Yield: 4 servings

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

¼ tsp sea salt

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp dried Italian herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil)

¼ tsp ground black pepper

3 large carrots, chopped

1 medium fennel bulb, chopped into ½-inch pieces (or 3 celery stalks)

1 cup red wine

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce

2 cups low sodium vegetable or fish broth

1 pound mussels and/or clams in the shell, scrubbed clean

1 pound fresh whitefish, cut into 1-inch pieces (tilapia, cod, snapper, catfish)

½ pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined 

8 large sea scallops

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Heat a large stew pot over medium-high heat. Add oil, onions, salt, mushrooms, herbs and black pepper; stir for 2 minutes. Add carrots and fennel; cook another 2 minutes. Add wine to deglaze for 30 seconds while stirring. Add bell pepper, tomato sauce and broth; simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, unless the seafood is super fresh, soak fish, shrimp and scallops in orange juice or milk for 10 minutes. Rinse and drain when ready to add them to the pot.

Bring another pan with a steamer tray to a boil; add the mussels and/or clams; cook until they open, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain, saving 1 cup of the liquid for later use.

Increase the temperature under the large stew pot to medium-high and add the fish, shrimp and scallops. Heat 4 to 5 minutes until shrimp are pink and fish is cooked. Add the drained mussels and clams plus 1 cup of the reserved clam/mussel liquid; simmer another minute.

Ladle stew into bowls and garnish with parsley. This stew is fabulous accompanied with a tossed green salad on the side or as a second course. Be sure to set the table with additional large bowls for discarded shells.

Recipe excerpted from The 30-Day Heart Tune-Up by Steven Masley, M.D. Copyright © 2021 by Steven Masley, M.D. Used with permission of Little, Brown Spark, New York, NY. All rights reserved.