Grab a healthy taste of the ocean with some coconut lime steamed mussels. The Thai flavors give the mollusks a creamy, sweet flavor. It's gluten free, dairy free and paleo friendly.

I got inspired to make mussels at home after eating them at Herringbone's happy hour recently.

Most steamed mussel recipes use tomatoes and if you're avoiding nightshades like I am, then you need an alternate broth.

That's why I have this Thai-influenced recipe for coconut lime steamed mussels.

The hardest part of this recipe is keeping the mussels alive before cooking them.

Ideally you're going to make the coconut mussels right after buying them. If you're not, take them immediately out of the bag they came in and put them in a bowl.

You can put some ice cubes on top or a cool, wet cloth, and keep them refrigerated until ready to cook.

I had to remove the beard from the mussels before cooking. Just look for the hairy clump and give it a good yank. Discard any mussels with broken shells. You want these guys alive when they go into the water to cook.

Once you get your coconut lime broth going, all you have to do is place your cleaned mussels inside, cover, and wait for their shells to open. It only takes about 5 minutes.

If some mussels don't open, discard them. They're dead to you!

Mussels are a great source of hard to get selenium and manganese, as well as iron and zinc. You'll also get a side of B12 and C, so eat up!

I like serving the coconut lime steamed mussels over cauliflower rice for a complete gluten free meal.

Coconut Lime Steamed Mussels {Paleo, Dairy Free, Gluten Free}

Ingredients

1 pound fresh mussels, cleaned (see above)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemongrass stick, cut into thirds and smashed to release flavors
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Instructions

Heat the coconut oil in a pot deep enough to fit the mussels.
Add the shallots and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic and lemongrass and stir for about one minute.
Pour in the coconut milk and place the mussels in the pot. Cover with a lid and allow to cook for about 5 minutes.
Check the mussels after 5 minutes to see if they're finished cooking. If all the shells are open, you're done, but if some are still closed, cook a few minutes longer.
Remove from heat when shells are open. If any don't open, discard them. Add the fish sauce and lime juice to the pot and stir. Serve over cauliflower rice.