Steamed Mussels with Lupini Beans in Garlic Achaar Wine Sauce – SIMPLi

iNGREDIENTS

The Beans

Regenerative Organic Certified® SIMPLi Lupini Beans

SIMPLi Peruvian Herb Salt Blend

SIMPLi Pink Salt

Parmesan rind

Small sweet onion, halved

Garlic cloves, crushed

Bay leaves

Chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup

½ teaspoon

1

5

3 64 oz.

The Main Dish

Cooked SIMPLi Lupini Beans

SIMPLi Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Bonterra Estates Sauvignon Blanc

Mussels, debearded and cleaned

Cloves garlic, minced

Small shallot, minced

Crushed red pepper flakes

Juice of lemon

Butter

Parsley, chopped

Garlic achaar

1 cup

1 tablespoon

2 cups

1 lb

4

1 1 tablespoon

1 1 cup

½ cup

iNSTRUCTIONS

The Beans

To prep the Lupini beans, follow the presoaking, rinsing, and boiling instructions on the back of the SIMPLi packaging. You can also find their comprehensive cooking guide, which includes instructions for stove top, pressure cooking, or slow cooking!
When you get to the seasoning step, flavor the beans by adding parmesan rind, sweet onion, garlic cloves, bay leaves, broth, and salt. Try SIMPLi’s Herb Salt Blend!
Simmer until you reach your desired doneness.

The Main Dish

In a deep sauté pan, heat olive on medium-low heat, then add garlic and shallot. Sauté until fragrant.
Increase the heat slightly, then melt the butter. Add lemon juice and wine and allow it to reduce for 10 minutes.
Stir in garlic achaar, Lupini beans, red pepper flakes, salt, and parsley. Then add mussels to the pot and cover. Pro-tip: keep your mussels iced or in cold water before cooking. If any are open just before cooking, or during cleaning, toss them out.
Turn down the heat and simmer until all of the mussels are opened.
Stir to make sure all the beans and brothy goodness are mixed in together. Serve with crusty garlic bread to get up all that broth!

What does this recipe mean to you?

When cooking for groups or a guest, I always try to choose something sharable to start. Those sorts of meals encourage connection. And for a first date, a messy sharable is perfect. First dates are already nerve-wracking because you're trying to make the best impression while not appearing ridiculous. I also chose mussels because they're not only quick to make, they're not your typical dinner staple, so usually whomever I'm cooking for is trying them for the first time, which is so fun for a first date! Mussels require you to get your hands all saucy; they require little slurping; they require you to appear a little ridiculous, and I like that! It's no secret that I absolutely love beans and that I'm always looking for ways to get more protein. Lupini beans are incredibly protein-rich and have this beautifully nutty flavor that compliments this easy yet complex broth of garlic pickle, white wine, herbs, and lemon. The Lupinis make the perfect textural compliment!

What do you love most about cooking?

So many interesting and delightfully unexpected things happen as I get older. One of those things is growing food and being deeply connected to the cycle of the growing seasons. Each spring and summer, I am more grateful to live in the South, where so much produce diversity exists. So, my favorite thing about cooking lately is honoring what the season has to offer, getting creative about my trips to the farmer's market, and sharing what I do with what I find in my content. I'm not so much into creating trendy videos as I am into showing folks that eating seasonally and beautifully can be accessible to those who try.

Why is working with regenerative organic ingredients, like SIMPLi & Bonterra, important to you?

Growing food at home is intrinsically regenerative. I save my rainwater for indoor and outdoor plants. I follow a veggie or herb through its life cycle and find every stage beneficial and varied in taste, which is so exciting! I use the seedlings for micros and enjoy the peak season for richness. The bolting or seeding produces delicious buds and flowers that add texture, concentrated flavor, or so much beauty to dishes. Even the leaves of some plants can be sautéed up or composted. Cycling certain plants to enrich the soil for the next rotation makes for more abundant harvests. These are some of the key aspects of regenerative growing practices, and I always jump to work with brands who trust in nature's ability to yield and flourish with respect and consideration.

Learn more about Ashley’s work by checking out her website and following along on social!