RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Before cooking, soak the clams thoroughly to enhance their sweetness. I place them in a container, cover with water, add a touch of cornmeal, and keep them cool in the fridge for about an hour. This was absolutely delicious and looks like it came from a 5 star restaurant. One of my co-workers had made it and gave me the recipe. I doubled the recipe so we would have left overs. If you like it on the hot side, like we do, just add a little more of the chipotle chilis. Enjoy!!

Shellfish with Chipotle and Tequila

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 large)
1/2 cup chopped red bell peppe
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 3/4 cups water
1/4 cup tequila
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped seeded chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
24 littleneck clams
1/2 pound sea scallops
1/2 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped green onions
Preparation
1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add yellow onion, bell pepper, black pepper, and salt to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add 1 3/4 cups water and next 10 ingredients (through chicken broth) to pan. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Arrange clams in a steamer. Cover and steam over boiling water 8 minutes or until shells open. Discard any unopened shells; set aside.
3. Add scallops and shrimp to tomato mixture; cook 7 minutes or just until done. Ladle 2 cups soup into each of 4 large shallow bowls; top each serving with 6 clams, 1 tablespoon cilantro, and 1 tablespoon green onions.