Provincial Moulles (Mussels) and Salad
The perfect dinner.
Well in my opinion anyway. Imagine this outside, by the sea in France…..ahhhh.
Yep, it’s perfect.
This meal actually comes from a friends house! So being that I didn’t have to make the mess or clean up the mess, it tasted EVEN better!! Thank you, thank you!!
We have been very lucky through this renovation to have so many great friends have us for dinner… multiple times! I have to admit, as “zen” as I have been through the last six (onto seven) weeks of chaos, dust and destruction, the last two weeks have me a little weary. I am truly ready to be cooking, eating and functioning in a wide open, clean, dust free kitchen! Enough with banging my head on the ducts, chewing on dust, drying my dishes on top of my washing machine and cooking on a hot plate. It’s been an adventure, but I’m done.
I suppose I will be repaying all those lovely nights in the company of friends by cooking up a storm in my brand new (dust free) kitchen! You know who you are… and you know I’ll be repaying you all in food!!
Speaking of the renovation, we now have our beautiful (huge) new doors where our bow window used to be… take a peek:
New doors - they fill the wall!
window hole - it goes wall to wall
The end is truly insight…. this week we should see the counters and sinks installed, the week following the backsplash. After that we can move in!
This means, more cooking, and more blogging!! Stay tuned…
Provincial Moulles:
- 4 lbs mussels
- 1 red onion
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 bulb fennel
- 1/3 bottle dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- large bunch fresh parsley, stems chopped separate from leaves
- 1 tbsp Herbs de Provence
- extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/2 stick butter or 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- juice of lemon
Wash and remove beards from mussels. Set aside. In large heavy bottomed pot, heat olive oil. Add onions, garlic and fennel and saute on medium for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, herbs, butter and parsley stems. Saute for another minute and wine and broth. Bring to boil and add mussels. Cover and cook, (stirring every 2 minutes) on medium high for 4-7 minutes depending on your stove – mussels are cooked when they are all open. Remove from heat immediately.
This salad doesn’t need a separate dressing. It’s super simple and dee-lish! The dressing is made right in the same bowl. It couldn’t be easier or tastier!!
Provincial Salad:
- mixed greens
- 2 oranges, peel and pith removed and cut into segments (reserve peels for juice)
- 2 green onions
- 2 avocados
- balsamic vinegar
- extra virgin olive oil
- juice of orange
- 1 tsp herbs de Provence
Place greens in bowl, add oranges cut into segments and squeeze remaining juice from peels. Add avacados, green onions and sprinkle of herbs, salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil followed by balsamic vinegar. Toss and serve. Could it be any easier?!
Serve entire meal with crusty French stick to sop up all the awesome sauce and don’t forget your favorite wine.
YUM!
