Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a St. Paddy’s wrap and March Madness – Green Lipped Mussels. They may be prepared in many ways; as an appetizer, plain or with different toppings.

New Zealand Green Lipped Mussels are unique to New Zealand and a big part of their cuisine and culture. New Zealand green-lipped mussels are used for rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and asthma. They are also used for cancer and to prevent sore muscles after exercise.

They have a beautiful dark green shell, which makes them very appealing. They are one of the largest mussel species, delicious and very good for you. They are available in powder form, but the best way to help with arthritis, etc. is to eat them raw, straight from the shell. Rinse mussels well, pry open, squeeze a little lemon juice over, maybe add a piece of coriander or some chili sauce! And swallow!

MUSSELS COOKED IN A WINE, BEER, GINGER BROTH

Prep time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 6 minutes. Serves: 6

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. freshly minced ginger
2 cups fish stock
¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
½ cup white wine
1 cup beer
2-1/2 lbs. New Zealand Green Lipped Mussels, beards removed

Heat oil in a large pan. Sauté onions a couple of minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, ginger, fish stock, lime juice, sugar, wine, and beer; stir. Add the mussels and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and shake for a couple of minutes or until the mussels open. Remove immediately and serve.

ST. PADDY’S WRAP

Prep time: 30 minutes. Serves: 4

1 cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 chopped cucumber
1 avocado, pit removed, peeled and sliced
4 x 10-inch spinach tortillas
2 cups cooked Quinoa (preferably tri-color)
1 chopped tomato
Salt and pepper

In a bowl, combine parsley, mint, lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the quinoa along with the cucumber and tomato.

TO ASSEMBLE WRAPS:
Spread about 1/2 cup of the quinoa mixture onto each wrap. Divide the avocado among the wraps. Roll the wraps up like a burrito, tucking in the sides to hold the ingredients in. Cut in half and serve.

CRAB AND AVOCADO SALAD

Recipe and photograph by Leala McClung on Sailing Cat Rapscallion
Prep time: 20 minutes. Serves: 4

1 medium Hass avocado (about 5 oz)
4 oz lump crab meat
2 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion
1-1/2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
2 grape tomatoes, diced
½ tsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Garnish: butter lettuce leaves and plantain chips

In a medium size bowl, combine onion, lime juice, cilantro, tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix together and add crab meat; toss. Cut the avocado in half and remove pit. Peel the skin or spoon out the avocado. Chop and gently stir into crab mixture. To serve: place lettuce leaves on salad plate and spoon mixture equally on each with a plantain chip.