Coconut and Basil Steamed Mussels

How are we feeling? Have we eaten enough the last few days?  I know I have.  I started eating at a Thanksgiving pace on Veteran’s Day so I should probably get it together before the onslaught of Christmas.

Here’s an easy, light dinner for you (me).

I was pretty nervous about cooking mussels.  My previous experiences with non-shrimp seafood dishes had turned out well (here and here) but I was still anxious.  What if I can't tell if they are open or not and I butcher the 'throw-away-any-mussels-that-don't-open' rule?  What is this debearding business?  How strict is the rule about soaking them in water to remove any salt water?  And so it went. I even planned this dish around vacations.  I purposefully waited until all travelling was over for a bit before making these because I didn't want to cause a bout of food poisoning for Robbie or me.  Bless my heart.

Once we - (let's be honest, this was my paranoia) - once, I figured out the perfect timing to prepare the meal, I ignored my fears that had been harboring (ocean reference!).  I didn't do any debearding as I didn't see anything that seemed to need any debearding and I didn't soak any mussels in water.  Just a quick rinse turned out to be ok for my batch of mollusks.  And, those little suckers are pretty transparent.  This may come as a shock to you, but I could clearly tell the open mussels from the closed ones and was able to throw the latter out accordingly.  

And it's been some time now and no one has gone to the hospital.  I'd say we narrowly escaped that one.  

Coconut and Basil Steamed Mussels

Adapted from Cooking Light

2 teaspoons canola oil

1/4 cup shallots, minced

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 cup light coconut milk

2/3 cup water

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh basil

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Sriracha

1 pound of mussels, scrubbed and debearded (if indeed, you see beards)

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat.   (Side note – I love any recipe that lets me use my Dutch oven.)  Add oil to pan. Add shallots and garlic and cook until tender.  Tear your basil.  Stir in coconut milk, water, chicken broth, newly-torn basil, lime juice, brown sugar, fish sauce and Sriracha.  Bring this mixture to a boil.  Add your mussels to the Dutch oven and cover.  Cook about five minutes or until shells are open. Discard any unopened shells – whether or not they are open will be very clear to you.

Divide mussels between 2 serving bowls and keep warm. Bring broth mixture to a boil once more and cook for five more minutes.  Divide sauce over each bowl (or until you have your desired amount – it makes a lot of sauce).  Serve with a chunky piece of bread because I hear that is what you do with mussels in order to soak up the delicious sauce.  Rice would also work.  

Pumpkin Donut Holes

Of course I am going to sneak in another pumpkin recipe a mere eight hours before Thanksgiving which, I believe, is the last legitimate day you can present pumpkin in a dish until September of the following year.   Although I tend to spread this out a little.  I don’t mind a pumpkin bread for Christmas breakfast or some pumpkin spice in August.  I also start listening to Christmas music in October.  No wonder I slide into a moderate depression come January.

I was really excited when I saw this recipe because, let's face it, the prospect of presenting people with Pumpkin Donut Holes?  I could practically hear the gasps of excitement!  And no fryer required – these are baked.  I didn’t have mini-muffin pans so I immediately ran to the nearest Crate + Barrel, used one of the last remaining wedding gift cards to purchase two, rushed home, prepared the batter, spooned perfect little tablespoon-fuls into the muffin pans and turned to put the first pan in my oven.  And the mini-muffin pan didn’t fit. 

 

So, these little bites are quite resilient.  They baked up perfectly with the oven open several inches and the pan sticking out.   That wouldn’t happen with your regular sponge cake I bet.  The recipe makes a lot of donut holes.  So you could have donut holes for the entire family Thanksgiving morning.  Or on a random August day when you just need a touch of fall. 

Pumpkin Donut Holes

For the Donuts

1 ¾ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoons nutmeg

½ teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoons ground cloves

1/3 cup vegetable oil

½ cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup pumpkin puree

½ cup milk

For the Coating:

1 stick butter

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease two 24-cup mini muffin tins.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine the oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk.  Mix until smooth.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.  Divide the batter into your muffin tins. You may have extra batter.   Obviously, you should use this to make more donut holes.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the donuts pass the toothpick test.  Even with my oven ajar, this took only about ten minutes.  Once the donuts are done baking, let cool for a couple of minutes.  Place your butter in a bowl and melt in the microwave.  Stir your cinnamon and sugar together in another bowl.  Dip each donut hole in the melted butter and then roll it in the cinnamon sugar mixture.   These are best served immediately but I know some folks did not have any trouble eating them the next day.

Adapted from Pennies on a Platter