6: Dinner Time: Seafood Veggie stew

Here's another winning recipe I've devised as someone who way too busy and cheap to go out shopping to follow a recipe.

The only place you have to go is your local seafood counter or, much better, farmer's market. Pick up about half a pound each of whatever seafood strikes your fancy. I favor the huge shrimp (I know an oxymoron), lump blue crab meat and about a dozen clams.

Go to your pantry and freezer. Find whatever you have to make a good base for soup. This time I'm going with beef broth and canned crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Mix this in your slow cooker and throw in whatever other canned and fresh veggies you have. Corn, potatoes, beans, peas, carrots...anything you find you can throw in.

For a stealth health move throw in a small can of spinach, garbanzo beans and carrot juice. These things will absorb the taste of the stew and add loads of healthy nutrients to the mixture.

Also add in some old bay seasoning, garlic, herbs...pretty much whatever will go nicely together and let your creation simmer for about 3 or 4 hours on high. When it's time to add the seafood your veggies should be bubblin' and you should be fending off your man with a wooden spoon to stay out.

Take an appropriate sized pot, fill with water, add old bay seasoning and bring to a rolling boil. For cooking shellfish you need to not just see bubbles. Make sure the water is very hottt by looking for large bubbles of air and a water surface that is not still. Add your first batch of shellfish. I'd go with shrimp cause you need to cool and shell them. Add the shrimp and everything that's in the bag, ice and all. Don't stir it, don't touch it, just let it return to a rolling boil. As soon as the pot is overflowing and the shrimp are a nice pink they're done. Drain them and run 'em under cold water. Shell and add them to the slow cooker. Do the same for everything else you have with a shell still on it. For clams, they're done when they open, when they do not open, do not eat them, they're bad. Same for muscles. It will be a good idea for your to quickly cook your fish or crab meat to make sure it's cooked properly too.

Add everything into the pot and let it stew down for another hour or so. Cook up some wild rice according to the directions on the box. Serve your mixture over the rice with a good cold beer or bottle of wine.

The stew can be frozen in proper containers or refrigerated for leftovers.


***Be sure to take appropriate cautions with seafood***