Seafood Stew – Good For You and Chocked Full of Taste
I am a sucker for anything with coconut milk and lime juice. Why, I’m not sure, but you could argue it’s the Islander in me. Case in point my latest Thai Inspired Chicken Noodle Soup, and when I saw this recipe in Joy Bauer’s cookbook Slim & Scrumptious, I had to try it. The first recipe I tried from this cookbook was last week’s Chicken Fettucine Alfredo with Sun-dried Tomatoes. Simply awesome. As for this stew, if slim is always as good as what I have experienced so far, bring it on!
Mis en Place:
Please don’t be scared. There is a lot going on here, but the ingredients are not hard to find and they come together easily. With only 238 calories and 5 grams of fat per 2 cup serving, it is so worth trying.
Soft, plump scallops, sweet shrimp, silky coconut milk, distinctive lime and cilantro. Mmmm. Give me a little more. I’m going in for seconds.
Kitchen Notes:
- The recipe calls for bay scallops and I got sea scallops simply because I love the bigger ones. The bay scallops will cook at the same rate as the shrimp, so opt for those if you don’t want to throw in the larger scallops first then time it with the shrimp.
- I squeezed an extra bit of lime over the stew before serving. Ultimate!
- A whole teaspoon of crushed red pepper gives it a great spiciness. Take it down to half if you only want a little heat.
- Salt to taste. I added an extra 1/2 teaspoon than what the recipe called for.
From Joy Bauer's Slim & Scrumptious Cookbook
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bay scallops
- 12 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/3 cup lime juice, about 3 limes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions (white and green parts)
- 2 cups chopped ripe tomatoes, preferably plum
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 5 cups unsalted or reduced sodium fish stock
- 1/2 cup chopped, fresh cilantro
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup light coconut milk
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine scallops, shrimp, lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, black pepper, and the garlic. Toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the soup, about 30 minutes.
- Liberally coat a large pan with oil spray and preheat it over medium heat.
- Add the onion, green and red bell peppers and scallions and sauté for 5 minutes, adding a tablespoon of water at a time as necessary to prevent scorching.
- Add the tomatoes and crushed red pepper flakes to the pot and cook for 10 minutes stirring frequently.
- Add the fish stock, 1/4 cup of cilantro, the bay leaf and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, 10 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and marinated shrimp-scallop mixture (including all liquids) cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the shrimp are fully cooked, about 2 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and sprinkle the reserved cilantro over the stew before serving.
Notes
If your store does not carry fish stock, you can substitute a mixture of 1 cup bottled clam juice and 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth.
That looks really good.
Thanks!
Oh my goodness! I need to make this – it’s so reminiscent of the coconut milk soup I’ve been getting from our nearby Thai place, and I craaaave that stuff all the time!
Great Jen! I hope it gets close enough to satisfy those cravings!
This soup looks like it would melt in your mouth with tender fish and vegetables.
Oh my, so good! And the flavors work so well together.
I’ve got to try this soup! Perfect for the cold weather, but not too heavy. Yum.
If you love coconut based soups, you will love it!