Chili los Mariscos

A couple months ago there was snow and ice everywhere, and despite that I was eating burgers and slaw and telling you about WSS. That is, Wrong Season Syndrome.

I hardly feel like that much time has past, but now I look outside to trees full of vibrant green leaves, tulips blooming everywhere and even some rhododendrons starting to bud. It may be just a tease but we’ve even had a few summer-like stretches of sunny 80 degree weather here in Massachusetts. Foods suited to spring and summer have been tickling my tastebuds – anything with fresh asparagus, artichokes, even corn and melon sound great right now. But even still, my cravings for warm, hearty comfort foods can’t be denied.

Recently, I found a chili that satisfies all seasons. This chili comes from Mary at One Perfect Bite, a recently discovered blog that’s quickly climbed to the top of my reading list. Like any traditional chili, it’s warm and comforting, with a chunky texture to make you savor every bite. That’s what I was craving during a particularly summery day this spring. But what makes this chili more appropriate for warm weather – and able to satisfy your summer cravings in the winter – are it’s vibrant colors and sweet, succulent shellfish. That’s right, this chili is a pescetarian’s dream. Heartier and packed with more protein than a vegetarian chili, but not quite so heavy as a meat-based version, this chili is wonderfully balanced.
Now I don’t mean to imply that shellfish are particularly a warm weather food, since I eat them all year round. Then again the same goes for pumpkin and tomatoes, so my sense of seasonal might be skewed. Thank you, big bad industry.) But when paired with tangy limes and hot peppers, it reminds me of ceviche, which I do think is best suited to summer. The other thing I haven’t mentioned about this chili is that it’s actually a bit thinner than most, though not in a soup-like way. I actually think it’s perfect like this.
One final note: I thought about scaling down the recipe to make just two servings, because I wasn’t sure how it do as leftovers. Shellfish have a tendency to get gummy when overcooked, and I feared that reheating might cause that. But I decided to go ahead and make four servings anyway, and I’m so glad I did. This was one of those dishes so delicious that we didn’t mind at all eating it for two nights in a row, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well it did reheating. If you plan to do the same, just make sure you heat it gently and gradually.

Chili los Mariscos
Adapted from One Perfect Bite
Printable Recipe

12 oz large raw shrimp, shelled and de-veined
12oz sea scallops
2 limes, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, divided use
1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, divided use
1 hot pepper, seeded and finely minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 large red bell pepper seeded and roughly chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of cinnamon
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely minced
Salt and pepper
2 cups fish stock
1 (14-oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 (14-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

In a medium bowl, toss together the seafood, limes, 1/2 teaspoon each cumin and chili powder, the minced hot pepper, half of each the cilantro and garlic, and 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Let sit at room temperature.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot. Cook the onion, bell pepper, and remaining garlic until the onions are translucent and the vegetables are tender, about 5-8 minutes. Add the remaining cumin and chili powder, cloves, cinnamon, chipotle pepper, salt and pepper, and cook 1-2 minutes more. Finally, add the fish stock, diced tomatoes with green chilies, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 25 minutes.

Add the shellfish to the chili (the peppers and seasonings will stick to it, but leave the limes behind), cover, and cook for about 10 minutes longer, or until the fish is fully cooked. Serve with remaining chopped cilantro.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 359.1
Total Fat: 7.0 g
Cholesterol: 155.6 mg
Sodium: 1,371.6 mg
Total Carbs: 38.2 g
Dietary Fiber: 10.3 g
Protein: 40.4 g

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

  Pin It

56 Responses to “Chili los Mariscos”

  1. 1

    Elina — May 24, 2010 @ 1:19 pm Reply

    This really does sound fantastic. I'm really into super summary things these days but I think that will go away (once the new-ness of the nicer weather passes). Can't wait to try this – sounds so unique and delicious.

  2. 2

    Dawn — May 24, 2010 @ 1:26 pm Reply

    Wow this looks really delicious Cara. I think the seafood really does add a summery touch to the chili. I just did a post about how I love spicy things in hot weather. I threw some fresh cod and shrimp on the grill last night and made a big burrito with some mango and leftover grilled veggies. Can't seem to get enough seafood!

  3. 3

    Dawn — May 24, 2010 @ 1:28 pm Reply

    And the photos are gorgeous by the way.

  4. 4

    Bridget — May 24, 2010 @ 4:17 pm Reply

    Ha, I have WSS too. One of my favorite meals is tomato soup and grilled cheese, and I won't let any 100-degree weather get in my way of enjoying it year round.This chili looks interesting and healthy and tasty. I think I'll try making it with chunks of tilapia in place of the scallops. There are no scallops (that I want to eat) available in my little desert town.

  5. 5

    Maria — May 24, 2010 @ 7:42 pm Reply

    Love your photos and I love Mary's site as well. Great recipe!

  6. 6

    yumventures — May 24, 2010 @ 8:36 pm Reply

    This sounds amazing! I love how you referenced WSS — I knew it would catch on πŸ™‚ Such a great recipe, I hope to try it this summer!

  7. 7

    Angie — May 24, 2010 @ 9:36 pm Reply

    Looks really great, I love the fresh seafood. Perfect summer soup!

  8. 8

    Kait — May 24, 2010 @ 9:44 pm Reply

    This looks terrific. I'm glad to read that it reheated well.

  9. 9

    Lauren (Healthy Delicious) — May 24, 2010 @ 11:28 pm Reply

    I'm so glad I'm not the only one craving "winter" food in this beautiful weather! This seafood chili looks delicious, and it's good to know about reheating. I would have been wary of that too.

  10. 10

    Bridget — May 25, 2010 @ 2:28 am Reply

    This sounds delicious!! I'd have to wait for a slightly cooler day though haha! I do crave soup in the summer, but if I'm already hot I can't eat hot foods…but I'm definitely going to save this recipe for when the time is right! I LOVE seafood πŸ™‚

  11. 11

    grace — May 25, 2010 @ 10:03 am Reply

    this is the kind of dish that one would really regretting halving, and that's for sure! i'm a mega-fan of using cinnamon and cloves in savory dishes, and the other things spicing this up are outstanding too. bravo, cara!

  12. 12

    Barbara — May 25, 2010 @ 11:44 am Reply

    This looks lovely, Cara. Great spices. I'll save the recipe for winter…I just can't bring myself to eat hot soups in the summer, although I know it's supposed to make you feel cooler!

  13. 13

    Taste of Beirut — May 25, 2010 @ 10:29 pm Reply

    This looks so good Cara; I think that fish lends itself especially well to spices.

  14. 14

    webstemo — May 26, 2010 @ 3:09 pm Reply

    Great blog! Out of curiosity, how do you calculate the nutritional info for each recipe? I am trying to track what I eat but haven't found any good tools (online/elsewhere) where I can just enter the ingredients and find out the total, so I end up adding them up individually and it's super time-consuming and adds a lot of guess-work. Any info would be appreciated! Thanks!

  15. 15

    Cara — May 26, 2010 @ 3:19 pm Reply

    Hi webstemo, thanks for stopping by! I use sparkpeople.com to track my intake, and their sister site sparkrecipes.com to calculate nutritional information for my recipes. It allows you to enter all of the ingredients and the number of servings to calculate the nutritional information. I really like it!

  16. 16

    webstemo — May 26, 2010 @ 8:10 pm Reply

    sparkrecipes – genius! I just started sparkpeople and really like it, but (obviously) haven't figured it all out yet. Thanks for the tip!

  17. 17

    Kelsey — May 26, 2010 @ 9:33 pm Reply

    The food looks delicious and the picture is gorgeous!

  18. 18

    marla {Family Fresh Cooking} — May 27, 2010 @ 1:40 am Reply

    I love this seafood chili. I always go with chicken or a lean ground meat, but I so enjoy seafood. Glad to hear it kept well for 2 days as I always love to make a big batch πŸ™‚ xo

  19. 19

    Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) — May 27, 2010 @ 3:47 am Reply

    cara you are SUCH a good cook. omg. and your food photography is gorg. You need to quit your day job. for real! xo

  20. 20

    Denise — June 1, 2010 @ 4:06 pm Reply

    I love chili…and I love shrimp! What a great idea to combine!! I found you through Kalyn's Kitchen blog. Thanks for sharing…I'm bookmarking it now.

  21. 21

    Kevin — June 5, 2010 @ 6:08 pm Reply

    That is one tasty looking chili! A seafood chili is a great idea!

  22. 22

    Table Talk — June 15, 2010 @ 9:06 pm Reply

    Ooh, this looks really fantastic! Like a Mexican Cioppino~ deicious!

  23. 23

    Table Talk — March 28, 2011 @ 8:42 pm Reply

    Ooh, this looks really fantastic! Like a Mexican Cioppino~ deicious!

  24. 24

    Kevin — March 28, 2011 @ 8:42 pm Reply

    That is one tasty looking chili! A seafood chili is a great idea!

  25. 25

    Denise — March 28, 2011 @ 8:42 pm Reply

    I love chili…and I love shrimp! What a great idea to combine!! I found you through Kalyn's Kitchen blog. Thanks for sharing…I'm bookmarking it now.

  26. 26

    Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) — March 28, 2011 @ 8:42 pm Reply

    cara you are SUCH a good cook. omg. and your food photography is gorg. You need to quit your day job. for real! xo

  27. 27

    marla {Family Fresh Cooking} — March 28, 2011 @ 8:42 pm Reply

    I love this seafood chili. I always go with chicken or a lean ground meat, but I so enjoy seafood. Glad to hear it kept well for 2 days as I always love to make a big batch πŸ™‚ xo

  28. 28

    Kelsey — March 28, 2011 @ 8:42 pm Reply

    The food looks delicious and the picture is gorgeous!

  29. 29

    Kelsey — March 28, 2011 @ 8:42 pm Reply

    The food looks delicious and the picture is gorgeous!

  30. 30

    webstemo — March 28, 2011 @ 8:42 pm Reply

    sparkrecipes – genius! I just started sparkpeople and really like it, but (obviously) haven't figured it all out yet. Thanks for the tip!

  31. 31

    Cara — March 28, 2011 @ 8:42 pm Reply

    Hi webstemo, thanks for stopping by! I use sparkpeople.com to track my intake, and their sister site sparkrecipes.com to calculate nutritional information for my recipes. It allows you to enter all of the ingredients and the number of servings to calculate the nutritional information. I really like it!

  32. 32

    webstemo — March 28, 2011 @ 8:42 pm Reply

    Great blog! Out of curiosity, how do you calculate the nutritional info for each recipe? I am trying to track what I eat but haven't found any good tools (online/elsewhere) where I can just enter the ingredients and find out the total, so I end up adding them up individually and it's super time-consuming and adds a lot of guess-work. Any info would be appreciated! Thanks!

  33. 33

    Taste of Beirut — March 28, 2011 @ 8:42 pm Reply

    This looks so good Cara; I think that fish lends itself especially well to spices.

  34. 34

    Barbara — March 28, 2011 @ 8:42 pm Reply

    This looks lovely, Cara. Great spices. I'll save the recipe for winter…I just can't bring myself to eat hot soups in the summer, although I know it's supposed to make you feel cooler!

  35. 35

    grace — March 28, 2011 @ 8:42 pm Reply

    this is the kind of dish that one would really regretting halving, and that's for sure! i'm a mega-fan of using cinnamon and cloves in savory dishes, and the other things spicing this up are outstanding too. bravo, cara!

  36. 36

    Bridget — March 28, 2011 @ 8:42 pm Reply

    This sounds delicious!! I'd have to wait for a slightly cooler day though haha! I do crave soup in the summer, but if I'm already hot I can't eat hot foods…but I'm definitely going to save this recipe for when the time is right! I LOVE seafood πŸ™‚

  37. 37

    Lauren (Healthy Delicious) — March 28, 2011 @ 8:42 pm Reply

    I'm so glad I'm not the only one craving "winter" food in this beautiful weather! This seafood chili looks delicious, and it's good to know about reheating. I would have been wary of that too.

  38. 38

    Kait — March 28, 2011 @ 8:42 pm Reply

    This looks terrific. I'm glad to read that it reheated well.

  39. 39

    Dawn — March 28, 2011 @ 8:42 pm Reply

    Wow this looks really delicious Cara. I think the seafood really does add a summery touch to the chili. I just did a post about how I love spicy things in hot weather. I threw some fresh cod and shrimp on the grill last night and made a big burrito with some mango and leftover grilled veggies. Can't seem to get enough seafood!

  40. 40

    Angie — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    Looks really great, I love the fresh seafood. Perfect summer soup!

  41. 41

    yumventures — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    This sounds amazing! I love how you referenced WSS — I knew it would catch on πŸ™‚ Such a great recipe, I hope to try it this summer!

  42. 42

    Maria — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    Love your photos and I love Mary's site as well. Great recipe!

  43. 43

    Bridget — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    Ha, I have WSS too. One of my favorite meals is tomato soup and grilled cheese, and I won't let any 100-degree weather get in my way of enjoying it year round.This chili looks interesting and healthy and tasty. I think I'll try making it with chunks of tilapia in place of the scallops. There are no scallops (that I want to eat) available in my little desert town.

  44. 44

    Dawn — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    And the photos are gorgeous by the way.

  45. 45

    Dawn — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    And the photos are gorgeous by the way.

  46. 46

    Elina — March 28, 2011 @ 8:51 pm Reply

    This really does sound fantastic. I'm really into super summary things these days but I think that will go away (once the new-ness of the nicer weather passes). Can't wait to try this – sounds so unique and delicious.

  47. 47

    Table Talk — March 29, 2011 @ 2:04 am Reply

    Ooh, this looks really fantastic! Like a Mexican Cioppino~ deicious!

  48. 48

    Denise — March 29, 2011 @ 2:04 am Reply

    I love chili…and I love shrimp! What a great idea to combine!! I found you through Kalyn's Kitchen blog. Thanks for sharing…I'm bookmarking it now.

  49. 49

    marla {Family Fresh Cooking} — March 29, 2011 @ 2:04 am Reply

    I love this seafood chili. I always go with chicken or a lean ground meat, but I so enjoy seafood. Glad to hear it kept well for 2 days as I always love to make a big batch πŸ™‚ xo

  50. 50

    webstemo — March 29, 2011 @ 2:04 am Reply

    Great blog! Out of curiosity, how do you calculate the nutritional info for each recipe? I am trying to track what I eat but haven't found any good tools (online/elsewhere) where I can just enter the ingredients and find out the total, so I end up adding them up individually and it's super time-consuming and adds a lot of guess-work. Any info would be appreciated! Thanks!

  51. 51

    Bridget — March 29, 2011 @ 2:04 am Reply

    This sounds delicious!! I'd have to wait for a slightly cooler day though haha! I do crave soup in the summer, but if I'm already hot I can't eat hot foods…but I'm definitely going to save this recipe for when the time is right! I LOVE seafood πŸ™‚

  52. 52

    Bridget — March 29, 2011 @ 2:04 am Reply

    Ha, I have WSS too. One of my favorite meals is tomato soup and grilled cheese, and I won't let any 100-degree weather get in my way of enjoying it year round.This chili looks interesting and healthy and tasty. I think I'll try making it with chunks of tilapia in place of the scallops. There are no scallops (that I want to eat) available in my little desert town.

  53. 53

    webstemo — April 5, 2011 @ 1:14 am Reply

    Great blog! Out of curiosity, how do you calculate the nutritional info for each recipe? I am trying to track what I eat but haven't found any good tools (online/elsewhere) where I can just enter the ingredients and find out the total, so I end up adding them up individually and it's super time-consuming and adds a lot of guess-work. Any info would be appreciated! Thanks!

  54. 54

    Taste of Beirut — April 5, 2011 @ 1:14 am Reply

    This looks so good Cara; I think that fish lends itself especially well to spices.

  55. 55

    webstemo — April 5, 2011 @ 1:14 am Reply

    sparkrecipes – genius! I just started sparkpeople and really like it, but (obviously) haven't figured it all out yet. Thanks for the tip!

  56. 56

    Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) — April 5, 2011 @ 1:14 am Reply

    cara you are SUCH a good cook. omg. and your food photography is gorg. You need to quit your day job. for real! xo

Leave a Reply to Kelsey