Mussels with tomatoes

I love mussels. I make them all different ways and they are a quick, tasty, pretty healthy meal. I tried a slightly new way to make them this weekend on my seafood binge and they were a big hit. Almost every mussel recipe calls for shallots because they give such a great flavor to the broth. This time I used a mix of shallots and garlic--yum. These are almost just the classic mussels in white wine, but the tomatoes and the saffron add a new twist and give the broth a beautiful orange color.

(Serves 4 as a starter or main with a big salad or crusty bread)

Ingredients: 
4 pounds mussels
1 can whole tomatoes, juices drained, chopped by hand
3 springs thyme
2 large shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
olive oil
1 pinch saffron
about 1/2 cup white wine
fresh chopped parsley

Directions:
In a large pot, saute the shallots in a little olive oil until they start to soften and add the garlic. Stir until the garlic is fragrant and then add the tomatoes, thyme and saffron. Mix that all together, then add the wine. Cook it a little so all the flavors blend and the alcohol cooks off. If the broth looks too dry, add a little more wine and maybe a little water. Add the mussels and put on the lid. Shake the pot around so all the mussels spin and move a little. Do this every 30 seconds or so to make sure they are cooking evenly. Turn off the heat right when the mussels open--this is the perfect amount of cooking time so they'll be tender and juicy. Scoop the mussels and broth into bowls and garnish them with the parsley. Great to eat with a crusty piece of bread.