Mother's Day Seafood Stew

I wasn't going to blog about this as I hardly took any pictures because it was Mother's Day and this meal wasn't made in order to be blogged about. It was made to be enjoyed with my family with no time spent trying to get a decent photo while six people stared at me with hungry eyes like I'm a crazy person. I made the stew, filled the bowls and poof it was all gone!

I did manage to sneak in a quick picture though.... one of the stew and another, more importantly, of my momma enjoying the stew. This was such a delicious meal that I realized I HAD to blog it or I may forget the ratio of ingredients I used and I want to do it exactly the same next time around... which hopefully is very soon! So so so tasty and satisfying. My only regret is not having larger bowls to serve it in!

My mom loves seafood and I wanted to do something extra special for her. Nothing really beats a fresh seafood stew loaded with little neck clams, mussels, cod and shrimp.... all from right here in our backyard in Maine! Well, not the shrimp... there is no Maine shrimp season currently, FYI, so your little shrimpys are coming from the Gulf of Mexico or Vietnam, or something. Regardless, the shrimp we had from the fish market in Portland were fantastic. The rest of the seafood was super fresh and flavorful as well. Honestly, it was perfect.

I made the broth base on Saturday so I could quickly make the stew at my parents house on Sunday. This also allowed for the flavors to set - soup is always better the next day and this made everything much easier to make the day of. I made a quick feta vinaigrette for a simple salad, threw a loaf of foccacia in the oven to warm and cooked the seafood in the broth. Ta-daaa! Restaurant quality meal.

The broth is super flavorful with lots of shallots and garlic, tomatoes, clam juice and white wine. It is the perfect base for fresh seafood because it's tasty & light, but still slightly rich and doesn't overpower the freshness of the seafood. This recipe is a great way to take advantage of the wonderful fresh seafood us Mainer's are so lucky to have right in our backyards. Use whatever fish is fresh and available to you.

This recipe serves 6 hearty portions.

Summer Seafood Stew

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil

3 large shallots, diced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 1/2 cup dry white wine

4 1/2 cups chicken stock

3 cups good quality clam juice - Bar Harbor brand in Maine is good

3 cups canned diced tomatoes, drained 

6 sprigs of thyme

2 bay leaves

2 tsp hot sauce or more to taste

1 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh cracked pepper

30 littleneck clams, rinsed and scrubbed

1 1/2 lbs mussels, rinsed and scrubbed

1 lb cod or other white fish, chopped to bite sized pieces

12-18 large/jumbo shrimp, peeled and cleaned

5 tbsp butter

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

• In large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add in the shallots and garlic and cook until softened. Add the white wine and boil gently to reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Add in the stock, clam juice, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves, hot sauce, salt and pepper. 
• Bring to boil and lightly boil, uncovered for 10-12 minutes. 
• Add the clams and mussels and cover and cook until most of the shells open, about 5 minutes. Add the fish and shrimp, cover and cook for another 3 minutes or so until remaining shellfish have opened.
• Reduce heat to medium and use a slotted spoon to equally fill 6 bowls, trying to evenly distribute the different seafood.
• Add butter and parsley to the broth in the stock pot and stir. Ladle broth over the bowls.
• Serve with bread and a side salad.

**If you want to make the stock ahead of times, follow the steps up until you add the seafood. You can store it in the fridge over night and add the seafood in the next day for a super easy, yet impressive, dinner party!

Toasted Oat Granola Bars

I love granola bars but it's unfortunate that majority of the pre-packaged ones have sugar/syrup as the second or third ingredient - even the healthy, "natural" ones. The ones that are refined sugar free are generally super expensive, so making your own is healthier and budget friendly....win win! This recipe only has six ingredients, things you often have at home, and are super delicious. They're chewy, crunchy, fibrous and sweet but refined sugar free (except for the chocolate chips, unless you use special ones).



The oats are toasted for additional flavor, then mixed with peanut butter, dates, honey and roasted almonds, then topped with chocolate chips - which is "optional" but in my book necessary because I'm a chocolate freak. These are actually filling, unlike some of the tiny store bought granola bars that are full of empty calories that hardly curb your hunger. They're perfect for a light breakfast, a mid-morning or afternoon snack, but are best outside post run or hike.







You could add in dried fruits and other nuts and get creative with it - this recipe is flexible! I also prefer topping them with the mini chocolate chips, but you could mix them into the bars and/or use regular size chocolate chips.
They store well in the fridge for days so it's great to make them ahead of time and keep them to eat throughout the week. This is another Minimalist Baker inspired recipe.






Toasted Oat & Almond Granola Bars

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 heaping cup pitted dates, packed
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup roasted salted almonds, roughly chopped
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

• Toast the oats by heating a skillet (with no oil) over medium high heat and add the oats, stirring occasionally until they start to turn a light golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.
• Line a 8x8 or 9x9 square pan with parchment paper.
• Pulse the dates in a food processor until it forms a paste, a few small chunks are fine.
• Put dates, oats and almonds in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Microwave the peanut butter and honey for a few seconds, then stir, then a few seconds again just to make it smooth and easier to mix. Pour over the other ingredients and stir to combine. 
• Dump mixture into parchment paper lined pan and use hands to press down thoroughly and evenly. Let it cool for a minute and then top with chocolate chips and use hands so they're secure in the bars (weird but make sure your hands are cool because if they're warm the chocolate chips will melt into your hands when you press them).
• Let sit in fridge for ten minutes or so then cut into bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.