Easy Cioppino

Cioppino is a hearty seafood stew, loaded with shrimp, mussels, scallops and fish. However, you can choose your preferred seafood. It all gets bathed in a garlicky, tomato wine-based broth and is complimented by fennel, garlic and sweet onions. Served with toasted or grilled sourdough bread drizzled with olive oil, this is a special occasion meal sure to impress your guests. Seafood is an excellent source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids that are associated with lower risk for heart disease. Onions, tomatoes and garlic are rich in antioxidants and fennel is surprisingly high in vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and manganese. Additionally, fennel contains essential oils rich in polyphenols. Consuming antioxidant polyphenols regularly can reduce your risk for diabetes, obesity, cancer and neurological diseases.

Makes: 4 servings
Time to cook: 55 minutes (20 minutes prep, 35 minutes cook)

Ingredients

· 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

· 1 medium sweet onion, diced

· 1 small fennel bulb, cored and diced

· 2 tablespoons tomato paste

· 3 cloves garlic, minced

· ½ teaspoon dried oregano

·  ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

· ¾ cup dry white wine

· 1 (28-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes

· 2 cups low sodium vegetable stock

· 2 cups clam juice

· 1 bay leaf

· Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

· 12 little neck clams, scrubbed

· ½ pound mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded

· 1 pound cod or halibut filets, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

· ½ pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

· 8 large sea scallops

· 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Cooking Instructions

1. Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion and fennel. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes.

2. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in wine, diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, clam juice and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until flavors have blended, about 15 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Stir in clams and mussels. Reduce heat to low; cover, with a tight-fitting lid, and cook until the clams and mussels are just beginning to open, about 3-4 minutes.

4. Stir in cod or halibut, shrimp and scallops. Reduce heat and simmer until cod or halibut, shrimp and scallops are just cooked through and clams and mussels have opened completely, about 3-4 minutes. Discard any unopened clams.

5. Stir in parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Nutrition per serving
575 calories; 23 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 54 grams protein; 765 milligrams sodium

Recipe by Chungah Rhee (DamnDelicious.net)

‍