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seafood stew

The focus of this stew is on seafood, which is baked in an herbed tomato sauce. This is a fun supper to share with friends. Serve with warm foccacia, followed by ice cream with toppings for dessert.

SERVES 6 TO 8

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cans (28 ounces each) whole tomatoes, juice from can included, lightly pureed in food processor
1.5 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 pound scallops or white-fleshed fish, such as snapper, flounder, or cod,
cut into bite-size pieces
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1.5 pounds fresh clams in shells, well scrubbed

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add flour and stir until bubbly. Add tomatoes, broth, wine, seasonings, and parsley and simmer, 5 minutes.

BAKE, uncovered, about 30 minutes. Add scallops or fish and bake, covered, 10 minutes. Add clams and shrimp and bake, covered, until shrimp has turned pink and clams have opened, about 10 minutes longer. (Discard any clams that do not open.) Ladle into bowls.

mediterranean chicken

The five basic Mediterranean food items are simple and readily available—olive oil, garlic,fresh basil, tomatoes, and lemons. This recipe incorporates them all along with onion and red bell pepper for a delicious chicken entrée.

SERVES 4

1 chicken (3 to 3.5 pounds), quartered or cut into serving pieces

MEDITERRANEAN MARINADE

Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 onion, cut into wedges
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut lengthwise into eighths
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into wedges
10 pitted kalamata or canned black olives
Chopped fresh parsley for sprinkling on top
Fresh basil leaves for garnish

PLACE chicken in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray or oil.

MAKE THE MARINADE: In a small bowl, mix all of the marinade ingredients together. POUR marinade over chicken. Turn to coat, cover, and place in refrigerator for 2 or 3 hours, turning once. Bring to room temperature 1/2 hour before baking. In the meantime, preheat oven to 350°F. ARRANGE onion, red pepper, and tomatoes around chicken. Spoon marinade over vegetables. Bake, uncovered, basting several times, until chicken is no longer pink in the center and vegetables are very tender, about 1 hour. Add olives and bake 10 minutes longer. Transfer chicken and vegetables to a platter. Sprinkle with parsley and garnish with basil leaves.

NOTE: The marinade is also good on lamb.

succotash

This popular southern dish of corn and lima beans was first introduced to early European settlers by the Indians. Red bell pepper has been added for flavor and color. For a richer dish, use half-and-half instead of milk. Serve with grilled sausage.

SERVES 6

1 cup water
1.5 cups fresh lima beans, or 1 package (10 ounces) frozen lima beans, thawed
1.5 cups fresh corn kernels, or 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn, thawed
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup milk or half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons snipped chives

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring water to a boil. Add beans and cook, uncovered, about 5 minutes. Stir in corn and bell pepper and cook until vegetables are tender-crisp, about 3 minutes longer. Drain and place in a 2.5-quart casserole dish lightly coated with cooking spray or oil.

IN the saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in milk, seasonings, and sugar and simmer for 2 minutes. Pour over vegetables.

BAKE, uncovered, stirring once, until slightly thickened, about 40 minutes. Sprinkle with chives before serving.