CIOPPINO On The Cheap

Cioppino On The Cheap

Cioppino is one of my favorite foods. But until recently I only made it on special occasions. That’s because this delicious main dish fish soup was just too expensive for everyday meals.  However, on a recent ordinary cold spring Sunday, I was craving something warm and just couldn’t get Cioppino out of my head. So I set out to find the best ingredients for an awesome Cioppino on the cheap.

To save some cash, I didn’t include lobster, crab legs, or clams.But I used lots of mussels.  In place of  fish fillets, I used Trader Joe’s frozen boneless and skinless Mahi Mahi  Pieces, for which I paid only $4.49 per pound.

My Cioppino On The Cheap turned out absolutely great! A keeper! Hope you like it too!

Recipe note:
This recipe is adapted from Giada De Laurentiis’ Cioppino recipe. Her recipe was a great guide to ingredients and timings.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
2 large shallots, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons organic tomato paste
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced organic tomatoes in juice
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups clam juice
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 pound wild caught mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/2 pound uncooked shell-on very large shrimp
3/4 pound Trader Joe’s frozen Mahi Mahi Pieces, cut into large bite-size chunks
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, and shallots, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute for about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add tomatoes with their juices, wine, clam juice, and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend, about 20 minutes.

Add the mussels to the pot. Cover and cook until the mussels begin to open, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and mahi mahi. Simmer gently until the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, about 5 more minutes. Stir gently. Discard any mussels that do not open. Season the soup, to taste, with salt, if desired.

Ladle the soup into individual bowls and top each bowl of steaming Cioppino On The Cheap with chopped parsley.

Food shopping note:
Clam juice: I really  like Bar Harbor Clam Juice. It is not too salty, like many of the other brands of clam juice.

Enjoy and be healthy!
~Leni

LUNCH OR SUPPER: A Quick & Delicious Fish Meal

Why fish?

“Long-chain omega-3s found in fatty fish (or in high-quality purified fish oil supplements) reduce inflammation. In cell cultures, they reduce cancer cell growth in a large number of tumors (lung, breast, colon, prostate, kidney, etc.). The also act to reduce the spread of tumors in the form of metastases. Several human studies show that the risk of several cancers is significantly lower in people who eat fish at least twice a week.”  (Anti-Cancer by David-Servan Schreiber, page 124)

Here’s a quick and easy meal that I often pack for my  lunch at work:

1 Trident Alaskan Salmon Burger

• from Price Costco (in the frozen section)
• made with wild Alaskan salmon
• uncooked; must be microwaved, baked, or pan fried
• contains 1360 g omega-3 per salmon patty

1 portion cooked brown rice mixed with basil pesto or chutney

1 portion frozen broccoli

• The organic frozen broccoli from Trader Joe’s is one of my favorites.

I make my lunches ahead of time and freeze them in rectangular Pyrex glass containers with plastic lids.

Then at lunchtime, when my office mates are heating up their Lean Cuisines or grabbing a bag of chips and a soda, I microwave my delicious – and nutritious – lunch!

Enjoy and be healthy,

Leni