Sunday we headed out to the beach. Unfortunately though, I forgot to check the weather report. We quickly packed up the truck and took off. Just as we pulled into town, it started raining, alot. We checked one of those dopler maps from the phone and saw it was going to be a really wet day. We waited for the rain to let up, and went for a short walk on the beach while it was sprinkling. The waves were violent, and the beach was desserted. It was really calming. I found an adorable watch mostly buried in the sand, and my son found lots of shells.
On our way back over the bridge headed home, we decided to stop for a bushel of oysters so we could take them home. When we got back to Orlando we stopped by and got beer, crackers, and hot sauce (and some fish sticks for my son). We made our way through a bushel in no time at all eating them as we shucked.
My son wasn’t too thrilled as we encouraged him to just try a little bite of raw oyster. He did manage one bite, but they must be an acquired taste, he didn’t like them. So yesterday, I made a seafood dish that we could all love. Spaghetti for my little son, and cooked mussels. They’re not nearly as gross for a little kid as raw oysters. I used whole wheat pasta to make this dish a little more healthy. For the mussels, I just used those boxed pre-cooked mussels in a red garlic sauce. You can also use plain mussels, or fresh if they are available. This is a dish my whole family loves. My husband and I feast on all the mussels, while my son sucks up tons of pasta. Serve this with a fresh simple salad, garlic bread and lots of red wine.
Yield: Serves 4
2 - 16 oz boxes mussels (pre-cooked in tomato garlic sauce), thawed
1 - 28 oz can San Marzano tomato sauce
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil, or 2 teaspoons dried basil
olive oil
a few pinches of red pepper flakes, to taste
salt
1 - 14 oz package spaghetti
1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Preheat a large skillet. Drizzle skillet with olive oil and add onions and a little salt. Saute until translucent over medium heat. Add garlic and saute a few minutes more. Add tomato sauce and red wine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Season with salt. Let simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. Add mussels and and heat through. Add cooked spaghetti and turn in skillet until well coated.
2. Remove from heat and add basil. Turn into a serving bowl.
