Drunken Moules

On the acid reflux diet, we’re not supposed to have alcohol. However, not all alcohols are made equal. Wine is inherently acidic, but beer doesn’t have anything in it other than the alcohol to trigger acid reflux. So, if you’re not using a lot of it, beer is a great alternative to acidic liquids. Some of the alcohol will burn off, and the rest will not be enough to cause the reflux.

Most French restaurants cook mussels with white wine or tomatoes. The Belgian version, with beer, is much better for our bellies.

Ingredients:
• Two pounds of mussels
• One stalk celery, chopped
• Two cloves garlic, sliced
• Half shallot, minced (optional)
• Two tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Half teaspoon salt, or to taste
• One teaspoon non-dairy buttery spread
• Half cup Belgian Ale, such as Leffe

Requires a large pot or deep sauté pan, with a lid.
Make sure all mussels are clean, de-bearded, and still kicking. If you don’t know how to do it, you can watch this.
Heat olive oil in the pan. Sauté celery, garlic, shallot, parsley, and salt until soft and sweating.
Add beer and heat until just at a boil.
Mix in buttery spread.
Add mussels and cover tightly.
Steam mussels for five minutes, or until they are all open.