This easy fish stew is simple enough for a weeknight if you have cooked prepared hominy on hand. You can exchange the mussels for clams or even shrimp. Please, don't use canned hominy. And it might be a good idea to check Seafood Watch to avoid using endangered fish.

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 Guajillo chiles, wiped clean, seeded, and cut into pieces
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes (used canned if tomatoes are out of season)
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 6 cups of light chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Mexican Oregano
• Salt
• 1 1/2 cups cooked Rancho Gordo prepared hominy (see below or click here for cooking directions)
• 1 pound mussels, scrubbed clean and debearded (discard any that are open)
• 1 pound talapia, rock cod, or snapper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Chopped onion, chopped cilantro, chile powder, and/or quartered limes for serving

Serves 4

1.  Heat the oil in the bottom of the pot. You're only going to use one pot for this meal, but make sure it can hold all the stock and ingredients. When warm, fry the chiles until they just turn colors and smell vibrant, about a minute or so. Remove them and place them in a blender jar. Add the onion and garlic to the oil and sauté until almost soft, about 4 minutes. Transfer the onions, garlic and any remaining oil to the blender jar. Add the tomatoes and blend until smooth.
2.  Place a food mill over the pot and pass the ingredients from the blender. You can also push the mixture through a fine sieve with a wooden spoon. Cook on medium heat for about 6 or 7 minutes, then add the broth and when the liquid reaches a soft boil, add the oregano, hominy, and the fish. Cook 4 minutes or so until the hominy is warmed through and the fish is barely cooked. Add the mussels and cook briefly until the mussels open, about 4 or 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that don't open. Salt as needed. 
3.  Serve with chopped onion, chopped cilantro, chile powder, and quartered Mexican/Key limes if you like.

How to cook dried hominy: Sort and rinse hominy. Soak for 8 hours in cold water, then drain. Add to a large pot with 1 roughly chopped onion and cover with 2 inches of fresh water. Bring to a hard boil over high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook hominy uncovered until chewy and tender but not chalky, approximately 2 hours. Hominy usually flowers, like popcorn, when finished. Reserve 2 cups of cooking liquid for later use, then drain. One pound (or 2 cups) dried hominy yields about 7 cups when cooked, and substitutes for canned hominy in recipes with none of the rubbery texture.