Thai Coconut Green Curry Mussels

This new recipe comes from the August/September 2012 issue of Clean Eating Magazine. I know I have said this before - but you are seriously missing out if you're not getting any recipes from this magazine or their website (the magazine offers recipes that are not showcased on the website, but the website still has plenty of amazing meals). Clean Eating specializes in meals that are healthy and free of weird processed junk - and their meals don't break the bank either (a major plus for someone who is just starting to feel the wrath of that traitor Sallie Mae).

The final product

Clean Eating Mag's Thai Coconut Green Curry Mussels recipe was extraordinarily easy, and it is so rewarding to be able to make my own green curry paste using fresh ingredients. This paste called for a few easy to find items (most of which were already in my kitchen stock) - green onions, garlic, lemongrass, jalepeño pepper, cilantro, basil, ginger, lime juice, sunflower oil, and soy sauce. The mussels were cooked in the paste and coconut milk was added to the mix for added substance and flavor. 

Mussels cooking in the green curry paste

I served this mixture over brown rice with lime wedges on the side for added flavor. The meal was made complete with two slices of grilled artisan bread - great for dipping in the curry paste! For the actual recipe, please buy a copy of the August/September 2012 issue of Clean Eating Magazine. Or even better, subscribe to this fantastic magazine for one or two years at a time!

Easiest Pulled Chicken Ever

The slow cooker is one of my nearest and dearest friends - you throw some random stuff in it in the morning, and by the time you get home from work, you have a whole amazing dinner meal waiting for you to come devour it! This latest recipe - pulled chicken in the slow cooker - comes from Ashley, one of my other near and dear friends.

I was able to throw this together in 5 minutes before leaving for work. By the time I returned, the whole lobby of my apartment was filled with a beyond incredibly amazingly delicious scent. Thank you slow cooker!!

What you need:

• 1 boneless chicken breast
• 1 jar of salsa
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/4 red onion, chopped
• A pinch of pepper

What you do:

Throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker. Turn on low heat. I left it cooking for just over 8 hours, but I would assume it will taste just as good after 6 hours or so.

I cooked up some brown rice from a box to serve with the pulled chicken, but Ashley puts her pulled chicken in wraps alongside guacamole. I unfortunately had neither wraps nor guacamole on hand so I made do with what I did have - and it came out AMAZING. The taco seasoning gives it a great Mexican flair and the salsa makes it nice and juicy. Not to mention this recipe required the most minimal effort in the kitchen ever. Two thumbs up for this recipe!