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Mussels in White Wine

August 28, 2014 by Nest Girl 2 Comments

Mussels in White Wine

mussels in white wine

Yesterday I was trolling the aisles one of my favorite stores, Standard Market, when, in front of the seafood case, I had an epiphany.  Just because something is expensive when served in a restaurant doesn’t necessarily mean it is inherently expensive.  Case in point, mussels.  Even a passing glance at either my Instagram or Twitter feeds will tell you that I love moules marinière (mussels in white wine) and I happily share lots of photos of the ones I’ve enjoyed. It is my hands down favorite thing to order in a restaurant.   The thing is it tends to be a pricier option on a restaurant menu.  And it had never really occurred to me that mussels weren’t a pricier choice at the market.  That is where the epiphany comes in.  At Standard Market Prince Edward Island mussels are $5.54 a pound and a pound is enough for an entire meal (when accompanied by a crusty loaf of bread that it is). On top of that they are super easy to make.  So today instead of putting a salad together for lunch I treated myself to a steaming bowl of mussels in white wine with a few slices of a fresh baguette.  The chopping was less than it would have been for a salad and the whole thing was ready in 15 minutes.  My reward for this minimal amount of work was a steaming and flavorful bowl full of lovely mussels in a delicious broth.

The basic recipe for mussels in white wine uses very few ingredients which means the ingredients must be the best quality.  Mussels, white wine, garlic, butter, olive oil, shallots, flat leaf parsley, fresh thyme, chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper.  I add sometimes add saffron a la Ina Garten in her Barefoot in Paris cookbook for a twist on the classic.  (I SO love that cookbook, brings me right back to my time living in Paris).

So the only decision today was whether to make the tomato/saffron version or a version with heavy cream.  Today’s lunch was the tomato and saffron version.  Perfect for a warm afternoon.  It has inspired me to do something “out of the box” at least once a week for a special lunch.  Perhaps tackle dishes which I haven’t tried yet or only ordered in restaurants.

Have you created “restaurant” style dishes at home?  What restaurant favorites are on your list to try and make?

mussels in white wine in a copper pot

Mussels in White Wine
 
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Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
8 mins
Total time
13 mins
 
Flavorful and delicious mussels in white wine with saffron. This recipe serves one for a meal or two as an appetizer.
Author: Nesting With Style
Recipe type: Seafood
Cuisine: French
Serves: 1-2
Ingredients
  • 1 LB mussels
  • pinch saffron threads
  • 2 TBL. unsalted butter
  • 1 TBL. olive oil
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • ½ cup canned chopped tomatoes, drained
  • ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
  • ⅛ cup thyme leaves
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. ground pepper
  • French bread (for dipping)
Instructions
  1. To clean mussels soak for 25 minutes in a large bowl with cool water and ⅓ cup flour
  2. Drain, rinse and remove "beard" (if present) Discard any which are not tightly closed
  3. Place saffron in a measuring cup with ⅛ cup hot water and let sit for 10-15 minutes
  4. In a stockpot or large saucepan heat butter and olive oil over medium heat
  5. Add shallots and saute until starting to soften and lighten in color
  6. Add garlic and cook 2-4 minutes (do not let brown)
  7. Add tomatoes, parsley, thyme, saffron and all it's soaking liquid, wine, salt and pepper
  8. Bring to a boil and let boil 2-3 minutes to burn off some of the alcohol.
  9. Add mussels and stir. Place cover on pot.
  10. Let mussels steam for 4-8 minutes (time will depend upon size)
  11. Shake the pot a couple of times during cooking (with lid on). Be very careful not to spill! This will keep the mussels from sticking to the bottom of the pot
  12. Pour into bowls and serve with sliced bread for dipping
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Filed Under: Main Courses

Easy Healthy Delicious Pizza Duo

July 21, 2014 by Nest Girl 2 Comments

Easy Healthy Delicious Pizza Duo

 

My little guy declared that he wanted to make dinner last week.  This was a bit surprising as in his 11 or so years on this planet he has never wanted to make much of anything.  Not only did he want to make dinner he had decided to make pizza from a recipe he found on YouTube.  I have to say I loved that he wanted to make us dinner and especially proud he went on YouTube to find something to make.  What an unexpected result of our new digital age that is.  He didn’t think to crack open one of the hundreds (not really) of cookbooks I own but to go online.  We watched the video and I took some notes.  As it was the dough recipe looked standard although I have my own recipe.  In my version I add honey for sweetness and a combination of whole wheat and white flour which not only adds some nutrients but also add some texture to the crust.  The sauce recipe from the video was unusable…a can of chopped up tomatoes and dried herbs.  No flavor at all.  We abandoned that “recipe” and decided that we would do our dough and then he would choose which toppings would go on one half and I would do the other.  His choice was tomato sauce and lots and lots of cheese and pepperoni.  With warmer weather on the horizon I thought I would do a lighter version with asparagus and ricotta on my half.  With some special toppings and the honey whole wheat dough recipe we were ready to roll.  Easy Healthy delicious pizza duo was on the way!

Honey Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
 
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Crunchy and delicious this pizza dough makes two pizza crusts. It can be made and prepared right away or made the day before and baked the next day. It is also fantastic when used for pizzas on the grill.
Author: Nesting With Style
Recipe type: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
  • 1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
  • 1 tsp. Honey
  • 1 Package Dry Active Yeast
  • 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
  • 1 TBLS. Olive Oil
  • 1½ tsp. Kosher Salt
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine warm water, honey and yeast. Let proof 10 minutes or until bubbles form.
  2. Add two types of flour, olive oil and kosher salt. With a dough hook attachment mix dough (first on low) and then on medium until ingredients come together into a ball and start pulling away from sides of bowl. This should take about 5 minutes.
  3. Remove dough from bowl. Form into a ball. Lightly oil a clean bowl with olive oil. Place dough in the bowl and roll around to cover in oil. With seam side down cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour (or until doubled).
  4. When doubled remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly oiled countertop. Cut in half. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 20 minutes.
  5. If you would like to make these pizzas the next day you would place the dough in the refrigerator at this point.
  6. Press each half into a 14 x 10" rectangle on a cookie sheet.
  7. Top with desired toppings and bake in a 525 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.
  8. If grilling brush on one side with oil and place on a preheated grill. Grill until crisp (about 3 minutes). Remove from grill. Brush uncooked side with oil and turn over. Add toppings on grilled side and place back on grill for an additional 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted.
3.2.2708

This dough is a great addition of the weeknight repertoire.  It can be made a day ahead and put in the fridge overnight.  It will be ready when you are.  This dough not only is delicious when baked it is terrific when grilled.

When ready to grill brush one side with olive oil.  Place, oiled side down, on a pre-heated grill for 3-5 minutes until crisp.  Remove from grill.  Brush uncooked side with olive oil, turn over.  On crisp side add your desired toppings.  Place pizza back on grill (raw side down) until the bottom is cooked and the toppings heated through (another 3-5 minutes).  I like to press the dough very thin when cooking on the grill and make individual pizzas for everyone.  The smaller version is much easier to handle when moving back and forth to the grill.

It sure was a fun thing to do.  I am excited that he is taking an interest in cooking and when all was said and done he even tried my asparagus side and declared asparagus to be his new favorite vegetable.  Allegedly broccoli was his newly retired favorite vegetable however I was unaware that it was the case (the things you learn when cooking with your child).  Happily he loved the experience (as did I) and is currently looking for his next YouTube cooking project.  Any tips on cooking videos we could check out?

pizza-dough

Healthy Delicious Pizza Duo - Roasted Asparagus & Ricotta
 
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Easy Healthy and Delicious Pizza Duo asparagus and ricotta topping. This is a lighter and fresher version of pizza especially yummy on a grilled crust.
Author: Nesting With Style
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
  • 1 LB. Asparagus, trimmed
  • ¼ cup Ricotta
  • Olive Oil
  • Kosher Salt and freshly ground Pepper
  • Fresh Rosemary, chopped
  • ½ Lemon (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place asparagus on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat completely. Season with salt and pepper (don't be shy this adds tons of flavor)
  2. Roast asparagus for 20-25 minutes until tender but still is crisp.
  3. The asparagus can be made in advance and set aside until you are ready to assemble your pizzas.
  4. Mix ricotta with a squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Top pizza with ricotta mixture and layer on asparagus.
  6. Bake or grill as desired.
  7. Sprinkle top with chopped rosemary
3.2.2708

 
Easy Healthy Delicious Pizza Duo - Tomato Sauce
 
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Pizza Sauce for Easy Healthy Delicious Pizza Duo. This fresh tasting sauce will keep for a week in the fridge or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Author: Nesting With Style
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
  • 4 TBLS. Olive Oil
  • 1 Large Yellow Onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
  • 3 LBS. Roma Tomatoes, chopped and juices reserved
  • 2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 8 Basil leaves, torn
  • Kosher Salt and freshly ground Pepper
Instructions
  1. In a non-reactive saucepan saute onions and olive oil 8-10 minutes.
  2. Add garlic and sauce 1 minute (do not brown).
  3. Add tomatoes, oregano and salt & pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes. Add torn basil.
  4. Let cool to room temperature before using.
3.2.2708

 

Filed Under: Main Courses Tagged With: Pizza, Recipe

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