My Version of San Francisco's Seafood Stew

I get my best ideas when I'm being lazy. I simply didn't want to go to the store today. So I made do with what was in the kitchen. A frozen pack of seafood, tomato sauce, spices and pasta made me proud. Too bad I couldn't share it with anyone, because I ate it all at one sitting.

Mona's Damned-Tasty Cioppino

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
• 1 squeeze anchovy paste
• 1/2 tablespoon dried red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped (I prefer red over green, better flavor)
• 8 oz of tomato sauce (Trader Joe's has a great marinara)
• 1 healthy tablespoon of pure maple syrup
  
• 1 pack Trader Joe's frozen seafood pack with shrimp, scallops, calamari (but you can substitute a firm fish if you don't eat shellfish)
• Salt to taste
  

In a heavy steel pan (at least 2 quarts), pour olive oil, saute onion and cook until opaque. Add garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring for 1 minute. Add oregano, anchovy paste and red pepper flake and and cook for 5 minutes. Add bell pepper, stirring, until softened. Stir in tomato sauce and simmer for at least 20 minutes. You're just making a basic sauce that you can use for ANY dish....

BUT, you're about to add the seafood to make it even tastier! Defrost the frozen seafood and add to the sauce until the seafood feels firm to touch, or when it turns white.

Serve over pasta or rice. Two of you can eat this. Or one very hungry, lazy lady...