Mussels, Hummus, & Pesto - Oh my!

Last weekend, I was missing my Italy vacation and craving Italian food. To compensate, I decided to try my own take on a mussel recipe I found on the Food Network website by Bobby Flay. I used all the same ingredients as Bobby but just changed the proportions by adding more garlic and wine. I was serving the mussels with a simple broiled Tuscan artisan loaf with olive oil and I wanted more broth and flavor for dipping purposes.

I also decided to make homemade hummus and pesto which I think is going to be a pretty regular occasion moving forward. It was so much easier than I imagined and with the amount of hummus I typically consume making my own should be a lot more cost effective!  To blend, I used my VeggieChop rather than a food processor so both turned out chunkier than your typical hummus and pesto but I actually think I prefer both items that way.

I served my hummus with pita chips as an appetizer while the mussels cooked and decided to save the pesto for Panini’s for lunch the next day. I think later this week I am going to use the rest of the pesto to make a dish similar to Noodles and Company’s Pesto Cavatappi with pasta, mushrooms, tomato, parmesan, chicken and Italian Parsley. Do the same with my recipes below! :)

Tarragon Steamed Mussels

2 pounds mussels, scrubbed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 shallot, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves

3 cups white wine

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

-Heat olive oil in stock pan and when warm sauté shallots and garlic
-Add butter, salt, pepper, mussels, then wine
-Steam with lid on for about 5 minutes
-Take off lid to mix mussels then add tarragon leaves and steam for another 3 minutes
-Serve mussels in a bowl and ladle broth on top

*I cooked my mussels in my new Le Creuset pan and didn’t have enough room for 2 pounds of mussels so I just split the recipe and cooked in two batches.

Sundried Tomato Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans

¼ cup tahini paste

¼ cup lemon juice

4 cloves of garlic, minced

½ cup olive oil

½ cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Fresh Basil Pesto

2 cups fresh basil

½ cup pecorino cheese

¼ cup pine nuts

2 gloves of garlic, minced

2/3 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

-To prepare hummus and pesto, blend items in a food processor to desired texture.