May 8, 2014 - Seafood, Chorizo and Vegetable Stew - Scottsdale, Arizona

Another long day of house hunting...this time with Joshua.  I think we have narrowed it down to two houses, but we have the complex chosen - Las Palmas in Mesa, Arizona.   I am shelled shocked.  I am somewhat scared.  I should have been this scared to make the move from Los Angeles to Montana in 1982 but I wasn't.  It was nice to arrive back at the Hayes household.  Jody was making dinner.  She is such a good cook.  Just what I needed:

                                                    Seafood, Chorizo and Vegetable Stew

                                                  Two different angles - this bowl was mine.

This bowl was Joshua's

Jody included shrimp and halibut as the seafood.  The halibut was caught by Jack and Judy Svendsen (Jody's parents) last summer in Alaska.  It was delicious.

I have included the recipe for those so inclined to make this stew.

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 oz. chorizo (fully cooked and cured), thinly sliced

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 bulb fennel, cored and thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes in juice

3/ 4 cup dry white wine

1 – 12 ounce cod fillet, cut into 2 inch pieces

1/ 2  pound large peeled and deveined shrimp

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped

Crusty bread, for serving

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the chorizo and cook, stirring, for one minute.

Add the celery, fennel and garlic and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.

Crush the tomatoes and add to the pan along with their juices.  Add the wine and bring to a boil.  Add the cod and shrimp and cook, covered, stirring once, until opaque throughout.  3 to 4 minutes 

Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar and tarragon.  Serve with bread.

Notes:  Can use soy chorizo.  If you don’t have white wine you can use chicken stock.

You can also add veggies like red peppers, etc.