Mussels Quinoa – 15 Minutes Recipe + How to Cook Mussels

Mussels quinoa gives paella wow factor with a simple seafood taste in 15 minutes… meals done tasty and fast. And if you’re looking for high proteins, quinoa has 9 essential amino acids which makes it a great protein source.

Mussel (muscle) protein is good for muscle building. There are 20 grams per 3 oz/85grams.

Plus, mussels are loaded with B-12, zinc, and Omega-3 healthy fat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…So, ready to make this? 

Cooking the mussels is easy and they look so impressive on a dining table.

You can find fresh mussels at most fresh seafood counters in the big grocery stores. They are usually held together in a small net bag (or sealed tight plastic in the frozen sections).

For fresh mussels (that you can freeze for a later date), keep cool and take home as soon as you can.

Rinse all fresh mussels throughly. Pull out the ones you will cook.

Easy decision simple tip: Refrigerate any you will use for the next few days and freeze the rest for later.

Prepare a pot with water level high enough to cover the mussels. Turn on the heat to medium-high. Add in the mussels. Put a lid or cover on top of the pot. Set a timer for about 8 minutes or until the mussels open.

Check on the mussels and pull out the ready ones that have opened.

After 10 minutes, when they should have opened if they’re going to, take the pot off the stove. For any mussels that have not open, you can discard.

…It’s a little like popcorn making where maybe a kernel doesn’t pop no matter how long you wait.

Using the same heated stove top burner, prepare the quinoa in a shallow cooking skillet or sautee pan. Toast the dry quinoa in the pan for a few minutes without any oil or water.

Then add water to cover the quinoa. Cook until soft for about 15 minutes on the same medium heat, stirring occasionally and making sure there’s enough water to cover so your quinoa doesn’t burn.

Tip: add spices while cooking to heat and spice up the spice! We love our spices, yes? For this one coriander and saffron are good, leaning into the lemony and sweet with seafood.

Btw, if you love saffron spice (and eggs), you’ll love this 15-minute saffron egg white omelet.

Do not add salt in the pan if you plan to use frozen peas so they keep plump (and not dehydrate or deflate like a raisin).

You can cook your peas or veggies in one pot with the quinoa saving time and effort:

Cook in the frozen peas for about 10 minutes (or add them about 5 minutes into cooking the quinoa) so that the cooking time ends up the same for the quinoa and peas in one pot. 🫛 A simple and effective method for a delicious mussels quinoa dish.