Actual Menus and Cioppino

First, an announcement and a call for submissions. One of the frustrating parts of any new way of eating is the question of “What exactly do we eat?” Most plans have a one or two week “meal plan,” which is an idealized version of a menu, which, in my experience, doesnt conform to how people actually eat. I know my own ventures into meal planning are somewhat loose, with at least one meal not being made and another meal being substituted.

As such, I have created a website called Actual Menus. I am looking to create a database of what people actually eat on real food eating plans, including WAPF, GAPS, Paleo/Primal, and others. Do you keep track of your food? I am looking for 20 initial contributors that can send me 4 weeks of what they actually ate (They do not have to be the past month, it can start whenever you sign up and go from there). Menu contributors will have free access to the website, and can see how other people are eating.

Interested in contributing menus, or just want to be informed of when that site opens? Sign up at ActualMenus.com

Now, the food! I was shopping at the Korean Market in midtown (which has New Zealand mussels for a good price), and picked up a package of frozen seafood. I picked the one that had wild squid, wild mussels, wild other stuff, and 15% farmed shrimp. I usually like wild caught seafood or farmed shelled, but I was okay with the small farmed percentage.

I made a quick cioppino, in that I boiled tomato sauce with spices, and added in the frozen seafood. Kinda good, kinda fishy tasting. Was not a “I cant wait to make this again” dish. The next day, I sautéed some onions, and added the cioppino to the onions.

I swear, sauteed onions are the magical vegetable. They made liver taste palatable, and they fixed the seafood flavor of the soup! Now, it does fall into the “I need to buy bags of frozen seafood to make this again!”

Quick Cioppino

2-4 Tbsp Fat of Choice (I used butter and coconut oil)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, smashed or pressed
1 quart of tomatoes, or a 26 oz can (look for BPA free if possible).
Seasonings to include salt, pepper, red pepper (if you like a little spice), italian seasonings (I buy the already pre-mixed version that has oregano, basil, marjoram, and some other stuff.)
One Pound of Frozen Seafood Mix, or you could use a pound of any seafood or fish. The mixture is good, but this would taste fine with just one type of seafood

Sautee onions in Fat of Choice, until they slightly brown. Add garlic and sautee for a minute or so. Add tomatoes and season to your liking. Add seafood. Bring to boil to cook the seafood, and serve.