When it’s Tuesday night and you really don’t actually want to devote the time to making any of the things that Delicious magazine says are “Tuesday night dinners” there are a few options.
The pizza place that’s opened up downstairs is one option. It smells good and we’re desperate to see that it stays in business. Less chance for the hooligans in the skate park to throw rocks through the building windows and set cars on fire when there’s commerce around. Any half decent player of Sim City 2000 knows that when business in an area is good, crime drops.
Pizza with mushrooms would be good, except that due to some random health reasons there’s still no white carbohydrates being eaten in this house. You could pull all the toppings off like a petulant child but naked pizza makes me feel a bit funny and doesn’t fill you up.
You could have cheese on toast, or take away pad thai, or even a quick throw together carbonara.
But hang on- they’re all bloody carbs too, aren’t they.
So when you’ve had a really grotty day and you need something quick and dirty, sometimes only bivalves will do.
They’re not nearly as good without the frites, or garlic toast to dunk in the juices, but they’re bloody quick, still look semi interesting enough to keep the Hungry One entertained, and if you can buy the ones in vacuum sealed bags that have already been cleaned and scrubbed, well that saves you even more time.
So, a very quick and dirty post, for what was a very quick and semi clean tasting Tuesday night dinner.
Hustle Mussels.
Take a 1 kilo bag of vacuum sealed mussels that have been scrubbed. I’m petrified of anything that could possibly result in a lonely night on the bathroom floor, so if any of them are open to start with, I chuck them straight away.
Rinse them in a colander.
Take a stock pot, glug in a tablespoon of olive oil, sauté a red onion, half a cup of diced fennel, 3 minced/ finely chopped garlic cloves, 2 diced roma tomatoes.
Add half a bag of Pintango organic roasted tomato soup that you’ve got lingering in the fridge from a lonely dinner for one the night before.
If not then a tin of diced tomatoes should be great.
Bring it to a decent heat, it should be bubbling actively. Add the mussels to the saucepan and then pour in 2 cups of white wine ( or a nice dry rose I reckon would be great too). Smack the lid down and let them steam away for 3 minutes or so until all of the mussels have popped open.
Ladle the soupy stuff and the mussels into big bowels. If you’re feeling fancy add some chopped parsley, basil or thyme to the top with a dollop of mascarpone/ creme fraiche.
If you’re feeling bone lazy, drink some of the left over white wine out of the cheap wine glasses and eat with your fingers in front of the t.v.
