Thai Red Curry Mussels

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/thai_red_curry_mussels.html

From EatingWell:  January/February 2007

Watercress is prized in Asian cuisine for its peppery flavor and in this dish stands up to the sweet spiciness of the mussels in a coconut-laced red curry sauce. If you can find it in your market, use Thai basil for the garnish—it adds a unique sweet anise flavor that will make the dish taste all the more authentic.

4 servings | Active Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons peanut oil, or canola oil
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1-2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste, (see Note)
• 1 14-ounce can “lite” coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce, (see Note)
• 4 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded (see Tip)
• 6 cups trimmed watercress, (1-2 bunches) or trimmed spinach
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil, for garnish

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large high-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic, scallion whites, lime zest and curry paste to taste; cook until fragrant and the paste is sizzling, 1 to 3 minutes. Add lime juice, coconut milk, brown sugar and fish sauce. Bring to a boil and let cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add mussels, return to a simmer, cover and cook for 6 minutes. Spread watercress (or spinach) over the mussels, cover and cook until slightly wilted, about 4 minutes; stir into the mussels. (Discard any unopened mussels.) Serve garnished with scallion greens and basil.

Nutrition

Per serving : 273 Calories; 13 g Fat; 6 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 48 mg Cholesterol; 16 g Carbohydrates; 24 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 582 mg Sodium; 438 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 other carbohydrate, 3 very lean meat, 2 fat

Tips & Notes

• Note: Red curry paste and fish sauce, typical Thai ingredients, can be found in the Asian food section of large supermarkets.
• Tip: To clean mussels, scrub with a stiff brush under cold running water. Scrape off any barnacles using the shell of another mussel. Pull off the fuzzy “beard” from each one (some mussels may not have a beard).