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Easy One-Skillet Paella with Chorizo & Blue Mussels

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This colourful one-skillet Paella is a simple version of the Spanish classic that’s bursting with authentic flavours! It’s the perfect easy meal after a long day at work made mostly from pantry staple items, and it’s full of nutritious vegetables, long grain rice, spicy chorizo sausage and delicious Canadian farmed Blue Mussels. Cooking all the ingredients in one skillet is quick and easy, and it creates a delectable seafood flavour throughout the whole dish that everyone will love! It’s healthy, it’s gluten-free, it’s easy on the budget, and it’s the perfect addition to your weeknight meal plan!

  • Servings: 6

  • Difficulty: Novice

  • Total Time Required: 35-45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • a generous pinch of sea salt
  • a generous pinch of black pepper
  • 1 ½ cups long grain white rice
  • 1 796ml can diced tomatoes
  • 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 3 medium dry chorizo sausages, thinly sliced
  • 1 ½ pounds Canadian farmed Blue mussels
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Recipe Author:

Thank you to Chrissie Baker from The Busy Baker for creating this recipe. For more great recipes like this follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!

Method

  • Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil.
  • Add the onion and garlic to the skillet with the oil and cook until the onion is translucent.
  • Add the turmeric, garlic powder, paprika, oregano and salt and pepper and cook until the spices become fragrant (about 1-2 minutes).
  • Add the rice, the diced tomatoes in their juices and the broth. Stir until the everything is well combined, turn the heat to low and cover the skillet with a lid.
  • Allow the rice mixture to cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes or until the rice is almost cooked thoroughly and only a small amount of liquid remains, making sure to stir every few minutes to prevent sticking.
  • Add the bell peppers and the chorizo sausage to the skillet and lightly toss them with the rice mixture.
  • Add the mussels to the skillet and nestle them into the rice mixture and the remaining liquid and put the lid back on the skillet.
  • Leave the skillet covered for about 5 minutes and remove the lid when all the mussels have opened and all the liquid has been absorbed.
  • Let the paella stand off the heat, partially covered, for about 2-3 minutes before serving.
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Mussels Rockefeller

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Each shell holds a single plump mussel surrounded by a rich cream sauce, tiny ribbons of baby spinach, and slivers of salty prosciutto. The sauce is a creamy reduction of mussel broth, garlic, and onion with a touch of fennel, with flavours inspired by the classic Oyster Rockefeller. This is a fantastic dish for entertaining, the perfect one-bite canapé served on nature’s spoon, the mussel shell itself.

  • Servings: Hors d’oeuvres for 6-8, approx. 24 mussels

  • Difficulty: Competent

  • Total Time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Canadian farmed Blue mussels- rinsed
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 clove garlic finely minced
  • 2 green onions finely chopped
  • 1 thin slice prosciutto finely minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seed
  • 2 cups loosely packed baby spinach- chopped
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
  • Optional garnish- a few sprigs of fresh thyme, parsley, or fennel fronds.

Recipe Author:

Thank you to Beth Dunham from Beth Dunham Photography for creating this recipe. For more great recipes like this follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!

Method

  • Start by sorting the mussels; throw out any with broken shells, and test the mussels with open shells to ensure they are still alive by tapping two together, if they close they are fine, if they remain open, discard them.
  • In a large covered pot, steam the mussels in the white wine over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, just until the mussels open. Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.  Increase the heat to high and bring the liquid in the bottom of the mussel pot to a boil. Reduce the liquid by about half, or until only a 1/4 cup remains.  While the broth reduces, remove the mussels from their shells and reserve half of the shells for stuffing.
  • To make the sauce, heat the butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat until bubbling.  Add the garlic, green onion, prosciutto, and fennel seed to the butter and cook for 2-3 minutes, until garlic is fragrant until very light golden. Strain the mussel broth to remove any solids, and add it to the pan.
  • Increase the heat to medium high, and further reduce the broth by half, until it is like thick syrup.  Stir in the cream and cook until it begins to gently boil. Add the chopped spinach, and cook, stirring constantly until the spinach is wilted. Add 1 tablespoon bread crumbs to the sauce and continue to cook for another minute or two until the cream is thickened a bit.
  • Arrange the reserved mussel shells on a shallow baking sheet and fill each of them with a spoonful of stuffing.  Then, top with a mussel and a sprinkling of bread crumbs. If you are making these ahead, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one day before baking. When you are ready to serve, bake the mussels in a preheated 400F oven for 6-8 minutes until tops are lightly browned and edges are bubbling. Reduce the baking time to 4-5 minutes if you bake the mussels right away, while the sauce is still warm.
  • Serve immediately garnished with a few sprigs of fresh herbs.
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Thai Coconut Curry Soup with Blue Mussels

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It doesn’t get any easier than this Thai Coconut Curry Soup with Blue Mussels!  It’s full of authentic Thai flavours and delicious Canadian farmed blue mussels, so you can skip the Asian take-out and make it yourself at home! It’s a healthy, hearty soup that’s flavoured with warm ginger, sweet honey and tangy lime, and it’s full of fresh vegetables! And you can make it even healthier by using reduced-fat coconut milk for an equally creamy and decadent result. This soup is dairy-free and gluten-free, it’s inexpensive to make, and makes the perfect lunch or light dinner! Serve it with some fresh crusty bread for soaking up every last delicious drop!

  • Servings: 6

  • Difficulty: Novice

  • Total Time Required: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons red curry paste
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
  • Zest and juice of half a lime
  • A generous pinch of sea salt
  • A generous pinch of black pepper
  • 2 400 ml cans coconut milk
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 1/2 pounds Canadian farmed Blue mussels

Recipe Author:

Thank you to Chrissie Baker from The Busy Baker for creating this recipe. For more great recipes like this follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!

Method

  • Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the red curry paste, honey, fish sauce, grated ginger, lime zest and juice and sea salt and pepper, and mix them together well with a wooden spoon over the heat.
  • Once the curry paste mixture is bubbly and fragrant, add the coconut milk and stir well until combined.
  • Allow the coconut milk mixture to cook over medium low heat, covered, until it reaches a simmer and then turn the heat to low and allow it to continue simmering for 5-7 minutes, adding the broth after 5 minutes and replacing the lid.
  • Continue simmering the mixture, covered, for about 5 more minutes.
  • Add the broccoli florets to the soup along with the sliced red pepper, the sliced red onions, sliced shitake mushrooms and the mussels. Stir to combine and cover the pot while the mussels cook for about 5 minutes.
  • After 5 minutes, the mussels should be open (discard any that haven’t opened) and the broccoli, peppers and onions should be softened slightly.
  • Serve while hot with some crusty bread on the side for dunking and a wedge of lime!
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Mussels with Cider, Bacon & Dijon

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Mussels are real fast food. They also happen to be incredibly inexpensive compared to other types of seafood making them ideal for when you’re looking for something special to serve to guests. While many recipes instruct cooks to clean and debeard the mussels, removing them of the group of short brown strings often found where the two halves of the shell close, most commercially-bought mussels will already be cleaned of their threads. Instead, to prep mussels for cooking, a quick rinse in a colander is all that’s required. Don’t forget: live mussels should be closed tightly, so be sure to discard any that are open.

  • Servings: 4

  • Difficulty: Novice

  • Total Time Required: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs. Canadian farmed Blue mussels
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped
  • 12 oz. hard cider
  • ¼ cup crème fraiche
  • 1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
  • Parsley, for garnish
  • Lemon wedges, for garnish
  • Crusty baguette, for serving

Recipe Author:

Thank you to Jan Scott from Family Bites for creating this recipe. For more great recipes like this follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!

Method

  • Rinse the mussels in a strainer and check them over. The mussels should be tightly closed so discard any with cracked shells. If the shell is open, tap the mussel lightly against the counter. If the mussel is alive the shell should close up, but if it doesn’t discard that as well.
  • Pour olive oil into a large pot set over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy, 3-4 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined plate, leaving behind as much fat as possible.
  • Add the shallots and garlic to the pot and cook for one minute, stirring often, or until the shallots are translucent and fragrant. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and stir well.
  • Add the mussels and cider to the pot and stir with a wooden spoon. Cover the pot and steam the mussels until all of them have opened, shaking the pot once or twice during cooking. This should take 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Remove the lid and check the mussels. If all of them aren’t open, return the lid and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Discard any mussels that don’t open after this time.
  • Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a large bowl, leaving the liquid behind. Stir in the crème fraiche and mustard. Boil for 2 minutes, and add the bacon back to the pot. Stir well and season with salt and pepper.
  • Divide the mussels between four bowls and ladle over some of the sauce. Garnish with parsley and lemon, and serve with good crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.
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