Do Over!

After making Rachel's scones last week, I decided not to enter them into her contest. She gave readers two options, either cook a recipe of hers or create a new one using coconut and lime as ingredients. I thought it would be more fun to enter a new recipe, plus, it gives me something to do while E is on a business trip. I bore easily.

Unfortunately, I found it impossible to settle on one recipe. What I decided to do is prepare and post two different recipes, then let you guys decide which one I should email to Rachel. First up, lunch.

When E is out of town I get tempted to sit on the couch and inhale random fruit candies, ice cream, and potato chips for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In order to avoid that, I'm going to treat myself to fancy-ish meals all week. I love mussels, especially in spicy broths, so I added lime juice and lemongrass to this one and kicked up the heat with a spicy biryani paste. It was so delicious I definitely ate two portions, and may have continued if not for the fact that my brain clicked back on and told me I'd make myself sick.

Coconut Curry Mussels with Lemongrass and Lime

Ingredients:
2 lbs. mussels, cleaned (be sure to toss out any cracked or opened mussels)
1/2 lb. red potatoes, scrubbed and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
1 stalk lemongrass (or just the core if you can find it that way)
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 tsp. red curry powder
1 teaspoon biryani medium/hot curry paste
1 cup coconut milk
2 limes
3 scallions, chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper
cilantro for garnish

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Remove outer leaves of lemon grass and slice the core into thin strips.
In a medium bowl, whisk red curry powder and curry paste into coconut milk. Add lemongrass and juice of half one lime and set aside. Slice remaining limes into wedges for garnish.
In a roasting pan or large baking dish, season potatoes with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.
Pour coconut milk mixture over potatoes and add tomatoes and mussels. Return to oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until mussels are opened.
Divide mussels and vegetables into 4 large bowls. Spoon sauce evenly into bowls. Squeeze a lime wedge over each portion and sprinkle with scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately.

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