New Zealand green-lipped mussels with tomato sauce
Daniel Davis 
New Zealand green-lipped mussels are good sources of haem iron, so Kathy Paterson ensures that they are on the weekly menu. Also known as greenshell mussels, these are high in haem iron with 6 mussels per serve providing a very good source of iron.
Ingredients
| 750 g | Mussels, washed and beards removed (Main) |
| 3 Tbsp | Olive oil |
| 1 small | Onion, very finely chopped |
| 3 cloves | Garlic, crushed |
| 2 sprigs | Fresh thyme |
| ¼ cup | White wine |
| ¼ cup | Water |
| 1 cup | Canned tomatoes, drained and chopped (Main) |
| ½ Tbsp | Tomato paste |
| 1 tsp | Ground cumin |
| 1 tsp | Sweet paprika |
| 1 pinch | Chilli flakes |
| 1 squeeze | Lemon juice |
Directions
- Heat a large frying pan over a high heat. Place in the mussels, oil, onion, garlic, thyme, wine, water,tomatoes, tomato paste and spices. Cover and cook, removing the mussels into a bowl as they open.
- Once all mussels are open, remove lid and season tomato sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Squeeze in lemon juice, add mussels and toss well.
- Serve immediately with extra lemon if you wish and crusty bread. Or, as we have done for this variation, remove most of the cooked mussels from their shell and toss with sauce through cooked pasta. Finish with one or two mussels left on their half shell.
