Moules Marinieres: Mussels in Saffron and White wine broth

Recipe from: Belgium (their national dish)

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 c dry white wine
2 Tbsp non-dairy milk
1/2 tsp saffron threads
1 Tbsp fresh parsley
1/2 Tbsp thyme
salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tomatoes, chopped
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 lbs mussels, cleaned and scrubbed

Directions
1. Heat oil in large pot. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
2. Add wine, milk, saffron.  Simmer about 5 min.
3. Add parsley, thyme, scallions, tomatoes, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste; simmer another 5 min.
4. Add mussels, cover and steam until they open, about 5-7 min. Shake the pot, holding down the lid with a kitchen town to redistribute the mussels. Discard any that do not open.
5. Serve warm; top with fresh chives if desired.

*cleaning the mussels: Hold under running water. Use brush with stiff bristles to thoroughly scrub and remove grit, sand and mud from the exterior. Mussels often have a dark, shaggy beard extending from each shell. Remove them for neater appearance in finished dish. After scrubbing, pull the beard away from the shell until taut, and the pull the beard down sharply toward the dark hinge. It will snap away easily. Removing the beard will kill the mussel, so perform this step just before cooking!