As Long As It's Southern: On Our Table Tonight: Spicy Mussels and Shrimp

Alright y'all, tonight we combined two of our favorite seafoods (shrimp + mussels) for the sake of compromise and yumminess.

I'm pairing mine with quinoa and he's going big time with linguine. Must be nice to be a dude, right?

Tonight I'm cheating on Pinterest because Giada had what I needed, and that is this recipe. Isn't she gorgeous, though? Seriously. I want her hair stylist ... and the ability to eat pasta and look like she does. Anyway, here it is:

What You'll Need:

Olive Oil (1/4 cup)
Garlic Cloves (5, minced)
Bay Leaves (1-3, as desired)
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (1 teaspoon)
Dry White Wine (1 cup)
Diced Tomatoes (1 can - 28 oz)
Mussels (24, about 1/2 pound, debearded)
Large Shrimp (20-30, about 1-1.5 pounds, peeled, deveined, butterflied)
Fresh Basil Leaves (1/2 cup, torn)
Warm Crusty Bread

Notes:
*Can add on anything to adjust tastes, add chili paste for heat level (if you want to be so inventive like us).
*Cilantro and shallots would be good, too.
*We used fire-roasted tomatoes and lots lots more red pepper flakes and about 7 cloves garlic.

The Steps You'll Take:

1. Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and crushed red pepper. Saute until the garlic is tender, about 1 minute.

2. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Simmer until the tomatoes begin to break down and the flavors blend, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the mussels. Cover and cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes longer.

4. Take some tongs, transfer the opened shellfish to serving bowls (discard any shellfish that do not open).

5. Add the shrimp and basil to the simmering tomato broth. Simmer until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes.

6. Divide the shrimp and tomato broth among the bowls.

7. Serve with the warm bread.

Recipe courtesy of: Giada de Laurentiis for the Food Network

That's all there is to it. Thanks for reading and supporting my effort here on the blog. I'm having a fabulous time writing again.

Not mentioned in the recipe is our secret ingredient: Adorable Sous Chefs! Meet Boone and Baier, our sweet boys!