Seafood Stew to Fortify for the Tasks Ahead

I've been concerned about how few fruits and veggies I've been eating.  I used to eat pounds of carrots every week, for example--and now, we just threw out a half pound that had rotted in the fridge.  Sigh.

So yesterday, I went to the store with the goal of more healthy consumption.  I came home and baked a sweet potato for breakfast.  How delicious and nutritious!  That may be my go-to breakfast from now on, although I am somewhat surprised at the prices.  I wonder if they'll come down in the fall.  Of course, it has occurred to me that I might have 1980's prices in my head:  I paid $1.29 a pound, and it seems that I once thought that 49 cents a pound was expensive.

I also wanted to make a seafood stew once I saw a picture of one on Facebook.  I'm also concerned that I'm not getting enough fish oils. 

It's been awhile since I posted a recipe, so let me create one here.  It's the perfect soup as summer shifts to autumn, should you be lucky enough to be experiencing that.  It's also perfect to nourish us for the hurricane prep that may be ahead.  It's a flexible recipe so that you can make as much or as little as you want.  If you've got plenty of cash, load it up with seafood.  If you don't have much money, it will taste good with canned salmon and a can of clams.

Seafood Stew

1-2 onions, or onion flakes
a few cloves of crushed or minced garlic or garlic powder
herbs:  a few teaspoons of any or all:  basil, oregano, thyme
a few bay leaves
a few pours of olive oil, or canola oil
carrot shreds or chopped carrots  1/2 C. to several cups
1/2 C. to several C. of white wine--or omit and use water
1 bottle of clam juice
water to thin the stew, if that's your preference
2-4 cans chopped tomatoes (can size 14.5 oz.)
1 can salmon (14.5 oz)--fresh or frozen salmon would work too, but more expensive
1-2 cans of clams with juice
frozen or fresh seafood of your choosing; I used bay scallops (the smaller, less expensive kind)

Chop the onions and in a big post, saute in the olive oil.  Add the garlic and carrots to the saute, and if more liquid is needed, start adding the wine and water.  Add the herbs.

Once the veggies are soft, add everything else.  I rinsed the cans with water and added the water to the pot.

The soup can simmer for hours, or it can be ready in 20 minutes.  It will keep for several days, even a week or two, and can be frozen.