flex that mussel.

the early bird dove into the water and struck green! mussels, not only are they super healthy for you - high in selenium, which is good news for your immune system and thyroid gland; high in vitamin b-12, which is good news for your nervous system and red blood cells; and high in manganese, which is good news for your bone development and metabolism - but they are also farmed in methods that are environmentally sound, which make them green and we all know that green is good. eat some mussels and you are basically saving yourself and the planet at the same time. okay, maybe that's a little bit of an exaggeration, but still, it is eating responsibly in pretty much every sense of the word. and that counts for something.

drawing from the flavors of the cuisines of north african countries like morocco and tunisia, this bird hit the spice rack and busted out the beans to create some spicy lentil chickpea mussel madness. i used a combination of turmeric, paprika, cayenne pepper, ginger, cumin, and cinnamon. yes, spices bring incredible flavor to this dish, but they also bring their own bevy of health benefits to the table. i've written about turmeric before, but i will say it again, this is a little yellow wonder power. recently shown to help heal or prevent health conditions from cancer to alzheimer's disease, it is also a natural antibacterial and antiseptic agent. turmeric is a natural liver detoxifier (and we all know our livers could use a little love) and painkiller. and let's not forget that it aids in fat metabolism. next up is paprika, which also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that may lower the risk of cancer. oh cayenne, you are hot stuff. so much so that you have a cult following and a website devoted just to you. i mean, it's a little much, but i guess we all have our passions. cayenne, like all chiles, is a metabolism booster. it can also clear congestion and is a powerful digestion aid. it can heal and prevent ulcers. it is an immune booster and natural pain reliever. but it's effect on cancer cells and the cardiovascular system are its most awesome properties. it's fantastic for the heart, stabilizes blood pressure, and helps veins and arteries clear out toxins and bad cholesterol.

the bottom line is: spice it up. it's good for you.

spicy mussels with chickpeas and lentils

1 1/2 lbs mussels, scrubbed and beards removed

1 can lentils

1 can chickpeas, 1/2 liquid reserved

1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped and liquid reserved

8 cloves garlic, chopped finely

1 onion, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/4 cup water

in a large pot, combine onion, garlic, spices and water. cover, cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender, about 5 minutes.

add vinegar, chickpeas, lentils, tomatoes, and reserved liquids, simmer for 10-15 minutes until mixture thickens.

add mussels, return to a simmer, cover and cook until mussels open wide, 3-6 minutes. discard any mussels that have not opened after 6 minutes.

enjoy.

notes about mussels:

only cook mussels that are alive - live mussels are closed, or will close when tapped if they are open. tap any open mussels on a counter top, any mussels that remain open, discard.

scrub mussels to clean off barnicles and other debris before cooking.

to remove beard, gently pull beard towards hinge end and tear out.

give it to me cheap.

the early bird loves when what's cheap is what's good. it can totally work in your favor to walk into a market resolved that you will only buy what's on sale and what's in season and design your menu from there. this is how the bird buys anything from the fish counter. i always pick what is on sale and go from there. it keeps me on budget and on my toes. so win one for whole foods and a crazy sea scallop sale a couple of weeks ago. it gave the bird and her tiger a chance to have a delicious mexican influenced scallop meal. yum yum. the tiger and the bird LOVE scallops.

ah, the scallop. less common than clams, not as prestigious as oysters, but one of the best mollusks out there in the great wide sea nonetheless. i love scallops. even back in my unadventurous days of youth where i was convinced that the only fish i liked was haddock, i liked scallops. as silly as it may sound, the first time i cooked scallops and it was a success was a moment of genuine fulfillment. it had done my mother, who herself had never put a tough or chewy scallop on anyone's plate, proud. pronounce that "a" however you want, scallops are extraordinarily delicious and exceptionally nutritious. high in vitamin b12, and an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and the minerals magnesium and potassium, scallops are great for cardiovascular health and can prevent both heart attack and stroke. additionally, vitamin b12 can aid in the prevention of colon cancer.

scallops are simple and fast. a little bit wham bam thank you ma'am. the trick is not to overcook them and make them tough and chewy. they cook quickly and they will continue to cook when removed from heat and in reaction to the acid of any lime or lemon juice that you may squeeze on them.

chili lime scallops with corn black bean tomato salsa and rice on tortillas

1 lb sea scallops

fresh cilantro, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped finely

3 limes

chili powder

cayenne pepper

sea salt

cholula hot sauce

1 can yellow kernel corn (organic &/or no-salt added if you can find it), rinses and drained

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

corn tortillas

1 cup brown rice

1 small sweet onion, diced

4 tomatoes (a mixture of red and yellow tomatoes gives a nice color to the dish), diced

bring 2 cups of water, 1 cup brown rice, 2 cloves garlic chopped finely, a dash of sea salt and a dash of hot sauce to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until rice is done.

in a pot, combine corn, beans, tomatoes, onion, 2 cloves garlic chopped finely, sea salt (to taste), 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, juice of 1 lime, and hot sauce. cover and heat over medium heat.

in a skillet add scallops and the remaining 2 cloves of chopped garlic

squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the scallops

season with sea salt, cayenne pepper and chili powder (to taste)

add fresh chopped cilantro

cook over medium heat, turning scallops once, until opaque, less than 5 minutes

remove from heat and squeeze the juice of the remaining lime over the scallop mixture

to serve, spoon rice on top of a tortilla, top with salsa mixture and then top with scallops. add additional hot sauce and seasoning to suite your taste. (the bird likes it hot.) and enjoy.