Cioppino - Quick and Easy

Cioppino - an Italian seafood stew - warms the tummy and the heart.   It's wonderful on a cold winter day, or to take the wet out of a cold rainy day the rest of the year.   There are about as many ways to make Cioppino as there are Chili, but this is my Mom's recipe and my go-to one.  Here in the Flyover Zone, where we're far from fresh seafood unless it's flown in at great expense, frozen 'seafood mixtures' are the rule rather than the exception and they work well.  Trader Joe's has a great seafood mix.  Woodman's Grocery in Wisconsin also has one, though it's heavy on the mussels (I pick most of them out while the mix is still frozen and throw them in a separate bag of collected mussels for later use...they're a little fishy for my taste).  What we lack in fresh seafood we make up for in garden fresh or home-frozen tomatoes and herbs, which make up a great deal of this stew's flavor as well.

Make up a batch and try it for yourself.  I'm sure you'll love it as much as I do!

1/3 cup Olive Oil (can use 1/3 cup butter)
1 medium-large or 2 small Onions, diced finely
1 small can Diced Tomatoes
1 quart bag Frozen Tomatoes or 1 can Whole Tomatoes
2-3 cloves Garlic, diced finely
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Thyme
3/4 cup Sweet Vermouth
1 bag frozen Seafood Mix (sometimes called Seafood Medley)
1/2 cup chopped Parsley
1 can (or bouillon equivalent) Chicken Broth
1 cup Water

In soup kettle, add Olive Oil, Onions, Garlic and Parsley.  When Onions are clear, add Tomatoes, Broth, Water and Sweet Vermouth (or any Red wine).   Bring just to a boil, bring heat down to simmer, add herbs and simmer for 15 minutes.    Add Seafood and simmer until the seafood is done.   The longer this sits, the better it tastes.  Serve with good bread and a salad.