New Zealand green-lipped mussels with tomato sauce

Tamara West

New Zealand green-lipped mussels are good sources of haem iron, so Kathy Paterson ensures that they are on the weekly menu. Also known as greenshell mussels, these are high in haem iron with 6 mussels per serve providing a very good source of iron.

Ingredients

750 g	Mussels, washed and beards removed (Main)
3 Tbsp	Olive oil
1 small	Onion, very finely chopped
3 cloves	Garlic, crushed
2 sprigs	Fresh thyme
¼ cup	White wine
¼ cup	Water
1 cup	Canned tomatoes, drained and chopped (Main)
½ Tbsp	Tomato paste
1 tsp	Ground cumin
1 tsp	Sweet paprika
1 pinch	Chilli flakes
1 squeeze	Lemon juice

Directions

1. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat. Place in the mussels, oil, onion, garlic, thyme, wine, water,tomatoes, tomato paste and spices. Cover and cook, removing the mussels into a bowl as they open.
2. Once all mussels are open, remove lid and season tomato sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Squeeze in lemon juice, add mussels and toss well.
3. Serve immediately with extra lemon if you wish and crusty bread. Or, as we have done for this variation, remove most of the cooked mussels from their shell and toss with sauce through cooked pasta. Finish with one or two mussels left on their half shell.

See Kathy's other recipes with high haem iron levels

• Beef fillet steak with pickled cucumber
• Lamb steaks with broccoli and almond butter