper.



3. Rinse Beans.

4. Mince corriander.



5. Dice chicken breast and add to beans, corriander, bell pepper, onion and seasonings. Mix well.
   



6. Place about 1/2 cup or so of mixture onto a flour tortilla and add a bit of cheddar cheese.
   
7. (optional) wrap tortilla in tin foil and place into a preheated 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
8. serve with sour cream and sriracha chili sauce.
   

Thai Green Curry

Hello all! Monsieur bouche invited me to contribute here some time ago, but I dragged and dragged and dragged. So, as part of the list of new year promises I make and break for myself, I decided that I would try to get some recipes posted in 2009. I'll start by saying that I love spicy foods. (My wife and I both do!) We picked this recipe up while roaming around Thailand in 2007. Anyone who knows Thai food knows green curry, so let's get started.



To do this right, you're going to want the freshest ingredients you can find. Luckily, we have a local Asian market not too far away that has fresh produce that you can't find in most supermarkets. You can use whatever meat you want in the curry. We typically use shrimp or tofu, but chicken or beef work just as well. Here is the list of ingredients;

1 lb shrimp (uncooked and shelled)
6-8 Thai eggplants
A handful of green beans
1 cup of Thai basil leaves
2 kaffir lime leaves
a dash of fish sauce
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 small jar of green curry paste (2-4 tablespoons)
2 cans of coconut milk/cream
2 medium green chiles
4-6 small red chiles
a handful of Thai "peas"

I normally use a lot more chiles in the recipe than I've listed above. Adjust to your own taste. Also, I lost something called Thai "peas". I'm not sure exactly what these are, but they add a nice bitter touch to the dish and an interesting texture.


First of all, pour one can of coconut milk onto a large sauce pan or wok. I use a sauce pan because I don't have the gas stove, which I feel is important to cooking in a wok...but what the hell do I know? Fry on high for 5 or so minutes, or until the coconut milk seems to separate into an oil. (ok, this part I know, so pay attention)

Now add the curry paste. Making curry paste from scratch is a pain in the arse, so I typically buy the pre-made stuff. Next time I make the paste, I'll post that too. Oh, fry for about 2 more minutes, then add your shrimp, chicken, tofu, whatever.


Fry the meat until the shrimp turn opaque, then add 3/4 of the other can of coconut milk. Fry for 2-3 min, or until the coconut milk boils again. Now cut the eggplamt into bite-size pieces and add it to the mix with the beans, peas, and half of your red chiles finely chopped. It should look something like this:


Cook for another 5-8 minutes, or until the eggplant starts to soften. Remove the main stem from the kaffir lime leaves and chop those little bastards up! Now add your fish sauce, sugar, basil leaves and kaffir lime leaves and stir it in. Make sure the sugar melts and the leaves soften into the curry.


Ok, almost done.

I use a ladel made from a coconut just so it feels that much more authentic. At this point, your're basically done. Serve on a bed of rice (we prefer jasmine) and garnish with a couple basil leaves, some of those chopped green and red chiles, and a few drops of the leftover coconut milk. This is by far one of my favourite dishes, and it's really easy. ...impresses the guests every time!

Enjoy!